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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want serious hearing protection with passive noise isolation built for loud job sites, choose Plugfones Guardian Earplug Headphones; if you need an over-ear gaming headset with a boom mic and surround-style audio for long sessions, choose BENGOO Pro Gaming Headset. These two products are solving completely different problems, which is exactly why the "which is better" question has a clean answer once you know how you'll actually use them.
• Plugfones Guardian — biggest strength: ANSI-certified noise reduction rated at 27–29 dB NRR, with a hybrid earplug-plus-earbud design and both foam and silicone tips included.
• Plugfones Guardian — biggest trade-off: It's a wired 3.5 mm in-ear set with passive isolation only — no active noise cancellation, no microphone listed, and no over-ear cushioning.
• BENGOO Pro Gaming — biggest strength: A 40 mm dynamic driver over-ear build with an omni-directional noise-isolating boom mic, inline volume wheel and one-key mute across a long list of gaming platforms.
• BENGOO Pro Gaming — biggest trade-off: It isolates sound by sealing over your ears rather than by certified hearing protection, and it's a heavier 0.44 kg headset that needs a USB connection.
• Who Plugfones is for: Anyone working in construction, manufacturing, landscaping or warehouses who wants audio and real ear protection at the same time.
• Who BENGOO is for: Gamers on PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox, Switch or mobile who want voice chat, directional game audio and a lit-up headset.
The Guardian is a hybrid: half earplug, half earbud. The whole point of the design is that instead of pumping music over the top of a noisy environment, it plugs your ear canal the way a foam earplug would, then delivers audio through a dynamic driver inside that seal. That's why the noise reduction is measured rather than marketed — the listed ANSI-certified rating is 27–29 dB NRR, and the set is described as OSHA-compliant for noisy workplaces. If you've ever turned your earbuds up to max on a job site and still couldn't hear the podcast, this is the category of product that fixes that.
The practical details back up the industrial framing. The audio jack is double-reinforced, the build is sweat-resistant, and the package includes one pair of foam tips and one pair of silicone tips so you can pick between maximum seal and easier insertion. There's also a waterproof storage case and a cable clip, which matters more than it sounds — a cable that isn't clipped to your shirt gets snagged on scaffolding and ladders all day. Frequency range is a standard 20 Hz–20,000 Hz, the jack is 3.5 mm, and the earbuds themselves weigh about 22.68 g, so there's essentially nothing hanging off your head.
Who should buy it: tradespeople, warehouse and factory staff, landscapers, motorcyclists, and anyone who wants to listen to something while genuinely protecting their hearing. Who should skip it: if you want to take calls and talk to teammates, this isn't the tool — there's no microphone in the listed spec. If you want to mute and unmute with a button on the cable, or if you want over-ear comfort for eight-hour gaming sessions, look elsewhere. And if you need active noise cancellation rather than passive isolation, neither product here offers it.
The BENGOO Pro is a classic wired gaming headset, and the spec sheet reads like one. A 40 mm magnetic neodymium dynamic driver handles the audio, tuned for what the brand calls bass surround — the kind of low-end emphasis that makes explosions and engine rumble feel physical. Impedance is 22 ohm, which is low enough that a controller, laptop or phone headphone output can drive it without a separate amp, and the frequency range matches the standard 20 Hz–20,000 Hz spread.
The features that actually separate it from a pair of plain headphones are the mic and the controls. The omni-directional boom mic is flexible, so you can angle it toward your mouth, and it's built with noise-cancelling pickup so your voice comes through cleanly over game audio. The inline control box gives you a rotary volume wheel and a one-key mic mute — small things, but in a squad game the difference between muting instantly and fumbling through a menu is real. The braided USB cable is 49 inches long and designed to resist tangling, and the earcups carry LED lighting for the gaming look.
Comfort is clearly the design priority on the other side of the equation. It uses protein leather over-ear pads with a memory foam pad, a multi-point headband that adjusts to different head sizes, and a metal frame the brand describes as durable enough for long sessions. The over-ear seal is what produces the passive isolation — it's the "sound isolation" listed in the spec, and it works by covering your ears rather than by inserting anything into them.
Who should buy it: gamers on PS5, PS4, PC, Switch, laptop, tablet or phone who need a mic and want one headset for everything. Note the platform caveat — an old-version Xbox One controller needs an extra Microsoft adapter that isn't included. Who should skip it: anyone who needs certified hearing protection, anyone who wants something pocketable, and anyone who dislikes the weight of a 0.44 kg headset on their head for hours.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for certified hearing protection → Plugfones Guardian Earplug Headphones. The 27–29 dB NRR rating is the whole reason this product exists; the BENGOO has no equivalent certified figure.
• Best for all-day wear in a hot, physical job → Plugfones Guardian. Sweat-resistant build, roughly 22.68 g of earbud weight, and interchangeable foam or silicone tips you can swap to keep the fit clean.
• Best for long gaming or movie sessions at a desk → BENGOO Pro Gaming. Memory foam over-ear pads and an adjustable multi-point headband are designed for extended wear.
• Best for travel and storage → Plugfones Guardian. The set ships with a waterproof case and cable clip, so it lives in a bag without tangling.
• Best for platform flexibility → BENGOO Pro Gaming. PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox (with the old-controller adapter caveat), Switch, PSP, tablet, iPad, phone.
• Best for low-fuss, no-battery listening → Either. Both are wired and both use passive isolation, so neither needs charging.
• Best for motorcycling or riding → Plugfones Guardian. In-ear with a strong seal and a cable clip is the sensible shape for helmet use.
If I had to pick one for myself, I'd buy the Plugfones Guardian Earplug Headphones — but only because my priority is protecting my hearing while I listen, and the 27–29 dB certified rating is a concrete, measurable benefit that the BENGOO simply doesn't claim. I'd recommend the BENGOO Pro Gaming Headset instead to anyone whose real need is talking to teammates while playing, because the boom mic, inline mute and over-ear surround tuning are exactly what that job requires. Neither is a compromise pick; they're just aimed at different rooms. Check the current price on Amazon for whichever one matches your actual use case, since that's the only variable left.
how to noise cancelling headphones work
Most headphones sold as "noise cancelling" fall into two categories: active, which uses microphones and electronics to cancel incoming sound waves, and passive, which simply blocks sound physically. Both products here are passive — the Plugfones Guardian blocks sound through its earplug-style seal, and the BENGOO Pro blocks it by covering your ears with padded over-ear cups.
how to use noise cancelling headphones
For passive isolation, the fit is everything. Insert the Guardian's foam or silicone tips so they seal the ear canal properly, or adjust the BENGOO's headband and earcups so the pads sit flat around your ears. A loose seal leaks noise no matter how good the design is, so take a few seconds to get it right before you start listening.
how to test noise cancelling headphones
Put them on in a steady, noisy environment and listen to how much of that noise disappears before you play any audio. Then play something quiet and check whether you can still hear the background hum. With the Guardian, compare the foam tips against the silicone tips — the seal difference is the whole test. With the BENGOO, press the cups slightly closer to your ears and see if the isolation improves.
are earplug headphones better than over-ear headphones for noise isolation
Not universally — it depends on the kind of isolation you need. For certified protection in a genuinely loud workplace, an earplug-style design like the Guardian with a 27–29 dB NRR rating is the more appropriate tool. For gaming, voice chat and comfort over long sessions, the over-ear BENGOO Pro is the more practical shape, even though its isolation isn't certified.
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