Ear Plug Superstore - Official Blog

Help with Ear Plug Ear Pain?

Q.I have been using foam ear plugs for about 10 years and never had a problem until a few months ago. One of my ears started to hurt when I woke up in the morning, it can sometimes be excruciating.

I feel like the smart thing to do would be to take some time off from ear plugs, but I honestly cannot sleep without them. I have tried silicone plugs but they hurt just as bad. Do you think custom ear plugs would solve my problem? I am a side sleeper so I feel like anything protruding from my ear exacerbates the problem.

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A.First of all, I would suggest that you do give your ears a rest! There's another good solution you can try.

If the ear plugs you need have been hurting your ears, put down the plugs and use a masking noise instead. White noise can drown out disturbing nighttime noises under a soft blanket of what amounts to the sound of rushing air, a sound your brain ignores so you can sleep. You'll get a very similar benefit as ear plugs in terms of keeping noise from bothering you, but from a different direction. Not everyone will find that white noise is the right solution, but if ear plugs are hurting, you'll have to find another solution - at least for a while, until they get a rest and aren't so tender. Personally, I find the masking sound works well enough that I do not need ear plugs to sleep soundly.

It's easy (and free) to try. You can just download a white noise app and play your choice of sounds through your smart phone. It works better if you have a Bluetooth speaker, which will give you better fidelity sound. If you can't get the full range of audible sound covered, the noise masking is less likely to work, so good speakers really help. If you find that white noise helps (or you'd like your phone free for other purposes), you can get a variety of dedicated little white noise machines to help, of which we offer a few different models. You can get one that simply plays pure white noise, one that has hundreds of programmable sounds, and many models in between.

When and if you do decide to go back to ear plugs, before you spend the money for full custom ear plugs, I would suggest you try a DIY custom ear plug. They are not quite as good as lab made custom plugs, but they are inexpensive enough that you can experiment with size and shape by making a full ear plug, then shaving some off to make it more comfortable to lie on. More importantly, they'll let you test out whether or not professional custom ear plugs might be the right long-term solution for you. If so, the quality, comfort, and durability (they can last for years!) will serve you well.

Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.

Tom Bergman, Vice President
Ear Plug Superstore

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Motorcycle Hearing Protection (for Differently-Sized Ears)

Q.Hi, I am looking for hearing protection while riding my motorcycle both for the wind noise and exhaust note. I have upgraded to a quieter helmet and tried a variety of disposable ear plugs. They all either don’t work, are difficult to put in or hurt after a short time.

My left ear canal is smaller and shallow before it turns a sharp corner. I looked on your site and there are lots of options which is good but confusing, so, I’m looking for recommendations.

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A.You did the smart thing by starting with disposable ear plugs, but with two differently-sized ears - a very common situation, by the way! - your best bet will probably be a custom ear plug. They are extremely low-profile, to fit under any helmet, and the custom sizing means you'll get the right fit.

I would suggest that you begin with a DIY (Do-It Yourself) custom product, which are inexpensive and quick to make yourself in your own home, of which we have several:

• Radians Custom DIY Ear Plugs are our top pick for DIY custom plugs, with a variety of colors, easy set-up - mixing putty and forming to the shape of the ear - and an inexpensive price tag. Five-star rated by our customers, tried and true for years. Moderate NRR 26 hearing protection will cut the wind noise without totally removing your situational awareness, for safer city cruising.
• E.A.R. Inc. DIY Custom Ear Plug Kits come in a few more colors, but are more expensive than Radians. They provide similar NRR 26 protection from noise. Not as well rated by our customers, but also a solid choice, especially if you want fluorescent colors.
• Decibullz DIY Custom Molded Ear Plugs, which present a lot of benefits. They're heated with water, no putty to mix, and you can re-mold them if they're not perfect the first time. An impressive NRR 31 makes these good for blocking the most noise - which may actually be a little too much, if you're riding in a busy area and need to stay somewhat aware of ambient sounds.

