I love them but they make my boyfriend nervous (when they're on him...he gets a bit panicked about not being able to breathe around the ball even though he knows he can), it's really a matter of personal opinion but I suppose asking others is a good way to get an idea of how they feel.

They don't muffle noise that much but they do a wonderful job of preventing proper speech and I for one find most of the ones I've tried to be pretty comfortable but I'm sure people with smaller jaws may not.

If you're looking to keep someone (or yourself) quiet it's not the right choice but it adds a wonderful aesthetic value. ^_^