Klein Tools 60613 Behind-the-Head Earmuffs

The 60613 behind-the-head earmuffs carry a Noise Reduction Rating of 25 dB, rated under ANSI S3.19-1974. That is a mid-range muff: fine for general power tool work, drilling, sawing, and shop noise where you want protection without shutting out a crew talking to you. If your site hearing conservation program specifies a higher NRR for the exposure, check that number against 25 dB before you standardize on these.

That is the whole point of the behind-the-head design. The band sits at the back of the skull rather than over the crown, so it clears a hard hat brim or a ball cap instead of fighting it. Over-the-head muffs are the ones that conflict with headwear; if your crew is in hard hats all day, this style is the one to buy.

No. The 60613 is not insulated, so treat it strictly as hearing protection and nothing else. It carries no dielectric rating, and the headband contains stainless steel. Do not substitute it for insulated PPE around energized conductors.

The cups pivot 145 degrees so they swing down and rest around the neck when you pull them off, and the headband has silicone rubber on it so it is not digging in while they hang there. It is a hang-on-the-neck design rather than a fold-flat-in-a-pouch design, so plan on them staying on the worker rather than going back in a bag.

The headband arms adjust, so a single part number covers a range of head sizes rather than needing small and large stock. For an MRO or facilities buyer that means one line item, model 60613, for the whole crew. The cups are also labeled inside for left and right so they get seated the right way round, which is where most of the lost attenuation comes from in practice.

It comes down to what else is on the head. Behind-the-head, like the Klein 60613, keeps the crown clear so it works under a hard hat or a cap and lets the muffs pivot down to the neck between tasks. Over-the-head muffs seal the same way but the band competes with headwear, and cap-mounted muffs that clip into hard hat slots only work if your helmets have those accessory slots. If your people are in hard hats and pulling protection on and off all day, the behind-the-head style is the practical choice.

Cups are ABS plastic and the headband is a mix of PC/ABS, stainless steel, glass filled nylon, silicone and POM. That is a jobsite build, not a disposable one. The exposed cushions are foam, so those are the part that wears and gets replaced first in a heavy rotation.

Grey with orange, so they read as PPE at a glance on a walk-through rather than blending into work clothes. Useful if you are the one enforcing hearing protection across a site.