Guide
Hearing protection for work, mowing and the shop
Most hearing damage at work comes from hours of steady noise, not one bang. The numbers that matter are the level and the time.
Level and time
NIOSH recommends 85 dBA over eight hours as the limit, and with its 3 dB exchange rate the allowed time halves for every 3 dB more: 88 dBA for four hours, 91 dBA for two. OSHA's legal limit is 90 dBA for eight hours, and its standard starts a hearing conservation program, with protectors offered to workers, at 85 dBA.
NIDCD puts the line where harm begins the same way: sounds at or below 70 dBA are unlikely to hurt hearing, and 85 dBA and above can, over time.
How loud the yard is
CDC's Listen Up page puts a lawn mower at 80 to 100 dB. An hour behind a push mower at the top of that range is well past what NIOSH allows for a full day at 85. A leaf blower or a string trimmer sits in the same band.
Passive muffs such as our 038 (NRR 28) are made for that: no battery, fold into a drawer, on in five seconds.
Bluetooth and radio earmuffs
A long shift in noise is easier with something to listen to. Our 037 and 039 pair over Bluetooth for calls and music, and our 027 and 033 add AM/FM radio. The cups still block noise first: the speakers play inside a sealed shell.
Keep the volume low. Music turned up to cover the noise of a machine adds to the dose instead of replacing it.
Enough, not the most
NIOSH's three tips for choosing a protector say about 10 dB of real reduction is usually enough at work, and that people take off a protector that blocks so much they cannot hear a coworker. For a mower at 95 dBA, OSHA's Appendix B arithmetic with a muff of NRR 25 or more lands under 85.
Work and yard earmuffs in our range
SNR30dBBluetooth · Model 037
PROHEAR 037 Bluetooth Hearing Protection Headphones
- Bluetooth 6.0
- 1,100 mAh
- Up to 120 h
from $39.99
NRR25dBAM/FM radio · Model 033
PROHEAR 033 Bluetooth AM/FM Radio Earmuffs
- Bluetooth 5.4
- AM/FM radio
- 1,500 mAh
from $71.99
NRR25dBfrom $46.99
NRR28dBfrom $9.99
Every model named above belongs to the PROHEAR family of earmuffs.
Work and yard guide: questions
Are PROHEAR Bluetooth earmuffs loud enough for music over a mower?
They are made so the cups cut the mower first and the music plays inside the seal. The volume can stay low. If it has to go up, look for hair, a cap or glasses breaking the seal.