Browning Traditional

My experience is that most ear protectors work well UNTIL the moment comes when the guy next to you starts banging away with a very high-powered firearm. I had experienced slight pain several times, both indoors and out. The first time you damage your hearing is also maybe the last time, because damage from one bang alone can be permanent. Go to any gun show and notice all the deaf, older guys....... I decided the time had come to up the level of protection.Hearing protectors are rated by their NRR number. Most seem to be NRR 29 or 30, which has not been enough for me. I recently bought this Browning model HDR, which is rated at NRR 37db and I have been extremely pleased using it. It is very comfortable and fits me perfectly. My old sets are the type that are electronic, with a volume control for listening to speech, while shooting. This Browning model is NOT electronic and I don't know how the design works, but I can still hear people speaking, while at the same time, gun shots are safely reduced. So far, nothing nasty has penetrated them.Excuse me rambling on here, but if I can help just one person avoid permanent hearing loss........A while back I met a young guy in his 20's, at a Florida gun show, who apologized to me for his slight deafness. He said that he was at the range and decided to adjust his hearing protectors for comfort but just at that moment, his friend fired his pistol and he has a loud ringing in his ear ever since - several years ago!

It works nicely. It has a good fit and does the job. Be careful about the battery since if it leaks out, this stops working. I got it when it was $30. I checked back a couple times to see when it goes on sale so I can buy a second one and realized the price goes up everytime he "sells out". I got mine 7 months ago and this listing has "almost sold out" more than 5 times. Google other websites. The standard price for this is about $30 to $37. Do your homework.If you want to put the batteries in, you go on the opposite side of the volume control. You press your thumbs hard and try to slide up towards the top. It pops right out. The first time is though since it's new but once you know what to look for, you get the hang of it. Carry extra AAA batteries with you since you might leave this on and forget to turn it off (true story).

Excellent............Sure its quite tight, but that is its magic.......That's how it keeps out the noise........But its not uncomfortable.........The idea is to keep it on for a maximum of 30 minutes or so & take a break.........If you want to wear a headphone all day long & not feel it touching your head, yo are dreaming..........It doesn't exist.....You need some kind of miracle, LOL....Its tight but comfortable......Don't be a crybaby!Its not meant for wearing to go to sleep..........But you could definitely doze off with it if you are lying on your back.......If you lie on your side while wearing it, you will destroy it......

Great price, but cheaply made. But you can tell that the sound protection is there. The quality of the material is not really an issue because of the price and the great performance, but in my case I have a large head, and the pressure is incomfortable. The band is made of plastic, so it is adjustible, but the pressure is really strong when fully open.

Since most of my handgun shooting occurs in indoor ranges I was drawn to the HDR for its high protection rating. They were a bit more bulky than expected but are comfortable and the noise reduction is as advertised. My wife felt slight pressure along her jaw from the HDR but was so impressed with the noise reduction that she ordered a pair for herself.

A bit clunky compared with my prior Browning pair. Fits uncomfortably tightly, especially when extended for an adult head. Not what I expected based on my prior pair from Browning that appears to be very similar if not the same model. Otherwise, built well and as expected.

I use these in combination with SureFire earplugs. The earplugs are the highest rated I could find, and these ear muffs, likewise, are the highest rated I could find. Together, they work well. On a firing range, IMO, it's well worth the $$$ to get the best ear protection possible. These work for me.

I never wore these out on the gun range, so if that's what you're reading this review for, move along.I tried out this protector because my desk at work is 5 feet away from an air handling system that whistles two different tones at random intervals and durations for more than 80% of the workday.As an office worker performing tasks requiring long periods of concentration, the whistling ductwork and proximity to people who can control neither the volume of their voices nor how fascinating their conversations are makes work intolerable.With one of the highest NRR ratings of all the over-the-ear hearing protectors I could find, I had high hopes for these, and on metrics of comfort and appearance, these did not disappoint.The metric on which it disappointed was its ability do muffle the whistling ductwork and chortling coworkers. Only when combined with the earplugs I had been using previously could I avoid distraction.I ultimately returned these and bought a pair of the 3M Peltor earmuffs which ultimately proved to:1. look ridiculous2. be slightly more uncomfortable due to higher clamping pressure3. block out all the aforementioned noises.