Free shipping in the U.S. — Click here for details .
Sign in Join now
Lightspeed AviationLightspeed AviationLightspeed AviationLightspeed Aviation
    0
  •   was successfully added to your cart.
  • Shop
    • All Products
    • Headsets
    • ANR for Helmets
    • Flight Bags
    • Accessories
    • Survival
    • Lightspeed App
    • FlightLink App
    • Authorized Dealers
    • Trade Up Program
  • About
    • About Lightspeed
    • Programs
    • Delta Zulu Saves Lives
    • Awards and Accolades
    • Patents
    • Lightspeed Foundation
    • Careers
    • Associations
  • Community
    • All Posts
    • Blog Posts
    • Events
    • News
    • Sponsorships
  • Support
    • Customer Support
    • Repair Request
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Shipping and Return Policies
    • PFX Firmware Update – PC
    • PFX Firmware Update – Mac
  • Contact
    • Contact Lightspeed
    • Authorized Dealers
    • Donation Requests
    • Media Kit
Sign in / Create Account

Why don’t my soft goods last longer?

    Home Blog Posts Why don’t my soft goods last longer?
    NextPrevious

    Why don’t my soft goods last longer?

    By Lightspeed Aviation | Blog Posts | 0 comment | 15 March, 2023 | 8

    We sometimes get asked by customers why their ear seals or head pads are wearing out. Some may believe that this part of their premium headset should last forever and not show any signs of deterioration. Well hopefully, this explanation may help you better understand why your soft goods don’t last forever.

    Soft goods are replaceable accessories that enhance the flying experience. Some of those accessories include Lightspeed’s performance ear seals for the Zulu series, Sierra, Tango and PFX. Other accessories that are soft goods include head pads that snap on and off under the headband to provide stability and comfort, and microphone wind screens.

    Let’s start with the ear seals and head pads. They are constructed of conformal foam and covered in polyurethane leatherette. After time and general use, they will flake or show signs of normal wear and tear. This is normal. Sweat, heat, cold, humidity, age and extent of use are all elements that add to the shelf life of these soft goods.

    Much like when you buy a car, you invest your research and hard-earned money to buying what fits your budget, the same as you will with a premium ANR headset. However, if your windshield wipers need replacing, you expect that this is just part of owning a car and go through the annual to 18 months replacement routine. You’re buying your preferred car, or your headset knowing that to keep optimal performance of the car or headset, parts will need to be replaced or updated over time.

    The durometer of the foam inside the performance ear seal has been carefully engineered as part of the total ANR system. As it breaks down over time, the performance of the headset will degrade, even if slightly, over time. This is why Lightspeed (and other premium headset manufacturers) recommend replacing them every 12 -18 months. Even if they don’t “look” bad, they may not be providing the same level of ANR they did when new.

    Finally, there are design tradeoffs. Lightspeed chooses comfort over “indestructible”. Ear seal material that might last much longer is available but is not anywhere near as comfortable as our current design. And in our own flying, and with the multitude of pilots we meet, comfort is the #1 criteria in choosing a premium headset.

    Keeping your soft goods such as the ear seals, head pads and mic muffs, or windscreens in pristine condition maintains the comfort and safety these items provide to your flying experience as well as keeps your headsets hygienic for you and your passengers. Lightspeed offers a discount on these types of accessories and more to members of the Wingman Club. You can find out more about the program at https://www.lightspeedaviation.com/programs/lightspeed-wingman-club .

    ANR, Delta Zulu, Ear Seals, head pads, mic muffs, Sierra, soft goods, Tango, wingman club, Zulu, Zulu 3

    Lightspeed Aviation

    Lightspeed Aviation is a leading manufacturer of premium aviation headsets and helmet products. Since the first product was introduced in 1996 at AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI., the company has established a reputation for leading innovation in the aviation headset marketplace with a number of “first to market” advances, technologies, and features. In 2022, the company launched a new category of aviation products called “Safety Wearables”. Layering life-saving technologies on top of their award-winning audio and ANR platform, Lightspeed ushered in a new era of aviation safety. With this, the company continues to live its mission of “creating products that protect and save lives”. Additionally, Lightspeed is a passionate supporter of initiatives to encourage the next generation of pilots through its support of programs like Young Eagles and Ray Scholars. The company is proud to have participated in helping countless young people experience everything from a discovery flight to getting a Pilot Certificate.

    More posts by Lightspeed Aviation

    Related Posts

    • Critical Comms: The Importance of Clear Hearing in Aviation

      By Lightspeed Aviation | 0 comment

      Lightspeed is on a mission to create products that protect and saves lives. One of those products is the latest eBook, “Critical Comms: The Importance of Clear Hearing in Aviation”. This free eBook starts inRead more

    • Pilot’s Missions are a Chance to Give Back

      By Lightspeed Aviation | 0 comment

      Angel Flight West, founded by a group of pilots in 1983, connects pilots willing to donate flights with people who need to travel for healthcare or other critical needs and for whom commercial flights areRead more

    • Why can’t my legacy Lightspeed headset be repaired?

