3M Peltor Ultimate 10 Hearing Protector Review

The Peltor 10 Ultimate Earmuffs By 3M

The 3M Peltor Ultimate 10 Hearing Protector is a passive set of hearing protection with a noise reduction rating of 30 dB. It features full sized cups and comfortable foam in order to provide a pleasant wear experience while offering some of the highest noise reduction available on the market.

The 3M Peltor Ultimate 10 Hearing Protector is a passive set of hearing protection with a noise reduction rating of 30 dB. It features full sized cups and comfortable foam in order to provide a pleasant wear experience while offering some of the highest noise reduction available on the market.

Packaging

The earmuffs come nicely folded in secure blister packaging.

Weight, Feel and External Features

The Peltor Ultimate 10 is a simple piece of equipment, designed for sound reduction first and comfort second. It has large ear cups, in terms of height, weight and depth, attached by an overhead band that exerts firm pressure in order to keep them in place.

While the cups are padded and comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time, these aren’t the most comfortable earmuffs on the market. The full sized cups may also prove difficult for rifle shooters or other individuals who want to get their face close to things.

Hearing Protection

The Ultimate 10’s are one of the best sets of hearing protection on the market as far as sound reduction goes. The 30 dB of NRR they offer is one of the highest available. Because the decibel scale is logarithmic, they offer nearly twice as much protection as a set offering 20 dB of noise reduction. This added reduction translates into a noticeable difference in the volume of louder sounds.

That said, Ultimate 10’s reduce incoming noise. They don’t block it out completely. The massive amount by which they reduce noise may bring it down to safe or less distract levels, but they won’t suddenly turn your home or workplace into a serene garden of silence.

If you concentrate and listen, you’ll still be able to hear the muffled remnants of the sounds around you. Bass sounds will penetrate the muffs especially well. Because we feel lower frequencies as much as we hear them, it’s difficult for any set of hearing protection to block them out completely.

Ease Of Use

There are a number of sets of hearing protection available on the market with electronic features, either active noise cancellation or sound amplification. Active noise cancellation allows your hearing protection to block out ambient noise more completely. Sound amplification allows you to hold conversations and react to low-level sounds while still enjoying the benefits of your hearing protection.

The Peltor Ultimate 10’s do not offer either of these features — either one would necessitate drilling holes in the ear cups, lowering the noise reduction rating. Instead, Peltor has chosen to offer a very high amount of noise reduction in a simple, low cost package.

The Ultimate 10’s are comfortable enough to be worn wherever they’re necessary — at an indoor gun range, an airport, or a noisy factory. While some users have some issues with the firm squeeze the cups exert on their head, most agree that it’s much more pleasant than hearing loss.

If you’re looking for a set of hearing protection to use at the office or while your spouse watches television, however, the Ultimate 10’s may not be the most comfortable set of hearing protection that does the job you require. That said, they’re cheap enough that you might not mind purchasing a pair anyway.

Any glasses or other eyewear that uses the ears for support will interfere with wearing the Ultimate 10’s. This usually just translates into reduced comfort from having your hearing protection push your glasses against your head, but some frames that rely on thick or oddly shaped supports may push the Ultimate 10’s out enough to let more sound in and reduce their effectiveness at dampening noise.

Again, the Ultimate 10’s are pretty cheap, but if you have a set of glasses or eye protection you need to wear at the same time you might want to try some on at a local store before buying.

Finally, the full sized cups on the Ultimate 10’s make them difficult to use while shooting. Shouldering a rifle with a large bulb attached to your ear is quite a difficult task. Many shooters prefer specialized hearing protection with compact cups in order to allow the shouldering of rifles.

The lack of noise amplification on the Ultimate 10’s further hinders their use in shooting or hunting: because they reduce all sound, they reduce your situational awareness and ability to communicate with others and ensure your safety.

Price

At the time of this writing the Ultimate 10 goes for about $21 to $31 depending on where you purchase it. This is comparable to its competition in high noise reduction, full sized headsets.

For comparison, sets of hearing protection with similar noise reduction ratings with electronic noise amplification go for about $80. Click here if you would like to purchase the unit now.

Overall

Overall, the Ultimate 10’s are an excellent highly rated ear protector. Not only do you get an impressive noise reduction rating of 30 dB and decent comfort at a price that anyone can afford.

Pros and Cons of the Peltor Tactical Ultimate 10

Pros:

– Lightweight

– Quality hearing protection (19 dB)

– Sound amplification makes hearing easier

– Fits under hard hats, hats, etc

– Separate volume control for each ear

Cons:

– Less hearing protection than other models

– Doesn’t amplify speech well

– Easy to drain battery accidentally

– Difficult to use with rifles, looking up

Consumer Reviews

Click here to read detailed consumer reviews of the Peltor Ultimate 10

Manufacturer’s Specs

– NRR 30 dB

– Maximum high and low frequency attenuation  

– Designed for use with large caliber or magnum rounds  

– Pivoting cups and padded headband  

– Dual-wall design for maximum attenuation 

– Lightweight (11.2 oz.) 

– All day comfort

Warranty Policy

Below is the Warranty Policy according to Peltor.com:

3M™ warrants this product to be free of defects in material and workmanship for a period of one (1) Year from the date of original purchase (the “Warranty Period”). Dated proof of purchase such as a bill of sale is required to establish warranty eligibility.

If the product fails to perform due to a defect in materials or workmanship during the Warranty Period, 3M will repair or, at 3M’s option, replace the merchandise with the same or comparable item at no charge to you for parts or labor.

In the event that the product cannot be repaired and a suitable replacement item is not available, 3M will refund the original purchase price shown on your proof of purchase. All repairs are warranted for 90 days against the same material defect.