Hearing Protection Headphones - What Your Options Are For Protecting Your Ears From Hazardous Noise Levels

My search for a pair of hearing protection headphones started when I was trying to find ways to cut out the irritating singing from my karaoke-enthusiast neighbor and the incessant thumping from pile-driving activities at a nearby construction site.

Hearing protection headphones are a class of hearing protector devices (HPD), and are designed to reduce, or eliminate entirely, your personal noise exposure levels.

Noise-canceling and or noise-isolating headphones can reasonably mitigate the loud drone from a lawn-mower being used to mow the yard or other loud equipment that can harm your hearing.

The noise intensity hitting you while riding most lawn tractors should be around 95 to 100 dB, so a headphone that is specified to provide at least 24 dB of noise attenuation should be just about perfect.

Fortunately, you have many hearing protection headphones in the market to choose from. One well-known model of such a hearing protector headset is the 90541 WorkTunes AM/FM Hearing Protector by AO Safety.

To keep yourself entertained while having your ears adequately protected, choose combination hearing protector-headphones that offer a connectivity feature such as a stereo input jack to plug in your CD player, MP3 player, iPod, Android phones, iPhone or other audio device so that you can listen to your favorite tunes and music.

Some protection headphones even come with built-in digital tuning capabilities which let you access radio programming from your favorite AM or FM stations and channels.

In addition to protecting your hearing from external environmental noise, the headphone currently under your review radar should also have a volume control limiter that prevents the audio levels of your music from exceeding 85 dB.

Check the operating battery life of the audio-playing headphone you are thinking of purchasing, and the type of batteries the unit accepts. I have a personal preference for headsets that are be powered by no more than two AA batteries, and can play music continuously for at least 140 hours.

Sounds louder than 80 decibels are considered potentially dangerous, and it is recommended that you wear hearing protection if you are exposed to these on a prolonged basis. Here is a quick noise table with noise level reference points:

30 dB = Whisper, Quiet Library
40 dB = Quiet Room
50 dB = Moderate Rainfall, Floor Fan
55 dB (Residential boundary-noise limit)
60 dB = Conversation, Dishwasher
70 dB = Busy Traffic, Vacuum Cleaner, Inside Mid-Size Auto (Car) at 65 mph (104.61 km/h)
80 dB = Alarm Clock, Busy Street
85 dB (Prolonged exposure causes slight hearing loss. Hearing protectors recommended)
90 dB (Prolonged exposure causes mild to moderate hearing loss. Hearing protectors required) = Drilling Concrete, Leaf Blower, Lawnmower, Shop Tools, Truck Traffic, Subway
95 dB (Prolonged exposure causes moderate to severe hearing loss. Wear hearing protectors with extra care) = Drilling Concrete, Leaf Blower, Lawnmower, Shop Tools, Truck Traffic, Subway
100 dB (Short exposures can cause permanent hearing loss) = Snowmobile, Chain Saw, Pneumatic Drill
105 dB (Dual protection may be needed) = Timpani, Bass Drum Rolls
110 dB = Large Stamping Press, Rock Music, Model Airplane
120 dB = Basketball Game, Crowd Noise
130 dB = Jet Plane Take-Off, Jackhammer
140 dB (Pain Threshold) = Firearms, Air Raid Siren, Jet Engine
150 dB = Rock Music Peak

Here is a list of things to consider when trying to decide which hearing protection headphone to buy:

Noise Reduction Rating: Find out whether the EPA noise reduction rating (NRR) on the headset meets your requirements. The NRR is the manufacturer's number representing the effective amount noise attenuation you can expect from your HPD device. The actual noise attenuation, however, varies for each individual. So, if the headphone is to be worn in your work environment, ensure that a proper and systematic subject fit-testing is performed to determine that the device provides optimal sound-dampening protection for your workers' noise environment.
Build Quality. You want to be careful to avoid brands or models that fall apart after brief periods of regular use. The headset should be robust enough to withstand corrosion due to your sweat or other elements.
Size and Shape. This would be a bit difficult to determine if you are looking to buy the headphones online, so be sure to check if the store offers you the ability to return the headphone if it does not fit your ears and head.
Ear Cups. These are usually made of lightweight gel or foam cushions for extended wear. The padding on the ear cups should be comfortable and not squeeze your ears too much. Typically, wearing the headphones for the entire duration of 45 to 60 minutes required to do your lawn should not result in any discomfort.
Headband. At the bare minimum, go for headphones with an adjustable headband which is preferably made of stainless steel.
Radio Reception Quality. The built-in radio tuner might not pick up stations very well and you might hear lots of static if you are working in a metal building, or if you live in a remote area with spotty reception.
Digital Controls. I would recommend zeroing in on headsets that have digital seek and scan buttons and controls for remembering and quickly finding a preselected or preset radio station.

Choose the right hearing protection headphone, and running heavy machinery will be a whole new and pleasant experience. The headset should also be good enough to block out gunfire during hunting season.