Got Ears? Get Informed!

Our Ear Pillow is Now Even Softer - With Memory Foam!

Now our Ear Pillow is made of super-soft, extra-comfortable Memory Foam!

If you sleep with ear plugs in, or while wearing an in-ear white noise device, you know that comfort is king. Great hearing protection won't do you a whole lot of good if it's not comfortable enough for you to sleep on!

Now, most people seem to find that a pair of soft foam ear plugs, or a set of moldable ear plugs, works great for sleeping. Flent's Ear Stopples and Quies Boules are both incredibly popular ear plugs for sleeping -- something about wax & cotton moldable ear plugs seems to be perfect for catching some zzz's. But sometimes you can't get the noise reduction you need out of the most comfortable plugs for your unique ears. And just like an uncomfortable ear plug won't help you sleep, neither will one that doesn't block out the neighbors/traffic/snoring/barking dogs/whatever other noises keep you awake at night.

That's where the Ear Pillow comes in. And now our Ear Pillow is even softer --

--because it's now made of super-soft, extra-comfortable Memory Foam!

This unique pillow comes with built-in indentations and pre-formed cutouts for the sole purpose of making it comfortable to sleep while wearing ear plugs. (The Ear Pillow is especially helpful if you like to sleep on your side.)

FYI, the Ear Pillow is designed to be placed on top of your normal pillow, not to replace it: the Ear Pillow's purpose is to add extra comfort to your existing sleep space, so you can wear your favorite high NRR ear plugs and still sleep like the princess and the pea, minus the pea.

Until next time, be safe and get some sleep.
--Tom Bergman, Marketing Director

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Surfer's Ear: A Truly Bone-Chilling Problem

Have you ever heard of Surfer's Ear?

Most of us are familiar with swimmer's ear -- but swimmer's ear isn't the only medical problem water can cause for your ears. According to the California Ear Institute, surfer's ear, aka exostosis, is the abnormal growth of bone within the ear canal. Exostosis is caused by frequent exposure to cold water and wind; this exposure causes the bone surrounding the ear canal to thicken. This can lead to water often being trapped in the ear canals after swimming, more frequent ear infections, and eventually occlusion -- complete blockage of the ear canal -- and hearing loss.

Exostosis can actually result from almost any activity that takes place in cold, wet, and windy conditions: skiing, kayaking, fishing, sailing, and diving, for example. But surfers, who endure a lot of exposure to cold water, are much more likely than the rest of the population to get exostosis (and to get it at an earlier age), thus the name "surfer's ear."

Surfer's ear is a truly chilling problem. Given enough time, bony spurs deep in the ear can grow wildly, even penetrating the brain cavity! The bone growth is irreversible on its own, and the only lasting treatment for surfer's ear is surgery. The colder the water, the faster exostosis develops. Surfer's ear has become more of a problem in recent years as better wetsuits and dry suit technology have opened up colder waters for surfing and other water sports. Cold water surfers now experience exostosis at a rate that is 600% higher than warm water surfers!

Fortunately, surfer's ear is preventable. The primary way to avoid this serious medical condition is to simply avoid water activity during extremely cold and windy conditions. Using good ear protection is also critical; surfer's ear plugs can help to prevent cold water exposure, and they're especially important for high-exposure activities like surfing or wind surfing. Wearing a swim cap or hood in addition to the surfing ear plugs can help, too.

We offer a dedicated selection of ear plugs for surfing. These ear plugs offer two excellent features: first, they prevent water from getting in your ear and causing damage, and second, they allow you to hear what's going on around you while you're wearing them. All of our swimming ear plugs will provide water protection, but only the plugs listed on our surfing ear plugs page are sure to enable situational awareness. It is important to be able to hear what's going on around you when you're surfing or engaging in other high-activity water sports, and that's what surfing ear plugs let you do -- while still keeping your ears dry and safe.

Our top ear protection recommendations for preventing surfer's ear:

