Alan M

27 de marzo de 2026

Blocks noise while staying comfortable

I’ve been using these for a few weeks, and they block out loud noise very effectively while staying comfortable even during long wear. The fit is snug without feeling tight, and the build quality feels solid and durable.They are perfect for shooting, construction, or any noisy environment where you need consistent protection.If you want ear protection that is reliable, comfortable, and built to last, this is a solid choice.Ver más

7 personas la encontraron útil

Roger A. Rubio

13 de agosto de 2015

QUIET! Yay!

Rarely do I feel so moved to write a review such as this. I haven't had a life-altering experience or anything of that magnitude with these earmuffs, but I have had a few moments of silence that have made my day!As a matter of disclosure, I bought these earmuffs to silence my many neighbors at my "open" workplace. I am a software engineer, and I very frequently need to hear myself think. Where I work, each employee gets 3 square feet of cubicle space. The official line is that being this close to all your office colleagues will foster collaboration. It is really just a way to save money on cubicle furniture (which -- to my employer's credit -- does gouge out souls with their prices). So they try to put a positive spin on what is essentially a negative occurrence: everybody now gets less space. And more noise. And more distraction. And a ridiculous amount of light. But the light is another story.Anyway, my previous tries at finding a set of headphones or earmuffs to stifle every little joke, conversation, phone call, laugh, etc. had previously met with mixed results. I had already settled on how I would listen to music: a really good set of noise-cancelling headphones and some Bluetooth transmitter/receiver magic (not all good headphones are wireless). But I still longed for times where it could be library-level quiet at my desk. A quixotic desire to say the least, since people are on the phone right next to me, having meetings right next to me, walking by in groups and talking like no one else is around right next to me, etc.. So I tried a few earmuffs with high NRR, again with mixed results. The most effective set of earmuffs I used before these were a set of earmuffs rated 29 NRR. They worked very well. But the ear cushions were square (who thought of that?) and after an hour or two of wearing them, my ears would protest vociferously. Hence my search for a quieter and more comfortable set of earmuffs. My search led me to these and another set that claimed a rating of 34 NRR. I ordered these, and told myself if they didn't do the job, I could always order the 34 NRR ones.Wow. The first time I put these on, I could feel myself physically relax. The noise was GONE. I can't hear a THING with these earmuffs on. Well, I can, but everything outside of the earmuffs is either dead quiet or so muffled it doesn't even matter. Any amount of distraction due to sound is effectively eliminated with these earmuffs. My previous 29 NRR earmuffs used a huge cushion on the inside of each earmuff to do the hard work of absorbing noise. But it made my ears hot after a while (body part + insulation + containment = heat & sweat). These Peltor earmuffs are hollow on the inside of each earmuff, and the shell is lined with the noise-absorbing foam. As a result, my ears are much cooler with these on. The space between your ear and the outside of the earmuff shell is part of the strategy of how these earmuffs reduce noise, and it is VERY effective. Also, the seal provided by the ear cushions is the tried-and-true plastic/vinyl-like material (I believe it is PVC) that creates a good seal around your ears without acting like an adhesive.That being said, no earmuffs are perfect, and these Peltor earmuffs are no exception. The immediate inside of each earmuff -- where your ear makes direct contact with the earmuff -- is solid plastic. This plastic wraps around the whole earmuff, but for the most part you feel it on the back of your ear. I believe it is designed this way on purpose, because a rigid plastic ring where the foam ends and the cushion on the outside begins helps to create a superior seal around the ear. And the plastic does not put any crushing pressure on your ear lobes. But this rigid plastic can become tiresome. I usually need to wear these for hours at a time. Sometimes, during crunch times, I wear these earmuffs for four hours straight. And either my head will protest, or my ears will, depending on whether I put them on correctly, of if they are a little off balance. When I take them off, the areas on my ears where the plastic made contact are the most sore. And the headband could stand to have some kind of cushioning on it, to prevent the "two-band" impression in my hair after a long programming session. I realize these earmuffs are intended to be used along with protective headgear, but for my application (i.e. shutting everyone around me up) I wouldn't mind a terry cushion or a memory-foam cushion on the headband.But I swear these are quibbles and nitpicks. I LOVE these earmuffs. If 3M has a higher NRR set of these Peltors, I will be all over them. I now use these all the time at work. I look like a dork with these huge cans on my head, but I don't care. I can finally work in a library whenever I want to! Now, all I have to do is conquer the copious light in my "open" workspace...Ver más

62 personas la encontraron útil

29 de julio de 2017

High quality. Worth every sent though the price has doubled in the last 10 years.

