Best Electronic Earmuffs for Shooters: Testing 8 Options

Your hearing is extremely important, so it is important that you have something to protect it when you are shooting a gun.

After testing 8 popular options for shooting earmuffs, we recommend the Howard Leight Impact Muffs (link to Amazon). However, earmuffs can prevent rifle shooters from getting a solid cheek weld on the rifle. If you shoot rifles at all, we recommend the Axil GS Extreme earbuds, which are more expensive but are a worthwhile upgrade.

Although many people wear disposable ear protection, if you go shooting or hunting often, they are not practical. Electronic earmuffs are great tools that help you protect your hearing. The following electronic earmuffs are the best ones for shooters. I have tested most of them, so I know that they all work well.

1. Howard Leight Impact Sport Electronic Shooting Earmuffs

The Howard Leight Impact Sport Electronic Shooting Earmuffs made by Honeywell are the absolute best electronic shooting earmuffs on the market. They cost $46.44, which is much lower than some other similar products. When they register sound above 82 decibels, they block it out. They have a Noise Reduction Rating of 22 decibels.

These shooting earmuffs come in black, green, pink, real blue, smoke, teal, one nation, and Multicam alpine. The smoke one looks really cool, although if you are shooting and want to be camouflaged, they may not be the best. The headband is easily adjustable, and these earmuffs can be folded and stored when not in use. With the 2 AAA batteries that come with these earmuffs, you can actively use them for about 350 hours. However, if they are not in use for 4 hours, they automatically turn off.

They have an auxiliary cord so you can plug in a microphone or walkie-talkie and communicate with your friends and family without taking the earmuffs off. You can even listen to music through these earmuffs, although they don’t have Bluetooth capabilities. When being used as headphones, you can still hear what is happening around you, which is important while you are actively hunting. The sounds you hear when using these earmuffs are extremely clear, but won’t damage your hearing.

These Howard Leight earmuffs are better than those made by Walker. They are extremely comfortable and easy to use, so you should definitely consider purchasing these electronic earmuffs.

2. Walker’s Razor Slim Low Profile Electronic Earmuffs

The Walker’s Razor Slim Low Profile Electronic Earmuffs are the overall second-best earmuffs that shooters can use. They cost $46.39 and have a Noise Reduction Rating of 23 decibels. They have 2 microphones embedded so you can clearly hear what is going on around you, which is helpful when hunting. The sound of each muff is not connected, so on each muff, there is a dial with ridges so it can easily be changed, even when you are wearing gloves. However, I found that to be annoying as it made it slightly harder to quickly change the settings.

Although these electronic earmuffs have been rated 5 stars by nearly 7,000 people on Amazon, after thoroughly testing them I found they were the second-best electronic earmuffs on the market. They come in 18 different colors and patterns and are extremely easy to fold and put away.

The headband is padded, as well as the ear covers themselves, so they are comfortable to wear for hours at a time, which is extremely nice when you are on a hunting trip and want to use these electronic earmuffs. These electronic earmuffs also have an aux port, but no Bluetooth capabilities.

The sound capabilities of these earmuffs are amazing. When turned off, but connected to a device, they can act as speakers or passive headphones. They cut out ambient sounds when you are listening to music or using a microphone, so you can focus on what you are saying or listening to. They actively compress sounds around you to minimize damage to your hearing.

3. Caldwell E-Max Pro

The Caldwell E-Max Pro electronic earmuffs cost $50 and have a Noise Reduction Rating that is between 21 and 25 decibels. They are slightly padded, which makes them extremely comfortable. The earmuffs themselves are slim, which will help you stay camouflaged when hiding and ensure you can put your rifle on your shoulder where it is comfortable.

These electronic earmuffs come with two AAA batteries. If you don’t want to power the earmuffs with batteries, you can purchase the Caldwell rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack. However, the battery pack doesn’t come with these earmuffs.

The Caldwell E-Max Pro electronic earmuffs are similar to the Walker earmuffs that were mentioned previously, but the Walkers are slightly better. These earmuffs are controlled through buttons rather than dials, which I didn’t like. The buttons will likely wear down faster than the dials that are traditionally found on electronic shooting earmuffs. For $50, I don’t want to pay for something that will wear out quickly, especially when they are used often. However, they are still quality earmuffs, so you should consider purchasing them. If you don’t like them, you can always return them.

4. Walker’s Silencer Electronic Ear Plugs

The Walker’s Silencer Electronic Ear Plugs are not necessarily electronic earmuffs, but they serve the same purpose. At a whopping $125.82, these silicone earplugs that look extremely similar to earbud headphones have a Noise Reduction Rating of 25 decibels. You can easily change the volume of each earplug to block or allow various sounds.

There are 3 different foam tips that come with these earplugs so they fit snugly into your ear. I found that they work best when you squeeze the foam tip as you are putting each earplug into your ear. That way, when they expand again they will create a seal within your ear, which will help block sound.

