Howard Leight R-01526, Impact Sport Earmuffs, Olive Drab Green.

★★★★★

the Howard Leight Impact Sport is a great muff. It's light

A few years ago, most my trigger time was spent outdoors. For outdoor use, the Howard Leight Impact Sport is a great muff. It's light, low profile and very effective at reducing gun shots to a comfortable volume. I also had no problem hearing the people around me--in fact, it actually improved my hearing and could give you an advantage in a home defense situation (more on this later). Unlike some cheaper competitors, they also have an auto-shutoff, which kills the electronic functions if the muffs are left on for more than 4 hours. For me, this is critical since I am notorious for leaving on my electronics. I haven't had to change the battery on my impact sports after 2 years of use.Last winter, I starting going to an indoor range near my office to keep up with my training (too cold, snowy for an outdoor range in my neck of the woods). My indoor range is about the worst possible environment for hearing safety you can imagine. It's a 30 yard range made entirely of concrete, including the walls for each point. There are 5 points to a room and no limit on what you can shoot (up to 50bmg from a rifle, but shotguns are limited to slugs only). With 12 foot ceilings and NO sound deadening materials to speak of, you need to rely on you muffs entirely to keep you eardrums from exploding. In this environment, the Impact Sports are NOT up to the task. My first time indoors, I quickly discovered that the lmpact Sports offered almost no protection by themselves. I had double up with foam plugs before I could shoot comfortably. Unfortunately, with the foam plugs, the electronic hearing enhancement was almost useless.I ultimately purchased the Impact Pro muffs in September 2016 (so I have had them for over a year now). They Impact Pro offers essentially the same electronic hearing enhancement (with auto-shutoff) as the Impact Sport, but with a much heavier, bulkier profile that substantially improves the Impact Pro's noise reduction abilities when compared to the Impact Sport (31 decibel reduction compared to 22 decibel). My ears are safe, even when the range is filled with big bore rifles, AR's and shotguns. I can also carry a conversation with the Impact Pro on--just have to play with the volume a bit to find a good balance. The Impact Pro is, however, far from perfect. After switching to the Pro's, I had to adjust my cheek weld because these bulky muffs were in the way. I also find it can be tricky to wear these with a hat and eye protection because the hat and eye protect can cause the muffs to break their seal with your head, letting in dangerously loud sounds. I can tweak how I wear my glasses/goggles, but this can cause other issues by either reducing the protection from my eye protection or causing me to wear my eye protection in a way that makes it heard to aim well.In short, if I had a better, reasonably priced option for protecting my ears at an indoor range that allowed me to hear what is going on around me--without the bulk and compromises I have to make with the Impact Pro--I would jump all over it. If I am shooting outdoors, I would go for the Impact Sports over these every single time. However, for the purpose of shooting at a LOUD indoor range, this is really the only option I have come up with that fits my needs and costs less than $100 on Amazon. I know there are other options out there, but the cost of going to a custom made electronic plug is just not feasible for me. So, the Impact Pro's are my go to option for indoor shooting--at least for the time being. For this reason, I am giving them five stars (but with a caveat).Side Note: I also keep an extra pair of the Impact Sports, with fresh batteries, in my hidden gun safe in my bedroom for home defense purposes. The electronic noise filter on both the Sport and Pro muffs (I would guess they are almost the same, if not actually the same, electronics uses in both pairs) does an outstanding job of amplifying and enhancing low volume sounds. I can put them on in my bedroom, crank up the volume and hear my kids talking softly at the other end of the house. If you have never used a pair of electronic muffs, it can be quite starting the first couple of times you have them on. I expect this could give me a big advantage in a home invasion situation, where the introducers have nothing on their ears and I have the hearing of a fox. :) The Impact Sport and/or Pro are worth owning for this reason alone.

Verified Purchaser · December 2 · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase

★★★★★

Very pleased w/ these.