Works great. 3m makes high quality ear muffs. I find, and this case is no exception, even when the noted NRR/DB is lower than other brands they work better (DD -- decible defence is an absolute lie). I have tried a ton of mufs, this is absolutely the best i have found and the most comfortable. I assume they are more conservative/honest in their ranking. The other nice these about these which is a welcome improvement than other even 3m styles such as the older versions the pads are much softer and more comfortable. I still wish we could lose the plastic on the pads, but that's ok, they are for yard work and need to repel sweat i get it. But as someone that is a quiet nerd i want to wear them all the time, even when I vacuum.Note these are large and great for noisy situations. You might be better with a smaller size if you were going to attempt to say use them for sleep. They'd be an overkill for that.I can't stress enough these are the best. I tried a lot before this dozens. I can't image someone not liking them. The foam is properly applied with Zero gaps, and they use high density foam. That alone makes a huge difference since it's more effective at absorbing sound waves. nothing i've personally tried can touch these as far as blocking sound. It's noticeable.I'll just throw out decibel defence because i see people buying that again because of the name. They are garbage. They use packing foam, and the ones I own didn't seal all the way with the foam they did have. Again i have many other brands and 3m having been used commercially for safety equipment needs to report honestly or they'd be sued. This is the one to get. it's also why they don't have gaps and use non effective materials. If you don't think this matters look up tinitus and trust me you'll be paranoid. I started getting it after a tire exploded in my ear some years ago, it never goes away and it's is incredibly annoying.When you are doing stuff with tools wear protection. I would also recommended in day to day stuff if you are out and about carrying some loops or plugs with you. IMO these are worth every cent of the 40. I use them at work, at home, working in the yard, grinding coffee, vacuuming etc.I own three of these 3m x5a, and some older ones and tons of old muffs. They can't be beat. Again i've tried a lot. It's not even close. these approach top tier foam ear plugs. I combine this and foam plugs when i do loud things like chain saw or mowing. I like to have a backup plus it does boost the isolation by a few db in total. you can also wear air pods under these if you want a little anc to get the low frequency which passive doesn't really block as well. Though just to be clear about that these beat any active anc on the market overall. I have Sony, apple, and Bose. These are better alone.

Mark

works well for my noise sensitivty and worth the moneyyy

it blocks out so much noise and rlly helped me woth my noise sensitivity. i like the color choice because its minimalistic and doesnt draw too much attention when wearing it out on the streets. it is a bit heavy and bulky tho but thats doesnt matter tk me much and doesnt affect anything else. i mean the size and bulkiness is expected of an effective noise blockimg ear muffs right? ive had for for about 10 momths and not a single problem. ear pads much softer and can be worn longer than the first generation (the green one). truly worth my money (i got it for around $35 a few months ago). it blocks out almost everything so i can actually focus. for examples, neighborhood dogs barking or the AC blowing and loud music (~50% of my laptop or phone music volume level) almost feel nonexistent after i put these on. everything feels muted. love it!. i dont use it for jackhammering or chainsawing or shooting ranges but i do use it for university.its not very foldable but that doesnt matter to me, its worth it to carry around and wear it whennevr tbings get too loud compared to not having it at all.Ver más

17 de marzo de 2014

EDIT: headband has a fatal flaw

My original review was positive and received many likes, but in the years since i have had three headbands break all in exactly the same way ( they snap in the middle for no reason ). The other two muffs were the low profile versions but they had exactly the same headband. I only write this negative update now because the first two headbands took years to break, but the last one seems to have given out early on. I can't be exactly sure how long i used it because i have swapped the headbands around as they broke but i CAN say with 100% certainty these headbands will all break in a matter of time. All the earmuffs themselves are still in like new condition - but their headbands are completely broken and can't be repaired. I won't speculate if 3M designed them to break like this after a certain period of time or it was an honest mistake - but the reinforcing "spring" inside the plastic of the headband just snaps. i don't know what it's made of as the fracture is internal but you can clearly hear it snap and see the kink and there is no longer rigidity in that spot.my advice is do not buy any 3M earmuff with this headband type, unless you can find a replacement somewhere maybe but it seems to be a disposable product.i used to be a fan of 3M but after this i will probably look elsewhere.Original Review:My older earmuff was the Howard Leight Leightning L3 ...When i received this X5A i was shocked by how heavy it is compared to the L3. I went to the 3M website and sure enough the X5A weighs 12 ounces compared to 8 ounces for X3A and 6 ounces for X1A - this is one HEAVY earmuff ! It is also very deep. But that's how it manages the outstanding 31db NRR.I compared the new X5A back to back with my aging L3 and sure enough the X5A murdered it. the attenuation of high frequencies was comparable, but when it came to the lows there was no comparison - the X5A was MUCH stronger in attenuation of the bass. i verified this by playing music on my DJ speakers while wearing both earmuffs. the X5A in fact is so strong that in a quiet environment it can get a bit uncomfortable psychologically. of course, there is no reason to wear them in a quiet room.when i tapped on the side of the earmuff while having them on the L3 was very loud, but the X5A much less loud. this just confirmed what i already knew - the X5A has a much stronger, heavier, deeper shell, which also seems to be made out of a more non-resonant plastic.but the shell is only half of earmuff performance - the seal of the earpad is the other half. and once again X5A murders the L3 here as well. the seal is OUTSTANDING. it is super soft, the shape is super smooth ( no square corners like the L3 ) and feels more like gel than foam - it is soft but substantial. it works amazingly well both for comfort and sound isolation.the strong, deep shell combined with the soft yet substantial earpad that contours to your head combine to produce the outstanding acoustical performance of this earmuff ...so why only 4 stars ?2 reasons:1 - it is heavy. 50% heavier than X3A and it seems about 50% heavier than my L3.2 ( and this is the important reason ) - the headband doesn't work properly. the earmuff tends to slowly slide down and i find myself readjusting it up. this may be because of how heavy the earmuff is, or because the design of the headband is flawed. the headband itself is very strong - just like he earmuff itself - the build quality of the headband is outstanding. but the design doesn't seem to work. it is extremely comfortable, but just doesn't really hold the earmuff in place - lets it gradually slide down ...also it is hard to understand what people are saying in this earmuff. this is probably to be expected from a 31db NRR earmuff but it may not be what some people are looking for. i am NOT deducting any stars for this, but instead just warning those who may not realize this. it is noticeably harder to understand people in the X5A than it is in L3.should you get this earmuff ?YES if you want a high degree of protection from low frequencies.NO if you want something that is light and / or small and / or cheap.NO if you want something that will not interfere with your ability to understand speech etc.NO if you want a headband that holds without slippingso why am i still giving it 4 stars and not say 2 or 3 stars ? because overall the build quality and performance are truly impressive and went far beyond my expectations having previously owned Bilsom L3 which was considered one of the best. even the headband which in my opinion doesn't work is constructed spectacularly well.i give X5A four stars because they set out to produce something exceptional and they hit most of their targets, failing on just one count, which never the less is quite important.

