Howard Leight R 01520 Corded Earplugs Review

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Reviewed by Steven Eaton, WC Safety Editorial

The Howard Leight R-01520 Corded Earplugs — NRR 25 is a ear plugs from Howard Leight by Honeywell, listed on Amazon. This review restates what the product page documents, places it in its hearing protection lane, and points to the ranked guides for the head-to-head field.

What the Product Page Documents

Published July 16, 2026 · Last updated July 27, 2026

Best For: corded reusable flanged hearing protection at NRR 25 dB with a retention cord.

Not For: non-noise hazards, or noise that earplugs alone can't bring under ~85 dBA (add earmuffs).

Bottom Line: a solid corded reusable flanged plug at NRR 25 dB — the cord earns its keep on jobs where dropped plugs get lost.

Where It Earns Its Slot

The R-01520 is the family's low-rated, high-comfort entry: NRR 25 dB, reusable, corded, and scored 4.7/5 in our review — the best mark among the reusables in this line. The apparent contradiction is the point: for the moderate noise most workers actually face, a plug comfortable enough to stay seated a full shift protects better in practice than a higher-rated plug that gets pulled out.

If the survey demands more label attenuation, the family steps up cleanly: R-01522 at NRR 26, FUS30S Fusion and AirSoft at NRR 27, and the single-use foam LT-30 at NRR 32. Its nearest neighbour is the SDT-30 — the other NRR 25 reusable in the line — and between those two the choice is fit feel, not numbers.

Honest Limits

Derated, NRR 25 plans at roughly a 9 dB field reduction under OSHA's enforcement estimate (label minus 7, halved) — adequate for moderate industrial noise, thin for the loud end. Be honest about which one your floor is: this plug's comfort advantage disappears the moment the exposure calls for a rating it cannot give.

Pros and Cons

Alternatives in the Same Lane

• Howard Leight Laser Lite LL-1 Cordless Earplugs — NRR 32
• Howard Leight Maximum Max-1 Cordless Earplugs — NRR 33
• Howard Leight Quiet QD1 Cordless Earplugs, NRR 26 (Reusable
• Howard Leight Maximum Lite Cordless Earplugs, LPF-1 NRR 30 (
• Howard Leight X-TREME XTR-1 NRR 32 ear plugs (Uncorded, Disp
• Howard Leight TrustFit Pod Earplugs, NRR 28 Cordless Push-In
• Howard Leight FirmFit FF-1 Earplugs, NRR 30 Cordless Foam (F
• Howard Leight Multi Max MM-1 Cordless Earplugs — NRR 31
• 3M PELTOR Optime 105 H10A Ear Muffs - NRR 30 Over-the-Head H

Hearing Protection Guides

• Best Ear Plugs for Construction
• Best Ear Muffs for Construction
• When Do You Need Hearing Protection?
• Best Noise-Canceling Headsets
• Construction Site PPE Guide

Browse by Category

• Hearing Protection
• Ear Muffs
• Foam Ear Plugs
• Corded Ear Plugs
• Shooting Hearing Protection
• PPE Care & Accessories

Frequently Asked Questions

General questions about ratings, OSHA limits and fit are answered in the Best Ear Plugs for Construction guide.

The Bottom Line

For all-day wear against moderate noise, the R-01520 is the pair we would hand most workers in this family: comfortable, washable, corded, and rated exactly enough. When measurements — not habit — say the job is louder than that, move up the family ladder rather than doubling down on comfort.

Common questions

How is a reusable earplug maintained?

Wash, dry, inspect, reuse — and retire the pair once the material stiffens, discolors, or the seal feels inconsistent. A reusable plug holds its rating only while it still conforms to the canal; under daily industrial use that is weeks, not months.

How do I know the plug is actually sealed?

The occlusion effect: with the plug seated, your own voice sounds boomy and hollow and ambient noise drops obviously. If speech sounds normal to you, the seal is not there — and most of the label rating is not either, however comfortable the fit feels.

When do I need plugs AND muffs together?

When the derated exposure still clears 85 dBA: doubling up typically adds roughly 5 dB over the higher-rated device, which is how the loudest industrial work is actually covered. Measure first — dual protection is a numbers decision, not a comfort one.

What does the Howard Leight R-01520 Corded Earplugs listing actually document?

A corded reusable earplug rated NRR 25 dB. This review restates the documented configuration, positions the R-01520 inside the Howard Leight corded family, and does not add specifications the listing does not carry.

Is a lower NRR ever the right choice?

Often. Over-protection isolates a worker from alarms, voices, and machine cues, and an uncomfortable high-rated plug that comes out mid-shift protects less than a comfortable NRR 25 that stays in. Match the rating to measured exposure, then optimize for wear time.

How does the R-01520 differ from the SDT-30?

Both are corded reusables rated NRR 25 in this family. With the label rating identical, the deciding factors are fit feel in your own ear and purchasing format — try both if you can; attenuation math will not separate them.

What does NRR 25 become after derating?

OSHA's enforcement estimate subtracts 7 dB and halves the remainder: roughly a 9 dB real-world reduction. Plan your hearing-conservation numbers from that figure, not the label.

How should this pair be maintained?

Wash, dry, inspect, reuse — and replace the pair when flanges stiffen or the seal weakens. The cord makes between-use storage easy: around the neck, not on the bench collecting grit.

Related reference

Related reading in this area: 3m 1110 foam earplugs nrr 30 200 pairs, moldex pura-fit vs howard leight max-1: which nrr 33 ear plug?, what is nrr noise reduction rating explained, highest nrr ear plugs (2026): 7 best nrr 33 picks ranked, 3m ear push ins 318 1001 corded earplugs nrr 28, and 3m ultrafit 340-4002 corded earplugs, reusable - nrr 27 (50 pairs).

Why trust WC Safety

WC Safety is an independent, affiliate-supported review site. It is not a retailer: it holds no inventory, takes no orders, and earns only from qualifying purchases through clearly marked links — which never changes what a product is rated to do. Standards language is taken from the regulation text directly, and ratings are reported as the manufacturer publishes them. We run no laboratory and perform no testing of our own. Where published sources disagree, we say so and plan on the conservative figure rather than the flattering one.

Our methodology

Figures come from the regulation and the published specification, in that order. Derated numbers are calculated, not estimated. Nothing here is presented as a measured result, because we measure nothing.

Researched and written by Steven Eaton, editor of WC Safety. Steven holds no safety certification and does not test products; this page compares what manufacturers and regulators publish, with the gaps in that record marked. Last reviewed August 2026.