(1) Sorky Surfing Ear Plugs for Surfing and Cold Weather Activities
		These specialized ear plugs are designed specifically for surfers and the prevention of surfer's ear. Sorky plugs fit deep in the ear canal, and they prevent both cold water and wind from getting into the ear. A unique membrane in the center of these ear plugs allows sound to pass through -- so you can hear voices and other noises around you -- while sealing out water and wind. Sorky is so good, we also recommend it for cold weather skiing, mountain biking, hiking and mountain climbing, kayaking, wind surfing, and sailing; if it's cold and wet, Sorky is the right choice for your ears. Sorky isn't cheap -- but if you're serious about cold water surfing, you need serious protection from surfer's ear.
(2) Alpine SwimSafe Premium Swimming Ear Plugs
		Alpine SwimSafe ear plugs provide water protection without blocking your hearing, and are a good choice for general water activities. The SwimSafe features a built-in acoustic filter that lets sound in while keeping water out, which provides the water protection and situational awareness surfers need. SwimSafe ear plugs have flanged tips that meld to the shape of the ear canal for a comfortable fit and good seal, so they won't fall out while you swim. Still, SwimSafe ear plugs are best for casual use; we do not recommend these plugs for diving, scuba, or other underwater swimming. If you're a warm water surfer, a surface swimmer, or someone who only engages in very cold, wet activities every once in a while, SwimSafe will do the trick -- and SwimSafe is a very affordable solution.
(3) Westone Model 70 Custom-Fit Surfing Ear Plugs
		These custom molded ear plugs are the very best surfing ear plugs available anywhere, period. They are also the most expensive solution. But if you're constantly out there in cold water, sitting on your board getting blasted by wind and spray while you wait for the perfect wave, you can hardly afford to be without this kind of high-grade custom ear protection. The Model 70 is designed specifically for surfing and swimming, and like other surfing ear plugs, the Model 70 provides both water protection and situational awareness. A sealed membrane covers a center channel to keep cold air and water out of the ear, while allowing you to hear what's going on around you clearly. And because these are custom ear plugs, the fit is unparalleled: maximum comfort, maximum seal against water, maximum effectiveness. The Model 70 is by far our top recommendation for serious surfers.

Which product is best for you depends on what kind of water sports you engage in, how often, what the climate is like in your area, and how tight your budget is. But please, if you do surf (or ski, snowboard, sail, or wind surf...) take the time to educate yourself about surfer's ear, and take action to keep this chilling medical condition from happening to you. Surfer's ear is preventable, so like we always say here at Ear Plug Superstore... Got Ears? Get Protected!

Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.
--Tom "Dr. Earplug" Bergman

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New Product Alert: Pro-Ears Ultra 28 Headband Ear Muffs are Here!

Pro-Ears Ultra 28 Ear Muffs strike a perfect balance between the heavy-duty Ultra 33 and the light-weight Ultra 26.

At NRR 28, the Ultra 28 provides very good noise protection. It's not the maximum protection available (see the Ultra 33 for a maximum sound-blocking heavy-duty ear muff), but it's the perfect amount of noise blocking for moderate to high noise level environments in which you still need some situational awareness.

The Ultra 28 is a medium-profile ear muff. That means the Ultra 28 is not as bulky as ear muffs that provide the maximum available hearing protection, but it's also not as slim and light as ear muffs that offer less noise protection tend to be.

Because of their balanced design, Pro-Ears Ultra 28 ear muffs are an excellent choice for a huge variety of hearing protection applications.

New Product Alert: The Full Line of TASCO Ear Muffs are Here!

New product alert: the full line of TASCO Ear Muffs are now here!

TASCO's hearing protection ear muffs come in a wide variety of models -- 16 in total -- including standard headband-style ear muffs, folding headband ear muffs, hard hat and neckband ear muffs for hat wearers, and also several multi-position models to suit any wearing style.

All of these ear muffs are passive (non-electric) ear muffs, which makes these an excellent choice for all-around noise protection applications. Many of these new TASCO ear muffs are also dielectric and rated MR Safe so patients can safely use them in MRI machines. TASCO ear muffs are proudly made in the U.S.A. (only one model, the Silhouette, is not).

Check out the TASCO Brand Page for a complete listing of the full line of TASCO ear muffs, to see detailed product descriptions, and to order!

Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.
--Tom "Dr. Earplug" Bergman

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New Product: KonoAudio KidzSafe Earbuds for Kids

 

KidzSafe Earbuds for Kids from KonoAudio are our newest product, and we're really excited about these in-ear earphones for children!

There are two main features that make KidzSafe Earbuds for Kids special:

• Built-in Volume Limiting
• Small Earbud Size

The built-in volume limiting keeps the sound under a safe 85dB no matter what. That means your "plugged in" kids can listen to their smart phones, iPods, CD players, DVD players, hand-held gaming consoles, laptops, and anything else with a headphone jack -- without hurting their hearing. The volume limiting is built in, so it can't be bypassed or overridden.

The small size of these earbuds makes them perfect for kids (we highly recommend these earbuds for children under 9). Unlike larger in-ear earphones, which may not fit comfortably, KidzSafe Earbuds are designed especially for smaller ear canals.

Together, these two excellent unique features make KidzSafe the best earbuds for kids available anywhere (in our humble opinion!).

Oh, and one more thing -- KidzSafe Earbuds come in cool colors kids will love!

