3MPELTOR Ear Muff Hearing Protection, X5 Series, Noise Protection NRR 21 dB, Construction, Manufacturing, Automotive

I can not and would not tell you how many pair of these formerly-known-as-headphones-now-"earmuffs" I have bought and paid for. And tried to use. Some, many in fact, do block noise. Most also unfortunately block blood flow. My brain seems to need this. So, I take small plastic storage tubs. Like, shoebox size, and turned upside down I put the, er, earmuffs over width-wise to "train" them. It takes a long time. And sometimes they never fit comfortably. Sometimes they stretch too far. Not really any better.Enter these: 3M Peltor Uncorded, Black. The first difference was that they were wearable. Comfortable. Right away. No "training" exercises. No waiting. Shortly after that I realized that they block noise better than the other ones I've tried. All, of the other ones. Noise reduction -with- blood flow. These are the hearing protectors I've been waiting for.Now, if you are, idk, buying earmuffs to "look cute…" these are probably not the ones you've been waiting for. They are big. Like, in a Princess Leia kind of way. She was already cute. She could get away with it. (Plus, good lighting.) But these will definitely get you noticed lol.I have a pretty serious hearing sensitivity. So, I take hearing protection pretty seriously. It's not cute. Exposure to loud noise makes my ears hurt. And hiss. Tinnitus. I also get migraines from changes in circulation to my head. So, yeah.These do the job really well without causing me any issues. They're actually micro-adjustable, too. And they protect my hearing. I'm glad to have -finally- found them. And I won't be without them if I can help it, again. (I'm here to get another back-up pair.) I don't want to be without my hearing, either. It's always surprising to find a product that is just that much better than all the rest. But this is one of those rare exceptions.

These are absolutely not the first headphones I've used to try to block out noise.But they're the first ones to fit somewhat comfortably, without squeezing my head like a vice. They are still a little tight, but very secure, and the pressure seems more widely distributed, which is positive. I think with time, I'll be more comfortable. But as far as comfort goes, this is really not bad at all.Other earmuffs (whatever you may call them) are either super cheap, broken, or incredibly tight and painful on my ears and head. One set I even struggled to open apart to put on my head at all. They folded up and took a minute to unfold as well.When I first put these earmuffs on, the world absolutely fell silent. I heard nothing for the first time ever. It was beautiful. I'm impressed in that regard. It actually does what it's supposed to, and it's designed well also. I feel that the design is remarkable.The earmuffs are adjustable in size, but they pretty much fit me perfectly from out of the box. The earpieces are really big and wide in profile.And that is the one sacrifice. I honestly think I might be too embarassed to wear such a big contraption on my head, in public, unless I had no other choice.. actually, I guess it's not that bad. I'm already used to being stared at.And I'm living for myself, and no one else. So who cares? I sure as hell shouldn't. I'd be happy at least.I'm ordering another pair, but in a lesser decimal protection unfortunately. But they look cooler- skinnier, and with some neon yellow flash.I don't shoot guns and I never will. Nor do I work around noisy construction sites. I need to be protected around everyday life, including people, their voices and places.I'm usually pretty fashion-forward. But I also value and need to protect my health at the moment. Health is my number 1 priority. Without it, I have nothing.Besides, because of the even distribution of weight, the Princess Leia look is lighter than it appears.I need these earmuffs to block out sound. I suffer from sensory sensitivity to the point where I'm now in almost complete isolation. Misophonia. Fibromyalgia. Etc.It makes life really difficult when I can't handle normal smells, sounds and lights, or anything rapid in movement. It gets a lot deeper than just that.This is on top of much grief and chronic pain.So these 3M Peltor headphones are the first step to finding some peace in this increasingly noisy world.Oh and another thing.. this won't concern everyone. But the inside of the earpieces are oval and hollow to allow my ears to fit comfortably inside.They fit right around my ears, thus protecting my left triple ear cartilage piercing. It always feels sore if I touch the area around the piercings.But the earmuff earpieces are a really nice fit, and I appreciate that. There isn't great pressure against my ears, and that's vital.So yeah I'm gonna give this 5 stars now. It's not perfect, and it doesn't particularly feel like a snuggly fur scarf. But this is a huge improvement from my past attempts to block out noise.I admit, I will have to get used to these, and they will irritate me sometimes, if I have to wear them for a long period of time.But it's a great start regardless.If you want good sound protection, there is no doubt that these will do it for you.I'm a petite woman, just so you know. I can see how these can fit almost anybody. Women and men alike. Teens as well.I'm pretty happy with this purchase. I just hope that one day the protection can be slimmer in profile, and softer and more comfortable as a whole, without sacrificing the noise blocking ability.Get this. It works. Well.