How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want serious hearing protection that actually lowers dangerous decibels at loud events, choose Dr.meter EM100; if you need a wearable headband you can sleep and exercise in while listening to music or audio, choose Perytong 2-Pack. These two products get lumped together in search results, but they do completely different jobs. One is a passive noise-reducing earmuff. The other is a Bluetooth headband with thin speakers built into soft fabric. Picking the wrong one is the fastest way to be disappointed.
• Dr.meter EM100 — biggest strength: Real, certified noise reduction (27.4 dB SNR / 20 dB NRR) with an adjustable, foldable design that fits toddlers through adults.
• Dr.meter EM100 — biggest trade-off: It reduces sound rather than muting it, and it's a single earmuff for protection, not for listening to anything.
• Perytong 2-Pack — biggest strength: You get two soft Bluetooth headbands with ultra-thin speakers, over 14 hours of playback, and a design built for side sleepers.
• Perytong 2-Pack — biggest trade-off: It offers no noise cancellation at all, and the electronics have to be handled carefully around washing.
• Choose Dr.meter EM100 if your priority is protecting ears at monster truck shows, fireworks, races, or for a noise-sensitive or autistic child.
• Choose Perytong 2-Pack if your priority is falling asleep to audio, exercising, or sharing a bed with a snorer without shoving earbuds into your ears.
The Dr.meter EM100 is a hearing protector first and foremost. Its whole reason for existing is the 27.4 dB SNR and 20 dB NRR rating, which tells you it's engineered to knock down harmful volume at genuinely loud places — monster truck rallies, fireworks, concerts, air shows, races. The ABS shells combined with triple-layer sound-dampening foam do the work. Importantly, this is reduction, not silence. Voices still come through, which is exactly what you want with a nervous kid who needs to hear a parent nearby. It's also double-certified to ANSI S3.19-1974 and CE EN 352-1, which matters if you're buying protection and want documented safety standards rather than a vague promise.
Comfort is where Dr.meter clearly thought about real use. Memory foam cores wrapped in PU leather create a breathable seal, and the design is aimed at avoiding itching or pressure marks during long events. The headband adjusts smoothly, so the same pair can move from a toddler to a teenager to an adult. If it feels tight out of the box, the brand suggests stretching it over the packaging box or a size 3 soccer ball for a few hours — a small but genuinely useful tip. And because it folds down to roughly palm size, it disappears into a school bag, handbag, or suitcase without a fight.
Who should buy it? Parents of noise-sensitive kids, families who go to loud events, anyone shopping for a child with autism sensory needs, and adults who want simple ear defenders for studying, shooting, or sleeping. Who should skip it? Anyone who wants to listen to music, take calls, or wear something to bed that plays audio. The EM100 blocks sound — it doesn't produce it. If your goal is entertainment, this is the wrong product entirely.
The Perytong 2-Pack is the opposite kind of product: it's a comfort-and-audio wearable, not a protector. The concept is a Bluetooth headband with built-in lightweight speakers, so you fall asleep to music, meditation, or audiobooks without earbuds pressing into your head. The control module sits in the middle of the forehead rather than on the ears, which is the key design choice for flat and side sleepers — nothing digs in when you roll over. The upgraded ultra-thin speakers are meant to sit flat against your head, and the brand notes you should slide them left or right after putting the headband on so they line up with your ears for better sound.
The fabric is 80% polyester and 20% spandex, so it stretches to fit most head shapes and pulls double duty as a sweat-wicking workout band that keeps hair and sweat out of your eyes while jogging. Battery life is genuinely strong on paper: over 14 hours of playback from roughly 1–2 hours of charging, which covers a full night or a long stretch of exercise. You get two headbands in the pack, plus two pairs of speakers, a USB cable, and a manual — so one can live at home and the other at the office, or one becomes a gift. There's a 2-year warranty listed, and it's positioned as a unisex, one-size product for adults.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for actual hearing protection → Dr.meter EM100. The 27.4 dB SNR / 20 dB NRR rating is the entire point, and Perytong offers nothing comparable.
• Best for falling asleep to audio → Perytong 2-Pack. The forehead-mounted module and ultra-thin speakers are designed for side sleepers specifically.
• Best for loud events with kids → Dr.meter EM100. Fireworks, races, monster jams, and air shows are exactly its stated use cases.
• Best for exercise → Perytong 2-Pack. The spandex-blend band absorbs sweat and dries fast, which the EM100 wasn't built for.
• Best for fitting multiple people → Dr.meter EM100. The adjustable headband spans toddlers to adults, and you can tighten or loosen it as heads change.
• Best for two people at once → Perytong 2-Pack. You get two complete headbands in one purchase, so it naturally covers a couple or a gift situation.
• Best for long battery life → Perytong 2-Pack. Over 14 hours per charge versus a passive product that needs no power at all.
• Best for packing small → Dr.meter EM100. It folds to palm size, so it slips into a bag without taking up room.
One honest note on value: because this page doesn't quote prices, check the current price on Amazon using the button here — the two products sit in very different categories, and what counts as good value depends entirely on whether you need protection or playback.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to one question: are you trying to block sound or listen to it? If you're protecting a child's ears at a monster truck show or fireworks — or you need certified noise reduction — I'd buy the Dr.meter EM100. The 27.4 dB SNR rating, ANSI and CE certification, and toddler-to-adult adjustability make it the clearly purpose-built choice. If you want to drift off to a podcast or run with music in your ears, I'd buy the Perytong 2-Pack for its side-sleeper design, 14-plus hours of playback, and two-band value. Don't buy either expecting it to do the other's job.
FAQ
Not by itself. It has no noise cancellation, so it won't silence a snorer. What it does is let you play your own audio — music, audiobooks, or meditation — comfortably while you lie on your side.
No. It reduces noise rather than muting it. Voices and nearby sounds still come through, which is intentional so kids stay aware of their surroundings.
If you want silence, the EM100 is the protector, though it's an earmuff rather than a sleep mask. If you want to fall asleep to audio, the Perytong 2-Pack is built for that, especially for side sleepers.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.