When I was asked to review some safety earmuffs a few weeks ago, I jumped at the chance. Previously I had no idea they had existed for children, so I did a quick bit of research before they arrived in the mail. While we were in test mode – which for a three year old is loads of fun – I thought about the different environments the earmuffs could be useful in and what we, as parents, should do to protect our children’s hearing.
We have so much to worry about as parents already – could their hearing be one of the last things we think about? I am one of those guilty of neglect in this respect and although I check his ears every other day, I never really thought about protecting his ears from noise. Even though there are a number of other causes of hearing loss, there are ways to protect ourselves to minimise damage.
Is there really such a product available for kids?
Baby Banz Protective Earmuffs are designed for children aged from 6 months to 10 years and older. As for size, they fit me and I guess I have an average sized adult head! It’s important to note these are not toys but high quality Class 4 rated ear protection that not only look great but protect your young ones from loud noises. They are lightweight and kids love to wear them.
When would you use them?
There are a number of noisy environments that our children are exposed to on a daily basis. Just think
- the buzz of the lawn mower
- the whir of the vacuum cleaner
- the beat of the car stereo
- the boom of passing trucks while out walking
Then there are special events
- fireworks displays
- boat trips
- car races
- concerts
The scenarios are endless really especially in our fast paced modern lives. They are comfortable with their soft cushion cups (once again I tried them for myself)
Did they stand up to our tests and did they work?
From a 3 year old’s point of view, they are fantastic-cool! When they first arrived he tore the package open and asked them to put on straight away. As you can see he was pretty happy with them! While loud noises are minimised he can still easily hear my instructions. How do I know? I asked him to follow instructions while wearing them, and then I tried them myself! They are adjustable to suit all sizes and they are oh so comfy! They would be perfect for when the kids are being noisy. You could ‘borrow’ their ear muffs and sit down with a book.
Are they worth buying?
Absolutely! At twice the price they would still offer great value. They will also donate a portion to The National Foundation for the Deaf, a non-profit, non-government organisation who supports NZers with hearing loss and encourages hearing preservation. When you know a product will be used for a particular number of years it makes sense to buy quality. Kids love them so they will wear them. They come in a range of colours so there is something for everyone.
And they are tough - Elijah being the little mechanic that he is managed to pull off an ear piece but it was really simple to snap it back into place. I have to add that Elijah is incredibly strong - so strong that when I tried to pull them apart I couldn't! And you can be sure they are the highest quality under the Baby Banz brand, who also stock a range of other child safety products. You only have to search Baby Banz on Youtube to see they are a worldwide hit!
'So where can I buy these?' I hear you say...
You can purchase through the Baby Banz website or if you'd like to see the product first there is a list of retailers here so wherever you are in NZ (or the world!) they are readily accessible.
