Walker's Razor Slim Ultra Low Profile Compact Design Adjustable Range Shooting Hunting Hearing Protection Electronic Earmuffs

To start I would like to say that I have paid full price for every piece of digital hearing protection that I possess, and am not receiving anything for this/any review! I have been rather obsessed with finding the best protection over the years because I care about my hearing, will never stop shooting guns, and want to be comfortable while enjoying guns :) . I own every single one of the hearing pro sets that I discuss. If you don't want to/have time to read the whole review, I'm putting my conclusion at the top. Feel free to read the rest to figure out why I answered this way.But here is the quick bottom line:Do not buy a knock off brand. I do not own any of them, but have tried them. Not worth saving a few dollars. Of the more affordable name brands: Walker, 3M, or Howard Leight... The Walkers are by far the best and most comfortable. But if you have a tiny bit more $ to spend, search for the "AKT1 Sport". Are they worth the extra money? Yes, absolutely - buy the AKT1's if you can afford them. If you already own some 3M's, Howard Leight's or Walker's and are looking for a major upgrade without breaking the bank, go for the AKT1's. I have not noticed a difference in sound or comfort (just design) between different Walker models, but I did notice the difference in sound and comfort when I got the AKT1's! Should you just save your money and buy the "Gucci" of ear pro, ComTacs or MSA Sordins? Probably not, but maybe depending on need.The details:In the $50 - $100ish range I own 5 models: Walker's Razor Slim & XCell, Howard Leight's Impact Sport, 3M's Peltor Sport Tacs, and the AKT1 Sport's.The best hearing protection does two things. 1 - it protects your hearing, 2 - it should not be a burden or painful to wear. Walker's, Howard Leight's, and 3M's are not very comfortable for shooting after about an hour, and on my wife (smaller head) they are actually painful to wear for more than about 10 minutes. Each of them also make you sweat because of the material of the cup pads.Howard Leight - I put HL in 5th place because the sound quality is quite "electronic-y", and they are just downright uncomfortable for any period of time. The sound amplification of quiet sounds is quite substantial and impressive at times, however the quality of the sound itself is lacking. I don't need to hear a whisper from across the room if I can't determine whether the whisper came from a robot or a human. (Robots, although friendly looking, are usually evil, so it's important to know the difference)3M's Peltor Sport Tacs - are in 4th place because their price point was a little higher, they are still uncomfortable for long periods of time, and they are also a bit bulky for shooting rifles. The cheek plate on a rifle is almost guaranteed to nudge these muffs and cause your shooting ear to have decreased protection. They still have a bit of an artificial electronic sound, but seem to have the best overall hearing protection in this price range when shooting larger calibers or indoors (as long as you can avoid the cheek plate nudge).Walker's - The XCEL and Razor models are tied with each-other for 3rd and 2nd place. They beat out HL's & 3M's just because they are a bit more comfortable. But they are tied with each-other because they don't really have a noticeable difference in sound quality or protection. I think they are both the same Walker tech, just different designs and price points. They are both a little more comfortable, and noticeably less "electronic-y" sounding than the Howard's or 3M's. The sound amplification of quiet sounds is pretty impressive. But in order to make them comfortable for extended shooting times you'll have to spend $ on upgraded gel pads.The AKT1's - take first place. I found these on Amazon and never heard of them prior to that. But I am very happy to have found them! There are only 2 little negatives: 1- they are still a bit bulky (although light weight) so the cheek plate of a rifle does nudge them, and 2 - the amplification of quiet sounds is not quite as dramatic as the other brands. However they take first place because the fit is incredibly better on the AKT1 than any of the models mentioned previously. This is true for both large and small heads actually. I think this simply because the band seems to have had a lot of thought/development put into it, and the pads on the ear cups are either real leather or really nice fake leather. Unlike the other models listed above, these are comfortable out of the box. You don't have to upgrade the pads because they are super soft and that alone is quite impressive. The sound quality is also remarkable. They may lack in magnitude of amplification, but the microphone & speakers work together to provide the least artificial sounds of any other headset I have worn (including ComTacs and Sordins). It is sometimes hard to tell if they are even turned on when someone is talking to you, because the sound quality is so good it sounds like their real life voice.Lastly the $200-$400 range:Peltor ComTac's and MSA Sordin Supreme Pro-X's are pretty equivalent to eachother - I cannot decide which of these are actually better. I can say that I like the sound quality of the the speakers in the AKT1's better than both of these high dollar headsets. However they both feel more durable than the AKT1's, and the sound dampening tech in the ComTacs and Sordins are noticeably more advanced than any of the lower priced sets. If you can afford the $200-400 price, then go for them. If you need to use coms while wearing ear protection, buy them. They are the only brands that have a substantial amount of radio/mic/helmet mounting accessories readily available - and the only two that I would trust for coms reliability. The major benefit is the platform they provide. Most (if not all) come with the gel padded cups and I would buy a set with the genuine leather band cover if you use the top headband style. I prefer the Sordins, as they just seem to fit my head better than any other brand, and I am a fan of the brand name. I have not tried the newest Sordin model yet though... so I may have to update this. Are they that much better than the cheaper models? For very specific reasons yes... but if you are not actually needing the coms platform, then buy the AKT1's. Yeah, I think the AKT1's are that good!

