Summer is coming and the neighbours are getting loud

Yes, I have a pair like that too.  Over the ears on a headband, a rechargeable battery.  Your choice whether you pair them with a computer or smartphone or tablet - or not at all.  My pair were £26 from Amazon.  No cable attaches you to the computer as they use Bluetooth.

I find them helpful when out and about too.  Mine have a butten where you can toggle on / off the active noise cancelling technology - so if somebody comes to speak with you - you can hear them properly without having to take the headphones off.

Manufacturer: Runolim

Model: WH301A

Active Noise-Cancelling: Yes

Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/RUNOLIM-Cancelling-Headphones-Bluetooth-Microphone-Black/dp/B0C8SJSL9H/ref=sr_1_5?crid=7FJDO68ZGRWY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UZ2Xf1szol2CUhvgbXB2Aw.1oqHDgdzNiEI--3pLHbLYLoyKB4jA3zETFuA5DM4bOM&dib_tag=se&keywords=B0C8SJSL9H&qid=1743578010&sprefix=b0c8sjsl9h%2Caps%2C1236&sr=8-5&th=1

(They seem to sell about 2,000 pairs a month and circa 6,700 purchasers took the time to write a review averaging out at 4.4 out of 5.

They might not suit the OP, but other people might be interested anyway. 

They don’t need to be connected to anything, they are just capable of playing music or audiobooks if you wanted to.

The noise cancelling part works totally on its own.

For several years before they moved away; I suffered "the neighbours from hell" in real life.  (Neighbours in the same house before and since have been OK - just the one weird Family who were consistently, utterly, unbearable).  In the end I did two things (sounds a bit defeatest - but the options at the time were limited):

1) I tried to learn their habits and adjust mine around their worst offences.  e.g. if I wanted to garden in relative piece - I would do so before they arose, when they tended to be indoors for meal time, when they tended to go grocery shopping, and

2) I got a couple of secondhand garden benches and a small garden table - which were light enough for me to carry around the garden - and I would relocate them, as necessary, to put my house between that day's particular hell-neighbour behaviour.

The funniest thing was - when the hell-neighbours actually moved away - loads of different households in my road then commented on that fact with considerable glee - and it became clear ...I was not the only one who had been really fed up with them on a regular basis - which made me feel a bit better!

TheCatWoman said:

They don't work, they squeak, and I'd probbly be allergic to them, so there you are O&U there's your three reasons

But wait.  There's different types, made of different materials, so maybe you aren't allergic to all the materials - and likely they don't all squeak !   And they are comparatively inexpensive too, so you'd not waste fortunes on these ear defenders that you clearly will never be happy with. 

They don't work, they squeak, and I'd probbly be allergic to them, so there you are O&U there's your three reasons. But you know folks, my head dosen't do up at the back, I do look into things and try and find solutions for myself, it's when I reach the end of what I know that I run into problems and end up with everyone's frustration, anger and sometimes surprise, like when the pain clinic told me I was so resourseful I could teach them stuff.

I think I did say at the begining of this thread that I didn't want advice on ear plugs or defenders, as I've been down this route before and found that I can't find any suitable.

Can't you buy ear plugs anymore?  

Here comes the reason(s) why they aren't suitable in triplicate....   

But would they only work when I was on my pooter and it was switched on, I don't take it outside with me and always switch it off after use.

Ear defenders shutout most noise but i do find they grip quite tightly, not good on hot days. The Screwfix ones are £7.99 could be worth just trying them.

These are the Soundcore ones I use, it states they cut out 90% of noise, I used them on a flight, I was sitting near to an engine, it was like the engine had been turned off.

Very easy to use and no iPhone needed, they would most probably connect to your computer if you wanted to. You can always return them if you don’t like them. They don’t grip as tightly as ear defenders so you shouldn’t sweat under them.

https://amzn.eu/d/6NkwRIX

Do any of these head phones cut out the sound of childrens high pitched screaming and multiple sources of music? I don't have a smart phone so anythng based around them is usuitable.

I dislike the heat too, I get sticky and itchy and often come out in rashes, if it gets really hot, I have problems staying hydrated as I sweat so much, there are times when I can't eat and have trouble swallowing, I once went 5 days without eating anything.

People are so bad at understanding that I can't cope in heat and sunshine, they get really angry, another reason for not socialising, hot for me is anything over 25.C and then sun often feels like a hammer pundig me into the ground.

