Opinions on electronic ear plugs.

[FoghornLeghorn]

I use electronic muffs when I hunt. But on really cold days, if I wear muffs, I can't wear proper head gear.

What do you think of electronic ear plugs? Do they really offer adequate protection? Do they work as advertised?

If you use them, what brands are good?

I'm not interested in bluetooth capability as concentrated music sound in your ear canal raises a whole spectrum of concerns about hearing damage. I'm just interested in plugs that will reduce a gun blast yet allow me to hear normally in the field.

Thanks.

[Paul B.]

I've just used my electronic muffs on hunts. They've done a decent job at temperatures as low as 4 above zero for me. Plugs of any kind just have not been comfortable for me.
Paul B.

[FoghornLeghorn]

Plugs of any kind just have not been comfortable for me

Concerning ear plugs. I've not been satisfied with plugs until I found Howard Leight Laser Lite® Earplugs. Other brands were difficult to insert properly and were uncomfortable. Leight ear plugs are very comfortable. I wear them riding a motorcycle, mowing the lawn and shooting.



Back to my question, do any TFL members recommend any particular brand of electronic ear plugs?

[MarkGlazer]

The best answer is to check with your ENT. Mine has strongly advised me not to use electronic ear plugs. Her comments are such that the function of the plug is to react to pressure created by the discharge. If you find yourself in an environment where multiple discharges take place (rapidly, in succession, simultaneously, etc), the plug can not operate/react properly and protect your hearing.

I wear hearing aids and can not afford to increase the risk of further degregation. I wear both muffs and plugs. I suggest your cost is less to experiment with the variety of plugs available until you find something that fits and protects your hearing.

Best to you.

[FoghornLeghorn]

Yes, I wear plugs and muffs at the range. Neither are electronic. As I said in this thread, I wear Howard Leight Laser Lite Earplugs and they fit just fine.

I hunt alone and wear only electronic muffs. The muffs are adequate for the occasional gunshot but aren't comfortable in extremely cold Oklahoma weather. They don't allow for satisfactory head gear. Hence my inquiry about electronic ear plugs.

[FrankenMauser]

I found myself in a similar situation, a few years back. One particular situation in which I fired a shot in a tight stand of trees left me in pain for a day, and with diminished hearing for a couple more.
I always hunted without hearing protection, and cold weather precluded the use of muffs.
No ear plug has ever really worked for me, except for the E-A-R brand foamies (now 3M). (Apparently, I have odd ear canals.)

But I was done with the incremental damage.

So, I went to passive protection. I suppressed the rifle(s).
It's a different world.

[Scorch]

I have worn a pair of Lee Sonic Ear Valves for the last quarter century when hunting. My hearing was just too damaged to hunt without hearing protection any more, but I didn't want to wear foam of silicone plugs. So, ear plugs that allow sound to enter but shut down momentarily when gunfire happens seemed like a good idea. Walker's Game Ears or Silencers or similar product would be the electronic version, with the added benefit of sound amplification if desired.

[Destructo6]

I've used the 3m electronic plugs and for their price, I was really disappointed.

Even when they worked (kinda finicky), they weren't great and some sound still comes through the bones around the ear.

Electronic muffs over very comfortable plugs (Howard Leights, as mentioned above) are my go to.

It doesn't get much below 20°f here in AZ, so it may not apply so well to you.

[Double Naught Spy]

My concern with electronic plugs is the ease of losing one while out in the field. If one pops out of your ear in high grass or you just drop one - GONE. I would not get any that are not set up to be on some sort of lanyard/neck strap.

Interesting FL that you don't like electronic muffs in the winter. I wear them, in part, to help keep my ears warm.

Now may be a good time for you to consider getting a suppressor. It isn't what you are asking for, but will help with resolving your issue. You won't have it for this year's hunt, but you will for next year. I still wear electronic hearing protection (muffs), but am much less concerned with hearing damage if I forget my muffs or forget to pull them over my ears before shooting.

[FITASC]

The BEST electronic ear plugs can cost almost as much as hearing aids. I have seen some from $600 to over $1K; depending on what gun you are using (rifle vs handgun vs shotgun) the basic foam plugs - when inserted correctly - will give you the best protection but at the cost you mentioned; you won't be able to hear as well for game sounds.

This brand is rated one of the best:
https://earinc.com/

[DaleA]

So, I went to passive protection. I suppressed the rifle(s).
It's a different world.

Now may be a good time for you to consider getting a suppressor.

Why oh WHY can't the anti-gun crowd enact a little "common sense" gun regulation and let this one go?

Even the EUROPEANS for pity sake allow suppressors...I've heard some indoor ranges over there REQUIRE suppressors.

I few years ago I was perplexed to see several guns come to market with threaded barrels and then found out there was movement afoot to remove the 1934 restriction on suppressors. Could this be? I wondered. But Minnesota got conceal carry permits so I thought almost anything was possible...now days...well, not so much.

[Erno86]

Do amplified hearing protection ear plugs have an advantage over amplified hearing protection muffs; in relation to stereo directional location of game sounds? Since my amplified hearing muffs that I use while hunting, can't truly relay to my mind, which actual direction the game sound is emanating from.

[Prof Young]

I've had a pair of walker quad muffs that I've used for years. Bought them way back when the technology was relatively new and paid over $200. They still work fine. You can get good electronic muffs for much less now. Only wear electronic when hunting. At the range I am a muffs over plugs guy. Already have tinnitus and don't need it to get worse.

Life is good.
Prof Young

[Brian Pfleuger]

I have used several types of electronic muffs as well as Walker's Digital Game Ears BTE (Behind the Ear) styles.

They both have advantages and disadvantages, some of which is personal preference.

For me, the biggest advantage of the muffs is that they keep my ears warm. You really want a good pair, with dual microphones and dual speakers on each side so you get "surround sound". Otherwise, it can be difficult to tell direction. I do not find most muffs to be uncomfortable at all for wearing 4-6 hours at a time. The downside of them is the same as the upside... they keep your ears warm. For all those times you want to take your "hat" off because you're too warm... you can't do it with muffs or you lose your hearing protection. I've never found the smaller ones to interfere with gun stocks, but some guys say they do. Some people get headaches. I have an uncle who can't wear them for more than an hour or so without getting a headache.

The biggest advantages of the BTE style is that they're small and don't interfere with shooting nor hat wearing. My uncle uses these instead and doesn't get headaches at all. He finds them very comfortable. The biggest disadvantage of these is $$$. Good ones are at least a couple hundred each, if not $350. You definitely want digital. Also, some people have trouble with directionality with them too. They only have one microphone and it's behind your ear. It tends to make things behind you sound like your natural hearing would assume it's in front. However, overall, (and I'm talking the $$$ ones here), I find them to be very good directionally because your brain does most of the "math" just like it normally would... in other words, if a sound is coming from behind you to the right, the right ear will get the sound earlier (microseconds) and louder (consciously imperceptible) and your brain just "knows" that's where it's from. Another advantage of these is that unlike most muffs, you can adjust the volume separately... you can actually correct your hearing if one ear is weaker than the other. This can take some getting used to, as your brain as long since adapted to your broken ears.

[Dano4734]

I don’t use any but i say what a lot when people talk to me