All the DIY custom plugs are inexpensive and easy to use. Once you get some and try them out, if you like the way they work, but want a better set, we can help you get some professional lab made custom ear plugs. These will last for years, fit the best, irritate your ears the least after very long trips, and provide the best hearing protection - plus a range of options, styles, NRRs, and custom colors. Two choices stand out, if you're already sure you want to take the plunge:

• Perfect-Fit CMCP Model Custom Motorcycle Ear Plugs, which are ultra low profile, canal-only plugs designed not to interfere with a helmet, with a moderate (relatively, for a pro custom plug) price tag. These have a wide array of color and style options, such as sparkles, swirls, and glow-in-the-dark, to match your bike and your personality.
• Westone Defendear 4RT Motorsport Custom-Fit Ear Plugs, which are just as low-profile, still offer some good color options, and come with the option of adding Slic-Sil anti-microbial coating - something you may very much appreciate during pit-stops out on the highway, for instance. A little more expensive than Perfect-Fit.

Lab-molded custom ear plugs require you to make ear impressions. We have a kit you can purchase for an additional fee to make your molds yourself - or you can visit a local audiologist for a set of ear impressions. You'll mail back the molds to us, and the lab will ship you back your finished ear plugs. Pro customs offer the very best fit (often with a guarantee), performance, features, and customization. But they are much more expensive than other options, and the professional custom molding process takes time.

Ear Plug Superstore Exclusive Tip:

One more thing. If you want to listen to music or a phone while riding, our Challenger Custom Earphones are a great buy with a low-profile, custom fit - and our repair services can keep one pair working for years and years, even with heavy use. These provide some sound isolation, the ability to listen to your music or communications devices, and custom-molded comfort that will work perfectly for someone with different-sized ears. We have a ton of customers who swear by their Challengers.

Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.

Tom Bergman, Vice President
Ear Plug Superstore

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How to Sleep with Barking Dogs?

Q.Hello, I live in a 1958 constructed apartment building. There is no real sound barrier with the apartment above. I can actually hear a "fart." The problem is that she has dogs and one bark and I'm awake.

Has there not been something devised that is an actual ear muff device that can be worn while sleeping without all the bulk. Noise reduction that is higher than those foam ear plugs which one can only purchase at 33 decibels. Why can't there be higher foam decibel ear foam protection or something to put over the ears.

I am not interested in ear buds unless they block noise. White noise in my ear I don't believe I could adapt to that. I need Q-U-I-E-T!

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A.NRR 33 is a sort of natural limit to how much noise you can block with hearing protection. The primary pathway for noise to enter your ear, where it is detected, is via the airway in the ear canal. NRR 33 means that the airway has been completely blocked to sound. If you can then still hear, it's because sound travels to the inner ear via the secondary pathway, the bones in your head. So, that is why you cannot get much better than NRR 33.

You can add muffs over ear plugs and get to about 35-36 NRR, but that is impractical for sleeping.

The best solution will most likely turn out to be a combination of ear plugs and a masking sound such as white noise. If in-ear white noise isn't an option, than here is what I would suggest. Find a way to generate a masking sound in your bedroom. You can download a white noise app and play it through your phone via a Bluetooth speaker to get better quality sound, or buy a white noise machine, or even tune an AM radio off-station so it generates static (which is white noise.) All of these play sound into your environment, not directly into your ears - so they should hopefully be easier to adapt to. Turn up the masking sound volume until it masks the noises that are bothering you, then add ear plugs to reduce the volume you can hear, and along with the masking sound, the plugs will also reduce the annoying sound, with the rest of it masked so you hear little, or none of it. (The ear plugs should also help with making the white noise less obtrusive!)

What I have found is that a modest level of masking sound raises the threshold of my hearing so that small noises in the night do not wake me nearly as easily. I promise you will quickly get used to the masking sound and even a little of it will help greatly. Your brain will interpret it as exactly the Q-U-I-E-T you need.

Here you will find several quality white noise machines. And you can try our assortment packs to find your most comfortable and effective ear plugs.

Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.

Tom Bergman, Vice President
Ear Plug Superstore

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