Filtered Industrial Hearing Protection Explained

With thousands of varieties of industrial hearing protection, finding the right options for your employees’ needs is challenging. The hearing protection should be comfortable enough to be worn the entire time employees are exposed to noise, and the need for communication shouldn’t be overlooked when choosing hearing protection for your employees.

When it comes to industrial earplugs, there are three main categories they can fall into: solid, active electronic/shooter’s, and filtered.

Solid hearing protection is one of the most common types of hearing protection: universal fit earplugs are the best-known example. If worn correctly & consistently, these have an average attenuation of up to 40 dB in the high frequencies, and only up to 20 dB in the lower frequencies.

The problem? Most industrial noise is louder in the low & mid frequencies, and speech clarity depends on hearing the higher frequencies. This means your employees will need to remove their hearing protection to communicate with each other, or even to hear important warning signals or alarms.

Learn more about Anadyne’s custom hearing protection options

Electronic hearing protection devices are designed to work best for impulse noise exposure, such as hunting or shooting. When in use, they electronically monitor the ambient noise levels, and reduce the volume before they reach your ears.

The technology isn’t inexpensive, however, making them impractical for many in industrial environments.

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Passive filtered hearing protection devices combine the protection of solid hearing protection with the communication benefits of electronic protection. Your employees are protected from the dangerous levels of noise and able to communicate with each other face to face – without needing to remove their hearing protection.

Similar to turning the volume down, our hearing protection reduces the noise level evenly across all frequencies, allowing employees to communicate with each other safely. Filtered industrial hearing protection is also easy to use and more cost effective than electronic hearing protection – no need to worry about battery life, expensive replacements, and fit issues.

Filtered hearing protection – learn more

Not all filtered hearing protection is created equal. Even when it comes to filtered hearing protection, there are hundreds of choices & varieties. But there are – key factors that make Anadyne’s options unique & more effective than any other filtered hearing protection on the market today.

Most filtered hearing protection attenuate more noise in the higher frequencies, meaning the filtered earplug you paid extra for is blocking noise just like a standard earplug would. However, Anadyne’s communication options attenuate noise evenly across all frequencies. This blocks out the dangerous noise employees are exposed to, while allowing conversation clarity between employees. 

Custom hearing protection needs to last. Employees aren’t always working in a spotlessly clean and dry environment, and you need to be sure their noise filter will continue working regardless of dust & debris.



That’s why our most popular options have IP rated filters to enhance the lifespan of your hearing protection. These filters are rated IP55 or IP54 depending on the attenuation chosen, so you know your employees will remain protected. 

Some filtered hearing protectors don’t have a visible filter. This can lead to questions – is the filter even there? Is it still in a working condition?



Our most popular filters are manufactured for protection and visibility. A large footprint with up to 7 layers in one filter and a color-coded label ensures these durable filters will be obvious if they’re not there.

Finally, our most popular filtered hearing protection is guaranteed for up to 6 years, ensuring your employees are guaranteed protection. Our protectors have a longer lifespan – up to 10 years with fit-testing.

Custom fit & filtered hearing protection is a worthwhile investment for employers who are looking to get more value out of the hearing protection they’re providing to their employees. By wearing their hearing protection more consistently while in noise, employees will be better protected and able to communicate safely with each other.

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