You don’t have to operate a jackhammer for a living to invest in a good pair of earplugs. While they used to live solely in the domain of high-visibility vests and safety helmets, you’ll now find plenty of folks using earplugs to protect their hearing at concerts, to concentrate in busy coffee shops, or simply to sleep better.
But choosing the right earplugs isn’t quite as simple as walking into your local CVS and grabbing the first pack of disposable foam you find in the checkout aisle. In addition to those reliable old standbys, you will now find a new generation of reusable earplugs that come in different sizes, filter out different frequencies, and come in Noise Reduction Ratings (NRR) from 12 (take the edge off a concert) to 33 (blot out the world).
Whether you’re after a silent slumber or safer SXSW, these are the best earplugs you can buy.
Be sure to check out our related guides to the best wireless earbuds, best bluetooth speakers and best sleep masks.
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Best reusable earplugs:
Sennheiser SoundProtex Plus reusable earplugs
The BMW of earplugs does absolutely everything well, if you’re willing to splurge.
Why we love them
Though they’re by far the most expensive earplugs I tested, Sennheiser’s SoundProtex Plus offer an amazing level of flexibility for both fit and function. They come with three sizes of silicone earplugs, four different sound filters (including one that blocks all sounds), plus a convenient zippered pouch that fits in any pocket.
The soft silicone is so comfortable, I’ve been able to use them for a six-hour day of motorcycle riding and then, (after a few hours to let my ears rest), have popped them back in for a full seven hours of sleep. They’re perfect for live music, too. With the “high” filter installed (the dark grey one) the SoundProtex Plus proved to be among the top five models during my testing, with excellent clarity and loudness reduction.
It’s a shame that … the filters are small, a bit fiddly to install and remove, and very easy to lose. My advice: try to choose the right filter before you leave home, instead of bringing all four with you and trying to swap them at a concert or a gas station.
Case included: Yes
Cord included: No
Reusable: Yes
Multiple sizes in the box: Yes (three)
Multiple filters in the box: Yes (four)
Noise Reduction Rating (33 is best): 2,10, 16, 20
Best disposable earplugs:
Mack’s Ultra Soft foam earplugs
These classics are comfortable, effective and cheap enough to buy by the jar.
Why we love them
Earplugs don’t come any more basic than Mack’s Ultra Soft, and that’s exactly what makes them perfect for so many casual uses. No special filters, no cords and no case: they’re just foam. Roll them between your thumb and finger, insert them in your ear canal, and wait about 15 seconds for them to fully expand.
Once they’re correctly inserted, you get a claimed NRR of 33: pretty much the most noise protection you can get. They block more high frequencies than lows, so they wouldn’t be my pick for concerts, though if you go to really, really loud ones, their protective effect is worth the tradeoff. Still, for loud tools, loud snoring and loud babies, they’re perfect.
So why did I pick the Ultrasoft over dozens of other similarly rated and seemingly identical disposable foam earplugs? They’re more comfortable than any of the other foam earplugs I tried. Oh, and the price: as little as 25 cents per pair when you buy 100 at a time.
It’s a shame that … they crush music. It would be great if the Mack’s Ultra Soft could give you an NRR of 33 and transmit music clearly, but alas, it’s a pretty muddy mix that comes through.
Case included: No
Cord included: No
Reusable: No
Multiple sizes in the box: No
Multiple filters in the box: No
Noise Reduction Rating (33 is best): 33
Best earplugs for concerts and live events:
Etymotic ER20 ETY reusable hi-fi earplugs
Don’t spend $300 on concert tickets and 30 cents on earplugs. These are the best sonic step up.
Why we love them
Brands such as Loop and Eargasm get a lot of visibility on social media, but they just couldn’t compete with the Etymotic ER20. These set an incredibly high bar for the one thing that really matters for live music: sound quality.
In my testing, the ER20 were the best earplugs at reducing volume without affecting frequencies. Vocals remained clear and distinct, shimmery highs such as cymbal hits kept their sparkle, and bass felt natural – not boomy or bloated. It didn’t sound like I was wearing earplugs at all.
