3M PELTOR Hearing Protection Earmuffs, X4 Series Noise Protection, Construction, Manufacturing, Assembly, Sanding

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 …

Exact fit for the milwaukee hard hat companies supply. Surprisingly cheaper than I thought and dampens the loud noises. I recommend all construction workers have this since it's easy to put on and off the muffs. I easily wear these all day at work and like how they're electrically insulated for safety.

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.

Yes, it doesn't block out everything... it's only rated for 27 NRR, which is right up there with some pretty good earplugs. I bought these for studying (I have executive function issues and am easily distracted - the worst is people talking... I absolutely cannot zone it out (even if I can't understand what they're saying)). I am using this in my bedroom, away from other people, and they work great. I will likely be trying them this weekend with some earplugs to see if I can get studying done with someone in the same room. (That said: if someone is right next to you and tries to talk to you, you can hear them but their voice will be very quiet) They are very tight on the head but I found that if I had them positioned correctly (keeping the bottom of the ear pieces off my jaw as much as possible) they were comfortable enough to wear for extended periods of time. This means that I have to be very careful with how I position them and I basically have to wiggle them around my ears till they get in the right place. I expect the grip to loosen slightly over time, but also recognize that the tightness is part of what makes them effective. All-in-all, I'm glad I purchased them. They are very helpful to keep noise out when I'm studying and work better than my earplugs (which admittedly have a lower NRR rating) and don't look ridiculous like some of the larger models.

I ordered both the 3M 24db Black/Yellow X2A and the 3M 27db Black/Chartreuse X4A earmuffs. I will refer to them as the X2A and X4A for the remainder of this review. For those of you who are trying to decide between the X2A and X4A here are a few things that may be helpful: 1. The 3db difference is probably not that significant. Both are excellent choices to protect your hearing provided your environment doesn't much exceed 100db. Probably not adequate for shooting guns without combining it with ear plugs. Remember, 1db is the smallest amount of volume change that is considered perceivable, whereas a 10db change would sound like double (+10db) or half the volume (-10db). You can still talk and listen while wearing either. 2. They are pretty much identical EXCEPT for the cup size. The X2A is noticeably thicker than the X4A, and this can be seen from the Amazon product pictures. However, the X2A also has a slightly larger ear passageway opening and a more spacious cavern on the inside of the earmuffs. The dimensions of the ear passageway opening are as follows: X2A: 1 1/2" Width by 2 1/2" Height X4A: 1 5/16" Width by 2 1/4" Height Remember that these measurements refer only to the passageway that your ear travels through, and not to the dimensions of the inner cavern your ear actually rests in (which increases in size). I do not know the dimensions of the inner cavern, just that the X2A's is larger. Simply put, the X4A gives you a good fit with enough room to not feel cramped while the X2A really lets you stretch your legs out (or ears). Both are comfortable to wear, but if you've been blessed with the big ears, you might want to consider the X2A. Overall I prefer the X2A because it does the job for less money and seems a hint more comfortable because of the additional room. My wife seems to prefer the X4A because it fits her great and is a little sleeker and thinner and she likes the bonus of the extra protection. Update: 2016.01.20 - Surprisingly, the X2A's actually weigh less than the X4A's, but not by much. The X2A weighed 7.75oz while the X4A weighed 8.25oz. Another +1 for the X2A Edit 5/25/2016: Keeping track of details is hard :D

I like this Peltor series a lot, and I’ve tried other hearing protection. I couldn’t choose just one, so I got them all. Neighbor’s dog constantly barks, and they’re horrible owners who leave him outside to do so during the night. I needed something comfortable enough to sleep in. As for the review: X1a: another reviewer said like a toy, and they’re absolutely right. Flimsy, thin, and a less-dense foam in the ear cups than on the x3a and above. If you’re thinking you like the slimness, instead go for the x4a. X2a: only slightly better but still bad. If you like the size, instead get the x3 to the x5a, all will work better for you due to denser foam and the presence of the “white plastic.” X3a: finally, we get to the thicker more dense foam. See the white outline around the ears on each of the 3 higher end models? That’s white “w” as in “works.” This white thing gets close to the ear on the inside to filter even more sound. The Peltor series shouldn’t come without them in my opinion. The color, red and black, are obviously awesome. X4a: Boys. I mean, boys. This is it. Extremely comfortable—you know those cheaper ones that offer higher dB rating? They get that by squeezing your face. I like my parotid salivary glands unmolested, thank you very much. It’s so comfortable I can sleep in it. For absolute comfort you have to sleep on your back. The foam is thick, it has the white thing on the ears, it’s not obnoxiously large, and the difference between this and the x5a is pretty minimal. X5a: nothing held back or left in reserve. Not as large a difference from x4a as I would’ve thought though. It gets the extra dB rating from having deeper “ear tunnels” of squishy thick small-bubble black foam. The weight is also increased to account for the deeper canals. For all: bands fit comfortably on the head. No exposed wires, I don’t do electrical work but I just don’t like the feel of the wirey ones. Adjustable, and tells you the date it was made on the earcap. Good at blocking high, shrill noises. Not as good at blocking normal noises like talking. Takes care of dog barking next door right outside my room ~10ft away at 4a. Sometimes if he’s really ornery, and places himself correctly I can hear the shadow of a bark. But 9 times out of 10 I don’t hear anything with the x4a, and either fall asleep for the night or fall asleep for 2h and awake to remove them and he’s gone to sleep so I can too. X4a wins it for me totally. And, at current $20 as of 2020, it’s an absolute steal.

These are excellent! I use them to read novels. It completely blocks all noise. My wife can watch a movie in the living room or the next room and I almost don't hear a thing. I am easily distracted and these have become essential to my reading sessions. I also have an asymmetrical giant head and the frame on these are very comfortable and adjustable. If they are comfortable for me, the will be for you.

These ear-pro are the best pair i own . They do create a little pressure as they seal to your ear very well, and there is no selective noise cancelling . These are about as basic as it gets, but you could spend a lot more for a lot less .