Are Custom Earplugs Worth It? Any Other Good Options? Foam Ones Keep Coming Loose

[sjtinguy]

I have been using foam earplugs but I always have a hard time getting a good seal on one side; sometimes it takes multiple insertions and I still can't get the perfect seal, despite following the instructions exactly. And they always tend to work themselves loose at which point they don't really offer much benefit anyways. I wear them underneath earmuffs so I don't always notice the seal is broken until I get home, but sometimes I feel like I end up with temporary spikes that I figure would be lessened if they had stayed all the way in the whole time.

I have been considering getting custom earplugs made, but are they worth the cost? Are there any "over the counter" options that work as well as the custom ones and actually stay in? There are some brands I see like Decibullz which use some kind of thermoplastic, but Amazon reviews are mixed with a lot of complaints that they don't seal well and are hard and uncomfortable. There's other kinds of earplugs that require you to mix two compounds together and then place the putty in the ear and let it set, has anyone had good experience with them?

I don't mind spending the money if they really work well, but I want to make sure the money is well spent. Thanks for your input!

 

[Digital Doc]

The foam earplugs have a higher NRR than the custom ones in general. The custom ones have their place as some folks can't get the foam ones to work for them.

From what you describe, it sounds like the earplugs are not going deep enough when you insert them. Make sure you pull your ear up and out to straighten the ear canal. Also, use them only once as they do not recompress fully, and stay compressed if you reuse them too many times.

I have tried many brands of earplugs at this point, and while they all do the job, there are nuances to them. I would try the Flent's purple one, or the Mack's ultra soft foam that tend to be the easiest to insert, although YMMV. Another option is the Flent's Quiet Please that are the older PVC foam, but tend to stay put better once in.

 

[sjtinguy]

Thanks, maybe I'll give those brands you mentioned a go before dropping the coin on the fancy custom ones. It blows me away that the custom ones are not as strong as the foam ones too, I've seen that mentioned elsewhere on this site. I don't really believe the NRR rating on the foam ones though, since every 31 NRR foam plug I have tried so far are not nearly as effective as 27 NRR earmuffs, or even lesser rated muffs.

I always pull on my ear and roll them up carefully, but most of the time I can't get the ones on my right side to go in all the way, it's like they expand too fast. It's a pain to have to retry them like 5 times and still not be satisfied with the fitment which is a lot of the reason I'm considering getting custom ones made; to be able to just put them in and count on them being in properly and staying in would be very nice.

 

[MindOverMatter]

Custom made earplugs are absolutely worth the money.

Many of them have changeable filters.
I just got new ones where I choose 15 dB filter, and they have a sort of a hybrid filter that "blocks" sound with sudden loud noises.

They last long, and can be used on many occasions where you still want sound input to you auditory system.

 

[Juan]

I have been using foam earplugs but I always have a hard time getting a good seal on one side; sometimes it takes multiple insertions and I still can't get the perfect seal, despite following the instructions exactly. And they always tend to work themselves loose at which point they don't really offer much benefit anyways.

You must be using really shitty foam earplugs, because they are specifically designed to seal the ear. I think the material is a polymer that expands.

The only possible issue with foam earplugs is that they can get wrinkled when you insert them, but very likely you will notice this...

Foam earplugs also block more sound than musician earplugs (musician earplugs have a filter).

 

[Eleanor89]

I love my ACS custom earplugs.

I have 10, 17 and 26 dB filters.

I'm not blocking out sound totally.

 

[tracyNYC]

I recommend the 3M Skull Screws foam earplugs. I use them every time I leave my apartment (I live in a noisy city). They insert quickly and deeply, and for me, provide a good, tight seal. If it helps anyone, they can be used in an MRI.

I've had custom plugs, and the occlusion effect and hearing my footsteps (and other body movements!) inside my ears was an annoyance. Maybe that was a fitting issue. I didn't address it when I decided to stick with foam plugs.

 

[MindOverMatter]

I recommend the 3M Skull Screws foam earplugs. I use them every time I leave my apartment (I live in a noisy city). They insert quickly and deeply, and for me, provide a good, tight seal. If it helps anyone, they can be used in an MRI.

I've had custom plugs, and the occlusion effect and hearing my footsteps (and other body movements!) inside my ears was an annoyance. Maybe that was a fitting issue. I didn't address it when I decided to stick with foam plugs.