I wouldn’t want to wear the included three-flange ear tips all day, but they were perfectly fine for a three-hour session, and I love that Etymotic includes both a case and a neck-cord.
The slightly more expensive Etymotic ER20XS ($20) have the same acoustic filters but use a lower-profile design and come with two styles of silicone tips and one set of foams.
It’s a shame that … they’re not as useful outside concerts. Elongated stems make them impractical for sleeping, and they only come with one size of silicone ear tip (you can pick between standard and large). Their single-filter NRR of 12 is right on the edge in terms of protection, and you can hear it: they don’t provide a massive drop in volume. If you like to stand next to the speaker stack, you may want to consider the Hears Plus, which offered me the greatest reduction in volume while still preserving an acceptable amount of detail.
Case included: Yes
Cord included: Yes
Reusable: Yes
Multiple sizes in the box: No
Multiple filters in the box: No
Noise Reduction Rating (33 is best): 12
Best earplugs for sleep and travel:
EarPeace Sleep reusable earplugs
Even side sleepers will find that these soft silicone gems disappear in the ear, and take unwanted noise along with them.
Why we love them
You’ve heard the story of the princess and the pea? Yep, you can call me a princess when it comes to sleeping with earplugs. As a side sleeper, just a hint of a plastic stem stem bothers me when my head hits the pillow, as does the continuous pressure of foam earplugs after they expand. And not all silicone earplugs work for sleep. Some that I love during waking hours become all I can focus on the moment I close my eyes.
After testing five dedicated sleep models, four different foam plugs and two kinds of moldable silicone pillow, the EarPeace Sleep have become my go-to for slumber. They’re soft, they sit securely without causing pressure, and they aced the mother of all tests: a second-floor New York City hotel room above a nightclub, with an active construction site on the corner. They’re available in standard or small sizes.
Better yet, each box comes with three sets and three tiny storage cases. I now keep one set in my travel bag permanently.
If you sleep on your back, well, I envy you. It means that you’ve got many more choices for earplugs, including electronic models that offer active noise cancellation. If it were me, I’d probably pick the Loop Dream; I found the shape of the ear tips slightly more comfortable than the EarPeace. Their small plastic tabs, sadly, were the deal-breaker.
It’s a shame that … nothing. The EarPeace Sleep are perfect, as far as I’m concerned.
Case included: Yes
Cord included: No
Reusable: Yes
Multiple sizes in the box: No
Multiple filters in the box: No
Noise Reduction Rating (33 is best): 30
Best earplugs for loud power tools:
3M Skull Screws corded disposable earplugs
Time is money on job sites. A unique design makes these the fastest to pop in and out on the fly.
Why we love them
When it comes to power tools such as chainsaws, grinders and jackhammers, you don’t need filters, you need maximum hearing protection. You also need to be able to remove and replace them easily when co-workers might need a word, and some kind of tether or neckband to keep from losing them in a pile of sawdust.
3M’s Skull Screws check every box. Their foam construction has an NRR of 32 (one level below the highest you can get), and each set is attached by a durable cord that is long enough to drape around your neck while you take a quick pause from working.
Standard foam plugs have to be rolled down for a correct fit, but the conical design of the Skull Screws allowed me to gently push and twist them in, letting me get back to work much faster.
It’s a shame that … they’re so easy to push in using the built-in stems, you can overdo it. I accidentally went too far on one occasion and was painfully reminded why that’s a bad idea.
Case included: No
Cord included: Yes
Reusable: No
Multiple sizes in the box: No
Multiple filters in the box: No
Noise Reduction Rating (33 is best): 32
Honorable mention for loud tool work: Milwaukee’s Banded Earplugs ($42). These earplugs have rigid plastic band with articulated hinges keeps the earplugs more accessible than cords when they’re not in your ears, and I like that they come with both silicone and foam conical tips. However, I found that I had to wear the band over my head, otherwise it would continually rub against my clothing – sending distracting vibrations directly into my ears.
Best earplugs for motorcycling and powersports:
EarPeace Moto reusable earplugs
Comfort is everything on long rides, and EarPeace makes a pair you’ll forget you have in.