• Green with White Cord
• Pink with White Cord
• Blue with White Cord
• Purple with Black Cord and Pink Plug
• Orange with Grey Cord and Blue Plug

With so many color options available, you're sure to be able to get a pair of KidzSafe Earbuds that your kids will absolutely love -- and you'll love knowing their hearing is safe, no matter how long they listen.

Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.
--Tom "Dr. Earplug" Bergman

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Free Plush Storage Bag with Baby Ear Muffs!

Our Ear Muffs for Babies and Children now come with a free GotEars? Plush Storage Bag!

Get yours now.

Custom Imprinted Ear Muffs - Now Available!

Who Needs Custom Imprinted Ear Muffs? Industrial and petroleum companies. Since you must provide the ear muffs, why not strengthen the pride of the organization by emblazing your company name and logo on every ear cup? Airline ground crews. Now even small airline and private carriers can afford to equip crews with custom imprinted earmuffs, since the quantities required are so small and our prices are so reasonable. Landscaping crews. Add your logo on the ear muffs used by your crews, and every employee becomes a walking, working billboard for your company. Impress your potential customers with your professionalism. Firearms and Ammo Manufacturers and Distributors. Ear muffs are a natural swag item to give your prospects and dealers when imprinted with your logo. Our top quality ear muffs can also become a new sku for sale as an accessory via your existing retail/wholesale dealer network. NASCAR and other racing venues. Get your track identity imprinted on the ear muffs and sell them to ticket holders, as well as give them to advertisers and prospects. Producers of all kinds of noisy events. Provide custom imprinted ear muffs to your existing contract vendors for sale to ticket holders, reinforcing your brand image as well as your bottom line. Racing team pit crews. Put your driver identity on every earmuff in your control to maximize visual support for your brand every time the cameras roll. MRI facilities. Imprint our MRI Safe ear muffs to reassure MRI patients that the ear muffs you are providing for their use have been carefully chosen and are safe to use. Construction companies. Give all your employees ear muffs to wear on the job to reinforce your brand and tell the world walking and driving by every day who is in charge of that fabulous new project. School systems. Ear muffs are an ideal aid to concentration for many children suffering from attention deficit disorders such as autism and ADHD. Provide our ear muffs imprinted with your school id and colorful, interesting images to help better engage the youngsters in your care. Construction and industrial products sales teams. Your customers and prospects use ear muffs every day on the job. Why not give them ear muffs imprinted with your logo and contact info to help them value the relationship and help you spread the word about your brand and your company? Shooting ranges. Get your range name and contact info imprinted on two or three different models and sell these ear muffs to your visitors. You know they are going to show up without their ear protection. Now you can make a sale as well as help get the word out about your facility as a bonus, at no cost to you! Military and police teams. Help build esprit de corps by making these quality ear muffs with your unit insignia imprinted on them a standard component of each member’s kit. Churches. If your church is filled with amplified music, you already know that some of your congregation finds it too loud. Now you can get ear muffs imprinted with your church logo and an appropriate bible verse to loan to members.

The Story A couple of years ago, the BMW racing team based in Germany contacted us to ask if we could imprint the BMW logo onto our Peltor Kid earmuffs. Given the company's large size and the fact that they needed a lot of these earmuffs -- over 1,000 -- to give away on their promotional road trip throughout Europe, we were able to help them get exactly what they needed: kid-sized earmuffs with the cool BMW logo on each ear cup. The next year they came back and repeated the order. Then Aearo, the U.S. Distributor for Peltor, was sold to 3M, and that was the end of custom imprinted earmuffs... Until now. The Problem Over the years, we tried all kinds of ways to get the custom imprinted earmuffs requested by our customers -- but until this year (2012), we always had at least one of three big problems with the solutions we found: The minimum order quantity was too high. Most demanded 1,000 or more as a minimum! The price was too high, usually including a minimum $250 setup fee, and then the cost of the earmuffs was generally double the regular price -- or worse! The ear muffs the customer wanted were unavailable without an imprint already on them... or to get blank ones, we had to buy thousands of one model... and/or it took too long (4-6 weeks was the minimum, plus shipping time). In short, we couldn't find a deal that we could responsibly offer to our valued customers. The Solution Recently, we were able to strike a deal with a U.S. Manufacturer so that we can offer six different models of ear muffs for custom imprinting. This means we have a model for virtually any application. And because we are working with a U.S. Manufacturer, our minimum quantity orders can be set at a quite reasonable level of just 50 units! In addition, again because we are working with a local company, there is minimal lead time in filling custom orders. Pricing, too, is much better than what was possible in the past. Taken together, all these factors make it possible for us to now provide a truly unique custom imprinted earmuff program. Of course, no custom imprint program is worth much if you cannot get your image professionally rendered. There, too, our custom imprinted earmuff program excels. We are now able to offer you from one- to four-color imprints, so you can have the image you need and want with no compromises. Several of the ear muff models we offer are also available in different colors (from black to high-visibility green!) giving you the design flexibility you need to obtain the look you want. The quality of these ear muffs is everything you would expect from an ear muff made in the U.S.A. The ear pads are comfortable, durable, and provide an excellent seal against noise, and they are replaceable when needed, providing the user with long-term value. The headbands are all adjustable so these ear muffs will fit virtually everyone. Our fixed headband models feature nicely padded headbands, the folding headband models fold fully for minimal storage space requirements, and our three position ear muff is MRI Safe. Whether you are an MRI facility buying our ear muffs for use by your patients, a petroleum company needing hardhat mounted earmuffs for your refinery and drilling crews, a firearms company looking for a branded ear muff to use as a promotional item or to add to your product line, a racing venue vendor planning to sell these fine ear muffs to ticket holders, or a police force wanting to encourage morale by adding your city seal to the team’s ear muffs, you will find the product you need, at an appealing price and with unparalleled service here at Ear Plug Superstore.

