Festool Hearing Protection Increases Safety and Situational Awareness On The Jobsite
As a company, Festool is well known for its high-quality professional tools and equipment, as well as its dedication to safety on the jobsite. Today, we’re looking at the Festool Hearing Protection earbuds that offer competent noise reduction while still allowing you to safely enjoy your favorite tunes.
Festool Hearing Protection Basic Design
The Festool Hearing Protection earbuds are the first of their kind for the company. These in-ear Bluetooth-enabled hearing protectors offer excellent audio quality while also reducing the level of ambient noise heard by the user. Festool includes a useful Conversation Mode and utilizes Electronic Noise Filtration to improve face-to-face communication, mitigate loud sounds, and help prevent hearing loss.
These are a 25 NRR hearing protection and 79 max decibel earbud combination. The max volume is intentionally limited to comply with OSHA hearing protection standards by prohibiting decibel levels over the recommended threshold.
Festool includes seven sets of foam and rubber earpieces to ensure a proper fit. Keep in mind that you can mix and match the left and right earpieces, depending on what’s most comfortable for extended wear.
Compared to some of the cordless earbuds I’ve used in the past, these have an amazing battery life. Festool tells us that you’ll get around 13 hours of continuous runtime, perfect for all-day use. When not in use, the earbuds slide into the compact charging case. An LED indicator inside the case lets you know when it’s time to recharge the base.
Festool Hearing Protection Audio Quality
Overall, the sound quality is pretty good. There’s some room for improvement on the lows, but that’s pretty common when it comes to earbuds. Regardless, both voices come through clearly during calls and the music is crisp and undistorted, even at high volume. I’m a huge Skullcandy fan, but I would have no issue switching to these for everyday use.
The Electronic Noise Filtration is a really handy feature when you’re working around noisy equipment. Internal microphones sense when the ambient noise level is over 79 decibels and temporarily mute any external noise while continuing to play whatever you’re listening to.
Festool also includes what they’re calling “Conversation Mode”. Similar to noise filtration, this mode uses internal mics to amplify surrounding noises to a conversational level, so you can communicate without constantly removing your earbuds. This is a big deal from a safety standpoint because it improves your situational awareness, allowing you to hear warnings and signals.
It’s a little weird at first, but I found the conversation mode incredibly useful. I messed around with it here in our shop, and I was genuinely surprised at how well I could hear low-level noise like footsteps and even the keys jingling on my hip.
Understand that these are designed to detect all ambient noise, so it’s very likely they will pick up on things like wind and will not fully block out all surrounding noise. It’s not overly distracting, but it’s something to be aware of if you’re going to use these daily.
Additional Features
- Includes USB-C charging cord
- Up to 25 additional hours of battery life with a charging case
- Bluetooth 5.2 technology
Festool Hearing Protection Price
The retail price of the Festool Hearing Protection is $180. It comes with earbuds, 7 sets of earpieces, a charging case, a USB-C charging cord, and a 3-year warranty when registered within 30 days of purchase.
The Bottom Line
The Festool Hearing Protection earbuds perform best for folks who work in busy environments where hearing protection and situational awareness are key. The audio quality is excellent for both phone calls and music, plus, the ability to communicate effectively without removing an earbud is a huge benefit over traditional hearing protection.
Specifications
- Model: Festool GHS 25 I
- Power Source: rechargeable
- Charging Port: USB-C
- Max Volume: 79 dB
- Battery Life: 13 hrs.
- Environmental Rating: IP67
- Max Bluetooth Range: 32 ft.
- Noise Reduction: 25 dB
