Hearing protection isn’t exactly exciting, but it is an absolute must when shooting. If you’ve ever spoken to an older person who has been around guns their whole life, the constant “What?” to everything you say at a normal volume demonstrates that vital need. While we may not get as excited by hearing protection as we do by the latest and greatest new firearm introductions, the truth is there has been more technological advancement in hearing protection this millennium than there has been in the guns we shoot. Electronic earmuffs, tiny earbuds that both protect against loud noises and connect to your phone via Bluetooth, helmet-mounted muffs that have microphones and attach to two-way radios—all of these options are available from dozens of makers today, and they provide many advantages of the traditional earmuffs in the bin by the range entrance. And that’s not even getting into the advancement in sound suppressors that mount to your guns, which are also vital hearing-protection tools, but the subject of many different stories. Electronic hearing protection, however, tends to be at least an order of magnitude more expensive than passive hearing protection like muffs (and several orders more expensive than disposable earplugs).
Well, GRITR’s Electronic Earmuffs provide the benefits of active hearing protection without overly lightening your wallet. At just $44.99, they may seem too good to be true, but after using them for a few months, I can tell you they work just fine—certainly as well as some more feature-rich options on the market when it comes to range use. How did they save the money? That’s a bit of a trade secret, but given the incredibly uninspired product name, they clearly didn’t invest in a consulting agency to come up with an original moniker for the product.
What GRITR did, however, was to offer a complete package for basic electronic hearing protection. The Electronic Earmuffs come in a useful reinforced case that is both lightweight and attractive. Inside are the two AAA batteries that power the muffs, a belt hanger and carabiner to help make sure you have them readily accessible when they aren’t in use, an auxiliary cable to connect them to anything with a headphone jack and a manual. The presence of the cable may make you think they lack Bluetooth capability, and you are correct to think that—these are sub-$45 earmuffs, not AirPods with a dB cutoff for hearing safety.
On the range, the GRITR Electronic Earmuffs performed flawlessly. They turn on via a wheel on the muff opposite the battery compartment (which is both secure and yet still easy to remove/reinstall) which also serves as the volume control. I found they amplify that which you want to hear (range commands, banter about your buddy’s new gun, etc.) quite well, while cutting off and greatly reducing the noise of a firearm’s report as they should. The gel ear cups are extremely comfortable, as is the wide, padded headband. Wearing them over several multiple-hour range sessions led to no discomfort, and the gift of the belt hook proved useful during breaks off the line as I did not worry about leaving them on the lunch table or anywhere else. In fact, I did not even think about them until I needed them on the line, when they were conveniently right there on my left hip.
For the package the user gets at an exceptionally reasonable price, the GRITR Electronic Earmuffs are a no-brainer to have in your range bag. They now accompany me any time I go shooting.
For more information and to purchase the GRITR Electronic Earmuffs, which are available in black, FDE and camo, visit gritroutdoors.com.
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