In picking my range equipment, I went through a great deal of trial and error. What tool kit? What shot timer? Sunscreen? Of course eye protection and ear protection.
You only notice the deficiencies once you get to the range. "I forgot to bring extra magazines" or "I left my magloader at home" are common issues. But mine was about comfort. My ear protection has always smashed my eye protection onto my face, sometimes leaving me with a headache. Properly fitted eye protection definitely helps, but even then I was still having issues.
With gel ear cups on my hearing protection, I found a couple of things: number one, my head just didn't hurt anymore; and second, my ear protection got a better seal and did its job far better than before.
The gel cups have more "squish" to them, allowing them to compress where then need to, but stay expanded where they don't. This, in turn, allows the seal to conform to your ear, AND EYE PROTECTION, meaning less pressure on those parts of your head.
It is a small investment for such a monumental gain. I highly recommend getting a set of gel cups from Walker, Howard Leight or Noisefighters. It is worth every penny.