EDIT, 2 years of regular use later:(I'm going to leave my original review below. For the most part, it's still accurate. For potential buyers, I want to include new info that only extended experience could have brought to light)I have other ear pro. One 3M Peltor Tactical (mid-range model, I can't recall model#) and one very inexpensive pair of Champion Electronic ear pro.The Champions work but have issues that keep them being any more than backups or for 'ear-less' people who may need to borrow a set.The Peltors are amazing. The sound is better than the Howard Leight's and I have zero complaints about them.But this is about Howard Leight ear pro. Mine are both my oldest pair of electronic ear pro and the ones I use most often - my 'go-to' ears.They're affordable by anybody at ~$50 (sometimes deals make them cheaper yet). They're effective enough to make them a viable competitor w/ higher-end and more expensive ear pro.I've never felt as though I needed to 'double up' and use earplugs underneath because they didn't offer enough noise reduction. Battery life is good. I use mine 2-3x or more per week, for between 1-3hrs/session and I typically need to replace batts once per month.I've never used the Howard Leight's input 3.5mm jack to play audio or phone into my ear pro. When I'm training/shooting targets, I'm training/shooting targets. Nor am I interested in hearing music while shooting - mostly due to safety. Some people may need to stay connected and may find an input jack to be a positive feature - I'm just not one of those people. Free Americans can decide what's most appropriate for themselves w/o advice from me or anybody else.Let's address the biggest, ugliest problem the HL's have, IMO: They will bring the pain when worn w/ eye pro (100% of the time, for me) and/or for extended periods of time. I can usually feel the headache starting after a half-hour to hour into a session. It's a 'surface' headache for me, personally. I'm assuming it's due to constant pressure from the head band piece, pushing against the ear pro.When I first heard of this issue (prior to experiencing it myself), I kind of chuckled to myself and thought perhaps some people were being sensitive (sissies?)...But I was wrong! It's not horrible, unbearable pain - it is difficult to simply ignore after a time, and it's certainly a distraction that nobody needs on the firing line when training or teaching/learning, or trying to shave fractions of a second from a shot timer. It gets old - quickly.There are gel inserts you can buy to replace the stock setup. They will cost you about 60-75% of the total cost of the Howard Leight's, though, unfortunately. To me, it wasn't even a question: I gladly forkes over the cash and my head/ears have thanked me repeatedly.Last, about durability: Internet 'torture testing' can't account for one factor that is difficult to simulate accurately: Durability and function over time. I've probably used and abused Howard Leight's namesake ear pro more than the majority of the target demographic.I'm not an outlier, a pipe hitter, HSLD, or somebody that purposely abuses my gear. But, I am a guy that spends a whole lot of time down on my personal range, shooting steel and consuming a lot of brass, and my gear gets used quite a bit like I said earlier.HL ear pro hasn't broken or let me down since I bought them in 2016. They aren't affected by sweat. Wires haven't split from folding and opening a zillion times. Single potentiometer/power switch is fine and does not crackle.Like most electronic ear pro, very close proximity to microphones will cause squeeling feedback, but it's not overly loud and doesn't occur in normal use; usually only when a hand, etc. comes very close to mic.They are inexpensive and durable. If and when they eventually do wear out, I will absolutely replace them because they are such a good value.Original review (2016)Incredible deal. Perfectly functional and takes a beating.It's difficult to put a price on your hearing...especially as you get older.

Verified Purchaser · April 21, · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase

★★★★★

VERY GOOD QUALITY, VERY GOOD PRICE.

I had been searching for a better set of ear protection, wanted something electronic, but did not want to spend a few hundred dollars. Then I found these, and they work great.I have been using them at shooting matches. My older non-electronic hearing protectors were not serving me well. I have a bit of hearing loss, and I have an issue hearing conversation when there is a lot of background noise. At the matches I sometimes had an issue hearing the Range Officers and would sometimes have to lift one side of the hearing protector to hear clearly. Which is a problem because someone on the next stage will be shooting and I get to hear their gunshot at full volume.This set of electronic earmuffs allows me to block out the loud noises (gunshots) while still being able to clearly hear conversation. I can adjust the amplification up or down to the point where I can clearly hear even a whisper at a good distance. This was exactly what I was looking for.I have also tried the audio input connected to my Iphone and was able to block the noise from my lawnmower while I listened to music. That is a very nice feature.The earmuffs fit snugly to my head and offer ample adjustment. They fit my ears a bit more snugly than some of the bigger mickey-mouse type earmuffs. But my ears do lay flat to the side of my head, not like a few of my friends who have ears that stick straight out sideways. Maybe this would be a bit more uncomfortable for them, and they know who I am talking about. ;)I also found another great use for these, listening to TV. You see while I have some hearing loss, if my house is noisy (and with 4 boys it is always noisy) I cannot hear the TV unless I turn it up louder. Which my wife hates. I also have tinnitus, which I just recently found out gets much worse on days when I have sugar. So if I have a soda or ice cream that day, when I get home I need to have the TV turned up louder to overcome the ringing in my ears. Well problem solved, because I can wear these ear muffs and adjust the volume on them so I can clearly hear the TV at a much lower volume. My wife appreciates that feature.

Verified Purchaser · July 24, 2 · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase

★★★★☆

Good Entry Level Electronic Protection.