Why we love them
Like the EarPeace Sleep, the Moto plugs are exceptionally comfortable. I rode a seven-hour day using them, with only a few short pitstops, and they didn’t bother me at all.
They come with two sizes of ear tips, three sets of filters (NRR 11, 14 and 19), and an aluminum cylinder case with two sections: a large one for the tips and a smaller one for the filters. It’s better than Sennheiser’s zippered pouch, which forces you to keep filters and ear tips in one compartment. Better yet, EarPeace includes a single backup ear tip in each size in case you lose one.
For most riding, the middle filter (red) worked best for me, providing excellent noise reduction of wind, road and engine sounds, while still letting me hear my helmet’s built-in communication system. In fact, I found it easier to understand other riders with these earplugs in, because they filter so much of the sound that usually competes with voices.
Oh, and here’s something EarPeace doesn’t advertise: its Moto model comes with the same three filters as its Music model, which I included in my live music evaluation. I found that the clear filter (NRR 11) performed much better than the foam, though still shy of the best live music earplugs for clarity.
It’s a shame that … the same grey color that makes them inconspicuous in your ear makes it incredibly easy to lose on the side of the road or a gravel driveway. High-vis orange or yellow would be more practical. Either that, or offer buyers an optional cord. Though they’re not quite as comfy, I’ve been reaching for 3M’s reusable earplugs for shorter rides for exactly these reasons – they’re bright yellow and come with a cord.
Case included: Yes
Cord included: No
Reusable: Yes
Multiple sizes in the box: Yes
Multiple filters in the box: Yes
Noise Reduction Rating (33 is best): 11, 14, 19
Most fashionable earplugs:
Loop Switch 2 reusable earplugs
Judging by all the Loop earplugs I spot at concerts and festivals, this company may have single-handedly made wearing hearing protection cool, and for that it deserves plenty of kudos. I wasn’t impressed by their ability to preserve musical fidelity, but if their on-trend factor gets you to wear hearing protection, I’m not going to nitpick.
Why we love them
They’re the only earplugs I’ve come across with a three-way built-in changeable filter (thus the name) that lets you pick your preferred NRR (14, 17 or 20). So much better than trying to swap filters! They also come with multiple ear tips, making it easy to get a good fit, and yes, they look pretty cool.
It’s a shame that … the case is tiny and can attach to a keyring, but I found it a bit fiddly to use.
Case included: Yes
Cord included: No
Reusable: Yes
Multiple sizes in the box: Yes (four)
Multiple filters in the box: Yes (three settings)
Noise Reduction Rating (33 is best): 14, 17, 20
Best earplugs for occasional sleep help:
3M Quiet disposable earplugs
If you need earplugs for sleeping every night, get the reusable EarPeace Sleep, but if you only need occasional help sleeping, try these.
Why we love them
For occasional sleeping issues or if you want a pair of earplugs to stash in your travel bag for long flights or poorly situated hotel rooms, I found 3M’s Quiet foam earplugs the most comfortable of the disposables I tried.
It’s a shame that … they’re just a little softer and a little squishier, which reduced the pressure inside my ear canal to the point where I could drift off easily.
Case included: No
Cord included: No
Reusable: No
Multiple sizes in the box: No
Multiple filters in the box: No
Noise Reduction Rating (33 is best): 32
Best for people who hate earplugs:
Mack’s Pillow Soft silicone earplugs
Most earplugs are designed to sit inside your ear canal, and some people can’t stand that feeling. For these folks, a moldable silicone or wax plug is the way to go. These disposables block your ear canal by filling your outer ear.
Why we love them
Mack’s Pillow Soft are made from silicone and have an Noise Reduction Rating of 22. They were easy to roll between my finger and thumb and mold into my ears, and I found them equally comfortable. Mack’s Pillow Soft earplugs are slightly cheaper than the alternative pick I have below, on a per-plug basis.
It’s a shame that … you can only use them a few times each.
Case included: No
Cord included: No
Reusable: Yes (a few times each)
Multiple sizes in the box: No
Multiple filters in the box: No
Noise Reduction Rating (33 is best): 22
These worked about the same: Eargasm’s Squishies ($19 at Amazon for a pack of 16) were equally comfortable to the Mack’s, also have a Noise Reduction Rating of 22, and were also easy to roll and mold. They’re just slightly more expensive, but they do come with a little plastic case.
Other earplugs The Filter tested
The answer is a lot! I tried many earplugs. I mention some of these in the text above:
How we tested (and our mission at the Filter US)
Why you should trust the Filter US
Our mission is to help you filter out junk products and buy fewer, better things.
At the Filter US, we test the products we recommend ourselves and never take your trust for granted. We also consider possible impacts on your health or the environment in our coverage and companies cannot purchase a spot in our product rankings because we are here to serve you, not corporations.
Our team is a part of the Guardian’s US editorial team and our journalists follow its strict ethical standards. Learn more about us here.
Why you should trust me
As an audio reviewer, my hearing is how I make a living. I take hearing protection so seriously that I see an audiologist annually to keep tabs on my hearing health. I’ve also spoken to a variety of hearing health professionals for my prior coverage of noise-induced hearing loss and over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids.
For earplugs designed to be worn at concerts, I bring an audiophile’s ear. To me, protection without decent fidelity feels like an unacceptable tradeoff. As a motorcyclist, I also wear earplugs constantly through the warmer months, and have discovered that the right ones help me get a better night’s sleep.
How we tested earplugs
Not all sounds are created equal, so I tested every pair of ear plugs in the situations where they’re expected to perform. I logged more than 1,000 miles (1,600km) riding my motorcycle, and spent several hours running table saws, leaf blowers and shop vacs. To test for sleep, I used each model for two nights in a row. As a side sleeper, I paid particular attention to comfort.
With more than a dozen models to evaluate, I couldn’t repeatably test them at an actual concert, with the same song, at the same volume. So I set up a JBL PartyBox 310 speaker in my garage, cranked it to max volume and listened from a foot away. That setup was able to generate consistent measured peaks of 105dB – less than the worst-case concert scenario of 120dB, but loud enough to evaluate how well each earplug reduced loudness while maintaining sound fidelity across frequencies.
Frequently asked questions about earplugs
Below are some questions you may have about earplugs, how they fit, how they reduce noise, and other topics.
Why do I need earplugs?
Hearing damage rarely happens in a single moment. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a cumulative effect that can take years or even decades to become noticeable. When you do, it’s also irreversible. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIHL is the one type of hearing loss that can be entirely prevented, and it recommends properly fitted earplugs if you can’t avoid loud noise exposure. By reducing the volume levels that reach the critical parts of our ears’ anatomy, they reduce the chances of permanent hearing loss.
Beyond protecting our hearing, earplugs are a good way to block all kinds of noise – whether you’re looking for a better night’s sleep or you need help concentrating in a busy environment. Some people also use earplugs to keep water out of their ears while swimming.
What’s the difference between earplug types?
There are two main types of earplugs: disposable and reusable.
Disposable earplugs can cost as little as a few cents per pair when bought in bulk, while silicone models tend to run anywhere from $10 to $100 per pair.
Disposable earplugs can be used multiple times, but most manufacturers recommend that you throw them out once dirt or wax buildup becomes noticeable, and their foam eventually loses its spring. Reusable silicone can last much longer and is designed to be cleaned with gentle soap and water between uses.
To fit foam earplugs correctly, they need to be rolled and squeezed into a narrow shape, inserted into the ear canal while pulling back slightly on the top of the ear, and allowed to expand back to their original size. It’s surprisingly easy to mess up. I’ve used foam earplugs hundreds of times and even I occasionally have to redo this step. There is usually plenty of extra material to pinch and pull them out.
Silicone models follow the same steps, but without the need to roll them into shape or wait for them to expand. However, it’s easier to push silicone earplugs too far, making them difficult to extract using the attached tab.
Foam provides the highest level of noise reduction but does a poor job of reducing sound frequencies evenly. This can create a muffled, “boomy” sound. Silicone models usually use a noise filter inside the silicone eartip to provide a more even reduction of frequencies, for a more natural sound.
Silicone earplugs come in different densities. EarPeace models, for example, use a very soft formulation, while other products, such as Eargasm and HearProtek have a firmer composition, which might prove more durable over time.
Foam can’t be used for swimming – it will absorb the water. Disposable wax and silicone are an excellent choice of swimmers. Reusable silicone models can be used for swimming, but only if they’re specifically designed for that activity.
How important is a good fit?
Fit is absolutely essential for both comfort and protection. Whether foam or silicone, a poor-fitting earplug won’t provide the noise reduction it’s designed for. Poor fit can even cause more hearing damage, because you’ll think you’re protected and may stay in loud environments for longer.
What is NRR? How is it different from SNR?
The level of noise reduction offered by any hearing protection is expressed using two different standards: Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) in North America, and Single Number Rating (SNR) in the rest of the world. Both attempt to show you how much of a reduction you’ll get in decibels (dB).
For instance, an NRR of 15 will theoretically bring noise measured at 100dB down to 85dB. In a perfect world, this would be amazing, because there are established guidelines for how long we can be safely exposed to different sound levels, and 85 is low enough that we can handle up to eight hours of it in a single day.
Unfortunately, NRR and SNR use different testing methods and thus produce substantially different numbers, with SNR often indicating 6-7dB greater protection than NRR.
Manufacturers and the safety community also disagree on the way to interpret these numbers. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha), for instance, encourages employers to “derate” NRR numbers dramatically to account for poor fit or poor training for use. Under Osha guidelines, an NRR of 33 gets derated to just 13.
Two of the manufacturers I spoke to expressed the opposite point of view, saying that when well-fitted, their earplugs offer better-than-NRR protection in the real world.
Bottom line: the higher the number (NRR or SNR), the more protection an earplug will provide if correctly fitted.
Are reusable earplugs always better?
Not necessarily. Disposable foam earplugs offer the highest number (typically 30-33 on the NRR scale) you can get. And yes, if you only need them occasionally, they’re less expensive than the reusable ones.
What makes one model of earplug better than another for listening to music?
Reducing loudness levels is important, but nobody wants to hear their favorite band turned into mush. That’s why filters designed for concerts attempt to reduce loudness by the same amount across the entire audible spectrum. The best ones do just that, just like you’d expect on a sound system at home: turn down the volume, not the details.
It’s not easy. Of the 38 models I tested, only five managed to deliver a (mostly) uncompromised sound.
Can I use audio earbuds instead?
Yes, but with a few caveats.
First, they must have silicone ear tips. The regular AirPods style, which only partially block your ear canal, won’t offer much protection at all.
Silicone ear tips seal your ear canal, and can provide some passive noise isolation, just like earplugs. However, earbuds aren’t rated for noise reduction by any standardized test, so there’s no way to know their NRR or SNR.
Earbuds with active noise cancellation can offer more protection than passive noise isolation, but again, it can be hard to know exactly how much. None of these products are designed for activities including live music, loud tools or sleeping, unless they’re specifically listed in their specifications.
What else should I look for when buying earplugs?
Some of my favorite extras include:
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A case or zippered pouch to store the earplugs when not in use
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A cord to keep the earplugs from dropping or getting lost
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A variety of ear tip sizes to help you get a good fit. Some people may need to use a different size in each ear
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Swappable filters let you pick the amount of noise reduction you need, and some may offer better performance for specific activities like live music
Is it safe to use earplugs?
Yes, earplug use is considered safe as long as you follow the manufacturer’s instructions. However, there are some caveats and cautions to be mindful of.
According to Ashley Melcher, a nurse practitioner specializing in sleep medicine at the University of Washington’s Sleep Medicine Center at Harborview, sleeping with earplugs should be an occasional solution, rather than one for every night. “You’re risking earwax buildup and bacterial or fungal infections of the outer ear canal,” she said.
The best way to avoid these problems is to keep your earplugs as clean as possible, and if they’re foam, replace them regularly. Rinsing earplugs in water can help remove dirt and debris, but make sure you dry the earplugs completely before using them. Introducing moisture to your ear canal then sealing it with an earplug invites bacteria to grow. If your body produces a lot of earwax, talk to your doctor about the ways to safely remove it.
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