Earmuffs That Look Like Regular Headphones?

[boliston]

Hi,

I work in an office and find things like other people talking, typing, printing etc making my tinnitus 'react' in that I get some annoying 'hiss' added to some high pitched sounds.

My manager suggested earmuffs - it's a fairly quiet office so don't need heavy duty muffs like you use for mowing, construction sites etc but ideally thinner ones that look like regular headphones.

Any suggestions (ideally black rather than dayglo!)?

Thanks - I guess Peltor seems to be 'the' brand to get but there seem to be so many to choose from!

 

[linearb]

I couldn't wear earmuffs all day, I'd get headaches. Have you tried silicone earplugs or 12 dB DUBS filters?

 

[JohnAdams]

 

[boliston]

I couldn't wear earmuffs all day, I'd get headaches. Have you tried silicone earplugs or 12 dB DUBS filters?

Hi Linearb - I was only really planning on wearing them for short periods (a few minutes at a time) - at the moment if someone is talking loudly I have had to resort to putting my fingers in my ears (even a few seconds at a time seems to give some relief) but the advantage of earmuffs is I can quickly put them on or take them off - I have some EarDial earplugs but they are fiddly to put in (they are handy when using a hairdryer though) - I would also not wish to use them too long as I would worry about my ears becoming over sensitive to sound (my partner says I can borrow her Beats Studios as a temp fix as they actually do block sound quite well!)

 

[Karl28]

Look for low profile ear muffs.

I have this one https://www.d2donline.com.au/gerber-passive-ear-muffs-black

I've been asked before if I'm listening to music not realising they are actually earmuffs so it's a success.

 

[Earing]

I would get some Doc's Pro Plugs.

They seal the ear but don't go into the ear canal so they can be worn all day. They are easy to put in and take out and are hard to see. The clear ones are 20dB and the coloured are 26dB.

 

[boliston]

Thanks for the suggestions - I managed to pick up a pair of Optime II on Amazon which seem to work quite well - I noticed one of my work colleagues had just got a large pair of ear defenders (about the size of the X5A but a much cheaper brand) and he said he got it so he can 'chill' more easily during his lunch break - after trying ear defenders they are far far better than earplugs - my earplugs hardly have any effect compared with the muffs! Other people in the office seemed keen to try them on and said how 'odd' it felt with the muffs on - they do take a bit of getting used to.

 

[Earing]

Thanks for the suggestions - I managed to pick up a pair of Optime II on Amazon which seem to work quite well - I noticed one of my work colleagues had just got a large pair of ear defenders (about the size of the X5A but a much cheaper brand) and he said he got it so he can 'chill' more easily during his lunch break - after trying ear defenders they are far far better than earplugs - my earplugs hardly have any effect compared with the muffs! Other people in the office seemed keen to try them on and said how 'odd' it felt with the muffs on - they do take a bit of getting used to.

The X5A are 1000 times more comfortable than the other cheaper muffs.

 

[boliston]

The X5A are 1000 times more comfortable than the other cheaper muffs.

Just got myself some X5A and they seem much nicer than the Optime II - I might send the Optimes back as the quality is nothing like the X5A.

 

[Juan]

My Peltors X4A just died after around 5 years of use. What's your experience with earmuffs? Did your earmuffs last more time?

 

[weab00]

I had the same problem of being too embarrassed to walk around with turbo industrial muffs on. Wound up buying this pair of low-profile hunting muffs. It's 27 dB, but has comparable protective benefits coupled with earplugs to stronger muffs+earplugs since there is a ceiling for how much sound you can protect. Best part is most people will automatically assume they're headphones, especially if you slap a Beats sticker on there lol.