These earplugs run on No:10 batteries, and 4 are included. A total of 80 hours of use is expected per battery, which is understandable because of how small both the batteries and the earplugs are. They also come with a carrying case that is relatively small, so you don’t have to worry about potentially losing your hearing protection while on the go. The carrying case is about the same size as the electronic earmuffs that are on this list.

I would absolutely use these earplugs when I go on a hunting trip. However, you can hear a lot of wind and ambient noise through these earplugs, even when they are turned on. They are extremely comfortable to wear and are convenient to store and carry with you, even when you don’t have a lot of space for extra gear.

5. Walker’s Razor Slim Electronic Muffs

The Walker’s Razor Slim Electronic Muffs cost $70 and rely on AAA batteries to function. The batteries come included with the electronic earmuffs. They have a Noise Reduction Rating of 23 decibels. The earmuffs have rubber padding to help block out sound and ensure that you can comfortably wear them for hours on end while hunting.

Walkers are considered one of the best brands for shooting electronic earmuffs, so it makes sense that earmuffs made by Walker would be on this list multiple times.

Because these electronic earmuffs are so slim, they are easy to camouflage and pull a hood over. If it suddenly starts raining, you can easily pull your hood over them so you can get back to hunting or shooting without worrying about getting wet or the rain ruining your hearing protection.

6. PROHEAR 016 Ear Protection Safety Earmuffs

The PROHEAR 016 Ear Protection Safety Earmuffs cost $18.65, which is an incredibly low price, especially when you consider that most of the other electronic earmuffs on this list cost over $50. These earmuffs come in black, blue, brown, fruit green, green, orange, and pink. They have a Noise Reduction Rating of 26 decibels, which is higher than most ratings.

They are extremely comfortable to wear for hours on end because of the padded ear covers. If you don’t like them, you can return them within 90 days. If they break, they are also covered under warranty for up to 1 year. However, they likely won’t break within 1 year, as they are relatively durable, even when they are being used frequently.

7. Act Fire Ear and Hearing Protection Earmuffs

The Act Fire Ear and Hearing Protection Earmuffs cost $39.45 and come in 4 different colors: black, matte black, coyote, od, and matte od. They are rated 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon, which is impressive. The batteries that they rely on to function don’t come included, which is unfortunate. They have a Noise Reduction Rating of 23 decibels and have an aux cord that you can use to connect to your communication devices.

These electronic earmuffs are slightly bulkier than others on this list, but they are extremely comfortable to wear because of the padding on the ear covers and headband. However, the dial used to control how much you can hear is tucked into the ear cover. This will likely make it hard for you to adjust the settings while you are actively hunting, especially if you are hiding in a small area or are wearing thick gloves to protect your hands from the cold. Overall, these electronic earmuffs are a good choice, but they are not the best choice.

8. B Bochamtec Praia Electronic Shooting Earmuffs

The B Bochamtec Praia Electronic Shooting Earmuffs are the worst of the best electronic earmuffs. They are so bad that they are currently unavailable on Amazon and hard to find on other online retailers, which means that the exact price isn’t known at this time. You may be able to find them at a physical store, but it is unlikely. However, they have a Noise Reduction Rating of 23 decibels.

When I was testing these electronic earmuffs, I found that they were made extremely cheaply, so they are not worth the price that you will pay, even if it is below $30. It felt like every time I tried to remove the covers so I could change the batteries, they were about to break. I felt the same thing when I went to put them on, especially after I used them a few times. You never want your ear protection to break right before you are going on a hunting trip or planning on going to the shooting range, so you may want to avoid purchasing these electronic earmuffs.

Although these are cheap electronic earmuffs, they have some redeeming qualities. The ear covers themselves are deep and heavily cushioned, so they won’t compress your ears like some of the other previously mentioned models can after you wear them for hours. However, they won’t last very long, especially if you use them frequently.

When you turn on these earmuffs and listen, everything around you, including your own voice, will seem like it is coming from an electronic device rather than your body. It won’t be fun to listen to, so you won’t want to use these earmuffs when trying to hear prey that is in the area while you are hunting.

The ear covers are not connected, which is unfortunate and frustrating. If found it hard to change the settings for both of the ear covers, and you will definitely find it difficult if you are trying to change the settings quickly before you start shooting or when you see prey that is approaching.

In the end, I would not choose to purchase these electronic earmuffs again. I would rather just use them as simple earmuffs, similar to the ones that you can find for under $5 at any convenience store.

Overall, it is important to consider all of your options when you are looking to purchase hearing and ear protection to use while shooting or hunting. When choosing the best options for you, consider your budget and personal preferences before you decide exactly which electronic earmuffs you will purchase. Also, consider how often you go shooting and the other corresponding expenses.

Any of these electronic earmuffs will work as hearing protection, but some will work better than others. They will also likely keep your ears slightly warmer if you are hunting when it is cold outside, which is likely if you choose to go hunting early in the morning. My overall favorite electronic earmuffs are the Howard Leight Impact Sport Electronic Shooting Earmuffs.