I need good ear protection for using the mower and the tractor, and, since I mow
+/- 7 acres of lawn and pasture, I like to have Bluetooth to listen to books while I rattle back and forth. My old heavy duty ones died and I’ve been using my little Bose noise reduction ones. They’re better than nothing, but not by much. I just finished mowing and my eardrums are feeling a little hammered …
Anyone have any real protection with BT they like, rather than the lighter duty indoor kind? Hoping to keep it in the $50-60 range, but will shell out more if I need to.
I’ve had some noise-reduction headphones since forever (they’re starting to fall apart), but they do block noise. Especially a constant noise (…like engines! Mowers, airplanes, even vacuums).
No Bluetooth, no batteries (Altec-Lansing).
But y’know what works even better? Bluetooth earbuds in, get a good seal, then "go under’ the noise-reduction “can” headphones. They go right over the earbuds. Double insulation from the noisy world.
I’ve tried that, but my ears hate earbuds for anything longer than 30 min or so. Doesn’t matter if they’re the squishy ones, or a smaller size, they end up making my ears sore.
I have a pair of iJoy BT circumaural headphones I got from Amazon at a decent price. They aren’t perfect, but they do a very adequate job of sealing out a lot of external noise. I’ve worn them at the firing range and they provide a great deal of protection as long as I’m outdoors. I think they’re iJoy ISO 5.0 headphones, at about $23.
I’ve had iJoy and also Mpow both and just got a pair of iJoy phones for the grandkid that fold up. They have very good sound and are stellar at blocking noise, also good and squashy so very comfortable. I can’t stand earbuds either so it’s always over the ear for me. The price is great on these things too.
Important distinction: Just “sealing out” noise will help a little, but Noise Canceling Headphones are much better. they have microphones that pick up ambient noise and generate a noise with waveforms the exact opposite of the noise/engine/crowd/music/whatever that’s bothering you. The waves cancel each other out, and you’re theoretically left with silence. In practice, it’s “most of the way to silence”.
So DO find some good* Noise Canceling Headphones. They’re like magic, and if I’d had them when I was younger (LOUUUUD factory jobs), my hearing would be better now.
*I trust the reviews at wirecutter.com… but do read up on different models.
Well, noise canceling headphones are obviously an option, but good circumaural ones are a bit more expensive then the original spend range. My Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones will sure beat the pants off of the iJoys, but at 10 times the price. You can get cheaper models, but the ones I’ve tried have other issues (comfort, durability, and so forth).
For the purpose of riding around doing lawn work, I’d still suggest the iJoys as a good, economical alternative. Plus, you won’t cry when they fall off and get mowed.
This is probably a silly question, but I’m curious: do noise-cancelling headphones provide the same level of protection as ear defenders in a noisy environment? I know that subjectively you wouldn’t hear the noise, but does the cancelling prevent the high pressure levels from doing harm to your ears? Do Sony et al market these things as safety devices for noisy environments?
My understanding is that they are two different things. I know when I wear real ear protection - true sound deadening earmuffs without any speakers - I don’t have that hammered eardrum feeling that I get with the noise cancelling, audio playing headphones.
They’re better than not wearing anything at all, but not by much I don’t think.
You didnt mention any price point so these are not only excellent at NR but the sound it top notch. They also adjust to the shape of your ears and autopause when you remove them.
