Where can I buy sound protecting earmuffs for infants in Toronto?

October 6, 2009 3:06 PM

Where can I buy children's ear muffs (for sound protection, not warmth) in Toronto?

A concert-going friend is soon to have a baby, and I would like purchase him and is wife (also a frequent concert-goer) some sound protection for their child (newborn or infant size) similar to these. Looking for a physical shop in Toronto where they can be purchased.

posted by modernnomad to grab bag (5 comments total)

We couldn't find any in Toronto and ended up getting some off of ebay. We spent a fair amount of time looking, but it was several years ago. Good luck.
posted by GuyZero at 3:10 PM on October 6

Though I don't expect they are as prevalent in Canada as they are here (I live within a quick jog of one) - gun ranges and shops carry a fair assortment of sizes, though I wasn't looking for infant sizes. In theory, pawn shops would as well, but I didn't go that route after finding them at the gun range.
posted by tilde at 3:19 PM on October 6

The first thing that occurred to me was in-ear plugs as nothing does (or probably can) work as effectively. Here is a site that explains Noise Protection Ratings (which is consistent with Wikipedia) and asserts that the highest NPR is roughly 34dB. Remember that sound pressure level is on a logarithmic scale with 0dB SPL defined as the threshold of human hearing. Even the best ear protection will allow a person's ears to break if they are sitting front row at a metal concert. If they are intent on bringing an infant they should forgo sitting anywhere close to the PA.

You should be able to find such protection at major retailers; I can't speak to Toronto, but a quick surf gave me a common US retailer which stocks them. I've also picked them up at ordinary pharmacies.

Personally, I'd strongly recommend leaving baby at home. Hearing loss in infants can severely impact language development and its myriad consequences. I wouldn't be surprised if infants were more susceptible to hearing loss than adults but don't know that to be so.
posted by fydfyd at 4:09 PM on October 6

At the risk of not answering the question, I will mention that:

The cilia in the ears, used for hearing, are finite and don't grow back. Hearing loss happens as people get older because more & more of their cilia re dead, & they cannot hear certain frequencies with the clarity they used to. The more cilia a child has die, the less he'll be able to hear in the future.
posted by opossumnus at 7:07 PM on October 6

Opossumnus, I think this gift is a gag rather than a functional present.
posted by zoomorphic at 7:09 PM on October 6