The Howard Leight R-01523 Leightning L0F Super Slimline Review

The Howard Leight R-01523 Leightning L0F Earmuffs

The Howard Leight R-01523 Leightning L0F Ultra Lightweight NRR 23 Compact Folding Earmuffs are an ultra-light, compact solution for unwanted noise.

Designed to be light on your budget as well as your head, these earmuffs are perfect for drowning out annoyances in your day-to-day life or as a backup pair you can bring to the range.

Packaging

The headsets come secure and neatly folded in a simple clear see-thru blister package.

Weight, Feel and External Features

The Leighting L0Fs feature two ultra slim cups connected by an overhead band. The entire package is designed to fold up easily into a 3.5″ x 3″ x 4″ form that’s easy to fit into a backpack or pouch. The cups are slim enough to cheek a rifle stock easily or even sleep on — many users report that they can barely feel the slim profile of the earmuffs on their pillow.

The L0Fs are very inconspicuous. Wearing them at the office, on the train or while mowing the lawn attracts hardly any attention — it’s difficult to distinguish them from a pair of headphones. Between this and their portability, many users tote them around when they anticipate situations where they might be irked by unwanted noise.

Unlike your other pair of earmuffs (which likely stay in your shooting bag), your L0Fs will go with you everywhere. Taking a train? Slap them on and read a book or get some work done, distraction free.

Want to mow the lawn? You can do it easily with your L0Fs and block out most of the noise. Roommate having a party? You can study, work or even sleep with the L0Fs with no problem at all.

Noise Reduction

A noise reduction rating of 23 means that the L0Fs reduce incoming noise by quite a lot — over 20 decibels in some frequency ranges. While the L0Fs will let a substantial amount of bass rumble through, mid frequencies will be sharply dampened to ignorable levels and highs will be almost completely muted.

Despite their thin profile, the L0Fs deliver quite a lot of sound reduction and will let you sleep through parties, on trains and in the office — if you want.

23 dB is higher than many lower priced electronic earmuffs offer. While the Howard Leight Impact Sports offer a similar compact design (but not quite as compact!) plus active sound amplification to allow you to hear your surroundings, they also offer a few dB less of hearing protection. If your goal is hearing protection in a compact package, the L0F offers a surprisingly high rating with no strings attached.

That said, 23 dB of noise reduction may not be enough for frequent, high caliber indoor shooting. For outdoor shooting it should prove more than adequate, and for occasional indoor shooting you’ll be fine. If you take your magnum or high powered rifle to the range several times a week, however, you may want to look at getting slightly more hearing protection.

The L0Fs are a slim piece of equipment with no electronic additions. This makes them cheap, durable and portable, but it means that they don’t have sound amplification or active noise cancellation.

Sound amplification would allow wearers to hold conversations and react to ambient noise despite the impedance of the L0Fs. Without this feature, using these earmuffs in situations where situational awareness or active vocal communication are necessary is not recommended.

The lack of active noise cancellation further hurts the L0Fs in some situations. In areas with steady noise, active noise cancellation allows your earmuffs to generate sound waves of opposite polarity and sharply reduce the amount of noise you hear. On airplanes, trains or in factories, this feature can make your life much easier.

When shooting, however, it’s not too much of a concern, and the slim design of the L0Fs is no doubt helped by the lack of electronic additions.

Comfort

The L0Fs are extremely lightweight with very low profile cups. They are easy to use with rifle stocks or in situations where the space around your head might be limited. As mentioned previously, some users can sleep on their sides while wearing these. Given their comfort and portability, the L0Fs are perfect for casual, everyday use.

Cost

The L0Fs are about $20 at the time of this writing. This makes them cheaper than every single electronic earmuff set on the market and about as expensive as most non-electronic ones.

Given the convenience, comfort and portability offered by the L0Fs, this price seems very fair. Click here if you would like to purchase the unit now.

Overall

Overall, the Lightning L0F’s are an excellent product — Howard Leight has truly delivered quality hearing protection without breaking a shooter’s budget.

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Pros and Cons of the Howard Leight Leightning L0F

Pros:

– Very Inexpensive

– Great Noise Reduction for the Cost (23 dB)

– Low Profile Ear Cups

– Comfortable and easy to wear

– Because it folds up it stores very easily.

Cons:

– There are no active features

– Noise reduction isn’t adequate for prolonged indoor shooting.

– Cuts outside audio when using mp3 player

Manufacturer’s Specs

– Compact folding design for easy movements

– Designed with sleek ultra-slim ear cups

– Ultra lightweight at 40-ounce

– Padded headband and super soft ear cushions for all day comfort

– Steel wire construction provides high performance and robust durability

Warranty Policy

Below is the Warranty Policy according to Howard Leight.com:

There is a one year guarantee against defects in material and workmanship. The guarantee does not cover damage caused by misuse, abuse or unauthorized modifications.

To obtain guarantee, the guarantee certificate must be properly filled in by the dealer and then sent in together with the faulty product.