NASCAR® Hearing Protection for Fans of All Ages!

When it comes to hearing protection at the races, there are a lot of options available. This week, I want to give you a quick look at some of our most popular NASCAR® hearing protectors, and I'll also introduce you to our best NASCAR® hearing protection options for little fans -- babies and children!

Officially Endorsed NASCAR® Hearing Protection

	Spark Plugs are extra-soft and extra-light, but they carry an NRR of 33, the best you can get in a foam ear plug. With so much quality packed into each little plug, it's no wonder they're officially endorsed by NASCAR®.
	Designed for NASCAR® driver Rich Christensen, these EarPro Sonic Defenders ear plugs have two protection settings: 9dB with the stoppers open, or 24dB with the stoppers closed. These high-tech hearing protectors won't steer you wrong.

His and Hers Corded Foam Earplugs for NASCAR® Races

Hearos Corded Racing Ear Plugs are a great choice for fans of both genders. The regular size is NRR 33, and the ladies' version is NRR 32, making both of these a great choice for heavy-duty hearing protection at the track. Hearos foam ear plugs are very soft and smooth, so they're comfortable to wear for long periods of time. These Racing Ear Plugs also feature a cord, so they're easy to keep track of when you're not wearing them! Finally, each pair comes with a nice little carry case, so you can stick these in your pocket or purse without worrying that they'll get smashed or dirty.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY -- NASCAR® Hearing Protection for Babies and Children

NASCAR® can be a fantastic event for the whole family to enjoy -- but if you plan on bringing your little ones to the races, hearing protection is an absolute MUST! There are tons of good reasons to make sure your kids have proper hearing protection; here are the three big ones: Loud noises can be scary and distressing for kids. Those tender little ears are particularly sensitive. Hearing damage is cumulative... and permanent.

The solution? Ear Muffs for Babies and Children! They come in a variety of models, styles, and colors, they comfortably fit everybody from infants to small adults, and they're totally safe for babies. Any of the ear muffs on our Baby Ear Muff Page would be an excellent choice for taking the little ones to the races. Here's a few of our most popular baby ear muffs:

Make sure to protect the little ears in your life, and you can safely enjoy NASCAR® races together with the whole family!

Until next time, be safe and do the right thing -- and stay tuned for more NASCAR®-themed articles this week!
--Tom "Dr. Earplug" Bergman

Spring Sounds and Silenta Premium Kid Earmuffs

Spring is finally on the way, and we're glad to be opening our windows, spending more time out on the patio, and enjoying some much-needed sunshine! But unfortunately, the balmy breeze isn't the only thing making its way through our windows. As the weather warms up, the noises we've been sheltered from all winter in our closed-up homes are making their way into our lives -- and our ears -- again.

Spring is the beginning of what we like to call the "noisy season" -- and we don't just mean the noise of birds chirping! We're hearing lawnmowers firing up again, our neighbors are starting in on the spring cleaning with loud appliances... and as the world recovers from its winter slumber, all that springtime sound can be difficult to deal with.