Yes, that must have been a fitting issue or bad quality custom earplugs.

With quality, correctly fitted custom earplugs there should be no occlusion effect at all.

 

[Stacken77]

With quality, correctly fitted custom earplugs there should be no occlusion effect at all.

I guess it depends on what types of custom earplugs it is. Many refer to custom molded "musicians earplugs" which have interchangeable filters. Those usually have a very high occlusion since they're not molded all the way back to the ear drum.

Any space between the ear drum and the plug contributes to occlusion, and correctly inserted foam ear plugs can fill out the canal almost completely, hence having very little occlusion.

 

[MindOverMatter]

@Stacken77, you are probably correct about that, but the ones I'm referring have a long mold (in lack of better words) - filling out the ear canal properly.

In my opinion those are way better than any foam earplug.

 

[Vincent R]

I have been using foam earplugs but I always have a hard time getting a good seal on one side; sometimes it takes multiple insertions and I still can't get the perfect seal, despite following the instructions exactly. And they always tend to work themselves loose at which point they don't really offer much benefit anyways. I wear them underneath earmuffs so I don't always notice the seal is broken until I get home, but sometimes I feel like I end up with temporary spikes that I figure would be lessened if they had stayed all the way in the whole time.

I have been considering getting custom earplugs made, but are they worth the cost? Are there any "over the counter" options that work as well as the custom ones and actually stay in? There are some brands I see like Decibullz which use some kind of thermoplastic, but Amazon reviews are mixed with a lot of complaints that they don't seal well and are hard and uncomfortable. There's other kinds of earplugs that require you to mix two compounds together and then place the putty in the ear and let it set, has anyone had good experience with them?

I don't mind spending the money if they really work well, but I want to make sure the money is well spent. Thanks for your input!

Uvex is a brand of foam earplugs that stays in according to my experience. Moldex is also good.

The custom made earplugs I've bought are creating a vacuum in the inner ear, repeatedly causing a popping sound. I've stopped using them entirely since I'm worried this will have a negative impact on my tinnitus.

I recommend trying Uvex and Moldex before you proceed to buy custom made.

 

[ZFire]

@Stacken77, you are probably correct about that, but the ones I'm referring have a long mold (in lack of better words) - filling out the ear canal properly.

In my opinion those are way better than any foam earplug.

The ACS Pro 15 ones I presume? I can't wait to get my hands on them.

 

[MindOverMatter]

The custom made earplugs I've bought are creating a vacuum in the inner ear, repeatedly causing a popping sound.

What kinds of custom ones are these?

Mine are from ACS, and also had some from Hantek, and have never experienced such issues. They do cost 200 GBP a pair though...

 

[MindOverMatter]

The ACS Pro 15 ones I presume? I can't wait to get my hands on them.

Correct

 

[Vincent R]

What kinds of custom ones are these?

Mine are from ACS, and also had some from Hantek, and have never experienced such issues. They do cost 200 GBP a pair though...

A Scandinavian firm, Bellman & Symfon.

The problem I've experienced might be an outlier.

 

[tracyNYC]

I guess it depends on what types of custom earplugs it is. Many refer to custom molded "musicians earplugs" which have interchangeable filters. Those usually have a very high occlusion since they're not molded all the way back to the ear drum.

Any space between the ear drum and the plug contributes to occlusion, and correctly inserted foam ear plugs can fill out the canal almost completely, hence having very little occlusion.

Yes, those were what I had. I recall my audiologist inserted a bit of cotton in my ear before injecting the "goop", maybe to protect the eardrum. So they weren't molded all the way back to the eardrum.

 

[Forever hopeful]

Pay the money and get custom molded earplugs. They will fit perfectly. I have musician's ones and can change the filters to different decibel levels.

I am getting them for my kids for concerts.

 

[Gabriel5050]

For me custom molded earplugs didn't provide any benefit over silicon musician earplugs available online. My custom ones also have a filter, but being molded to my ear shape they're supposed to fit better. Yet I do not feel comfortable with my custom pair.

That's my experience.

 

[kingsfan]

I love my ACS custom earplugs.

I have 10, 17 and 26 dB filters.

I'm not blocking out sound totally.

How is the occlusion with these? I want to try a new pair of customs and my Westones have so much occlusion I cannot sing or speak while wearing them.

