Are you struggling to find the best headphones for NASCAR? Well, you are in the right place: we will provide you with all the essential information to make a good choice between lots of different products for your ear protection.
If you’re an inveterate NASCAR enthusiast, you know too well that NASCAR racecars can get very loud. But, as per OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), your tympanum can endure 90dB sound for eight hours at a stretch.
If you regularly expose your eardrums to more than 90dB of sound for long hours, you become vulnerable to hearing impairment.
A single racecar at NASCAR zooms past the racetrack blasting out a high-decibel 130dB. So you can well imagine the full-on impact of over 40 cars blazing through the racing track on your ears. Assuming that you already have a scanner, you should choose high-quality headphones with a minimum NRR of 20dB if you don’t already own one.
Without further ado, let’s look at our list of six great models of headphones and ear muffs you can safely use during long NASCAR races.
Best Headphones for NASCAR (Comparison Table)
| Image | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 3M WorkTunes Connect + Headphones (Top Pick) | Check Price |
 | Howard Leight by Honeywell Sync Headphones (Close Runner-Up) | Check Price |
 | DeWalt DPG15 Industrial Safety Hearing Muff | Check Price |
 | Koss QZ-99 Noise Reduction Stereophone (Best on a Budget) | Check Price |
 | 3M Peltor X3A Ear Muffs | Check Price |
 | Husqvarna Headband Hearing Protectors | Check Price |
1. 3M WorkTunes Connect + Headphones (Editor’s Choice)
Now let your eyes feast on dynamic NASCAR races without stressing out your ears with the 3M WorkTunes Connect +Headphones. The 3M WorkTunes Connect +AM/FM Hearing Protector with Bluetooth Technology keeps your hearing capability intact while you’re working in a high-decibel environment. At the same time, you can put on these sturdy and versatile headphones while you’re taking pleasure in listening to your favorite numbers on full blast.
This 3M headset is reinforced with self-adjustable ‘Safe Volume Control Technology,’ which guarantees that you listen at a moderate volume level.
On the other hand, Bluetooth compatibility facilitates smooth streaming of audio/visual content from other Bluetooth-enabled devices such as smartphones. And for taking advantage of the ‘Audio Assist’ feature (that indicates the radio channel you’re tuned in), you don’t need to remove your headphones.
The Audio Assist functionality also allows you to preset radio stations or channels you prefer listening to (without removing your headphones, of course). Another practical feature that comes in perfectly handy for you is the headset controls-you can access them directly without remaining tied to a cord. The flexible and vented headband helps promote circulation of air which enables you to wear the earpiece over a hat.
At the same time, the soft ear pads keep your ears comfortable and stress-free.
Features
- Circumaural headphones with Bluetooth and AM/FM hearing shield
- Noise Reduction Rating (NRR): 24dB
- Built-in AM/FM radio
- Built-in microphone
- Padded ear cushions
- Hi-fi speakers
- Inbuilt rechargeable battery
- Audio Assist/Voice Assist
Pros
- Best headphones for NASCAR scanner
- Listen to the NASCAR race broadcast through the AM/FM radio
- Low battery indicator
- Voice prompts make presetting your choice radio channels a breeze
- Radio fans can preset up to50 AM/FM channels
- Across-the-board application: Use them while you’re driving, mowing the lawn, or when working in a noisy setting
Cons
- You may not be able to listen to radio broadcast and scanner simultaneously
- Volume levels are a tad too low
- Somewhat hefty
2. Howard Leight by Honeywell Sync Headphones (Close Runner-Up)
If you’re looking to enjoy your preferred music or live streaming of your favorite audio/visual events, then look no further. The Howard Leight by Honeywell Sync Headphones lets you tune in to your choice FM/AM radio channels while protecting your ears. These Honeywell Sync headphones with a Noise Reduction Rating of 25dB ensure that your eardrums stay protected from deafening noise.
The Howard Leight headset brand manufactured by Honeywell is one of the bestselling NASCAR scanner headsets. At the same time, this over-the-earmuff headset furnishes total all-around protection to your ears whenever you listen to radio transmissions at high volume levels. Additionally, this earmuff set comes in perfectly handy for viewing a live NASCAR event or listening to a NASCAR broadcast.
You surely won’t come across a more versatile earphone than the Sync Earmuff as it comes with a digital FM/AM tuner and main LCD screen while providing failsafe hearing protection. Whereas the AM/FM digital tuning helps dial in the NASCAR broadcast, the AUX input jack transforms the earmuff into a scanner earpiece. Additionally, the NRR 25dB rating means the headphones can help reduce the incredibly high noise levels at NASCAR races (that can coast to 140dB) by 25dB, i.e., 115dB.
The reflective headband, together with the bright yellow/green earcups, ensures that you stay thoroughly visible and distinguishable during the night.
