10 Best Bluetooth Hearing Protection
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Ear protection can be useful for all kinds of different tasks and situations, but it can sometimes be tricky to find a pair that actually suit your needs properly. Many people will completely overlook the idea of Bluetooth hearing protection – these help you play your own audio while dampening out background noises, all without any tricky or inconvenient cables that might get in your way while you are working, moving about or just trying to sit and relax for a while.
No matter which form of Bluetooth hearing protecting you might decide to use, you will want to make sure it is as effective and reliable as possible: if your ear protection isn’t working, you may as well not bother wearing any at all, since it won’t give you any benefits.
View the Best Bluetooth Hearing Protection, Below.
- 3M WorkTunes Connect Hearing Protector
- Peltor Sport Tactical 500 Smart Electronic Hearing Protector
- Mpow HP102A Bluetooth Noise Reduction Safety Ear Muffs
- 3M WorkTunes Connect + AM/FM Hearing Protector
- Walker’s Razor Quad Electronic Bluetooth Muff-Black
- Honeywell Sync Wireless Earmuff with Bluetooth
- PROTEAR Bluetooth AM FM Radio Safety Ear Muffs
- ION Audio Tough Sounds Hearing Protection
- CONNEX Bluetooth Hearing Protector
- Walker’s Game Ear XCEL 100 Digital Electronic Muff
1. 3M WorkTunes Connect Hearing Protector
These headphones use a special audio filter that helps you identify voices in messy background noise, making it easier to hear people talking in busy workplaces or loud industrial areas. You can play your own music, and audio using a Bluetooth connection, as well as take calls or receive voicemails in emergency situations. To help with this, the ear sections use a soft foam that balances audio reduction and comfort, cutting background sound down by 24 decibels without feeling clamped onto your head. In terms of power, you can recharge the headphones through a standard USB cable, either while they are being used or in-between uses.
These headphones are versatile and easy to use, making them perfect for listening to a range of audio while you are in an uncomfortably loud or noisy area. The comfortable design also makes them much easier to wear for longer.
Check Price on Amazon ➞2. Peltor Sport Tactical 500 Smart Electronic Hearing Protector
These Bluetooth hearing protection headphones are designed to help with hunting and shooting, making them perfect for reducing the volume of sudden loud noises while still helping you pick up subtle sounds like speech. This is done with a special filter that balances audio to push voice volumes higher while reducing everything else. The recessed microphones in the design lead to a massive reduction in the amount of wind noise they pick up, and the entire unit is powered with two AA batteries, meaning that you can quickly replace them at almost any time. On top of that, the dynamic suppression system helps prevent echoes from loud noises, making it easier to keep track of what is going on.
These headphones are very easy to use and serve as a great option for getting rid of sudden, unexpected, and uncomfortably loud noises.
Check Price on Amazon ➞3. Mpow HP102A Bluetooth Noise Reduction Safety Ear Muffs
These headphones are designed to copy some elements of earmuffs, using the same over-ear cut-style design that can block sound without feeling uncomfortable or putting pressure on your head. Not only can you stream audio via Bluetooth, but they also have a 3.5mm input port for physically connecting devices, as well as a built-in microphone to take phone calls or record audio. All of the materials used in the design are meant to be as comfortable and reliable as possible – things like soft foam and PU leather are nice on the skin without causing irritation or long-term pain. The rechargeable battery can keep them running for a full 30 hours if needed.
When used as Bluetooth hearing protection, these headphones offer great levels of comfort, functionality, and versatility to make them useful for a huge range of different places and situations.
Check Price on Amazon ➞4. 3M WorkTunes Connect + AM/FM Hearing Protector
These Bluetooth-streaming headphones can connect to a wide range of devices, letting you easily stream multiple types of audio while still protecting your ear from sudden noises and irritating sounds. The high-quality speakers mean that you aren’t stuck with tinny-sounding audio, which also helps you tune out background sounds if you are trying to focus on something else. Not only that, but it has an integrated microphone that is perfect for taking calls or recording information without having to remove your headset. Alongside this is a full AM/FM radio feature, which you can use as a standalone way of playing music or listening to the news if you don’t have another device handy.
This Bluetooth hearing protecting headset is an excellent choice for listening to audio, either streamed or over the radio – even if you are doing it in or near a workplace that involves a lot of loud tools and equipment.
