3M PELTOR X5A Over-the-Head Ear Muffs

I have used this once at the shooting range; worked pretty well, but I was glad to have some ear plugs as well. I often wear it to get to sleep when I don't want to be bothered. Comfortable. Well made. Good quality.

These are absolutely fantastic! My ears are on the sensitive side, so I wear these at the workshop with my AirPods tucked underneath-and with that combo, I’m never bothered by saws, sanders, or any of the other power-tool chaos. Even on their own they do an incredible job blocking ambient noise (including the giant industrial fans), and the quiet they create is genuinely calming. They can run a little warm in the summer, but that’s par for the course with real noise protection. They’re not overly heavy, and the padding is soft and comfortable enough to wear for 8+ hour stretches without a second thought. They’re also impressively durable-more than once the earmuffs have saved me from giving myself a surprise whack with a sheet of plywood. With daily, heavy use they last me about a year before the foam needs replacing, but at that point I usually just grab a new pair. It’s amazing how frazzling constant background noise can be, and how instantly manageable the day feels once you put these on and everything goes blissfully quiet.

I can not and would not tell you how many pair of these formerly-known-as-headphones-now-"earmuffs" I have bought and paid for. And tried to use. Some, many in fact, do block noise. Most also unfortunately block blood flow. My brain seems to need this. So, I take small plastic storage tubs. Like, shoebox size, and turned upside down I put the, er, earmuffs over width-wise to "train" them. It takes a long time. And sometimes they never fit comfortably. Sometimes they stretch too far. Not really any better. Enter these: 3M Peltor Uncorded, Black. The first difference was that they were wearable. Comfortable. Right away. No "training" exercises. No waiting. Shortly after that I realized that they block noise better than the other ones I've tried. All, of the other ones. Noise reduction -with- blood flow. These are the hearing protectors I've been waiting for. Now, if you are, idk, buying earmuffs to "look cute…" these are probably not the ones you've been waiting for. They are big. Like, in a Princess Leia kind of way. She was already cute. She could get away with it. (Plus, good lighting.) But these will definitely get you noticed lol. I have a pretty serious hearing sensitivity. So, I take hearing protection pretty seriously. It's not cute. Exposure to loud noise makes my ears hurt. And hiss. Tinnitus. I also get migraines from changes in circulation to my head. So, yeah. These do the job really well without causing me any issues. They're actually micro-adjustable, too. And they protect my hearing. I'm glad to have -finally- found them. And I won't be without them if I can help it, again. (I'm here to get another back-up pair.) I don't want to be without my hearing, either. It's always surprising to find a product that is just that much better than all the rest. But this is one of those rare exceptions.

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.

I've used these on a daily basis, for about 5 years. The first thing you need to know is that the included ear cushions aren't very good. They don't seal as well as they could and they aren't terribly comfortable, for long-term wear. You should really replace them with the gel cushions ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DHVXKVA ), which aren't cheap but dramatically improve both comfort and noise isolation. Next, there's a somewhat hollow "seashell" sound that I managed to defeat by pulling apart a cotton ball and stuffing in each ear cup. It gets rid of some resonances pretty well. There's enough room in the ear cups that, particularly after upgrading to the gel cushions, they don't even touch my ears. Finally, I'd suggest not wearing these directly on your head. For long-term wear, it's much more comfortable to use them over a thin hoodie or a cotton handkerchief. You compromise a little bit on noise isolation, but the improvement in long-term comfort and hygiene will be worth it, unless you need the highest degree of isolation. As for further feedback on the product, the earcups stick out far enough that I still sometimes bump them on things, and it's always jarring when I do. Also, the headband does tend to slacken, but usually not while they're on my head. I think, if you take care to keep the adjustment posts clean, there's enough friction for them to hold the adjustment while they're on your head. Lastly, weight can be a bit much. For my second set, what I did was to buy a lower-profile, lighter weight model ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CPCHADQ ) and make the same modifications I mentioned above. After doing so, I find they're nearly as good and the size & weight reductions are much appreciated.

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...

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.

The X5A has this one-of-a-kind immersive silence quality, which gives the wearer the sensation of having entered a silent chamber. This is brought on by the snug, deep earcups and the very high noise reduction of 31 decibels they generate. The headband is easily adjustable when the unit is on the head. The fit is tight yet reasonably comfortable for the sublime noise relief that it offers. This is a purpose-built item that gets the job done properly.