Before anything else, one clarification: this roundup covers electronic earmuffs, the battery-powered hearing defenders built for shooting, hunting and loud work environments. It is not about fleece-lined winter ear muffs, even though those flood the same search results. If you want muffs that let you hear the range officer while a shot is being fired, … Read more
Searching for the best ear muffs means answering two very different questions at once. Are you trying to stop permanent hearing damage from a chainsaw, a rifle shot or an eight-hour shift on a factory floor? Or are you trying to keep your ears warm through January without looking like you just came off a … Read more
Noise-induced hearing loss is the one workplace injury you never notice happening. It builds up shift after shift, and by the time your ears ring at night the damage is done. The best ear plugs for loud work are the ones you will actually keep in your ears for a full eight hours, and after … Read more
The DeWalt DPG82 Concealer is the best overall safety goggle for because it pairs a soft dual-injected rubber seal with ventilation channels and a polycarbonate lens that meets ANSI Z87.1+ standards. It holds up across shop work, grinding, sanding and yard jobs, and it is the pair we reach for first when one goggle has … Read more
Fogged safety glasses are not just uncomfortable, they are a hazard. When you cannot see a flying fragment, a hot spatter or a trip hazard through a hazy lens, the protection is useless, and a worker who cannot see will eventually lift the eyewear off their face. After testing these ten pairs across construction, shop, … Read more
Two words that sound identical mean very different things. The face shield in this guide is a certified piece of personal protective equipment: a clear polycarbonate or PET visor on adjustable headgear that stops sparks, chips, dust, splashes and flying debris from reaching your eyes, nose, mouth and neck. It is not a sunscreen, not … Read more
A grinding face shield is a full-face PPE visor, usually clear anti-fog polycarbonate on an adjustable ratcheting headgear, that protects your whole face from flying sparks, grinding wheel fragments and debris. Our best overall pick is the Honeywell Uvex Bionic S8510: it carries ANSI Z87 and CSA Z94.3 approval, weighs 1.3 pounds, and its 2,784-position … Read more
Falls from elevation remain one of the leading causes of workplace death, and the gear you strap to your body is the last thing standing between a bad step and a catastrophic landing. We spent six weeks putting twelve fall protection harnesses through roofing, carpentry and lift work to separate the ones that stay comfortable … Read more
Roofing has one of the highest fatality rates of any trade, and a full personal fall arrest system is not a comfort item. The single best roofing harness kit in our lineup is the Guardian 00815 Rooftop Safety Kit, a complete bucket system with a 50 ft vertical lifeline, rope grab, reusable tempered anchor, full … Read more
Most falls from height do not kill because the drop is far. They kill because the worker had more room to fall than anyone planned for. A 6 foot shock absorbing lanyard needs roughly 18 feet of clearance below the anchor, and on a steep residential roof, a flat commercial deck, or inside a steel … Read more