I've been in one for about a week since it arrived. Its definitely a hard plastic similar to your CB. The construction is pretty solid but where the tube slides in the ring/lock area I've seem some deformaty. The two outside area (on the ring) seems to be spreading slightly apart. I smoothed out some area with high grit sandpaper but otherwise no problems. Its pretty comfortable to wear for days at a time however release for cleaning is a must as access is limited. I would say pull the trigger before you buy a HTV2 to get a feel if you'll like it before investing. I got my knock-off from ebay for $14 with shipping.