SensGard® SG-26 Lightweight Hearing Protection Band NRR 26dB

I've had this hearing protection band for some years now. It helps for when I'm out and about and I'm getting overstimulated by the noise of people talking loudly, babies crying, traffic, machinery, alarms, or anything else. My ears have been sensitive since I was young and even though I can withstand more noise now than back then without freaking out, it's still stressful, so a tool like this is very useful (more so outdoors than in my home). I prefer carrying these as opposed to headphones because they are smaller and more lightweight. I like that they don't go inside the ears, cover up my entire ears, or block out all noise completely so I can still hear conversation. They take up less space in a bag and won't weight you down at all. The foam pads seem to wear out after a while but luckily, replacements are available (here on Amazon as well). The entire band also seems a bit fragile, so I think one should be very gentle with it. I would recommend this band to anyone who needs some mild hearing protection (not heavy-duty) especially those who are on the autism spectrum or have similar sensory processing issues or who are prone to panic attacks from loud noise.

I have used many forms of hearing protection over the last 30 years - in ear foam and over the ear protectors - but these are the best. First, the sound attenuation of the device is amazing for the 31 db SensGard model. It is hard to believe the attenuation could be so good. This has some drawback in that conversation is really not possible. The 26 db model would be better for allowing some conversation while still having good hearing protection. The attenuation is so good that I often can't hear that a certain machine is on - such as my JDS shop air cleaner. I use these for ear protection while woodworking but they would be excellent for shooting as well.The comfort factor is also quite good. No sweating -- a big discomfort factor with over-the-ear protectors. Quite light in weight. Sometimes I forget that I have them on.They sometimes will rotate a little which decreases the seal with my ears. This lets more sound in but is easily remedied by rotating the protector to re-establish the seal.I don't think I will ever go back to over the ear protectors. I do have one over the ear set that has a radio in it. No radio is possible with these protectors.

So I have been using these for approximately a year. These are by far the most comfortable hearing protection for construction I have used. I have ordered 2-3 pairs over the course of the past year. My pair recently broke(I will address at the end of this review)and had to use a generic pair of the construction trailer. My ears were killing me at the end of the day, painful. The reason for only the 4 stars is due to the way they are attached/swing adjustment that sits over your head. As most know, construction workers wear hearing protection on their neck while not in use, not on their head. These unfortunately end up breaking at the swivel points, while on your neck, hence the reason for needing to replace them. If they could come up with a better more sturdy attachment that holds up to wearing around your neck, these would be the best, most comfortable hearing protection that still allow you to hear conversations while wearing. Looking forward to them modifying future versions.

If you use power tools or need any type of hearing protection and also need situational awareness these are the passive, non electronic answers! Sure you can spend big $$ on a cool pair of noise canceling headphones that tend to always die in the middle of the noisiest part of your day, or spend 30 bucks on these and never have to worry about batteries. These things are great, fit well, block loud noises and allow full situational awareness. Cant go wrong!

No protection at all. Not sure why they call it hearing protection

These work. I have tinnitus and try to protect my eardrums as much as possible when working in my woodshop. Easy to wear around the neck, comfortable in the ears and most importantly, they work as advertised muffling harmful frequencies from things like my saws, sander, shop vac etc. while making more desirable frequencies audible. Talking and music listening is surprisingly accessible still. I went with the green so I can locate easily. They're not as sleek looking as you might expect when wearing, making me look a bit like an alien with the green. The ear foam has an irregular cut I noticed right away but it doesn't seem to affect performance. This is the 26 db model and may not be strong enough for some applications. Next time I use my high pitched sander for long projects I will probably use my over-ear protectors. These are comfortable for me but some fatigue will set in if left in for prolonged use, or frequent use throughout the day. I find the trade-offs worth it.

Bought this after seeing it repeatedly used on a streaming woodworker show I watched. I question the fit of the harder foam 'cuffs.' Still need to give them a good workout when woodworking for noise reduction a few minutes at a time and then park them around my neck. However, when trying to use them when string trimmer grass edging, it was frustrating to keep them on top of my head for 45 minutes. They kept tipping back or forward. For that, I am better with the little crushable foam inserts in each ear or ear muffs that are two sweaty in the heat of the day.

I was doing a bunch of finish work around my house - using a router to finish out some trim board. That machine is piercing and loud so I thought I'd upgrade over my typical foam earplugs, at the suggestion of a contractor I hired.Wow - these things are amazing. They block out tons of the piercing sounds but still allow you to hear what's going on. I'm not sure what magic they are using, but this is really a breakthrough. Downside is the fit around your head or neck is terrible - they dangle if you go down, or constantly slip if you put them over the crown of your head. For limited 5-10 minute increments, they are perfect though.