Features
- Over-the-ear high-visibility headphones with AM/FM radio
- 3.5mm headphones jack
- Patented Air Flow Control Technology
- Noise Reduction Rating (NRR): 25dB
- Auto-search LCD
- Volume memory for customizing listening experience
Pros
- Ideal for use in construction, aviation, farming, transportation, lumber, iron and steel, manufacturing, and several other industries
- Snap-in ear cups for easy replacement and maintenance
- Preprogram up to 10 radio stations
- Cushioned headband and lightweight design for comfortable use
- Connectible to multiple devices, including smartphone and MP3 players
Cons
- It could take some time to get used to the recessed controls
- The headband may fit tight, especially if you have a big head and wearing a cap
3. DeWalt DPG15 Industrial Safety Hearing Muff
DeWalt’s DPG15 Industrial Safety Hearing Muff has everything going for it that makes this headset ideal for NASCAR. The DeWalt DPG15 Industrial Safety Hearing Muff with built-in digital FM/AM tuning features foam-filled ear cups for adequate hearing protection. On the other hand, these headphones have been crafted with meticulous care that keeps them lightweight and functional for years.
The DPG15 hearing muff feature ng digital AM/FM radio tuner also comes equipped with an LCD with eight-channel presets. You can pair the hearing hardware with any suitable and companionable audio device or gadget. You can hook up this DeWalt Industrial Safety Hearing Muff with any apparatus that comes with a 3.5mm aux plug.
The thickly padded headband is fully adjustable, allowing you to wear the gadget in a way that keeps you comfortable. The 25dB NRR and Z94.2 Class A technology enable you to keep your hearing capacity intact while working in a deafening setting. In addition, the smoothly adjustable padded headband allows the headset to be fitted firmly on different sizes of heads without sacrificing comfortableness.
Features
- Heavy-duty digital hearing muff
- Made in the US
- Digital AM/FM tuning with LCD
- You can set it up with any audio device via the included 3.5mm jack
- Robust, lightweight construction
Pros
- Eight radio channel presets each for AM and FM
- Soft foam-filled earmuffs keep your ears comfortable during extended listening sessions
- Suitable for use in a variety of industries, including but not limited to aviation, real estate, military, automotive, and manufacturing
- Excellent hearing protection
Cons
- Not loud enough even when set at maximum volume
- Poor receptivity
- The hearing protection functionality is vulnerable to malfunctioning sooner than later
4. Koss QZ-99 Noise Reduction Stereophone (Most Affordable)
The QZ-99 Passive Noise Reduction Stereophone from Koss shuts out your immediate surroundings, letting you immerse in your idealized world. Packed to the hilt with unbeatable and versatile features, this passive noise-reducing over-ear headphone offers good value for money. In addition, you can cut out outside noise and din and lend your ears to what you wish to listen to, thanks to the Pneumalite ™ ear cushions.
On the other hand, the ultra-secure headband incorporated with passive sound isolation technology also helps in filtering out ambient noise. As a result, the Koss QZ-99 earpiece works as a highly effective passive noise-reduction stereophonic system for secluding you from a racket in your immediate environs. Consequently, you’re able to listen to the desired acoustic signals with unprecedented and absolute clarity.
A volume control positioned conveniently on the earmuff facilitates using with metal detectors and NASCAR race scanner for level adjustment. Other practical features include a single-entry 8 feet coiled cord and a stereo/mono switch for extended user convenience.
Features
- Noise-canceling/noise reduction over-ear stereo phone
- Connectivity technology of headphones: wired
- Appropriate for use with NASCAR racing scanners and metal detectors
- Ultra-secure headband and closed ear cushions for doing away with ambient noise
Pros
- Integrated stereo/mono switch makes this stereophone all the more user-friendly
- Dense cushioning on the ear cups and headband for extra comfort and focused listening
- Exceptional sound quality and passive sound isolation
- High-quality construction makes this stereophone highly durable, ensuring long-term performance
Cons
- You can listen to a radio broadcast and scanner simultaneously
- Adjusting the volume level could lead to some degree of static
- Low-quality volume knob
5. 3M Peltor X3A Ear Muffs
Go for the 3M Peltor X3A Ear Muffs if you want to make the most of the state-of-the-art aural technology. The Peltor X3A ear muffs come across as a cutting-edge headset judiciously blending avant-garde technologies associated with protection, design, and comfort. Featuring a newly and innovatively designed spacer, the X3A goes a long way in helping boost noise reduction without requiring a double cup – or larger ear cup.
With an NRR rating of 28d, these earmuffs come in very handy for cutting down riotous and dissonant noise. In addition, the electrically insulated wired headband is reinforced with a dielectric functionality that helps keep ear-splitting sounds and noise. As a result, the Peltor X3A earmuffs guarantee total protection from piercing and deafening noise that is normal and unavoidable in numerous industries.
These industries include heavy engineering, mining, quarrying, steelworks, construction, aviation and aerospace, airports, pharmaceutical, chemical, automotive, woodworking, metallurgy, cement manufacturing, etc. The headband’s metallic parts and components have been layered with a non-conductive material enabling use in a low-voltage environment, thereby minimizing incidences of electrical hazards.