 

[sjtinguy]

Still considering the custom earplugs but thanks to some suggestions I bought a handful of different kinds of foam earplugs the other day.

So far the Moldex "Meteors" style plugs seem to be far superior to the generic drug store brand ones I had been using. Most of the standard wedge style ones seem work themselves out over time but these are more like "goldfish" shaped (like the snack food). I'm not sure if it's the shape or something else but they stay in much better. I might even return some of the other ones I bought since these seem to work so well.

 

[Ryan Scott]

How is the occlusion with these? I want to try a new pair of customs and my Westones have so much occlusion I cannot sing or speak while wearing them.

How did the molding process of the Westones go?

 

[Watasha]

How did the molding process of the Westones go?

I got Westones custom molded musicians earplugs. I love them. They come with several different filter options and the best part is they attenuate at different frequencies so the sound is clear and not muffled.

 

[Ryan Scott]

I got Westones custom molded musicians earplugs. I love them. They come with several different filter options and the best part is they attenuate at different frequencies so the sound is clear and not muffled.

Did the molding process cause you to have a tinnitus spike? I am worried about the molding process because @DeanD had some problems while getting molded for custom earplugs.

 

[Watasha]

Did the molding process cause you to have a tinnitus spike? I am worried about the molding process because @DeanD had some problems while getting molded for custom earplugs.

No it did not. They basically take a small round piece of paper with I think some spongy material and insert into your ear canal a little like loading a musket. This prevents any of the mold from going past and to your eardrum (heck for all I know that little piece may not come close to the eardrum). Then they squeeze the molding material into your ear, you feel some fullness and hear very little, haha, sit there for a few minutes, and then they take it all out. I had it done probably in my first month or two of having tinnitus and I take the earplugs with me to big events like weddings, etc.

I know what it's like to be fearful of anyone touching your ears, but other than damaging the eardrum, I don't see how the process could cause any long-term issues that generate tinnitus. Just tell the doctors your concern and they should be understanding and gentle. I wouldn't LOVE doing it again, but I would if I needed to.

 

[Jupiterman]

Molding process didn't affect my tinnitus and the audiologist had to do it twice.

My tinnitus is reactive with multiple noises.

 

[Tom Cnyc]

Custom earplugs are one of the best purchases I have ever made. I still use mine 6 years later all the time, even though I don't have hyperacusis anymore...

 

[DeanD]

I feel the need to reply to this for anyone who may stumble upon this thread in the future.

It's not meant to purposefully put people off from having custom earplugs made from moulds, as I think they are incredibly worthwhile, but this is to provide more data in any research (and something I did not find when I researched this procedure).

I had my moulds done 2.5 weeks ago. The audiologist syringed putty in to my ear - with a foam tip to protect the eardrum.

The putty seemed to go far in to the ear canal, and there was a bit of discomfort the deeper the putty went but very little in the way of sound.

This though increased my sound reactivity and also my tinnitus.

I spoke to a well known audiologist who specialises in TTTS, and who diagnosed me with such, and feels that my subconscious saw the procedure as a threat, triggered the TTTS again which exasperated my sound sensitivity and tinnitus.

I would say I found very little in terms of posts or case studies to this effect, so I feel my reaction to this is rare.

As I said I am not posting this to scare anyone off, just to provide a real life experience and another side of the coin.

Knowing what I know now I would not have had the moulds done (unless this settles back down).

 

[Juan]

Custom earplugs are not worth it if you are looking at blocking sound. Foam earplugs block more sound, are cheaper, stay in place easier etc etc

For someone with hyperacusis I think foam earplugs are the best choice.

 

[Jupiterman]

Custom earplugs are not worth it if you are looking at blocking sound. Foam earplugs block more sound, are cheaper, stay in place easier etc etc

For someone with hyperacusis I think foam earplugs are the best choice.

I agree if you are ONLY wanting to block sound, then earplugs or earmuffs or using both is best.

However, if you require to hear external sounds (e.g., talking to people in a restaurant) with some degree of protection, then custom moulded earplugs with filters are useful.

 

[Juan]

However, if you require to hear external sounds (e.g., talking to people in a restaurant) with some degree of protection, then custom moulded earplugs with filters are useful.

With severe hyperacusis, I never had trouble hearing people until I started to lose hearing as a result of the combination of noise damage and hyperacusis.