Check Price on Amazon ➞5. Walker’s Razor Quad Electronic Bluetooth Muff-Black
These high-quality Bluetooth hearing protection headphones have a noise reduction rating of 23dB, allowing them to cut down ambient noise and sudden sounds by quite a large amount. They are designed to provide natural-feeling sound clarity, rather than creating a lot of static in your ears, and have a low-profile design that makes them really convenient to wear when you are on the move or in the workplace. There are also two built-in volume knobs, one for Bluetooth devices and one for ambient sounds, which means that you can adjust them to fit your preferences without having to fiddle with the volume on a separate device. This audio is picked up with four different omnidirectional microphones, ensuring higher sound quality overall.
These folding headphones are great for a huge range of different situations, giving you full control over the volume of the audio it allows through.
Check Price on Amazon ➞6. Honeywell Sync Wireless Earmuff with Bluetooth
These wireless earmuffs use Bluetooth 4.1 to let you stream music, take calls or listen to any other kind of audio without having to fiddle with cables and cords, making it much safer for use in the workplace or while you are on the move. The built-in boom microphone also allows you to respond to phone calls without having to use a separate device, allowing for hands-free communication almost anywhere. When it is not needed, you can rotate it upwards to get it out of the way, which also massively reduces the chances of it getting damaged. The NRR of 25dB and the great airflow technology means that it will reduce ambient and background sounds while still letting you hear your own audio clearly.
These Bluetooth hearing protecting headphones provide great sound quality, a simple yet effective design, and plenty of smaller tweaks and features that make them worth using often.
Check Price on Amazon ➞7. PROTEAR Bluetooth AM FM Radio Safety Ear Muffs
Unlike a lot of Bluetooth hearing protection gear, these headphones use a built-in AM/FM radio that can be used to pick up audio without another device present. The 25 decibels of noise reduction help make all but the loudest noises far less of a problem, and you can stream almost any kind of audio directly to your ears whenever you want. There is also a built-in multifunctional microphone for taking calls, as well as a padded, soft headband that makes them extremely easy and comfortable to wear over long periods of time, whether you are busy at work or taking a bike ride somewhere outdoors.
You can use these headphones for nearly any situation, and the great level of noise reduction coupled with the excellent communication features make them perfect for handling jobs in noisy areas – especially if you need to be ready to take calls at a moment’s notice.
Check Price on Amazon ➞8. ION Audio Tough Sounds Hearing Protection
This hands-free headset is ideal for taking calls and streaming audio from your phone, but that is not all it can offer you. There is also a built-in AM/FM radio with 20 preset stations, as well as a 3.5mm aux port for plugging in non-Bluetooth devices directly, as well as a rechargeable battery that only takes two hours of charging time to be ready for over twenty hours of continuous use. As Bluetooth hearing protection, it can also provide 25dB of noise reduction, helping you stay focused when dealing with loud and obnoxious noises that can break your concentration or interrupt your side of a phone call.
These headphones are great as hearing protection, but are also excellent as regular headphones during your downtime or quiet moments at work, even if there aren’t any loud noises you need to avoid.
Check Price on Amazon ➞9. CONNEX Bluetooth Hearing Protector
These easy-to-use headphones can run for up to sixty hours with three AAA batteries, making them very long-lived and easy to refill if they die out. The excellent sound quality means that you can stream audio from nearly any Bluetooth device and have it played directly in your ears, including phone calls, alert messages, music, podcasts, or anything else you want to listen to. The built-in microphone also lets you respond to phone calls or leave voice messages without having to plug in a second device. The NRR of 25dB means that these headphones are perfect for handling louder sounds while still letting you stay aware of what’s going on.
The simplicity of these headphones makes them a great no-nonsense option for general use in a workplace or around the home, especially if you are regularly in areas with a lot of noise that you want to tune out.
Check Price on Amazon ➞10. Walker’s Game Ear XCEL 100 Digital Electronic Muff
These Bluetooth hearing protection earmuffs come with four preset modes, letting you adjust to different situations on the fly: Universal, Power Boost, Hi Frequency, and Speech Clarity. The comfortable, ergonomic design of the entire unit makes it much easier to wear during long workdays, while the omnidirectional mics and wind-noise-reducing features help you pick up speech from all around you without having to deal with the sound of the wind, too. The controls for various features are placed on the top of the headband rather than on the ear cups, which is designed to help improve the overall NRR while still letting you adjust everything to fit your preferences.
These headphones are comfortable, easy to use, and great for dealing with loud, windy areas that would normally interrupt your music or phone calls. The multiple modes also make them very versatile in the right situations.
Check Price on Amazon ➞Bluetooth Hearing Protection Buyer’s Guide
Bluetooth hearing protection can be incredibly useful for a wide range of different reasons and situations, but that doesn’t mean every single design, style, and model is equally useful to you. Some are only helpful in specific places and situations, while others might be able to handle every possible situation at the cost of being a little bit too generic to offer specialized help. If you are buying proper ear protection, you will want something that suits your needs and matches the situations you are expecting to use them in.