Poker Panda

Best Comfy Sound Protection I've Found.

These are absolutely not the first headphones I've used to try to block out noise.But they're the first ones to fit somewhat comfortably, without squeezing my head like a vice. They are still a little tight, but very secure, and the pressure seems more widely distributed, which is positive. I think with time, I'll be more comfortable. But as far as comfort goes, this is really not bad at all.Other earmuffs (whatever you may call them) are either super cheap, broken, or incredibly tight and painful on my ears and head. One set I even struggled to open apart to put on my head at all. They folded up and took a minute to unfold as well.When I first put these earmuffs on, the world absolutely fell silent. I heard nothing for the first time ever. It was beautiful. I'm impressed in that regard. It actually does what it's supposed to, and it's designed well also. I feel that the design is remarkable.The earmuffs are adjustable in size, but they pretty much fit me perfectly from out of the box. The earpieces are really big and wide in profile.And that is the one sacrifice. I honestly think I might be too embarassed to wear such a big contraption on my head, in public, unless I had no other choice.. actually, I guess it's not that bad. I'm already used to being stared at.And I'm living for myself, and no one else. So who cares? I sure as hell shouldn't. I'd be happy at least.I'm ordering another pair, but in a lesser decimal protection unfortunately. But they look cooler- skinnier, and with some neon yellow flash.I don't shoot guns and I never will. Nor do I work around noisy construction sites. I need to be protected around everyday life, including people, their voices and places.I'm usually pretty fashion-forward. But I also value and need to protect my health at the moment. Health is my number 1 priority. Without it, I have nothing.Besides, because of the even distribution of weight, the Princess Leia look is lighter than it appears.I need these earmuffs to block out sound. I suffer from sensory sensitivity to the point where I'm now in almost complete isolation. Misophonia. Fibromyalgia. Etc.It makes life really difficult when I can't handle normal smells, sounds and lights, or anything rapid in movement. It gets a lot deeper than just that.This is on top of much grief and chronic pain.So these 3M Peltor headphones are the first step to finding some peace in this increasingly noisy world.Oh and another thing.. this won't concern everyone. But the inside of the earpieces are oval and hollow to allow my ears to fit comfortably inside.They fit right around my ears, thus protecting my left triple ear cartilage piercing. It always feels sore if I touch the area around the piercings.But the earmuff earpieces are a really nice fit, and I appreciate that. There isn't great pressure against my ears, and that's vital.So yeah I'm gonna give this 5 stars now. It's not perfect, and it doesn't particularly feel like a snuggly fur scarf. But this is a huge improvement from my past attempts to block out noise.I admit, I will have to get used to these, and they will irritate me sometimes, if I have to wear them for a long period of time.But it's a great start regardless.If you want good sound protection, there is no doubt that these will do it for you.I'm a petite woman, just so you know. I can see how these can fit almost anybody. Women and men alike. Teens as well.I'm pretty happy with this purchase. I just hope that one day the protection can be slimmer in profile, and softer and more comfortable as a whole, without sacrificing the noise blocking ability.Get this. It works. Well.