Our top picks for ear muffs for babies and children...
In choosing an ear muff to recommend for use with children, and especially with babies, we look for smaller ear cups with cushy padding, no sharp edges, padding on the headband, durable construction, a well-operating adjustment mechanism that holds the position you put it in, appropriate NRR rating, and a reasonable price. Ultra Light weight and the ability to fold are plusses that we also recommend, though these are "nice to have" rather than critical features.
No earmuffs were made specifically for babies, however, we have sold thousands of earmuffs to families with children of all ages. The youngest we know of to use earmuffs was 3 weeks old! The smallest ear cups of the choices we recommend are the Silenta Kid ear muffs (Item 1. below.) which we import from Finland.
The top-selling earmuffs for children throughout the world, the Peltor Kid and Junior earmuffs, are also highly recommended for babies and children, and offer a better price (these are made in the USA.) Their only failing is they do not fold.
The other three are about 10% larger than these two and so, although we do not explicitly recommend them for babies, in your judgment as a parent you may find the other products listed here will work for your child. Just be sure, whatever ear muffs you choose, that you look carefully to see that the sealing ring makes contact with your child's head all the way around. Even a small gap will potentially allow a dangerous amount of noise to reach your child's ear.
Finally, we do not recommend that you rely on any type of ear muffs or ear plugs to protect your child's hearing when the noise levels are dangerously high. However, when you are trying to make your child more comfortable in a noisy place by reducing the noise level he or she hears, we highly recommend all of the following products.
- Silenta Kid earmuffs (NRR 22). Silenta Kid earmuffs feature all of our must-have features except for the padded headband and that is a small failing in that the headband is covered in a soft, smooth vinyl that is quite comfortable to the touch. The size of the ear seals is actually about 1/2" smaller than those of the Peltor Kid earmuffs, and so these will fit babies a little better. As a bonus, Silenta Kid earmuffs fold neatly and they are very colorful, with striking green or pink ear cups and matching neon colored headbands. Though a little more expensive than most of the other options, the quality is top-notch. Will fit into the
Bilsom
Ear Muff Belt Bag.
- The Peltor family of kid-friendly earmuffs (NRR 21-22). All of
these are identical in form and function. The only differences are in the
color and markings on the ear cups. Otherwise, these are all identical: Peltor
Kid earmuffs (Pink or Blue with "Peltor Kid" on the ear cups), Peltor/AO Safety Junior
Muffs (Black with "Junior" on the ear cups), and
Peltor Optime 95 (Cream Colored ear cups
with "Peltor Optime 95" on the ear cups). All of these are the exact same
earmuff, but for the colors and markings. These earmuffs are well made and
they feature a padded vinyl covered adjustable headband, and soft earpads. These earmuffs are rated at 21 or 22, with the difference resulting
from slightly different test results in the lab over time. Despite the slight
difference in NRR, these are all identical in form and function. The ear cups
are sized to fit babies through small adults.
-
Pro-Ears Ultra 26 (NRR 26). These are
expensive, but they are the best ear muffs sized small enough for young
children that money can buy today. They feature a
luxuriously padded, adjustable headband, very soft and smooth pro-form leather ear pads, an excellent NRR of 26 (the highest
available in an ear muff that will fit a young child) and they will fold to about 3/4 their unfolded size
(Note: these will not fit into an earmuff bag.) As a plus, these earmuffs are also MRI
safe, and in fact they are the only earmuffs we recommend for babies or children that are MRI
safe. Pro-Ears Ultra 26 ear muffs are available in Pink, Pink Camo, Green Camo,
MAX4 HD Camo, Safety Orange, Military green, or Black, with "Pro-Ears Ultra 26"
printed on
the ear cups. The ear cups are sized to fit children of about 2 or 3 through small adults.
-
Bilsom Leightning L0F (NRR 23). These earmuffs feature a lightly
padded, cloth-covered adjustable headband with a nice smooth kid-friendly
liner, the slimest ear cups in their category, and they fold to a very compact
1/2 their unfolded size. This product also has an excellent NRR of 23. Available in black only with "Leightning
LOF" imprinted on the ear cups. The ear cups are sized to fit children of
about 2 or 3 through small
adults. Will fit into the
Bilsom
Ear Muff Belt Bag.
- AO Safety Shotgunner (NRR 21). These earmuffs feature a non-padded, but very smooth vinyl covered adjustable headband and the ability to fold neatly. These are the least expensive folding earmuffs we recommend for young children. Available in Red, Black and Military Green, the ear cups are sized to fit children of about 2 or 3 through small adults. Will fit into the Bilsom Ear Muff Belt Bag.
