3M PELTOR X4A Over-the-Head Ear Muffs

These earmuffs are absolutely the best I've tried yet. They're the 4th pair I've tried in a very short period of time. The others were broken, cheap, or very painful to wear. They squeezed my head like a vice. These 27db 3M earmuffs are surprisingly comfortable in relation to what they are. They're slightly adjustable, and they fit great on me. I'm a petite woman, with medium-sized ears (my dad used to tell me that if you have big ears, you'll be rich and successful. But, he also told me that small splinters will travel into my heart and kill me). The oval cut-out in each earpiece fits right over my ear without pressing hard against it. There is an appropriate amount of space in there. I'm not sure about people with very large ears. It's important that your ears are completely sealed off. So if you happen to be a huge person, I might hesitate. It's also important that other things and accessories don't get in the way too much. Without the seal fitting snug around your ears, the noise protection level will be compromised. And it makes a big difference in its ability to block out extra noise. You have to wear glasses that are flat on the sides, and that lay flush against your head. Otherwise, the glasses won't fit well, and it will also allow sound to leak into the earmuffs. From what i've seen, there are really thin and lightweight plastic eye protectors that seem appropriate, for those who need them. I've been really excited and impressed by the excellent comfort and sturdiness (and neon yellow-green color). The design is impeccable, although I'm disappointed that I can't wear them around my neck like regular headphones. They're too big for that. Yet the earpieces are pretty slim in width, in comparison to other earmuffs, and I can deal with wearing these in public without feeling too self-conscious. Today, I brought the earmuffs to my doctor's office. Since they don't fold up in any way, they took up my whole medium-sized purse. I had to substitute my regular wallet for a tiny zippered pouch. I'm wondering about maybe attaching some sort of metal clip to the headpiece, so they can be worn on my hip. Just a brief idea....we'll see. Anyway, I was sooo thankful I brought the earmuffs to the doctor's waiting room. There is a ridiculously loud big-screen tv that really bothers my sensitive hearing. I've complained about it, and even the receptionists have no idea how to adjust the volume on it. There is no volume button! It's controlled some other way. So i happily put these earmuffs on my head, congratulating myself for thinking ahead.. But I immediately found that I could still hear almost every single word from the people speaking on the TV. Their voices were still too loud. In fact, in the beginning, I thought their voices were booming even louder when i put the earmuffs on. It gave the voices some tunnel effect. Yesterday, there were noisy truck sounds outside my window, early in the day. I put the earmuffs on, and they did help for the most part. But not totally. After a bit, I heard a little whine from outside my bedroom door from my pomeranian son. I was a little surprised that I was able to hear it across the room, through the door. He didn't even have to bark. So although I'd thought I found the perfect solution for blocking out most noise, it's not exactly awesome. If someone speaks in a low, quiet tone next to me, it sounds too muffled to make out. But other noises are still loud. I can hear bass sounds well. So I'm a bit disappointed. There is no way I could go to a noisy bar with a band or DJ playing, for example. I don't trust the earmuffs enough for that purpose. These 3M earmuffs ARE made of good quality. But I'm realizing that I'll definitely have to sacrifice style in order to be able to block noise more efficiently. These neon yellow-green and black earmuffs DO look kinda fly. They do. But I wish there were more colors and options available. I wish higher, more efficient noise protecting earmuffs didn't have to be so huge. Hopefully we will head in that direction in the next few years. It would drive me crazy to be anywhere near construction... even with these snug on my ears. So it's really up to you, and the level of noise protection you require. Since I have a hearing sensitivity, certain repetitive and loud noises bother and hurt me. But for you, it may just block out enough noise so that your hearing will continue to be protected. Either way, there is no doubt. These 3M Peltor X-Series earmuffs, 27db, are made with a lot of care and attention to detail. Its high quality and comfort level are unmatched. If you need lots of hearing protection, get a db34 or up. I have a more efficient pair already from this company. Works well, and I look just like Princess Leia. Except with a larger bun on each side. So does that mean guys find me sexy? Like the real character? No. No it doesn't.

First, the pros. Out of several different ear muffs I have for noise cancellation, this is by far the best one. I have the Peltor X4A, which is made in Poland. It's the highest noise cancellation that is still a slim profile. Though you can get other ear muffs for 1/2 the price, this one is well worth the money in how silent everything becomes. The spec sheet lists 40 db average cancellation at 1 khz, and a bit more all the way up to 3 khz. This is great if you need one for gun ranges or other extremely loud environments. I paired it with Mac's 33 db disposal earplugs and had excellent results for an indoor gun range. This is also very comfortable to wear. Despite being a slim profile muff, there is a lot of empty space inside the muffs. This allows ear plugs to not touch the sides, giving better noise protection. These don't fold as small as the other ones I have due to the design, but that is an easy compromise. To wear them well, start with the sides up, put them on your head, and then just drag the sides down until they reach a comfortable position. The seal provided by the earpads are excellent. My one and only gripe regarding this, is that the seals are too air tight. This causes a vacuum effect similar to when you pop your ears in an airplane. This actually made the ear muffs hard to wear initially. After using it for about a week, I found the seals are slightly less tight / I'm more used to it. Finally, the plastic bands are comfortable, but are pretty tight initially. After the break in period of about a week, I found this much more comfortable. So overall, very good noise cancellation if that's what you are going for. Pretty slim to wear, and fairly comfortable. Would purchase again.

