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The Best Eye and Ear Protection: Live To Shoot Another Day
What is the most essential gear in your kit as a shooter?
Is it your firearm? Ammo? An optic?
Well, how can you put rounds on target or be able to do anything else without the use of your eyes if they get injured? And how can you listen to proper range instruction without your ears? You can’t. Although it’s not always convenient to practice proper use of PPE, it is something that should be taken seriously.
I’ve taken hot brass to the face before. Luckily, it didn’t hit my eyes, but can you imagine what 200-degree sharp brass can do to your eye? Or what 170 decibels consistently can do to your hearing?
Be sure to protect both your eyes AND ears
There’s a reason why products are made. People just like you and me have been getting significantly hurt on the range for a long time. And that’s due to not using PPE adequately enough to keep our most precious assets safe.
To remedy this, I will provide you with my options for the best eye and ear protection available on the market. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to provide both budget and premium options to cover all of you shooters out there!
Ear Protection
Walker’s Game Foam Ear Plugs
These are among the most essential items to always have in your range bag. In-ear disposable earplugs are typically what we all start with and can be used in a pinch. They’re cheap, easy to use, and they don’t get in the way.
Sure, you can’t hear much, but that’s the point. Depending on the type of shooting that I’m doing, I’ll put these in under my over-ear protection as well.
And you can find them almost anywhere.
Howard Leight Impact Sport
Howard Leight Impact Sports are almost as common as the orange disposable plugs above. Almost every range I’ve ever visited has some for sale, as do most outdoor sports stores.
These are electronic. Good news? You can still hear when your friends or the range instructor is talking to you.
For the price, Howard Leights are hard to beat. Source
Bad news? Batteries. However, these batteries last a long time, depending on how often you shoot (and whether you remember to turn them off each time). I’ve only had to change the batteries on my Impact Sports once in the entire time I’ve owned them, and I use them every week.
They offer a 22-decibel noise reduction, bringing all sounds to a safe level. The only drawback is that you may consider replacing the ear pads with ones that are more comfortable for extended use.
Isotunes Sport Advance
For those who shoot rifles and dislike when their ear protection gets in the way of a proper cheek weld, electronic earbuds are the way to go. The Isotunes Sport Advance offers a 26-decibel noise reduction rating and lasts for 10 hours on a full charge, meaning your ears won’t fatigue, and neither will your ear pro during extended shooting sessions.
For those who hate when their EarPro gets in the way. Source
They also allow you to take phone calls and listen to music without the loud outside noise interfering. And for those of you who like to color-match your gear, you can order them in OD Green, if that’s your thing!
AXIL XCOR PRO Bluetooth Earbuds
No cords, no problems.
Axil earbuds are one of the most well-known names in the electronic earbud market. They have a superior 29-decibel reduction rating, cutting out more sound than almost any other electronic earbuds on the market.
Match that with the ability to give you damn-near superhuman hearing during normal levels, and you may just be able to hear mice running across the floor. Situational awareness with these is top-tier.
ShellShock Protection EXO Pro
Back to over-the-ear protection, ShellShock’s Protection Pro earmuffs offer an impressive 28-decibel reduction, making them one of the best on the market in terms of keeping your ears safe. Surprisingly, they remain extremely low-profile and weigh in at a light 13.2 ounces.
The convenient LED light allows you to double check you’ve turned your ear pro off.
They feature gel pads and a cheekwell indent for maximum comfort, and come with a sturdy hard case for easy transportation. A Bluetooth model is also available, but these models do the trick without a doubt.
Peltor Tactical 500
Peltor is one of the biggest names in PPE. If you take a look at the helmets of professionals and serious shooters all around, you’ll see that many trust the name when it comes to protecting their most precious senses.
Do you think this guy actually shoots? Source
The Tactical 500 offers 26-decibel noise reduction, and in my opinion, excels at amplifying low sounds and maintaining clarity when talking with friends. Having conversations while other people are shooting is no problem.
Additionally, the battery life is great, but I recommend having extra batteries due to the buttons being easy to press, which could inadvertently turn them on when storing the device. But that would be the same with many other electronic ear protection as well.
Eye Protection
Generic Safety Glasses
Just like the orange earplugs, you can find these just about anywhere, and they are better than nothing. However, they get scratched up and fog quickly, depending on which ones you get. But, if we’re talking about the disposable pack you can find at hardware stores or Amazon, then you can swap them without any problem.
Remember, though, these are far from ballistic-rated rated so you still need to be highly cautious.
3M Securefit Anti-Fog
3M Securefit glasses are popular among competition shooters and those who require protection from gases and debris. The eyebrow portion is covered and keeps objects like hot brass and gases from flying over into your eye.
These hold up surprisingly well. Source
One of my favorite parts of these safety glasses is that they will not fog up on you. I’ve shot in humid Florida weather and cold Washington State weather, neither of which has my glasses fogged up. Nor have they gotten scratched up.
All of this is offered for only a little more than the cost of the cheapest disposable glasses.
Edge Eyewear Rolling Thunder
Now we’re entering the everyday wear category. These are typically expensive, but Edge Eyewear makes ANSI-rated eyewear far cheaper than you’d find with any other company.
You would never guess these could be had for under $100. Source
They too, have an integrated brow bar to keep gases and debris from getting around and into your eyes, and not to mention, they look pretty cool. They look like Oakleys and Gatorz without the hefty pricetag and protect your eyes just as well.
You’ll also find an adjustable nosepiece that adds to the comfort, which makes these a pleasure to wear all day.
ShellShock Eclipse Sunglasses with Adapative Light Technology
While they are more expensive than the Edge Eyewear above, the Eclipse sunglasses from ShellShock still don’t break the bank, but deliver a ton of high-quality features.
If you’re not a fan of FDE, you can get them in black frames as well.
Most notably, the the adapative light technology (photochromic polycarbonate lenses) automatically adjusts the lens tint from clear to dark depending on the lighting environment you’re in. And, not only are the lenses polarized, but are also treated with FogGuard Pro, which is a proprietary anti-fog coating, allowing you to shoot in any weather conditions without concern.
Boasting a Z87.1+ impact rating, you also won’t have to worry about the actual safety side of things. All of this protection comes in a very flexible and lightweight set of glasses.
Gatorz Delta M4
In my opinion, there are no better shooting glasses than Gatorz when you’re outdoors putting in the work. I’ve had multiple pairs, and the quality and durability are second to none. They are a prime example of you get what you pay for, as they do come with a hefty price tag.
The temples are made of metal, which can get pretty hot, but the Delta M4s and a few other variants have ventilation built in.
They get the job done, and look badass at the same time.
If you take a look at various professionals and operators around the world, many of them run Gatorz due to the reasons I mentioned before. They are solid eye protectors that you can also wear casually without screaming, “I might have a gun tucked in my pants”.
Of course, they are ANSI rated and, by the feel of them, can definitely stop a bullet if they had to (don’t go testing that out).
Conclusion
It doesn’t get much more important than your eyes and ears, so spending good money on protecting them is far better than losing an eye or a lifetime of severe tinnitus that can ruin your sleep and make your life miserable.
All of the gear on this list will help protect you. Some will do better than others, but it’s important that you take the necessary steps to practice safe shooting. Now, I wonder when someone will find a way to have nose protection, especially for shooters who shoot suppressed! Maybe one day.
Be good and take care.