This is especially true if you're trying to protect the little ears in your life. Over even just the past few years, we've seen a tremendous increase in the demand for high-quality child hearing protection, as more and more of us become aware of the need to protect the ears of our babies and young children as they accompany us through all kinds of noisy springtime activities. In addition to the original baby ear muffs -- the Peltor Kid earmuffs made famous by Gwyneth Paltrow and her baby -- there are a number of new child hearing protection products cropping up this spring. Unfortunately, most of the baby earmuffs we've seen are simply not up to the quality standards we look for at Ear Plug Superstore. Some of these earmuffs just aren't designed to fit very young infants properly; some have hard plastic headbands that can be uncomfortable for kids of all ages; and on many child-sized earmuffs we've checked out, the sizing adjustments won't stay put, making them harder to use and less comfortable to wear (particularly for very young children).

But among the spring weeds, we've found a few roses!

Our favorite is a terrific new earmuff for children from Silenta. The new Silenta Brand Kid Earmuffs have everything we want in an earmuff for babies and children: The ear pads are very soft and comfortable -- a must for any earmuff for babies and children. Too, they're sized just a tad smaller than Peltor Kid earmuffs, to fit young babies and small toddlers even better. The headband, though not padded, is covered in a soft, smooth vinyl. The ear cups slide up and down on the headband for easy adjustment, but they won’t slide around as your baby moves. This means you can easily adjust the headband so that it doesn't touch your child's head, and once it's adjusted, you can count on it to stay put exactly where you want it. The clamping force of the earmuffs is just right: gentle enough to fit safely on all ages of children, but firm enough to give a good acoustic seal against your child's head (this is always necessary in order for the earmuffs to provide their full available noise protection).

Too, the Silenta Kid Earmuffs also fold up, so they're easy to carry in a purse or diaper bag -- one of the top requests we've heard from parents who need to use their baby earmuffs on the go. And as an added bonus, these earmuffs are very pretty to look at, with bright colors, and fun, fluorescent-colored headbands. With all these top-notch features, we think these are a terrific all-around hearing protection choice for children of all ages.

We've already heard from thousands of you guys, telling us how much you (and your kids!) love your earmuffs for babies and children. And we love reading the tons of comments parents are always sending us, about how much more they can now enjoy sporting events, races, concerts and all manner of other noisy springtime events with the whole family, because they can feel secure in knowing their child’s hearing is safe and sound. With the right earmuffs protecting the little ears in your life, the “noisy season” can be fun (and safe) for everyone to enjoy!

So if you have a child in your life, I would like to personally invite you to give our new Silenta Kid earmuffs a try.

You will both be glad you did.

Until next time, enjoy the weather -- and as always, be safe and do the right thing.
--Tom "Dr. Earplug" Bergman

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P.S. Got a great pic of your kid enjoying springtime activities (or any other noisy venue) in a pair of earmuffs for babies and children? Want to share the cuteness with the world, and help raise awareness of the importance of child hearing protection? Send us your photos, and we'll gladly add your little one to our Baby Earmuff Wall O' Fame!

The UE-4 Pro: Hot New In-Ear Monitors from Ultimate Ears

The Ultimate Ears UE-4 Pro is the latest, hottest new model of earphone available from Ultimate Ears. [buy it here]

Released just days ago, the UE-4 Pro is the most affordably-priced full custom earphone available from Ultimate Ears. These full-custom musician monitors have already taken the blogosphere by storm -- and for good reason.

If you're familiar with Ultimate Ears earphones, you may have noticed that there's historically been a pretty sizeable price gap between their non-custom earphones (the popular Super.fi and Triple.fi series) and their full-custom earphones (which previously started at around $600). But the UE-4 Pro closes the gap, offering superior sound quality and a true full-custom fit at a cool $400. For those looking for a true audiophile experience, or for musicians looking to make the transition from wedge monitors to in-ear monitors, the new UE-4 is a good solution that won't break the bank.

Like all full-custom earphones, getting a pair of UE-4's means you'll need to get a set of ear impressions made -- these impressions are molds of your ears, and allow the Ultimate Ears techs to create a set of UE-4's that are totally tailored to fit your unique ears. That means that most online stores you could purchase a pair of UE-4's from, including the manufacturer's website, will require you to visit your local audiologist to get a set of ear impressions (a service which the audiologist will, of course, charge a small fee for).

But for further savings, when you purchase your UE-4 Pro in-ear monitors from Ear Plug Superstore, we automatically send you a Do-It-Yourself Impression Kit with instructions that you can easily follow to create your own custom ear impressions. Just mail your impressions back to us, and we'll send you your own custom fitted Ultimate Ears UE-4 Pro Earphones -- no trip to the audiologist necessary.

And to put a cherry on top, we're also currently offering Free Priority Mail Shipping on our UE-4 Pro Earphones. Order your UE-4's now to get the most bang for your buck.

Be safe, and do the right thing.
--Tom "Dr. Earplug" Bergman