Ear Defenders

Ear defenders, also known as earmuff hearing protector, noise canceling earmuffs, or acoustic earmuffs, are earmuffs specially designed to cover wearer's ears to protect them from extreme noises. Typical ear defenders design at quick glance look like headphones. Some manufacturers even combine both functions, headphones and ear defenders, allowing the wearer to listen to a music or to communicate with his work partners while enjoy protection from extreme external noises.

Ear defenders work to block out extreme noises by completely covering the outer ear. Some ear defenders also include electronic components to help the wearer communicate and to block impulsive noises. Common design of modern ear defenders consist of twin cup utilizes metal or hard plastic casing and head-band with soft ear molds to minimize resonance while achieving maximum high and low attenuation. Ear defenders protection capability comes from both accoustic foam that absorbs sound waves by increasing air resistance to reduce the amplitude of the waves, and electrical noise manipulation for the same purpose (if electronic components included in the device).

Classic earmuffs was invented in 1873 by Chester Greenwood, a grammar school dropout from Farmington, Maine. Greenwood invented earmuffs at the age of 15 after he grew frustrated at trying to protect his ears from the bitter cold. He then made two ear-shaped loops from wire and asked his grandmother to sew fur on them.

Greenwood was just eighteen years old when US Patent Office awarded him patent #188,292 for his earmuffs invention on March 13, 1877. The first earmuffs factory then established in West Farmington. Soon after it He expanded the factory to Front Street in downtown Farmington, producing annual output to 30,000, and by 1936 had risen to 400,000 earmuffs a year.

Modern ear defenders for noise cancelling purpose are carefully designed to provides lightweight, comfortable protection for noise levels up to 105 dB with 29 dB hearing reduction. However, some workers who wear glasses may have difficulties to get full noise protection since the glasses's temples may break the seal that the ear defenders cushions make around the ear. For them, wearing earplugs are more suggested as ear defenders alternative.

Other ear defenders alternative device to protect worker’s ears are canal caps, a hearing protection device resemble earplugs on metal band or plastic, which in modern design have jointed bands increasing the ability to properly seal the earplug. The convenience design of canal caps let workers to easily insert the plug tip when extreme noise comes, and leave it hanging around their neck when it’s quiet.