Hands-Free Use
Many people forget that headphones are a useful way of doing things hands-free, even if it is just listening to audio. However, there is very rarely any kind of headphones that are completely hands-free: the real question is how much hands-free usage you’ll expect to need. First of all, not all headphones are capable of mounting microphones or receiving calls properly. Because of this, if you are taking a call, you will either have to remove the headphones or try to hope that your hearing protection can still let you continue the call as normal.
All of this takes some fiddling with volume settings, which can be a huge problem if you are currently doing something that requires one or both hands to be used. If your phone is connected to your headset and it has a microphone, it becomes much easier to start the call, place your phone down or in your pocket and continue with what you are doing. On the other hand, if there are no physical controls at all, it can be annoying to try and reduce the volume of certain things.
A headset with no buttons generally won’t have volume controls, mute options, alternate settings, or even a way to quickly disable the Bluetooth connection, which can be an issue if you are trying to juggle multiple things at once. Still, if this isn’t a situation you will be in often, it is not something to worry about very much. You may wish to use a form of noise protection while you’re carrying out tasks such as chopping down trees with chainsaws or using a leaf vacuum in your back garden.
Noise Reduction Rating
The Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is the number of decibels that your Bluetooth hearing protection will be able to reduce sounds by. It is never exact since some headsets will try to dampen speech less or equalize the volume of specific sounds, but it is a general rule of what to expect in terms of the noise reduction relative to other headphones. You don’t always need the highest level of noise reduction available, depending on the situation.
For example, if you work somewhere where there’s a lot of very loud equipment being used often, a higher NRR is generally good. On the other hand, if you work in an area where loud noises are occasional, and you are generally just dealing with ambient sounds (like traffic driving by), a higher NRR might actually make it harder to hear people speaking to you without removing your headphones.
Always choose hearing protection that is appropriate for the situations you expect to deal with. You will want an NRR that can block really loud sounds and dampen them down to a comfortable level while still letting quiet noises get through if they are important. A balance is important, especially if you are planning to use them in the workplace where mistakes can cause more than just personal issues.
Comfort
If you are going to be wearing something on your head for a long period of time, it should be comfortable. This is especially true if you have a job that involves a lot of movement and physical activity: rough materials or too much weight might make it harder to move around, and could even cause skin irritation or injuries if you aren’t careful. Your neck is particularly vulnerable, especially to heavy headsets.
Always try to go for soft materials if possible, mostly foam. Ideally, you will want it on the bottom of the headband section and on the inside of the ear cups, at the very least. The softer the materials here, the less pressure that will be placed on your head, which makes them far more comfortable without actually reducing the amount of noise reduction they can provide.
Comfort is also about volume, too. Volume controls make a massive difference in how comfortable you actually feel while wearing your headset, especially if you are having to handle a massive range of different noises as part of your job (such as on a construction site). If your music volume can only be controlled at the device directly, you might need to take your phone out of your pocket each time a new track starts.
Other Features
Bluetooth hearing protection will obviously have Bluetooth capabilities, but it is sometimes also a good idea to focus on getting a pair with regular connections, too. Even if you don’t plan on using it, it can be helpful to have a way to connect devices without Bluetooth options, and you never know when it might just be easier to temporarily plug in a cable to listen to a voicemail or audio message. These connections can sometimes also be useful for other things, such as separate volume controls that need to be plugged in, or extensions for working in areas where a certain portion of the building doesn’t allow Bluetooth to work correctly.
Another important element to consider is the power source. Battery-powered units are often quite helpful when you are on the move for a long time, but some people prefer to use rechargeable models instead. These both have their upsides and downsides, but in the end, it comes down to which method is most accessible and convenient for you. Finally, the AM/FM radio is a built-in option that’s being used on a surprisingly large number of modern versions of these headphones.
While they’re obviously not related to Bluetooth features, they can help you pick up normal radio channels and stations, making them great for people who prefer to listen to an ongoing set of music and interviews rather than the same playlists over and over again. In certain situations, such as while hunting in open forests or working in an isolated area, you might even be able to use them to tune into radio stations to help each other coordinate.
Expert Tip
Headphones that contain AM/FM radios can be useful for people who prefer listening to the news rather than music – that way, you can pick up radio channels directly rather than having to stream them through your phone, saving its battery life.
Did you know?
Bluetooth hearing protection is one of the few ways you can dampen ambient sounds while still hearing people speak, especially if they use exterior microphones and filters that can increase the volume of your voice.