I say, “Wow” because I was expecting the usual cheaper-version feel of a giant vice gripping my head. I was pleasantly surprised! I put them on and immediately felt not a vice but a pleasantly firm but not at all an uncomfortable or painful feel. I immediately felt the cups ‘sealing’ over my ears doing their job of noise suppression. Not noise elimination, mind you, but a reduction almost like the foam earplugs I wear regularly. Now that I think about it, the feel is typical of the David Clark headsets I wear flying. Firm, you know they’re there, good seal over the ears, but no vice grip feel or pain. I’d say that if you wear these in combination with foam earplugs you’ll eliminate most intense and painful noises if you’re in that environment. Granted I just tried them on a couple of times, including over a cap (no problems) and with glasses on, but I’m thinking wearing for long periods will work out — certainly better than the cheaper ones I tried that once on an airline flight I had to take off after about an hour because I was in such pain! Oh, my hat size is 7 7/8ths. Large hat size, which is usually a problem with hats and things like these earmuffs, but I’m happy with these. One more thing - the build quality seems to be nice, reflecting the higher price. I’d say give these a shot …

They are working, and I will be honest I can't tell if its just my right ear, but my left feels fine when using these. My right ear though.. man some days its killing me under these to the point I need an advil. They adjust, even if a bit stiff, they cancel noise really well. Be sure to check the "seal" it makes around your head, if you have to wear eye protection like I do, then it might make them not sit flush and won't work as well. Seem a bit tough. Large, but not as large as others I have seen. They are a bit small on the ears I guess, which is what is bringing on the pain on my right side, but I am sure I just need to fiddle with it.. figure out what my ear likes.

I was looking for a product that can help me focus better while working on my computer or reading books, articles, etc. at my home. The key application was usage inside my house. I was a bit apprehensive while ordering this model because the users rating for this model- X4A was only about 3.5 stars and there were only around 10 ratings, while some other models from 3M have more than 100 ratings, with average rating of 4.4 stars!!! However, I am pleasantly surprised after brief usage, after receiving it. Quick feedback: I got it just today evening and the first impression is that its performance is awesome!! It feels as if 90% of sound is blocked and it's better than what my active noise canceling solutions provide. It's weight appears tolerable to me; it's subjective thing but I am still mentioning this as I moved from ear buds. I got it for ~ Rs3300 and I feel that it's good value for money at this price. I am wondering as to why other users have given it such a low rating! My prior experience with noise canceling earphones: I used Bose QuietComfort 20 (wired earphones with active noise cancellation) for several years. Then I upgraded to a newer model- Bose QuietControl 30 (Bluetooth wireless), and have been using it for several years now. Last year, I got ear infection repeatedly in quick successions (within a week or two weeks) and doctor suggested to avoid earphones! So, I thought to search for some alternative solution, not involving ear buds. I was deliberating whether to go for active noise canceling headphones or something else. Then I found these ear muffs. I spent several hours to find the right brand, right model while I had flexible budget. I was looking for the most suitable solution. So, why did I choose model X4A over X3 or X5? X4A is sleeker than the other two models. X3 provides similar noise reduction and is cheaper by Rs1000 but it appears 'bulkier'. X5 specs are better than that of X4A for noise reduction, but: 1. X5 also appears bulkier than X4A, 2. X5 is about 100 g heavier than X4A. 3. I also suspected that grip of X5 over the head would be tighter which may make it difficult to use continuously for hours everyday. 4. X5 is costlier by about Rs 2000, though this was not the decision making criterion here. Potential key negative aspect of the product: It feels pretty tight on area around ears, after few hours of continuous use. I am not sure whether it would still be tolerable after few days of continuous use. I will update my feedback if it turns out to be too difficult to use on a daily basis, for several hours each day. Special Note on Combo of Active and Passive noise suppression: I was able to use my Bose wireless ear buds below these ear muffs without any difficulty! This provides even better isolation and also the ability to watch audio-visual content. Update on 22nd June, 21: Feedback after two and half weeks of use: 1. It has become much more easy to use- the sensation on and around the ears due to the pressure of pads has reduced significantly. 2. Isolation is very good. Floor cleaning robot is barely audible with these earmuffs on. 3. Picking up my pulse: I noticed that there was a repetitive sound. After a while I realised that it was my own pulse! The ear cups must be pressing against some artery around my ear and picking my pulse which I was able to hear due to absence of noise! 4. Tip to reduce uneasiness around ears: Push the earlobes inside the rim of ear cups with your finger, this allows you to move the cups slightly up. This creates more space for the upper parts of the ears which now may not be in direct contact of the cups. This significantly reduces the sensation of unease caused by long and continuous use of earmuffs. 5. Caution/safety concern: Be aware that you may miss listening to your family member who is shouting for help in an emergency situation in another part of your house! Suggestions: 1. Make some alternate arrangement to be able to draw the attention of the wearer of these earmuffs, like some strong electronic buzzer which can be triggered by using a remote control. 2. Keeping your mobile phone in your visual range may help, so that you don't miss an incoming call in an emergency.

La atenuación de ruido es excelente, son muy planas lo que permite practicar tiro con rifle o escopeta de forma cómoda. La presión y sellado en la orejas son muy confortables. Muy buen material y terminado, valen lo que cuestan. Mi único pero, es que me gustaría que se pudieran doblar al guardarlas para que no ocuparan tanto espacio.

Me gusto el producto por que es muy cómodo y es firme se ajusta bien al contorno de mi cabeza sin duda recomendadas para el qué use un producto así

Trabajo en el departamento de maquinas de un barco y los tapones protectores que me da la empresa son muy malos e incomodos por ello me decidi a comprar los peltor x4, al ser un lugar donde la proteccion auditiva es obligatoria debido a los altos DB ,estos protectores auditivos de la marca 3M han resultado ser muy buenos , ademas estan muy bien construidos , sin duda un producto de mucha calidad. Valio la pena la inversion.

Excellent calidad