Great product. I bought this for 2 reasons: 1. To reduce noise during air travel. 2. For hearing protection while shooting. It succeeds in both, and is a big improvement over the various solutions I had been using. While flying, I like noise protection to reduce the ambient airplane noise (not to mention the noise of chatty passengers) while I am reading. I fly a lot, but do not like using any type of electronic noise reduction for many reasons, including the restriction on using electronic devices below 10,000 feet. My solution up to this point was an expensive set of Israeli-made SilentEar earplugs that were supposedly really good, but just would not stay put in my ears despite trying several sizes. This product fits my ears *perfectly* and results in a quieter environment, so will be coming with me on all future flights. While shooting, I have been using various brands of ear muff style hearing protection, including ones from Stanley, Beretta and Browning. Besides being bulky, nearby gunfire still sounded LOUD. But with these, the sound is now tolerable, and I don't have to fill up 1/4 of my range bag with big bulky ear muffs. You get 3 sets in this package, which is nice and very good value. The only cautionary note I will add is that in each set I got, the yellow cord connecting the two ears was tied in such a tight knot that I almost could not get it apart. For a moment I actually considered *cutting* the knot, thinking that it was not part of the cord, but quickly realized that doing so would cut the cord between the 2 earpieces. You can untie the little knots - if you have patience. [Update: For some time now, they have come tied with knots that are much easier to untie, unlike the earlier version, thus no longer an issue.] I like them! Sorry, what was that you said??? UPDATE ONE YEAR LATER: It puzzles me why a few people have had such trouble with these and think they don't work. Unlike what a few others have reported, these work really well for me at the range, and in fact when I have tried wearing ear muffs over the top of these I really can't detect any further reduction in sound. For anyone who has had trouble or think they don't work, be sure that you have inserted them properly and completely. As the instructions indicate, you have to pull out on your ear lobe with one hand while inserting them into your ear with the other - you can't just push them in with one hand because they won't go in far enough to fully seal the ear canal. When properly inserted, you *will* notice the difference - a feeling that I can best describe as being "cut off" from the world. If you don't feel that, they are not inserted properly and you will NOT get anywhere close to the level of sound reduction that these can provide. Anyway, these work just great for me, and I am about to order more. UPDATE, several years later: I keep buying more, because I am concerned about my hearing, and these help a lot. If you don't do anything around noise, you won't need these, but most of us do. My latest use, which perhaps negates my original title a bit, is to wear while out on my side-by-side ATV, which is quite noisy. I keep several pairs of these in the vehicle, to wear myself, for my spouse to wear, and for guests. While they greatly suppress the noise of the ATV, my spouse and I actually *can* easily hear each other while wearing these. Seems perfect. I've seen a lot of silly comments by others here, who say that: * They are uncomfortable. True, you won't want to wear them all day. That would be true of any hearing protection. * The state of California says that they are "known to be carcinogenic." Perhaps true if you eat them, but half of the things I have purchased lately have come with such a warning. I live in the real world, not California. * They don't work. Well, they do for most people - especially if you insert them correctly.