My Ears Thank Me Every Time I Put These OnI used to be terrible about protecting my hearing. Whether it was loud concerts, power tools in the garage, or even just the sheer volume of my own questionable singing, I figured my ears could handle it. Spoiler alert: they can't, not long-term anyway. I finally realized I needed to get serious about hearing protection, but I didn't want something bulky or uncomfortable that I'd dread wearing. That's where these Walker's Razor Slim Electronic Earmuffs came into my life, and honestly, my ears have sent me thank you notes (if ears could write, which, thankfully, they can't – that would be weird).The first thing that struck me was how not bulky they are. The "Slim" in the name is legit. They have a really low profile compared to other earmuffs I've seen, which makes them comfortable to wear for extended periods, even with safety glasses or hats. The "Battle Brown" color is also pretty sharp, if you care about looking good while protecting your hearing (and who doesn't?).But the real magic is the electronics. The sound amplification is fantastic. I can have a conversation at a normal volume with them on, which is crucial when you're trying to communicate on a job site or at the range. And the moment a loud noise hits – BAM! – the sound-activated compression kicks in instantly (seriously, 0.002-second reaction time is faster than I can even flinch). It mutes the harmful noise down to a safe level while still letting you hear everything else. It's like having a personal sound engineer for your ears, constantly adjusting the volume for safety and clarity.I've used these for everything from woodworking with loud saws to attending shooting events, and they perform flawlessly. They're comfortable enough that I forget I'm wearing them until a loud noise happens, and then I'm just grateful they're doing their job. The audio input jack is a nice bonus too – perfect for listening to music or podcasts while working on quieter tasks, still with the protection ready to go.If you value your hearing (and you absolutely should!), but hate feeling like you're wearing two bricks on your head, these Walker's Razor Slim earmuffs are the answer. They're comfortable, incredibly effective, and the electronic features make them practical for so many different situations. My only regret is not getting them sooner.

Why did you pick this product vs others?:Bought three of these units. Haven't taken them to the Range yet but have tested them and will perform as required keeping my hearing safe. You are able to hear conversations yet this will significantly reduce the high decibels of gun fire. Design:Great low profile DesignComfort:Very Comfortable to WearHearing protection:Protects Hearing From High DecibelsWorks well:Works As ExpectedQuality:Very Good Quality Product, Highly Impressed

Honestly I don't know how I functioned before I got my Walkers. Absolutely love them, one of the best purchases I've ever made as a shooter. The attenuator works brilliants - really good hearing protection but I can pick up people talking super well. I'll be on the pistol range at my range and I can hear people chatting all the way over on the rifle range. Volume is easy to adjust, sound quality is super clear. Well priced, super comfortable.