Trend Air/Pro Ear Protection?

[Forrest Forschmiedt]

Have you attached ear muffs to your Trend Air/Pro?

Are the clips on the helmet the same as a typical hard hat or does Trend use a proprietary system of some sort?
I would like to use ear muffs in addition to the foam ear plugs I always use. I would love to hear real experience of what does and does not work with the Air/Pro.

Thanks.

 

[Bill Boehme]

@Forrest Forschmiedt I use the Peltor Optime 105 with behind the neck band when using my 3M Airstream. They should also work just as well with the Trend. They are now 3M/Peltor, but still the same product. They have a NRR 29 rating.

 

[Randy Heinemann]

@Forrest Forschmiedt I never found the ear muffs which came with the Trend Airshield to be sufficient for most machines in the shop. Depending on whether (or how) you collect dust from turning they may be OK for sound suppression because the lathe makes very little noise unlike other woodworking machines. I use Moldex SparkPlugs Earplugs as my preferred method of hearing protection. They reduce ambient noise by 32 decibels, are easy to insert, and comfortable even for longer periods of time. For me, they work the best. Recently I invested in a 3M Veraflo filtration helmet. It was pricey, but is essentially HEPA which the Trend isn't. However, I still use the SparkPlugs rather than buying the muffs that 3M sells for the helmet. These plugs have worked the best for me for at least the last 10 years.

 

[Forrest Forschmiedt]

@Forrest Forschmiedt I never found the ear muffs which came with the Trend Airshield to be sufficient for most machines in the shop. Depending on whether (or how) you collect dust from turning they may be OK for sound suppression because the lathe makes very little noise unlike other woodworking machines. I use Moldex SparkPlugs Earplugs as my preferred method of hearing protection. They reduce ambient noise by 32 decibels, are easy to insert, and comfortable even for longer periods of time. For me, they work the best. Recently I invested in a 3M Veraflo filtration helmet. It was pricey, but is essentially HEPA which the Trend isn't. However, I still use the SparkPlugs rather than buying the muffs that 3M sells for the helmet. These plugs have worked the best for me for at least the last 10 years.

I do use foam earplugs. I can't think of the brand off hand but they are the only brand/style I have found over the years that will seal in my ears. Apparently I have larger than normal ear canals so most don't work. They are comparable in noise reduction to those you mention but I want to wear both earplugs and muffs to reduce sound even further. The dust collection is the big problem for noise.

I have read elsewhere that the ear muffs sold by Trend for the airshield pro are not that great. However, if the mount is common to generic hardhats, other makes should work. I don't have a safety store in my city or close. At some point, when I think about it at the right time, I will take the airshield pro with me when I go to a bigger city that may have a real safety supply store.

 

[Steven Forrest]

The various muffs work well, but I wanted to avoid anything that bulky putting that much pressure on my head/temples for extended periods. I am super happy with my Bose QC earbuds - they have a wire between them so if one falls out I won't lose it. Blue tooth. Super light and comfortable for extended periods. And the noise cancelling is AMAZING. A revelation. I tried some headphones in Best Buy - Apple and Sony were good, but the Bose noise cancelling is just super refined. I got mine discounted from their refurbished store. Well worth it. I still wear some passive muffs when chainsawing, but the Bose unit totally meets my needs in the shop.

 

[Tim Tucker]

These are pricey - but comfortable and have a very advanced electronics package. Active noise cancellation. Bluetooth linked to my phone. Built in FM radio, etc....

ZEKLER 412RDBH Bluetooth Hearing Protection

Comfortable earmuffs with built-in FM stereo radio, level-dependent monitoring function and Bluetooth® wireless technology for connection to telephone and for streaming music. Music streaming pauses and the FM radio is lowered for incoming calls; for safety reasons the monitoring function is...

woodturnerswonders.com

 

[Peter Rowell]

The ear defenders look and feel cheap but work well. Very convenient to pull them down from the side of the helmet and pop them on for saw work.

 

[William Fordham]

I wear earbuds to listen to music while I turn.