Customer Reviews

Peltor H9A Optime 98 Over-the-Head Earmuffs

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I own 6 different models of ear protection (1 AO Safety and 5 Peltor). This pair is the pair I wear most frequently because:
1) They are not to big and bulky like the higher NRR rated models I have. The bigger ones are quieter, but they are noticably bigger and heavier. I prefer this smaller size for most things and only wear the bigger ones for really noisy infrequent tasks.
2) They provide good sound deadening. They work fine for typical jobs like skillsaws, tractor work, etc.
3) They are comfortable. The cushion is comfortable against my head.
4) They operate nicely. Unlike the even smaller red AO Safety 19 or 20 db model I have, these pair are easy to get on my head without getting all twisted up. I hate the AO Safety pair because I always end up fighting to get the two ear cups apart and facing the right direction. These Peltor H9As can usually be put on my head with one hand without too much fuss.

I bought these earmuffs instead of the H10A's because of the reviews - they classified this pair as more comfortable and still good at noise canceling.

I got them so that I could better focus on work at home - there can be many distracting noises that obstruct serious thought. While they do not cancel everything out - they drastically reduce noise. If someone directly in front of me starts talking to me, I will hear what they are saying, albeit at a reduced noise level. However, when I went into a connected room, and asked my mom and my sister to have a conversation in the room I was initially in, I couldn't hear what they were saying.

The really bring me a sense of inner peace and centeredness - I can focus on my work without worrying about becoming distracted with random noises in the house. It allows you to get into your own world. I would advise people, however, to notify their house mates when they are going to use them to tune out - it would be horrible if something happened at the other end of the house and one remained unaware because one could not hear the noise.

Overall - very good product. Comfortable, and would recommend. Won't give them 5 stars because they are my first pair of earmuffs - and would have like a pair that zapped out ambient noise even more!!

The Peltor earmuffs are among the most comfortable. The H9A is not as bulky as some others and is adequate for most noise. I keep 4 or 5 in the shop, one hanging on each noisy power tool. The best ear protection is the one you actually use, and these are simple to slip on and off as the job requires.

I've owned these earmuffs for several weeks now, and I can say without reservation that they're the best I've used. The only other muffs I own are very cheap imported ones, but I've tried several others including the heavier-duty Peltor model. My primary use is with power tools in my wood shop. I think these H9A earmuffs strike a great balance of great sound deadening on one hand, and relatively light weight and low profile on the other. They do an excellent job of blocking annoying/painful noise levels, while still allowing me to hear a LITTLE bit of ambient noise (i.e. I can still tell if a power tool motor is doing something strange). I'd say they block noise at least as well as the better plugs I've used.
These muffs seal around my ears much better than my cheapo muffs, almost to the point of popping my ears if I yank them straight out too suddenly. However, this is due to the sealing action of soft, flexible pad, and not that the head band squeezes too tightly. The plastic on the outside of the ear cup is thick and durable (I sort of knocked these earmuffs off a high shelf onto a concrete floor, and they weren't cracked or damaged in any way), but they're not as heavy or obtrusive as the bigger Peltor muffs (which stick out farther from your head).
The padded top band is also a nice improvement over the hard plastic of the cheap "industrial" muffs I own.
I typically wear my earmuffs over safety glasses and a dust mask, neither of which affects the fit of these muffs. I would expect the arms of the glasses to interfere with the fit, but they still seal very well. I can force the muffs to lift up a bit if I turn my head and flex my neck just so, and at that point I notice a slight increase in transmitted noise. However, the presence of safety glasses does not cause this - the muffs remain comfortably sealed around my ears.

I've only had these for a short time but love the way they fit. They seem really nice, fit snugly and seem to provide good protection from sound. I am an adult female but have a smaller head and they are just right for me but as others have mentioned- IF YOU HAVE A BIGGER HEAD THESE WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY BE TO SMALL.

I use these for shooting earmuffs and they are comfortable, and work great. I share them with my kids, who have smaller heads than me, and they adjust pretty well. I really should just suck it up and buy a couple more pair; I don't think you can do any better for the price.

The unit only opens up so far. I use it fully expanded and I have what I consider a normal size head. They efffectively reduce the motor noise from my John Deere while I am mowing.

These earmuffs work very well for outdoors shooting, especially at their price. I've used the cheap ones from big box stores, these are definitely a step above those. Fairly comfortable even after 3+ hours shooting outdoors. Might want to double up with earplugs if shooting indoors (as with any earmuffs).

We bought 2 pairs of these muffs for general lawn work, they are great! They block out quite a bit of the noise from the lawn mower, which is exactly what we wanted! They are also easy to spot in the garage as they are bright yellow, and comfortable to wear.

Product arrived promptly. It was taken to an indoor range and it performed very well. Very affordable price, adjustable and sturdy. Fairly lightweight and worth the money. Better to own these than rent a pair each time. Fits my head nicely. You might think about using safety goggles versus traditional "glasses" style safety glasses because the straps will not break the seal between your head and the muff as much, offering you a little more sound seal. Hopefully these will hold up over time, but initial use was great. It did what it was suppose to do and blocked noise (gun fire).