These are great entry level electronic hearing protection. These are meant for shooting sports, but could easily apply to most any situation offering non-sustained sharp sounds. There are better products out there and I'm seriously considering replacing these with the MSA Sordin, however the MSA Sordin's retail at 6X what you'll pay for the Howard Leight Impact Sports.The good, they do their job. Provide adequate hearing protection and loud sounds are clipped by the electronics to not pass through. I have two pairs and my wife or kids use my second pair. My wife/kids always double plug (use foam ear inserts at the same time) as they believe they don't do a good enough job at indoor ranges. The electronics do there job and amplify sound to make communications (ie. talking) so much easier and positive. The ear cups are thin enough that they do not interfere with getting a proper sight picture on rifles. I've found the build quality to be fine and has held up to my use (others have complained about this model not holding up). Lastly, I'd never take another training course without the use of electronic hearing protection as you are able to fully hear what the instructors are saying. I used to have to look directly at the instructor's lips to fully "hear" what they are saying. Now I'm able to communicate even when I'm a good distance away and not even looking in the persons direction.The bad. Don't provide as much protection as non-electronic hearing muffs. The Impact Sports are rated at 22 db reduction. When buying a standard set of muffs I look for at least a 30 db reduction. That is a big difference as decibel ratings are not linear, but exponential. I need to double plug with foam ear inserts when I'm shooting loud rifles. But my biggest complaint is the foam padding around the ear cups. If Howard Leight offered a gel padding replacement these would rock. The foam is stiff and sometime gets lifted by my rifle stock to provide a gap allowing sound to get in. This is not good and sometimes gives my ears a good ringing (ie. damage). Lastly, the electronics kick in by "clipping" the sound. This means that all sound is cut off. I can live with this and consider that you are getting what you paid for.In conclusion, a good entry level protection that may need to be used with foam ear inserts. With the electronics boasting the ambient sound it is not a problem hearing even with the foam inserts and still offering protection from damaging sounds. Good buy, worth twice what you're paying for, but still an entry level product that will service most persons needs.Lastly, Howard Leight - Release gel to replace the foam padding! Some of use are willing to pay for the upgrade!

Verified Purchaser · August 2, · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase

★★★★★

Baseline Earpro for a Reason

Possibly every single modern shooting enthusiast owns a pair of these and a pair of Razors. Razors are popular because there's nothing else that cheap and their marketing is borderline magic, but these guys are popular because, despite being a bit rough around the edges with room for improvement, they get the basic idea right so darned well that they're still a heavyweight competitor in the realm of budget electronic earpro, even after a decade. The amplification is, despite being analog, excellent. It really does feel like super hearing (though music and sharp sounds make the mics peak HARD), and the outside design is unquestionably intelligent. Whoever engineered the things put a lot of thought into what slim form factor ear protection should look and act like and it shows. Aside from that, they are thin-REALLY thin. If you're willing to invest a bit in gel pads, they're practically nonexistent on your head, deapite blocking plenty of sound. As for the guts, they're soldered well, the wires are well-put-together, and generally it doesn't look like a high school student's first wiring project. I'd strongly argue in favor of Peltor's Rangeguards and Sport 100s over these (digital circuitry and Peltor magic goes far, man!), but considering how reliable, effective, affordable, and comfortable these things are with the aftermarket and comms capability they have, they're not just worse Pelts. I have several pairs and have dumped plenty of money into upgrades, and I can attest that they easily bully models twice and even thrice their price, upgrades included in competitors. Get a pair if you care about your ears.

Verified Purchaser · April 17, · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase

★★★★★

I Just Bought My Second Pair!

I like these ears. They are low profile which means less chance that they will get in the way of your shotgun when mounting. Of course, all of these types of ears do get in the way of that at least a little bit, but this pair has wires so you can push the ear up a bit and that also helps along with the slim design. I usually wear a loose earplug in my right ear in addition to these ears just in case. (I am right-eye dominant, so I mount on the right with the gun laying close to my right ear. If you are left-eye dominant, and mount on your left cheek, you may want to wear a loose plug in your left ear. I wear the earplug (or plugs) loose only because it's a second-level of ear protection anyway and it allows me to hear through the electronic ears better when I'm talking with someone.) The noise-cancellation and volume controls on this headset are nice and easy to control when on your head. Even with earplugs in my ears, by adjusting the controls on the headset, I can cancel out the noise of the shots and amplify voices enough to hear through the plugs. This amplification is especially great for taking lessons but also talking to people during shoots or even with shots going off in the background. I can hear someone else's lessons from a bench far behind them on the Skeet field. Better than I could in a room with no shots and no electronic ears. I really love that. You can amplify crickets with these. The additional audio port on this pair and cable to use for listening to audio on a computer or other device is a nice addition. As someone who has filmed competitive shoots on location and then edited the footage afterwards, this was particularly handy as you can edit in a room full of people making noise and still hear what's happening in your footage.. All of this is packaged for a great price. I had my first pair of Howard Leight's (bought based on the good reviews) for about 8 years until the rubber over the battery compartment got gummy so I just recently bought myself another pair. I considered getting a different brand but didn't think the search was worthwhile since there was never anything negative about this pair in the first place except that they just got worn. Even so, the worn pair still works like a charm, so now I have an extra set for a friend when I bring them to the range. They don't seem to mind the sticky battery compartment when they have the benefit of being able to hear!

