The Safariland HP Liberator 2.0 has revolutionized the hearing protection market. Safariland’s innovative approach with the Liberator HP 2.0 has resulted in a product that not only dominates the market but also serves the unique needs of soldiers, police officers, and even the average Joes like me, who are seeking the best experience out there.
Your profession demands the best, and the Liberators are designed to meet those demands.
What Makes the Liberators So Good?
The Liberator HP 2.0 is the best choice for ear protection on the market. In this article, I’m going to provide five reasons why I use the Liberators, but I plan to explain the why behind each reason.
I want you to walk away with a better understanding of the modern demands of hearing protection and how the Liberators check those boxes.
1. Unbeatable Hearing Protection
The official noise reduction rating of the Safariland Liberator HP 2.0 is 26 decibels (dB). This means it trims 26dB off the top of a loud noise.
Gunshots vary in noise levels, but 140 dBs is the agreed-upon average. The Safariland Liberators 2.0 removes 26dB from that 140. That reduces it to 114dB, which is basically the sound level of an ice cream truck.
From a practical perspective, I can go to an indoor rifle range, fire an SBR with a muzzle brake, and still not have my bell rung. In fact, at a media event, I was tasked with doing just that and walked away without a hint of tinnitus hunting me.
The Liberators’ over-the-ear design benefits us greatly. This ensures better sound reduction and prevents accidental exposure. Ear plugs can slip out, but ear muffs don’t have that problem. With the Liberator HP 2.0, I can live a long life of shooting while preserving my hearing.
2. Electronic Design and Modes
You might say that lots of ear protection provides an electronic component. That’s true, and it’s good to see. Electronic hearing protection is the future. Electronic hearing protection can reduce dangerous noises while preserving your situational awareness. If you train, then electronic ear protection is a must-have because you can hear your instructor.
The difference is that the Safariland Liberators HP 2.0 offers multiple modes and unbeatable clarity. Let’s talk about the modes first.
Enhanced
This mode blocks dangerous noise and enhances nearby speech and audio. In my experience, this is perfect for most users and works great for firearm classes.
Move
Move mode blocks all external noise. This active noise-canceling mode is perfect when everything is noisy all the time. If you’ve ever ridden in a helicopter or armored vehicle, you know how valuable this is. For the average Joe, it’s perfect for the indoor rifle range.
Clarity
With clarity mode, all external noise is blocked, but very near speech and audio can be heard. This is perfect for maintaining conversation in mostly loud environments. It only works for people and noises that are close to you.
Let’s talk about sound clarity. I recently attended a class with War Hogg Tactical on pistol red dot fundamentals. I use Liberator HP 2.0s all day. At one point, we weren’t shooting; instead, we were just receiving instruction. I took notes and looked around, but I quickly realized I was the only one still wearing ear protection.
In fact, I had forgotten I was wearing them as Rick Hogg relayed a portion of the instruction. The noise was so clear it lacked that typical static sound that most electronic ear muffs provide.
3. A Modular Design
Out of the box, the Liberators 2.0 cling to your head and provide your typical ear muff design. This is how I will use my Liberators, but you may have different demands. You may have to wear a helmet. That’s standard equipment for soldiers, becoming prevalent among police officers. Strapping on muffs under a helmet isn’t easy. Luckily, Safariland designed the Liberator HP 2.0 to be capable of mounting under a helmet.
There are two options here. First, the helmet suspension mount allows you to attach the muffs to the helmet and keep them there. A second option is the head mount. This is a lower-profile system that easily fits under a helmet. With the head mount, you can remove the helmet but keep the ear pro.
Finally, if you decide you want comms capability, Safariland can convert your headset to single or dual comms.
4. Battery Flexible
Have you ever been deep into a range trip, on patrol, or anywhere else and found your batteries dying? The Liberators can last anywhere from 160 to 300 hours, so it’s easy to forget to swap batteries once that long life spoils you.
If your batteries die with the Liberators 2.0, you have multiple options to replace them.
The Liberators can work with two AAs or a single CR123A. If you find yourself in the middle of something where you can’t stop and run to the store for batteries, it’s good to have options. Using multiple batteries also makes it easier to service your good logistically. Most of my gear uses CR123s, so my Liberators match my flashlight, my rifle light, and more.
If rechargeable batteries are more your game, you can opt for the LIB HP-R, which includes:
- Rechargeable battery using standard USB-C
- Up to 80 hours of operation
- Quick charge capabilities
- No need to ever purchase or replace batteries
5. Pure Comfort
Finally, let’s get to my favorite reason to love the Liberator HP 2.0s. They are comfortable. The soft gel cups create an excellent cushion around my head and provide a ton of comfort.
These things remain comfortable through long days of wear. Remember how I forgot I was wearing them? That’s because they are so comfy.
I trained for over eight hours in the heat of Florida in June and never felt any pain or discomfort from wearing the Liberator HP 2.0s. I’m cursed with an above-average-sized head, and a lot of ear protection can get uncomfortable for me. It starts to dig in and pry into my head, but that wasn’t an issue with the Liberators 2.0.
The muffs are very lightweight. For day-to-day use at the range, it’s nice, but for guys shooting with helmets, the less weight you have, the better. A little bit of weight goes a long way when it comes to helmet wear, and the Liberators keep things light.
Get Liberated
Safariland has knocked hearing protection out of the park with the Liberator HP 2.0. They provide a set of ear muffs that offer excellent clarity, great protection, and a modular design that even finds a way to be comfortable.
You can’t ask much more from your hearing protection. Check them out now, just in time for them to protect your ears from the fireworks of the 4th of July.
