It isn’t a birthday cake without candles and it isn’t a Christmas tree without a big fat shining star. Much the same, it isn’t a Christmas haul without that one big hitter gift, the enormous box that takes pride of place around the stocking stuffers, chocolates, and replacement pairs of underwear. In this guide, we’re going to look at some pride of place gifts that can really make someone’s present haul.
What for? Bluetooth earmuff with hearing protection and clear calls and sound.
$99.95
We get a lot of emails from people looking for a great pair of industrial earmuffs that will also play music and handle calls clearly, no matter where they are. Finally, we have an easy answer. The first ever bluetooth earmuff from ISOTunes, the LINK combines the clarity of their bluetooth earphone with the protection and security of a set of earmuffs.
Rated to 24 NRR, they’re going to block out the equivalent number of decibels, with a SafeMax™ volume limiting technology that prevents any sounds over 85dB -- ensuring you’re protecting your ears inside and out. The combination of an earmuff’s airtight seal and noise protection makes it far easier to hear your music clearly and without interruption, with calls coming through crystal clear even in loud atmospheres thanks to a noise isolating microphone. The unit is controlled by buttons on the earmuff, allowing you to control volume, calls, and cycling through tracks without having to touch your phone.
They’ll run for 14 hours on their rechargeable lithium-ion battery, but you can also optionally insert three AAA batteries to get over 28 hours of run time (!!!). The IPX4 rating keeps them sweat and water resistant so you can listen in even the most intensive industrial environments. Each unit comes attached with memory foam ear cushions, ensuring comfort over long working days.
What for? General use ear plug, working from home, heavy sound blocking.
$99.95
Flare’s ear plugs block more sound than almost all ear plugs -- the secret? The dense metal core, the composition of which enables a wider and deeper array of frequencies to be blocked. The Isolate2 Pro represents their newest and most powerful ear plug solution, blocking around 32 decibels of sound with a new ergonomic design, a wider variety of sizing tips, and the densest titanium core ever seen in a Flare plug.
The new shape of the Isolate2 Pro involves a flared base, allowing you to better curve the plug into blocking the ear canal. In contrast to previous Flare releases, the Isolate2 Pro comes with four memory foam tips: XS, S, M, L, ensuring a greater diversity of fit for all ear sizes. They’re a supremely versatile plug, appropriate for motorcycling, using power tools, working from home, and just cutting out the noise from the external world. Say goodbye to screaming teens, neighbourhood lawnmowers, and the train tracks outside your bedroom.
3M™ Peltor™ SportTac Shooting Model Folding Headset
What for? Best in class shooter’s earmuff with ambient sound amplification and level dependent function.
$319.99
For the big game hunter in your life, any hobbyist hunter or sports shooter would be thrilled to receive a set of the 3M™ Peltor™ SportTac, a top of the range electronic shooting earmuff with a smooth level dependent function and high level amplification.
For low ambient noises, such as footsteps and conversation, the SportTac will amplify noise up to 15dB, making you hyperaware of your surroundings for safety and superior communication in the field. Angled speakers enable superior direction perception, while an included input jack can allow you to connect select 2-way radios or electronic audio devices for integrated comms. For loud noises like gunfire, the level dependent function will smoothly cap noise at safe levels, protecting your ears without causing the abrupt audio shutoffs we associate with cheaper electronic muffs.
The SportTac is collapsible, making it space efficient particularly for travel, with an automatic shut off function to preserve battery life. Off a single set of AAA batteries, you get 600 (!) hours (!!) of functionality: they’ll hunt longer than you do! It’s a slim set, enabling free movement of the head and neck, while the interchangeable shells make it easy to differentiate yourself in a group.
QuietOn Electronic Noise Cancelling Sleep Earbuds
What for? Noise cancelling sleep earbud filters out noise for a deeper night’s sleep.
$247.99
What do you get for the light sleeper who has tried everything? An electronic noise cancelling solution designed to banish snores permanently. Unique for a sleeping earbud, the QuietOn works through ‘active noise cancellation’. A tiny microphone samples noise around the wearer and plays a sound designed specifically to cancel it out, replacing snores and rattling windows with a smooth texture perfect for sleep.
