If a cop sees it he’ll probably give you grief. I believe that’s illegal (because you could have music going and be totally oblivious to sounds around you theoretically). I am sure noise canceling buds would work well though. I use my AirPods Pro to mow the grass with and I don’t need any sort of earmuffs or anything to hear the music crystal clear with how good the cancellation is.
For driving, I’ve found using earplugs works well and I don’t think they are illegal since you can still hear the loud important stuff.
Depends on state. Most states have no law either way, some say you can cover one ear but not both. In Texas where myself and the OP are at there is no law either way.
On my CJ5 I used a portable aircraft intercom with headsets for passenger to passenger comms, music, and 2 way radio use. But really the primary use was hearing protection. I spent 13 years of my life working on military aircraft and am currently a firefighter. I try to preserve my hearing as much as I can.
On the YJ I stepped up the game a little bit and I am using SENA TUFF TALK LITEs. This is quite an expensive option though, at around 250 dollar each new. But earmuffs will be better and more effective, though goofier looking than earbuds, lol. These are Bluetooth based intercom headsets that will also Bluetooth to a phone for music and phone calls. This company started out in the motorcycle Bluetooth communicator market and branched out from there. Their noise-canceling mics are some of the best around. This also allows me to connect to a Bluetooth "hub" that I have my 2 way radio (Motorola M1225 Radius) connected to, and I can make radio calls at speed basically hands free.
If you are looking for active noise-canceling, yeah, you're going to have to spend a little bit. There are lots of options on Amazon that are on the lower end of the price spectrum, around the 30 to 50 dollar range. But just like with the foam style ear plugs it may take some effort and a few tries to find a set that works with your specific ear shape. I have a set of Samsung Galaxy ear buds that I got as remans for around 80 dollars. There are other brands like Anker and Raycon that have active noise-canceling buds for around 100 dollars as well.
Another option is Bluetooth style ear muffs that just do sound, such as the 3M Worktunes ear muffs, that round around 50 dollars or so. I've got a set of these for yard work, though any more I typically grab one of the SENAs out of the Jeep, and they sound good and have good NRR rating.
The cheapest option other than foam earplugs is going to be a set of wired earbuds with foam tips on them. These are typically dirt cheap but you may have to go though a few sets to find a set that works well in your ears.
I've got a lot of experience with various options from a few decades of riding motorcycles and using various setups in Miatas, Jeeps, and other open-top style vehicles.
As for legality. Here are the states where it's outright illegal to use headphones when driving.
- Alaska
- California
- Illinois
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Rhode Island
- Virginia
- Washington
And the states where it's not illegal.
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
And states where they have some expceptions such as only covering one ear.
One state -- Arizona -- makes driving with headphones illegal only for school bus drivers and people who transport children for licensed child-care facilities, according to AAA.
Other states make it illegal to drive with headphones in general -- but provide exceptions, such as:
- Using headphones or earpieces to take a phone call in one ear: This is allowed in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
- Headphones or earbuds in one ear: In New York and Ohio, drivers can use headphones in one ear, regardless of whether they're making a phone call.
- Headphones for navigational help: In Massachusetts, it is legal to use headphones while driving if the driver is only listening to a GPS.
As for safety. None of these options completely block out the outside world. They're most effective in certain frequencies and less effective in others. I've ridden an almost literal million miles on motorcycle wearing ear plugs or buds. Plus who knows how many miles in open top vehicles using either plugs, buds or muff style hearing protection. You can still hear traffic, you can still hear sirens and horns and every other thing in the world around you. But it's reduced. To me, it's many times a safer option, especially on longer drives. If you've never operated with hearing protection for long periods, there is a marked difference in your fatigue levels when you aren't being blasted with hearing unsafe levels of noise for long periods of time.