I am a fan of the 3M Peltor Optime III Headband Ear Defenders - as they are suitable for extreme noise levels (with an attenuation value (SNR) of 35 dB).  They are usually available, delivered for circa £19 to £27.  Often available in black with a bit of red, or hi-viz green with a bit of black.  Many people buy them for work environments - particularly with low frequencies such as mining, airports, engine rooms, printing factories, cement machines or power stations (as low frequencies are my pet hate - they suit me well).

Hi  Catwoman,

I use industrial ear defenders at work, I often forget that I have them on, some of the better ones have an adjustable sound level. Screwfix do a good range or Wickes. No tech involved.

Noise cancelling headphones only need a smartphone if you are planning to play music through them, they still work fine just in noise cancelling mode. I have a cheap pair from Amazon (Soundcore £40-£89), if you want to buy from a shop then Argos do a range. I prefer over ear as I can’t stand things poked in my ears.

Why are the neurotypicals always in some passive aggressive 'making more noise with my lawn mower than you' war? 

Oh nu, you reminded me of 'shed guy' here. I had forgotten about him for a while. Every summer this dude builds a new shed lol 

I relate, I find summer the hardest. For me its mostly that I don't do well with the heat it's probably my worst trigger and then all the bugs flying past my ears and the sun constantly presenting an overexposed world to me. I do relate to the noise though. Where I live in an apartment our communal garden backs onto the gardens of houses like a circle and we have a few houses here that will have smoke pits going, bbq's with music and children playing which usually sets off the dogs too. I usually find that my sleep schedule will invert in summer and I think this is mostly a defence mechanism for coping with all this. I can finally cool down overnight with all the windows open and then I close the curtains when the sun is up. It's hard when you gotta go out and get the groceries in and deal with the spontanous noise and increased flow of people everywhere because the kids are off. Sometimes I try to just isolate myself as much as possible during those six weeks but I don't advise this as a good thing to do. 

The headphone thing - I own some Sony XM4's they are the previous model so you'll likely find these cheaper now I think they are on XM5's and maybe 6 now. It's hard to explain how they work but they can drown out the sound of my hoover whilst wearing them. They have three modes - noise cancelling, ambient sound which is basically white noise and nothing. I find for me if I combine the noise cancellation with playing music i'm golden.

We've got a few reving motor bikes too and mowers and strimmers.

I went to enquire about noise cancelling headphones, Curry's told me they only have ones that work with mobile phones and particularly apple phones, they guy couldn't get his head around me not having a smart phone. I went for an eye test and asked them about ear plugs as they have an audiologist, they only deal with hearing loss and people who want to hear more, not less. So I guess thats them out of th window then

TheCatWoman said:

I don't want something like that, I get to hot when I'm outside and they're to big and bulky for me.

snoozetherapy.co.uk/.../noise-cancelling-ear-plugs

I don't have a smart phone and would be very dubious about getting one and I've heard as many bad things as good about apple, so would be doubly dubious about getting one of those. A smart phone to give me access to noise cancelling headphones seems a bit excessive and £129 is a lot of money, would I be able to cancel the whole contract and return the phone too if the only reason I was purchasing in the first place was for the ear buds?

TheCatWoman said:

So many companies won't allow returns on things that are close to your body, would head or ear phones come into this catagory?

If you wanted to try Loop Earplugs*, then they can be returned within 100 days, even after you've been using them to try them out.

I'm not sure what kind of mobile phone you have, but Apple's noise cancelling AirPods - just for example - can also be tried and returned within 14 days, even though they're also an in-ear product.

The cheapest ones with noise cancellation are currently £129: Apple Online Store  

*Referral link giving a discount on first purchase, excl. discounted bundles. 

I had a look at the link you gave, I don't want something like that, I get to hot when I'm outside and they're to big and bulky for me. It looks like they muffle noise rather than exclude it?

Thanks though.

TheCatWoman said:

I don't have £500 to spend on ear phones

I'm sure most of us don't.  That sounds extortionate.  I was thinking of a fraction of that sum.  

Some cover the whole ear while the bud type fit inside the ear.   The former would normally be returnable if they didn't suit you.  

I have neuralgia so I can't deal with the type that fit inside the ear myself.  They would trigger neuralgia episodes. I'd prefer the whole ear - headphone style type.  They might look more bulky but they wouldn't be costing £500

www.sensorydirect.com/pair-of-ear-defenders