Anyone who works in an environment with constant and incessant noises knows how irritating and aggravating it is and how difficult it can be to get things done.
Whether you work in construction, outside on the runway of an airport, or want to cut out all the unnecessary noise of your day-to-day, you can definitely benefit from the use of noise-reducing electronic earmuffs.
Howard Leight Impact Sport
Peltor Tactical 6S
Howard Leight Impact Sport
Peltor Tactical 6S
Based on our analysis, the Howard Leight Impact Sport is the victor over the Peltor Tactical 6S, although they come very close. Please read the rest of our comparison for a more detailed analysis.
Howard Leight Impact Sport vs Peltor Tactical 6S Sport
I know of people who work in an office building who say they’re tired of listening to their neighbors talk all day about everything under the sun, while my friends are just trying to get their jobs done.
One friend, in particular, told me a story about their cubicle partner and how this person would go on and on about the latest gossip in the office: “Becky talks to Amber about Vanessa and Ricky going out, and how Ricky’s ex in accounting is jealous and threatened to….” I could see myself going mad there–my poor friend.
As a teacher, I sometimes know the urge to drown out the sound of kids screaming and running wild all day. But that’s not practical–unfortunately.
Peltor vs Howard Leight for Shooting
However, I recently found a new hobby: visiting my local gun range and popping off some rounds after work. It was an interesting experience, albeit a bit scary at first, but soon after, I discovered a liking for it, and since then, I have become quite an enthusiast.
What I don’t like, however, are the earmuffs that they give you when you visit the gun range: they’re often either too big or too small; they don’t have breath right and leave your ears hot and sweaty, and most times, I feel like they aren’t always cleaned properly, and that they don’t even provide the correct hearing protection needed.
This has led me in the pursuit of finding a personal pair of earmuffs that I can call my own.
After perusing the internet for some time, I have narrowed down my options to two brands: Howard Leight vs. Peltor, and more specifically, the Howard Leight Impact Sport vs. the 3M Peltor Tactical 6S.
Similar models are The Howard Leight Impact Pro vs. the Peltor Tactical Sport.
A good set of earmuffs needs to reduce harmful noise from the environment, be comfortable to wear, and be useful for all different types of activities, not solely limited to shooting. When it comes to Howard Leight vs. Peltor, both have received high reviews from customers and both claim to be the “best,” but which is telling the truth?
Howard Leight Electronic Impact Sport
- The Impact Sport weighs 3 pounds (the weight of the human brain) and is convenient for carry. It’s compact-able design makes it easy to store on the range or in the field.
- The design is no frills and basic, with a Hunter Green-colored ear cup and a matte black finish. It can sometimes be difficult when you’re taking sight of your gun due to the boxiness of most earmuffs, but the Impact Sport has slender, sleek ear-cups to allow for complete clearance of the gun stock and better visibility.
- The Impact Sport earmuffs are custom fit, non-slip, and built for comfort, with a padded and telescoped headband that can be adjusted depending on the user. These earmuffs are very easy maintenance. The ear cushions are snap-on and easily replaced to help extend its performance over time. There is also a built-in AUX jack that can be connected to an MP3 or other device.
- Another great feature is the earmuffs low energy use. These earmuffs use 2 AAA batteries (included with purchase) and have an automatic shut-off feature after 4 hours with a projected 350 hour battery life.
- The Impact Sport’s claim to fame comes from its ability to reduce harmful sounds to the safe and manageable 82 dB. Rather than completely blocking out all noise from your surround environment, these earmuffs are equipped with directional microphones that amplify conversation and range commands to an understandable level, which allow users to maintain environmental and situational awareness.
You can read our full Howard Leight Impact Sport Earmuff review here.
3M Peltor Tactical 6S
- The Peltor Tactical 6S comes with easy to change/different colored headset cups. This allows for customization as well as being useful on a hunting expedition. This makes the wearer more visible and helps increase the wearer’s safety.
- The Peltor Tactical is lightweight (a mere 8 ounces) and has a foldable design. This makes the earmuffs easy to carry, compact and able to be conveniently stored in a gun bag or jacket pocket. Most earmuffs given in gun ranges are blocky and sometimes a bit heavy to wear. This lightweight design allows for more mobility as well as being a lot more comfortable for the user.
- The volume control function of the Peltor is easy to use and is easily adjustable. It is equipped with an automatic shut-off function for convenience and can be connected to a radio that can be played directly from the headset.
- The Peltor Tactical runs off of 4 AAA batteries and has a battery life of around 200 hours–yes, 200. This is simply outstanding for only 4 AAA batteries.
- Most importantly, the Peltor, like other noise-reducing headphones, can significantly decrease the amount of loud and potentially damaging sounds from the environment to a tolerable level. What most other headphones are incapable of is dropping down the volume levels by 19 dB, which is remarkable considering that most hearing protection doesn’t muddle much of the sounds at all.
You can read the full Peltor Tactical 6S Earmuff review here.
Howard Leight Impact Pro vs Peltor Sport Tac
Both earmuffs stress comfort and protection more than anything else, but where they differ is in their features and price.
The Impact Sport with 22 dB NRR is sold for under $50, whereas the Peltor SportTac 100 with 20 dB NRR runs at some retail stores and online sites, usually over $100.
In addition, the Impact Sport and Sporttac have a built-in auxiliary jack that allows the earmuffs to double as headphones.
When looking at the Howard Leight Impact Sport vs Peltor Sporttac 500, the clear winner is the Tactical 500, with 26 dB NRR.
And the Victor Is…
When I’m looking to make a purchase, I tend to correlate price with quality. Suppose this were my only factor, then the obvious winner would be the Tactical 6S. But, if hunting or shooting were not my sole purpose in life and was a mere hobby (as it is for me), I don’t know if spending almost triple the price would be worth it.
Another notable comparison is the MSA Sordin vs. Peltor COMTAC III.
It all comes down to how practical these earmuffs will be in your day-to-day. You can use both of them for miscellaneous other activities, such as mowing your lawn and are not solely restricted to shooting.
But if it were up to me, the Impact Sport seems like the better buy. Even if they’ll only last me a few years and need to be replaced, the additional features seem to outweigh the other option. So, in the debate of the Howard Leight Impact Sport vs. the Peltor Tactical 6S, my vote is for the Howard Leight.
Also check our reviews on walkers game ear vs howard leight, decibullz custom molded earplugs review, peltor tactical 100 vs range guard, sordin supreme pro x review, peltor tactical 300 review, decibel defense earmuffs, caldwell e max behind the neck hearing protection