      By Lightspeed Aviation | 0 comment

      We are sometimes asked by our customers why we don’t repair some of our legacy headsets, such as the Original Zulu, Thirty 3G, XL, K and QFR series or the Mach 1 for example. SomeRead more

    • Flying as an Act of Faith

      By Lightspeed Aviation | 0 comment

      The pilots of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) dedicate years of their lives to “bring help, hope, and healing to the ends of the earth.” Founded just after World War II, this non-denominational Christian humanitarian aidRead more

    • Why did Lightspeed choose the UAC?

      By Lightspeed Aviation | 0 comment

      Lightspeed’s new Delta Zulu is the first premium aviation ANR headset on the market to use UAC connection technology. Now, you’re probably wondering “What the heck is UAC and why does it matter?” If so,Read more

    Leave a Comment

    Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    NextPrevious

    Recent Posts

    • Critical Comms: The Importance of Clear Hearing in Aviation
    • Why don’t my soft goods last longer?
    • Pilot’s Missions are a Chance to Give Back
    • Why can’t my legacy Lightspeed headset be repaired?
    • Flying as an Act of Faith

    Join Our Newsletter




      Top Rated Products

      • Zulu 3 - Pilot Headset - LightspeedAviation.com Zulu 3 ANR Headset
        Rated 5.00 out of 5
        $899.00
      • Markham Flight Bag - LightspeedAviation.com Markham Flight Bag
        Rated 5.00 out of 5
        $249.00
      • Sierra® ANR Headset - Pilot Headsets - LightspeedAviation.com Sierra® ANR Headset
        Rated 4.80 out of 5
        $699.00

      Lightspeed Aviation, the leader in wearable ANR technology for pilots, operates with a simple strategy: know your customer well and remain committed to relentless product evolution. At Lightspeed, everything we do is in service to our customer and our products push performance to the edge of technological possibilities.

      Stay Updated – Sign Up Here




        Information

        • Contact
        • Support
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • Privacy Policy
        • Home
        • Shop
        • About
        • Community
        • Support
        • Contact
        © Copyright 2022 | All Rights Reserved
        • Shop
          • All Products
          • Headsets
          • ANR for Helmets
          • Flight Bags
          • Accessories
          • Survival
          • Lightspeed App
          • FlightLink App
          • Authorized Dealers
          • Trade Up Program
        • About
          • About Lightspeed
          • Programs
          • Delta Zulu Saves Lives
          • Awards and Accolades
          • Patents
          • Lightspeed Foundation
          • Careers
          • Associations
        • Community
          • All Posts
          • Blog Posts
          • Events
          • News
          • Sponsorships
        • Support
          • Customer Support
          • Repair Request
          • Frequently Asked Questions
          • Shipping and Return Policies
          • PFX Firmware Update – PC
          • PFX Firmware Update – Mac
        • Contact
          • Contact Lightspeed
          • Authorized Dealers
          • Donation Requests
          • Media Kit
        Lightspeed Aviation
          0 items
        We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
        Do not sell my personal information.
        Cookie SettingsAccept
        Manage consent

        Privacy Overview

        This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
        Necessary
        Always Enabled
        Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
        CookieDurationDescription
        __cfruidsessionCloudflare sets this cookie to identify trusted web traffic.
        __hssrcsessionThis cookie is set by Hubspot whenever it changes the session cookie. The __hssrc cookie set to 1 indicates that the user has restarted the browser, and if the cookie does not exist, it is assumed to be a new session.
        _GRECAPTCHA5 months 27 daysThis cookie is set by the Google recaptcha service to identify bots to protect the website against malicious spam attacks.
        ci_session2 hoursThis cookie is set as default session Cookie name in config.php in config folder in CodeIgniter.
        cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
        cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
        cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
        cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
        cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
        cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
        JSESSIONIDsessionThe JSESSIONID cookie is used by New Relic to store a session identifier so that New Relic can monitor session counts for an application.
        PHPSESSIDsessionThis cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
        viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
        Functional
        Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
        CookieDurationDescription
        __cf_bm30 minutesThis cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management.
        __hssc30 minutesHubSpot sets this cookie to keep track of sessions and to determine if HubSpot should increment the session number and timestamps in the __hstc cookie.
        Performance
        Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
        Analytics
        Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
        CookieDurationDescription
        __hstc1 year 24 daysThis is the main cookie set by Hubspot, for tracking visitors. It contains the domain, initial timestamp (first visit), last timestamp (last visit), current timestamp (this visit), and session number (increments for each subsequent session).
        _ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
        _gat_gtag_UA_28458117_11 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
        _gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
        CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
        hubspotutk1 year 24 daysHubSpot sets this cookie to keep track of the visitors to the website. This cookie is passed to HubSpot on form submission and used when deduplicating contacts.
        Advertisement
        Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
        CookieDurationDescription
        _fbp3 monthsThis cookie is set by Facebook to display advertisements when either on Facebook or on a digital platform powered by Facebook advertising, after visiting the website.
        fr3 monthsFacebook sets this cookie to show relevant advertisements to users by tracking user behaviour across the web, on sites that have Facebook pixel or Facebook social plugin.
        VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysA cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
        YSCsessionYSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
        yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
        yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
        yt.innertube::nextIdneverThis cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
        yt.innertube::requestsneverThis cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
        Others
        Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
        CookieDurationDescription
        ppwp_wp_session30 minutesNo description
        Save & Accept