Features
- Over-the-head earmuffs
- NRR: 28dB
Pros
- Forked headband for helping thwart heat build-up
- Excellent noise reduction capacity to shield ears from high-noise exposure
- Ear cups crafted out of hardy ABS plastic can deal with tough settings
Cons
- May not be able to block out the sound of barking dogs, nagging wives, or noisy chatter of office colleagues
6. Husqvarna Headband Hearing Protectors
The Headband Hearing Protectors by Husqvarna – a household name in the chainsaw market – epitomizes the exquisite craftsmanship the manufacturer is known for universally. The Husqvarna headband furnishes complete protection from boisterous shrill noise and ensures a comfortable and customized fit. This comfortable and lightweight headband hearing protector shields you from high-decibel sound and noise given off by airplanes, turbines, factory equipment, and much more.
Heavily padded and highly flexible the Husqvarna hearing protector has been designed with painstaking care for use with mowers, blowers, and trimmers.
Features
- Lightweight, hardy, and resilient
- Made from Spandex
- Flexible and padded headband
Pros
- The headband is pressure adjustable
- Great for use in high-noise environments and while using a blower, lawnmower, or trimmer
Cons
- It doesn’t effectively reduce ambient sound or noise
FAQ: Best Ear Protection During NASCAR Races
There are lots of questions people ask about ear protection on NASCAR races.
- Should NASCAR headphones be noise-canceling (definitely)?
- Do they give you headphones at NASCAR races (nope)?
- Can you rent headsets at NASCAR races (yep)?
- How much are headphones to rent at NASCAR (about $35-100; so it makes sense to be prepared)?
- Do you need headphones for NASCAR (well…let’s take a deeper look below)?
- And so on
Why is NASCAR So Loud?
If you’re the adventurous type, the electrifying atmosphere at a NASCAR race event could give you an adrenaline kick, provided you can tolerate the ear-splitting noise. Why are NASCAR cars so loud?
For a start, race cars participating in NASCAR events do not come equipped with mufflers or silencers. No race car drivers steer clear of mufflers not to make their vehicles sound loud but to boost speed.
How loud are NASCAR cars?
The level of noise at a typical NASCAR race usually varies from 95dB-100dB. This unprecedentedly high noise level is nearly 900 times more than the acceptable or permissible daily noise level for any setting. If you subject your ears to such an abnormally high level of noise regularly, you’re bound to become stone deaf.
How Do Noise Cancelling Headphones Work?
Music races enthusiasts know only too well that a wide variety of ambient sounds and noise impairs headphone acoustics. Putting things in perspective, different sounds in your immediate surroundings obstruct the audio emanating from your headphones. For example, you often put on your headphones after your plane started taxiing on the runway to listen to your choice tracks, only to be drowned out by the bellowing engines.
And this is exactly where noise-canceling or noise-reduction headphones can come to your aid. While looking for a quality headphone pair, you’ll come across two distinct types of headsets or earphones- active and passive. All headphones, irrespective of whether they’re active or passive or regardless of their quality, offer passive noise reduction to some extent. The intrinsic properties of the materials from which the headsets are made help obstruct and keep out high-frequency sound waves.
Headphones exploiting active noise cancellation (ANC) or active noise-reduction technology create a wall for hindering high-frequency sound waves. And for blocking or eliminating lower-frequency sounds, ANC headsets append an additional level of noise reduction. Thus, technically, ANC headphones produce sound waves independently, almost impersonating the natural incoming sound or noise.
Nevertheless, the sound waves emitted by the headset are ‘out of phase’ with the incoming or interfering waves. Both types of sound waves have the same frequency, but one is at its maximum amplitude while the other is at its minimum, so they’re not in phase. Since the opposing or contrasting sound waves are out of phase, they cancel out each other when combined or added.
This phenomenon or principle of sound termed as ‘destructive interference’ is employed effectively by active noise-canceling headphones, enabling the listener to enjoy his or her favorite music.
Is Active Noise Cancelling Better Than Passive?
Passive noise-cancellation or isolation is superior to active noise-cancellation when it comes to the quality and safety of your hearing. Using passive noise cancellation technology, headphones are better at reducing mid-to-high frequencies, whereas ANC headsets excel in erasing lower-frequency waves.
So if you’re someone who works in an environment where the average noise level remains abnormally (airports and scrapyard), choose ANC earphones.
On the other hand, if you’re a music buff looking to muffle the sound of barking dogs or loud workplace gossip, go for passive isolation headphones. The same can be said about NASCAR or other races. We recommend using passive noise cancellation for such events.
Conclusion: Best Noise-Canceling Headphones for Nascar Are…
That you’ll need noise-canceling or noise isolation headphones with good NRR at NASCAR races is a foregone conclusion. However, depending on where you’re positioned and whether you prefer to block out deafening noise while enjoying the ambient sound, you can choose from active or passive noise-canceling headsets.
Also, consider comfortableness before deciding, and bear in mind that NRR headphones provide excellent hearing protection.
Our winner is the 3M headset mentioned above. It’s the best headset you can find for NASCAR radio and scanner broadcasts.