Protecting our ears when we are young is critical to keeping our hearing strong well into the future. I went to many concerts as a child and never wore ear protection. I can specifically remember some events where it was too loud for my young ears to handle. On top of that, I went to many concerts in my young adult years. Between the two, I really wish I had taken more precautions with my hearing.

Remember, once you leave the concert, the damage is done.

There are a ton of articles out there explaining how loud concerts can affect your ears over the short and long term. If you can understand this at a young age you will be way better off.

Science Moment – Here is a great article that will help explain some of the things that happen to your ears after attending concerts. This isn’t to scare you away from concerts, it’s only to help you understand how you should take precautions if you are a heavy concertgoer. Read about hearing loss hear.

Short Term Hearing Loss vs. Long Term Hearing Loss

Noise-induced hearing loss – By definition, this refers to a gradual, cumulative, and preventable decline in auditory function that follows repeated exposure to loud noise. As seen in the article above. This is what you are trying to avoid over the long term. Too much exposure to loud noises will play a toll on your hearing in the future.

As for short-term hearing loss, you probably experienced this at some point in your life. For Example. You leave a loud concert or worked with a loud machine for a period of time. You walk out into a quiet place only to hear the things around you with a muffled sound. This is short-term hearing loss and in most cases, will come back to normal.

Always keep in mind the long term vs. the short term. At the moment, you think you’ll be fine, but you won’t know that potentially for many years after the event you attended.

Children’s Hearing is So Important

Now that we scared you off let’s focus on protecting kids and babies when attending an event with the family. There are many ways to create ear muffs for your kids. You can go with a very inexpensive earplug or can spend the extra money to really protect your child’s hearing.

Some kids may fight you and not want to wear the headphones/earmuffs, however, if you can reason with them enough 🤣 or offer them some kind of toy you shouldn’t have any trouble.

You can test some earplugs at home, but some kids will not like the feel. If you put on a comfortable pair of headphones, you may see their eyes light up and think it’s cool.

A couple of things to think about as well is, do you think your child will want to wear these at home? Be sure to think about other things that can use these for from school work to plain old quiet time. This may be a factor when considering what to purchase.

Top 7 Kids Noise Canceling Headphones - Earmuffs

1. Dr. Meter EM100 Kids Headphones - EarMuffs

Smaller ears will be protected from loud noises and events. Have your child ready the next time ear protection is required. Numerous colors to choose from and very cost-effective.

2. Snug Kids Ear Protection - Sound Proof with NC

There are a variety of uses for these headphones and you have an enormous selection of colors for your child to choose from. Don’t miss out on some great deals on Snug earphones.

3. Alpine Hearing Protection - Adjustable for Older Youth

Not as many color options as the other, but these Alpines can be used at an older age as well. These are very flexible and safe allowing your child some more freedom when out in big crowds.

4.Amazon Basics Noise-Reduction Earmuffs

Are you heading out to see some fireworks or a football game? These headphones will take care of your kids. They are compact and will certainly do the job for a smaller price.

5.PROTEAR Kids Ear Protection Headphones

There are some really fun designs on these when it comes to earmuffs. Your child will absolutely love wearing these. Not to mention the 25 Decibels Noise Reduction Rate.

6. ZOHAN EM030 Earmuff Protection

These are some fancy-looking headphones. There are several different color options as well. Kids will have an easy time adjusting them to fit properly.

7. 3M Kids Hearing Protection

This is one product made in the USA that you can count on. Protect your child when attending loud events like concerts and fireworks. Great for studying as well.

Top 3 Noise Canceling Headphones for Adults

We covered headphones for kids so now, let us protect the adult ears. As we get older our hearing tends to fade. Whenever you have an opportunity to wear headphones, it’s best to put them on. You’ll thank yourself when you are much older and you can still hear well.

We will cover our top three favorites when it comes to noise cancelation. You can wear these at concerts, loud sporting events, working with loud engines, or anything that may mess with your hearing. Let’s not forget, that noise-canceling headphones are amazing on airplanes. Although we are big fans of the full-size noise-canceling headphones, we will add on a pair of NC Earbuds as well.

1. Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series II)

These Bose headphones were the best purchase I ever made in terms of sound. I use these for anything loud and they do the job. If you want to save a few bucks you could go with the wired version.

2. Beats Studio3 Wireless Noise Cancelling

When it comes to music these are the headphones you want. Since being bought by Apple these have certainly gotten an upgrade. The price is right when they are on sale too.

3. Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Premium NC

We don’t have much to say about these other than they are really expensive. With 38k reviews, there is definitely some good protection happening here. 

4. Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds

I won’t say these won’t work in terms of NC, but true NC will need to come from the over the ears. These are pretty cool with a nice price tag as well.  

Working at a Concert or Loud Event

There are tons of NC options for you when working in a loud environment such as a concert hall, stadium, or club. You have to find something that is comfortable for you so it isn’t a hindrance to your job. The last thing you want to do is not be able to perform.

Remember, it’s a job and your employer should help you protect your hearing. You can always ask what are the best methods and if they will reimburse you. More than likely, they will have protection to give you, but finding the one that is most comfortable is important.

Things to Think About

There are ways to conceal earplugs, especially for someone with long hair. Some people don’t want to wear plugs because they don’t look cool. Well, don’t let that bother you. Remember, we are focused on the long-term. You’ll be so much happier when you can still hear at a later stage of life.

We appreciate you checking out our information about protecting your ears at concerts and sporting events. This is just one of our 17 safety tips we go over. Our top picks for noise-canceling headphones may change over time with new technology, but the links on this site should take you to the most updated headphones available.

As for tickets. If you are looking for tickets to an upcoming concert or sporting event be sure to read our SeatGeek review so you know where you should be buying your seats.