Shooting Hearing Protection

Buying Guide

Choosing the Right Shooting Earmuff

Four models, one decision: how much do you need to hear between shots?

Passive muffs block everything, including the range officer. Electronic muffs leave the microphones open so you hear normally, then clamp down the instant a shot breaks. Bluetooth adds streaming and phone calls on top of that. All three of our electronic models suppress in 5 milliseconds — roughly 25× faster than typical earmuffs, and fast enough to catch the shot rather than the ringing after it.

EXO Passive Earmuff — the one that never lets you down

$55 · 28 dB SNR / 23 dB NRR · No batteries

There is nothing to switch on, nothing to run flat, and nothing to fail. Acoustic foam and a gel-cushioned cup form a physical barrier, and that barrier works identically on round one and round nine hundred. At 23 dB NRR it ties our top electronic model for raw protection.

The tradeoff is total: you won't hear the range officer, your shooting partner, or the timer. That's the right trade indoors, where everything is loud anyway and commands come over a PA. It's also why a lot of our customers keep a pair in the bag alongside electronics — for the friend who showed up without ear pro, or for the day the batteries die.

EXO Pro Electronic Earmuff — hear the range, not the shot

$99 · 28 dB SNR / 22 dB NRR · 5 ms attack

Our best seller, and the one most people should buy. Multidirectional microphones amplify ambient sound up to 5× so conversation, movement and range commands come through clearly. The moment sound crosses 82 dB, digital compression closes in 0.005 seconds and reopens before the next word — so you hear the instruction, not the muzzle blast.

Two details matter more than the spec sheet suggests. The PureSeal gel compresses around your glasses temples instead of being propped open by them, which is where most foam pads leak. And the earcup has a cheekweld indent cut into it, so a rifle stock doesn't lever the muff off your head. Three hundred hours on two AAAs.

EXO Pro Elite™ — the upgraded version of our best seller

$119 · 28 dB SNR / 23 dB NRR · 5 ms attack

Same 5 ms suppression and same multidirectional mics as the EXO Pro, with the things owners asked for. Protection moves up to 23 dB NRR without losing clarity. Amplification is cleaner, with noticeably less static — which is what you notice on hour four, not minute one.

The practical upgrades: a 4-hour auto shutoff, so a forgotten switch doesn't cost you a dead battery on the next range day; a glove-friendly battery door you can open without bare hands; and a tighter PureSeal gel fit that seals consistently across more head shapes. Worth the extra $20 if you shoot all day, teach, or shoot in the cold.

EXO Pro Bluetooth Earmuff — protection that stays connected

$145 · 27 dB SNR / 21 dB NRR · Bluetooth 5.4

Everything the electronic models do, plus Bluetooth 5.4 and dual microphones for music, podcasts and phone calls. Shots are still compressed in 5 ms while your audio keeps playing, so a long solo session or a call you can't miss doesn't mean taking your ear pro off. Runs on the same two AAAs as the rest of the line — around 300 hours passive, less once you're streaming.

Protection is a step lower at 21 dB NRR, which is the cost of the electronics and antenna packed into the cup — fine for outdoor pistol and rifle work, less ideal for an indoor bay. Currently sold out on its own, but still available in the Ultimate Eye & Ears Combo.

Still not sure?

Shooting mostly indoors, or want a spare that's always ready — Passive. Outdoor range, a training class, or hunting where you need to hear what's around you — EXO Pro Electronic. On the line all day, running a class, or shooting in gloves — EXO Pro Elite. Want music and calls while you shoot — EXO Pro Bluetooth.