Ear plugs vs Muffs

[draconianruler]

Is there a reason you see alot more people use the ear muff style hearing protection instead of ear plugs. Is there any additional protection that it offers? Just curious

[Jon]

I use both at the same time. I am looking into purchasing a pair of Peltor Tactical 6's.

[grammaton76]

Is there a reason you see alot more people use the ear muff style hearing protection instead of ear plugs. Is there any additional protection that it offers? Just curious

Not sure if there's any additional protection, but I use the Howard-Leight earmuffs (29's I believe). Most of the earplugs I see have NRR's (Noise Reduction Ratings) below that. However, stacking earplugs on earmuffs is definitely more effective.

Erm, editting... stack the earmuffs on the earplugs, the earplugs don't do you much good stacked on the earmuffs.

[stevie]

Both for me, my hearing is so screwed up from years past, i need all the help i can get.

[rkt88edmo]

Yes, there is additional protection if you double plug.

Most of the slim electronic ears don't have the greatest dB ratings.

An advantage to muffs is you can take them on and off easily, plugs take time to conform to the ear when worn properly.

[Brass Balls]

Something that is interesting as far as hearing protection goes is that the more expensive plugs and muffs are typically less effective than the less expensive stuff.

I've never seen an electronic muff that has a NRR higher than Howard Leight "Leightning" model non-electronic muff which are NRR 30. Likewise, custom made earplugs aren't as effective as a top rated pair of foam plugs such as the Howard Leight "Max" which are rated NRR 33.

http://www.northernsafety.com/cart/cart.cfm?PROD_NUM=118%2D22888&ACTION=01

http://www.northernsafety.com/cart/cart.cfm?PROD_NUM=117%2D1454&Action=01

Count me as one who doubles up for indoor ranges. On outdoor ranges I usually use muffs only and I do have an electronic pair of muffs that are really useful for listening to instructions in training courses.

[johnny_22]

Noise directly couples into ear canal through bone

There is a small bone directly beneath the ear canal that will couple loud noises past the in-the-ear plug. Some hearing aids use this coupling to compensate for lost ear drums.

Mentioned in "Winning PPC" video (John Pride). Available at www.gunvideo.com.

I wear both (33 dB foam and 31 dB Leight), and need it when at the range with others (indoor or out).

[ligamentum flavum]

Is there a reason you see alot more people use the ear muff style hearing protection instead of ear plugs. Is there any additional protection that it offers? Just curious

There are primarily two ways which conduct sound to the sensors in your ear. Air conduction and bone conduction.

Wearing a plug or a muff can effectively reduce the air conduction of sound, provided that the seal is good.

Wearing an earmuff MIGHT decrease some of the bone conduction because the muff is covering up some of the bones around your ear. I personally think that muffs work better because they reduce noise conducted via the soft tissues from the outer ear, not because they muffle the bones around it.

FWIW, I plug and muff.

[rips31]

i use 33db plugs. my health/safety person at work said that plugs are better than muffs, and we work around heavy machinery all day.

[gose]

I use plugs + Peltor Comtacs on max volume. That way I get good protection, but can still hear someone talking to me.

[gmcem50]

Same here

I use both at the same time.

ditto for me

[PistolKidd]

I alwys use both... It's so much more comfortable.. I can still hear people (range master) and it doenst hamper conversations tooooo much.. If Im at an indoor range, and i forget my plugs, I'll buy whatever they have regardless of their price.. my hearing sucks as is (concerts+guns+motorbikes) due to negligence in my formative years -- i'd like to keep what i have as long as i can at this point.. i'd wear NRR 50 rated devices if they had them.. but 30ish seems to be the most commonly available..?

I'd like to try and get some electronic ones..but sheesh, they aint that cheap.. and right now my peltors + earplugs are doing a great job of keeping everything muffled..

Too bad suppressors are near impossible for civillains in CA.. even if the cost were high, i'd much rather suppress the sound that way than wear 2 layers of noise protection :-)

but yea, I actively prefer to use both, but if i had to choose, I'd use my plugs.. the rating is higher.. another thing, if im doing indoor shooting, i always try and get a lane in the middle... the sound waves bouncing off the walls alwys bothers the heck out of me...

[sned45]

Even though you only gain 5db over the higher rated device when you double up I will double up my custom ear plugs (~30db) and my 31db lighting ear muffs. Figure I will take 5db anyway I can get it.

[BigAL]

Just plugs for me. Muffs get uncomfy fast in the summer humidity.

[Gnote]

I use both too when I am shooting rifles or handguns. When shooting shotguns, I just use the plugs. I get better cheek weld that way. I had custom plugs made last year but didn't like them at all. They were rated at 31 or something like that but let in noticeably more noise than the cheap foam. They also iched inside my ear. Not sure why.

If I had to do it over again, I would save the $40 on custom and just get the Walmart cheap ones. That is what I use know for plugs. It will be many, many, many years before the total cost of these will total $40. I throw a set of foam plugs away about once every 3-4 months.