Verified Purchaser · September · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase

★★★★★

What I've wanted for years.

Where were these earmuff when I was cutting all my firewood??! Where were they when I was remodeling with all those power tools? I'd looked at ads for active earmuffs like these, but couldn't bring myself to pay $150. Now, along comes Howard Leight with ones that are affordable, and Amazon discounts them to only a little more expensive than normal, non-amplified earmuffs. I've worn mine shooting several times now, and they're comfortable, they seal well on my head, and they work. I still wear foam ear plugs with the muffs, because I want to hear when I'm an old fart. I can turn up the amp in my muffs to louder-than-life, and hold intelligent conversations with doubly-protected ears. Well, intelligent for me, anyway. My ears don't complain when I shoot; these really do cut off the sound before my ears notice it. In fact, my .22 rifle doesn't go Bang any more, it just spits.Two things I've noted: you have to turn the volume knob up a lot before the amplifier starts working. It still works, and it does go louder than no muffs at all, it's just that the first half of the adjustment range is no amplification at all. Where Spinal Tap's amplifier goes from 1 to 11, these go 0,0,0,0,0,1,2,3,4,5. I call this something I've noted, without using the word "complaint" because it doesn't bother me. Just found it a little odd.The other thing is that both pairs I bought make a ticking noise when turned up all the way. It's not loud; I'm completely unaware of it when shooting, but if you buy these to listen to your MP3 player on an airliner, it might get in the way of your music. Or maybe the music will cause the headphones to stop ticking. I don't know.I do know they're comfortable, they allow conversation while suppressing loud noises, from a hand clap to a gunshot, and they are unbelievably affordable. I'm very glad I bought mine.Heads do come in different shapes and sizes, of course, and other reviewers have said theirs didn't fit. Buy them, try them, and make use of Amazon's return policy if you have to. I'm keeping mine.

Verified Purchaser · January 31 · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase

★★★★★

Better than Micky Mouse ears, you don't look stupid, they work

I am very pleased with my purchase and am a bit baffled by the bad or mediocre reviews, here's why: These hearing protectors fit much better than the standard huge-cup variety, and definitely afford a reasonable cheek weld when firing a rifle or shotgun! At the range with a buddy, I had to step out with him and switch ear muffs with him so that he could fire my rifle; however I forced him to continue wearing the big red pants with suspenders and yellow buttons, because I have my limits, Micky Mouse Man.The audio amplification is outstanding, you get a reasonable facsimile of real world audio with these, or even amplified hearing... in stereo, so you don't feel like you have a big orange bucket on your head. A single volume control is simple and positive, and auto shut off if you forget. For the user that wants Bose surround sound headphones, go home, pour yourself a sweet umbrella-drink cocktail, and listen to your Michael Bolton LP with your $500 headphones. You could plug an mp3 into these, but I agree with many here that this is silly. Why would you want the distraction at the range or worse, while hunting and trying to listen for deer and/or your buddy yelling out not to shoot him as he soils the woods? I intend to take these hunting because I don't like the ringing in my ears after a shot and all that silence, regular foamies or muffs don't work because you can't hear anything!Here is the big benefit of this product. You can wear foamies and these muffs, and then turn the volume up so that you can still hear conversation and be aware of your surroundings, but have NO ill effects after an hour at the range shooting large caliber weapons. I found them to be more than adequate, and I will not go back to non-amplified hearing protectors.Please go spend $300 on some tactical hearing protectors if you want all of the bells, whistles and lights of those models, but I really think that these are state of the art and reasonably priced, especially just under $50, I would pay a bit more and still feel like it was a good product at a reasonable price.They collapse down for easy transport, aren't massive on your head, and are subtly colored so you're not Mickey Mousing around with stupid huge bright massive muffs that make you look like (and feel) like a bumbling clown at the range. I've seen guys try to get through a door, but smack their muffs on the door frame and take a stutter-step back... not really, but almost. Correction, I was that guy, but not anymore. 5 Stars for quality, value, performance, slim design and muted coloring. BTW we're supposed to be rating these at their price point (for those giving 3 stars and saying, "Hey I really like these but boo-hoo they're not like the $300 tacticool muffs that I really wanted." Go rate THOSE with three stars because they were too expensive for you to get.)

Verified Purchaser · November 9 · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase