Thus, for example, an earplug with an NRR of 31 decibels actually attenuates noise by 12 dB. To get a better idea of the real-world noise reduction, you need to subtract 7 from the NRR and then divide by 2. The NRR, however, is a technical rating rather than a reflection of what you’ll actually experience it doesn’t directly tell you the amount of noise attenuation you’ll have. The greater the attenuation, the quieter the experience you’ll have. The higher the number, the greater the noise attenuation. The earplugs then receive a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) in decibels. Researchers make these measurements using tiny microphones inserted into actual humans’ ears. The American National Standards Institute has established standards for measuring the noise attenuation that hearing-protection devices provide. This process proved to be harder than we expected, since the existing criteria for testing earplugs are very limited in scope. Since earplugs are inexpensive, testing them and finding out for yourself is fairly easy, but regular earplug users may want to consider upgrading to a custom set if it’s within budget.Īfter buying all the contenders, we went about testing. Everyone’s ears are different, though, and it’s impossible for any single off-the-shelf earplug to fit every person. It’s important to note that in order to work, earplugs need a tight seal in your ears. That packaging isn’t as convenient as the small Slim Fit jar, but at about half the price per pair compared with the Mack’s earplugs, these 3M earplugs are a good option to keep on hand for guests. This 3M style also comes only in a big box, about the size of two tissue boxes, and each pair of plugs comes individually wrapped in plastic. In our measurements, the E-A-Rsoft OCS1135 technically didn’t reduce as much noise as the Slim Fit, but if you can’t get an earplug to fit, its noise-reduction capability will be drastically reduced anyway. Among our testers, two who didn’t like the fit of the Mack’s earplugs did like the fit of this 3M style. If the Mack’s Slim Fit earplugs aren’t available, or if you can’t get a solid fit with them (crucial with any earplug), we also recommend 3M’s E-A-Rsoft OCS1135.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |