Earplugs

What earplugs are

An earplug sits in the ear canal to guard against loud noise, water, dust or wind. Many people also wear them to sleep or to focus in noisy places.

• Two jobs on a trip: Noise-reducing earplugs soften sound; pressure-relief earplugs slow how fast cabin pressure reaches the eardrum.
• Noise-reducing earplugs: Foam, silicone or wax plugs that seal the canal; sleep models aim to stay comfortable lying down while muffling snoring.
• Pressure-relief earplugs: A small filter inside lets air through slowly; some use a porous ceramic insert to ease pressure at takeoff and landing.
• Electronic sleep buds: Battery-powered plugs that add active noise cancelling; QuietOn 4 plays no music and no masking sounds.
• In amenity kits: Some airlines hand out foam earplugs to help passengers rest and cut aircraft noise.
• Who makes them: Makers include Mack’s, Ohropax, Loop, Alpine and Cirrus Healthcare, which makes EarPlanes.

How they work

Most earplugs seal the ear canal so less sound reaches the eardrum. A passive plug cuts soft and loud sounds by about the same amount, and its effect varies with pitch.

• Roll, insert, hold: Foam is rolled thin, pushed in while pulling the ear back, then held 20–30 seconds while it expands to seal.
• A molded seal: Wax and silicone putty are shaped over the opening of the canal rather than pushed deep inside.
• Flanges and tips: Reusable silicone plugs seal with soft flanges or swappable tips; Loop Dream ships with tips in XS, S, M and L.
• Why ears hurt on planes: The eustachian tube balances middle-ear pressure; when a plane climbs or descends, it often can’t keep up.
• A slow-leak filter: EarPlanes’ micro-ceramic CeramX filter slows the pressure change so the eardrum has more time to adjust.
• A valve effect: Alpine says FlyFit’s filters act like a valve, balancing pressure gradually and steadily.
• Active noise cancelling: QuietOn 4 adds ANC to the plug’s seal to cut low-frequency sound such as snoring and traffic.

Types

• Foam: Disposable memory foam of PVC or polyurethane; Mack’s Ultra Soft foam carries an NRR of 33 dB.
• Silicone putty and wax: Moldable plugs that cover the canal opening; also used to keep water out while swimming.
• Reusable silicone: Flanged or looped plugs with swappable tips, washed and kept in a case between uses.
• Filtered pressure-relief: A ceramic or valve filter slows pressure change; EarPlanes also cut sound by 20 dB, FlyFit by 17 dB.
• Custom-molded: Made from an impression of your ear; laboratory-made ones typically last 3 to 5 years.
• Electronic: Battery-powered plugs; QuietOn 4 uses active noise cancelling and recharges in its case.
• Musician’s earplugs: A filter cuts sound evenly across pitches so speech and music stay natural.

What to look for

• Noise Reduction Rating: U.S. labels must show an NRR, a lab figure that at least 98% of wearers should reach when the plug is fitted for them.
• SNR on European plugs: Plugs tested to the European standard list an SNR, measured differently; Loop rates Dream at 21 dB NRR and 27 dB SNR.
• Real-world loss: OSHA halves a plug’s NRR for field use; NIOSH cuts foam plugs by 50% and other plugs by 70%.
• Size and fit: Ear canals range from 3 to 14 mm across, and left and right can differ; look for several tip sizes.
• Test lying down: Tilting the head narrows the canal, and pillow pressure can hurt; try sleep plugs lying down.
• A filter for flying: For ear pain on planes, Mayo Clinic suggests filtered earplugs, sold at drugstores, airport shops and hearing clinics.
• Reusable or disposable: Foam loses its slow expansion and much of its blocking after washing; silicone washes and goes again.

On the plane and on the trip

• Cabin pressure still shifts: FAA design rules require airliner cabins to hold a pressure altitude of 8,000 feet or less in normal operation; Mayo Clinic notes pressure still changes fast on climb and descent.
• Timing the filter: EarPlanes go in before takeoff and before landing and stay in until cabin pressure settles; Alpine says to insert FlyFit just before boarding.
• Keep swallowing: Mayo Clinic says filtered plugs still need you to yawn and swallow, and advises staying awake for takeoff and landing.
• Colds and allergies: Mayo Clinic advises against flying with a cold or a sinus or ear infection; a nasal spray 30–60 minutes before takeoff and landing can help.
• Children: Babies can suck a bottle or pacifier during takeoff and landing; EarPlanes also come in a kids’ size.
• Where the noise comes from: NIOSH says engines and high-speed airflow over the fuselage are the loudest sources in flight.
• Security screening: ANC sleep buds hold lithium-ion cells; TSA allows devices with batteries up to 100 Wh in carry-on bags, and in checked bags with conditions.

Limits and care

• Trapped air: Pushing a plug in raises pressure against the eardrum; twist or jiggle plugs out rather than yanking them.
• Earwax: Plugs pushed too deep can drive wax inward, and frequent use can let wax build up.
• Keep them clean: Bacteria grow on warm, moist foam; wash reusable plugs with water and mild soap and let them dry.
• Filters clog: EarPlanes says to replace a pair after 4–6 flights because dust clogs the filter’s pores.
• Label versus fit: Real protection can differ from wearer to wearer by about 20 dB either way; fit is a big part of it.
• Not for scuba: Divers should use only vented plugs made for diving; a sealed plug can let pressure burst the eardrum.
• When to see a doctor: Mayo Clinic says to get care for ear fullness or muffled hearing that lasts more than a few days, or for severe pain.

A short history

The oldest recorded mention of earplugs is in Homer’s Odyssey: Circe tells Odysseus to plug his crew’s ears with beeswax so they can sail past the Sirens.

• 1907: Inventor Max Negwer starts Ohropax in Germany, making mostly wax earplugs.
• 1962: Ray and Cecilia Benner create the first moldable pure-silicone earplug and buy McKeon Products; their plug becomes Mack’s Pillow Soft.
• 1967–1972: Ross Gardner Jr.’s team at National Research Corporation develops an energy-absorbing resin, E-A-R, refined into memory-foam earplugs by 1972.
• September 1979: The U.S. EPA issues its Noise Reduction Rating label rule, binding on protectors made from September 27, 1980.
• End of 2016: Engineers Maarten Bodewes and Dimitri O found Loop Earplugs in Belgium.
• October 2024: Loop Dream, Loop’s first earplug designed for sleep, goes on sale.
• 2025: QuietOn, now owned by Finland’s Soundless, launches its QuietOn 4 sleep buds.