It’s ultra portable, with a charging case that extends the life of the unit no matter where you happen to be. The QuietOn provides about 20 hours of use on a single charge, good for a few days of sleep in a row. With three sets of eartips included in each set (sized S, M, L) you’re guaranteed to find a fit that works for you. Switches on each bud alternate between ‘silencing’ and ‘hearing’ mode. While silencing mode filters out noise, hearing mode selectively amplifies it, allowing you to hear conversations or noises in your home without having to remove the buds.
Plugfones Liberate 2.0 Bluetooth Ear Plug Headphones
What for? Noise cancelling earphones if you still want to wear your earmuffs over the top.
$156.99
A good pair of bluetooth earphones are useless on site if they aren’t able to provide enough sound protection to keep your ears safe (and your tunes audible). The Plugfones Liberate 2.0 is a sweatproof, hardy unit designed for listening while you sculpt, scaffold, and go on smoko.
The unit includes a noise-reducing inline microphone for voice calls, which helps to suppress external noise to enable clearer phone calls while you work. The water resistant USB charge connector avoids any simple malfunctions, while the Bluetooth 4.1 antenna connects comfortably to your phone or music device even from across the room. Controlled by the buttons on the neckstrap, you’re able to adjust volume, cycle through songs, or answer calls without having to touch your phone -- great for when your hands are dirty or your phone is out of reach.
Music and calls both come through clearly, the noise reducing eartips serving to insulate your ears and course music through to you cleanly. Each set comes with both foam (NRR 29dB) and silicone (NRR 27 dB) ear plugs and, depending on the size of your earmuffs, they’ll fit comfortably beneath a muff or hardhat for added protection. You get up to eight hours of playback on a single charge, getting you through a shift with ease, and it can be charged with any USB power source.
Marpac DOHM DS White Noise Machine AU 240V
What for? The original white noise machine generates clean and crisp fan noise with no loops or digital distortion.
$117.99
The best white noise machines provide a clean and crisp sound without loops or crackling distortion. It’s this kind of clean white noise that best soothes you to sleep, preventing the jolts and disruptions that can disrupt sleep. The Marpac Dohm is the original and best, an acoustic and analogue white noise solution that relies on no digital generation or pre-recorded loops. An acoustic housing stores a two-speed electric motor, which can be controlled in terms of tone and volume, allowing you customise a sound which will then be produced locally and mechanically.
Coming in four separate colours: white, tan, black (glossy), and charcoal (matte), the Dohm is an appropriate solution for any environment. It’s workable in a domestic setting (bedrooms, living rooms, working from home suites), but can also be utilised in cafes, libraries, or yoga studios. The fan noise provides a meditative atmosphere conducive to work and contemplation and allows you to drown out disruption from the outside.
3M™ PELTOR™ COMTAC™ XPI HEADSET
What for? If money is literally no object to you and you are fine with waiting till Xmas 2021.
$1643.99
I’m going to be completely honest with you, this takes 60 working days to be made. It’s literally built to order. If you buy this, many artisan hands are going to work on it in sequence, bringing some of the most powerful hearing protection constructed by human intelligence into your rich, rich hands. You had better be using the small business write-off for these, they’re a true big hitter Christmas gift (and, as we mentioned, they’re made to order - 60 business days!) They have every feature you could imagine a pair of industrial electronic earmuffs could have. They have features you don’t even know exist. A true connoisseur’s earmuff.
Earjobs-In-Brief (We know you’re busy)
- Flare Isolate2 Pro: Densest metal core for an ear plug provides highest level sound protection with a new ergonomic design for extra comfort. $99.95.
- 3M™ Peltor™ SportTac Shooting Model Folding Headset: Best in class shooter’s earmuff provides the best amplification and compression along with a variety of safety and efficiency optimisations. $319.99
- QuietOn Electronic Noise Cancelling Sleep Earbuds : Active noise cancellation earbuds filter surrounding sounds to enable restful sleep. $247.99
- Plugfones Liberate 2.0 Bluetooth Ear Plug Headphones: Bluetooth industrial earphones protect your ears and fit under a hardhat for play while you work. $156.99
- Marpac DOHM DS White Noise Machine AU 240V: The original dual speed motor generates classic fan noise for meditation, sleep, or noise suppression. $117.99
- 3M™ PELTOR™ COMTAC™ XPI HEADSET: You get what you pay for. $1643.99