Ears should be protected in a noisy work environment. Sometimes, however, amidst the noise, you need to listen to what your coworkers are saying. We carry ear plugs that muffle noise – but you can still hear the people around you – to those that block it out almost completely. All of our disposable and reusable earplugs and muffs have a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) that indicates how powerful the plug or muff will be in blocking noise.

For example, we carry the earplug with the highest NRR rating, the Howard Leight Max Corded earplug, with a rating in the US at 33. The Moldex Traffic Cone earplugs are in small, foam traffic cone shapes that block noise only partially and also allow you to hear your coworkers. Aside from typical disposable foam earplugs, we also carry MultiMax, a two-sizes-in-one earplug that allows the wearer to choose from pointed and rounded plug ends.

Reusable earplugs often come with a band that will fit under a hard hat, below a chin, or behind a head. Most of these models are not inserted into the ear canal but rest outside the opening while still blocking out excessive sounds. Some reusable plugs are filled with silicone to fit the shape of the ear canal and do not require a head band.

Ear muffs block out sound by going around and cupping the ear. For our most economical models, the cups are made with styrene and attached to a light headband, although, for music lovers, some of our ear muff models have a radio built in or will connect to a CD or MP3 player.