3M Over-the- Head, H10A

We had an older pair of these before they went to the glossy black casing, and have used those for the better part of the last decade or more, and they worked amazing. The reason for getting new ones is heck- after over a decade and just starting to have the surround padding for the ears get a little hard and torn, they are a steal of a deal for the price you pay to protect your hearing.The work we do:Table Saws, Band Saws, Power Sanders, Planers, Leaf Blowers, Chainsaws, Rifle and Shotgun Shooting (more fun, less work...), Lawn Mowers, Jack Hammers. Basically anything construction- these have been used for- even the occasional night when my dad with poor hearing cranks up the tv to hurting volumes to my sensitive hearing- I have nothing to say but good things.They work amazing at deadening outside sound, and for me- I can still hear people talking but the really noise-damaging sounds are drastically cut down. If you want to listen to music with these, I highly recommend a pair of sound-isolating ear buds, and NOT the iPhone/iPod standard ones. When I do this- my volume is nearly kept at the minimum volume for most tasks, and sometimes even that was too loud- so the good news being, you can hear music with a GOOD set of speakers, keep the volume low to avoid hearing loss, and at the same time- get the comfort and added protection from outside sounds with these. The in-ear work better than around the ear, however.I have also used these with (and they recommend) thin-sided glasses, safety or otherwise (I use some Oakley Antix) and (especially on the new pair with newer padding around the ears) they still cut out exterior sound to a really good degree, nearly the same as without the exterior interference. Highly recommended so long as you don't mind keeping a hat off. If you want one- get an oversize hat or a cheapie you don't mind getting bent a little out of shape from the over-head hearing as the wires stick out about a quarter to half-inch from your skin.Also- I have a HUGE head (translation: I wear extra large hats and not all one-size fits all hats fit me.. I think I was 7.25-7.5 on a fitted cap when I played little league baseball...) and very large ears (maybe 3" top to bottom..? they run in the family, oh well..) but these still have expansion space to fit on even larger heads and my ears fit inside the cups PERFECTLY. Unless you are part of the 1% of the population with a freakishly large (no offense) head or ears, they should work perfectly for you, so hopefully that answers that question if you're wondering how they work for larger heads.The only disadvantage I see is with shooting sports, particularly rifle and shotgun. They stick out enough to the point that if you sight down the barrel- they interfere and get pushed out of the way by the rifle/shotgun stock. Would def. recommend a slim set. I went with some Howard Leight ones that work pretty well on battery-operated silencing, however they are not so great if you sweat. These are basically waterproof and don't get sticky like my Howard Leight ones when dry and are easy to maintain. Both are really great quality but bang for the buck... these can not be beat. And now I sound like I work for em. Wish I did- I need to pay off some debt, haha..

These hearing protection work great for shooting at the range. The sound reduction is excellent and they are relatively comfortable for something that fits snug on my head. Price is great, they are about half the price of my electronic ear protection. The price is so good that I got a couple of pairs for in the house. My only issue is that the muffs are a bit wide and it interferes a bit when I am shooting a rifle. I still use them when shooting the rifle, so I am getting used to the size.Overall these are excellent hearing protection and I will buy them again.

I do lawn care professionally, so I want to have good hearing protection. I had previously used the over-the-head muffs and really liked how well they blocked sound. I decided to try the behind-the-head type so I could wear a sun hat or a face shield for when I use the blade on the weed whacker. I think the sound blocking is just as good as with the over-the-head type. They are a little more challenging to get on comfortably, but once they are there, they feel fine. The one issue is that they are rather bulky, so the face shield I bought doesn't work as well with them as I had hoped, but I don't use the face shield often so it's not a huge deal. Overall I am very satisfied with them and love that I can wear a sun hat with them.

Good Value for the price, use them in the Shop, Cutting Firewood, & Running the Log Splitter. Block's out harmful sounds really well. Would also work well for a Gun Range. The Lord Love's You !!! Best, PawPaw C

Very comfortable and works great with welding helmet.

Having used several variations of 3M's Peltor series of over-the-ear hearing protection devices in the last decade, I can say that their quality is excellent and that they excel at making durable, serviceable equipment for working in high-decibel environments. This is the purpose of the product: to reduce damaging sound levels so that work can be safely performed in high noise environments. They are NOT designed for sleeping, to make quiet environments silent, or to block out annoying conversations and noises around you. They are made to prevent hearing damage and hearing loss, not to dampen down your brother's snoring in another room. Anybody buying them for any other purpose is setting themselves up for disappointment, and setting the product up for failure. Several negative reviews of the product reflect this attitude.So far as durability is concerned, they are all on par with any other similarly designed product that I have encountered. They are not "bomb-proof", so to speak. The ear pads will eventually give up and require replacement. This is normal. 3M sells a "hygiene kit" that replaces the pads and foam specifically to address this. The pads are designed for a good seal to the ears even while wearing glasses, and they accomplish this. They give good service, and I am speaking from the perspective of using them for 8 to 12 hours a day, on a daily basis, in heavy industry. My previous pair has held up for 6 years. The ear pads are starting to tear on the edges, but still provide a great seal. I only bought new so I could switch to a behind-the-head design.I highly recommend the brand and the product. Amazon's rating system for these is less than ideal, as these do not "cancel" noise, but merely attenuate it. Be aware of that when readings reviews. These DO NOT "cancel" noise.

Why did you pick this product vs others?:The noise reduction was higher than most.