Honeywell Howard Leight Sync Stereo Earmuffs Review (2026)

Why you should trust this review

I bought these Howard Leight Sync earmuffs myself and used them across six months of mowing and workshop sessions. Honeywell did not provide them. I wanted hearing protection I would actually keep on, because the muffs I tend to abandon are the ones that make the work boring, and the Sync’s pitch is that you can pipe in audio while you protect your ears.

I am not an audiologist, so I am not going to dress up the NRR number with clinical claims. What I can tell you is how well they block real yard and shop noise, what the music actually sounds like through them, and whether they stay comfortable through the kind of long sessions where cheaper muffs start to clamp and ache.

How we evaluated

I wore these for six months during regular yard and workshop work: mowing, trimming, running power tools, and general shop tasks. I plugged my phone into the 3.5mm jack with the included cable and ran music and podcasts through them on most sessions, which is the whole point of the product.

I judged four things in particular: how effectively the 25 dB NRR cut down the noise of a gas mower and shop tools, how the audio sounded through the drivers at the volume needed to hear over that noise, how the over-ear cushions and headband held up for sessions running past four hours, and how the included cable behaved in real use, since a dangling wire is the kind of thing that gets caught and yanked. I also noted the fit and bulk relative to working in tight spaces.

Noise reduction

The 25 dB NRR is the spec that matters, and in practice it is well-matched to the work I do. A gas mower sits around 90 dB, and sustained exposure above 85 dB is where hearing damage starts, so muffs in the 25 to 30 dB range are what you want for that kind of equipment. With the Sync on, the mower drops to a comfortable hum and shop tools lose their edge.

The protection felt consistent and credible across six months. These are not the absolute highest-rated muffs you can buy, and for something extreme like a chainsaw I would want the top of that 25 to 30 dB band, but for the lawn mower and general workshop tools that make up most of my use, 25 dB is genuinely adequate. The seal around the ears is good, and I never felt like noise was leaking in around the cushions.

Audio quality

This is the feature that makes the Sync worth choosing over plain muffs. The integrated 3.5mm jack takes any phone or audio source, and the drivers produce clear enough sound that I can follow a podcast or enjoy music while mowing. It will not match a dedicated pair of headphones, but it does not need to. The point is being able to hear something other than engine drone for an hour of yard work.

Because the muffs block outside noise so well, I can run the audio at a sensible volume and still hear it clearly, which is better for your ears than cranking earbuds under a hat. The frequency range is wide enough that voices come through naturally and music has body. For its intended job, the audio is a real upgrade to the experience, not a gimmick.

Comfort and fit

Comfort is where a lot of earmuffs fall apart, and the Sync holds up well. The over-ear cushions are soft and seal without the vice-like clamping pressure that makes cheaper muffs unbearable after an hour. I have worn them past four hours in a single session without the ache or hot spots I get from stiffer designs, and the padded headband spreads the weight evenly.

The adjustability is good, and the muffs settle into a stable position that does not shift while I move around. The honest downside is bulk. These are full-size earmuffs, so they do not tuck neatly under a hard hat or work well in genuinely tight spaces, and the included cable can tangle if you are reaching and bending a lot. Neither is a dealbreaker for open yard or bench work, but they are worth knowing if your work is cramped.

The Bluetooth question

The single biggest limitation is that there is no Bluetooth. You connect by cable, full stop. For me the cable is a minor annoyance, something to route under a shirt and keep clear of moving tools, but it is the obvious place this product shows its age. If wireless freedom matters to you, a Bluetooth muff is the upgrade, and you will pay more for it. The flip side is that a wired connection never needs charging, never drops, and never dies mid-session, so there is a genuine reliability argument for the cable too.

Who should buy the Howard Leight Sync earmuffs?

Buy them if you want to listen to music or podcasts while protecting your hearing during open yard work or bench tasks, and you are comfortable with a wired connection. They are a strong fit for anyone doing regular mowing, trimming, or workshop work where a gas mower or power tools are the main noise source, and they are comfortable enough for long sessions.

Skip them if you want wireless freedom, where a Bluetooth muff is the better choice, or if you need to fit hearing protection under a hard hat or work in genuinely tight spaces, since these are bulky. And if your loudest tool is something extreme like a chainsaw run all day, look at the higher end of the NRR range for extra margin.

The verdict

After six months, the Howard Leight Sync earmuffs are the pair I keep reaching for because they make protecting my hearing something I actually want to do. The 25 dB NRR handles real yard and shop noise, the built-in audio jack turns dull chores into something tolerable, and the cushions stay comfortable well past the point where cheaper muffs quit. The lack of Bluetooth and the bulk are real limitations, but the wired design is reliable and the comfort is excellent. For anyone who wants hearing protection plus audio without paying for wireless, these are an easy recommendation.