Custom made ear plugs

[KathMorcos]

Hi there, I am quite sensitive to noise, it is also a trigger for me. So I was thinking of investing in some custom made ear plugs, has anyone else tried this? Any reccommendations? Are they more effective than cheap ear plugs? Thanks

 

[Seven7]

I just buy the ones at store but look for very high coverage 33 and over. And soft. So they mold to ears. I sleep w them every night, movie theater, restaurants, any noisy place w good results.

 

[Hip]

Hi there, I am quite sensitive to noise, it is also a trigger for me.

I currently use Moldex Twisters foam earplugs when sleeping at night. These are specified to provide a 34 decibel reduction in sound level, which is very good. They block out more sound than any other earplug I've tried.

 

[TenuousGrip]

If you have 'normal' ear canals then I agree that any of the cheap ones can make a big difference.

But they never stayed in my ears, and I tried probably a dozen kinds. They all fell out virtually right after I fell asleep.

Eventually, I had a local audiologist make me a custom pair (no idea what brand). Seeing them, it's obvious that there's a weird bend in each of my ear canals. That kept the cheap ones from going in far enough to stay put.

The custom ones cost me about USD130. They work great but I just don't wear them often. I'm accustomed to falling asleep to the TV (can't hear it with the plugs in). I'm also just a bit uncomfortable being rather deaf during the night in case either my wife or the dog needs me.

If those circumstances don't apply to you, then I would think a local audiologist could do a good job for you.

Best of luck !

 

[Lucky luke]

I use orhopax wax earplugs for years. I’m from the netherlands.
Really good for sleeping. Very quiet. Foam or silicone doesn’t work for me.
Only if i use it everyday for months i get itch in my ear.
Then i take a break for a couple of weeks and put a little bit lidocaine ointment in my ear.

 

[caledonia]

I use E.A.R. Classics foam earplugs for sleep and really loud noise (about a 30 decibel reduction).

I also have a pair of custom ear filters with a 15 decibel reduction. My ear canals are on the small side and one has a weird bend in it. I got them from an audiologist and use them at concerts. You can get them with a 30 decibel reduction too.

However, I don't think I could wear the custom ones for sleep or for a long time as they're from hard plastic. And they kind of make my ear canals itch.

You can go to the Earplug Superstore and get a sampler pack to try out many different varieties and see what works best for you. https://www.earplugstore.com/
They're a reliable company - I've used them for several years.

 

[Neunistiva]

My ears are very sensitive to everything - foam, wax, even custom ones would start hurting within 15 minutes. Now I discovered transparent silicone ones and they are amazing. I can hardly feel them, and I can use them for several weeks before they need replacing. And they're pretty cheap.

So the money I spent on custom ones was definitely wasted.

 

[KathMorcos]

But they never stayed in my ears, and I tried probably a dozen kinds. They all fell out virtually right after I fell asleep.

They never stay in my ears either!! I can get custom made solid hearsavers for about $100 aud or custom musician's hearsavers (these have different types of filters) for $140 aud.

I am not going to use them for sleeping. They are for those odd occasions that I venture out of the house or have a family function or when people come over.

 

[KathMorcos]

You can go to the Earplug Superstore and get a sampler pack to try out many different varieties and see what works best for you. https://www.earplugstore.com/
They're a reliable company - I've used them for several years.[/QUOTE]

Thank you for that! I will have a look at it

 

[Starsister]

How nice to accidentally discover this...again you folks on PR comes through with answers to things I didn't think there were answers to! I have awful time with the softest ear plugs I've can find ...I need them for sleep when it is raining or the neighbors are noisy but after an hour they make my ears hit, itch and achey. I never heard of custom ear plugs or an ear plug store so I'm eager to check it out. Thanks!

 

[KathMorcos]

You can get them made at Costco or Australian Hearing in Australia. Not sure about the US, but the link that someone else posted has custom ones and that is an American site.

 

[Art Vandelay]

My ears are very sensitive to everything - foam, wax, even custom ones would start hurting within 15 minutes. Now I discovered transparent silicone ones and they are amazing. I can hardly feel them, and I can use them for several weeks before they need replacing. And they're pretty cheap.

I'm the same. The foam earplugs in particular irritated my ears and gave me a headache.

I've also found that the mouldable silicone earplugs are the best for me. They do take a bit of fiddling to get a good seal (otherwise they won't block much noise) but they're reasonably comfortable and quite effective when in place.

Most pharmacies in Australia seem to sell them (they're often aimed at swimmers to help keep water out of ears when swimming).

Edit: these are the ones I have:
https://www.amcal.com.au/surgipack-reg;-ear-putty---3-pairs-p-9313776062518

They're quite durable as they've lasted forever.