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Custom earplugs have many advantages over traditional forms of hearing protection (foam earplugs and earmuffs), such as increased levels of sound quality, comfort and cost effectiveness.

Sound quality

Traditional forms of hearing protection tend to reduce high frequency sound much more than that in the mid to low frequencies, which is why foam earplugs often make things sound muffled. This makes it difficult to follow conversations, hear warning signals or hear the subtle nuances of music.

It is also difficult to get traditional forms of hearing protection in more than one level of attenuation (or noise reduction). While it may seem that the highest level of attenuation is best, if you cut out too much noise it means you are less likely to wear your hearing protectors because you get that closed in feeling and feel isolated from what is happening around you.

When using hearing protection that cuts out too much noise, it can be tempting not to use your hearing protectors, or remove them for brief periods while having a conversation with your colleagues. This can lead to reduced effectiveness of your hearing protection.

There are custom earplugs available with a range of filters that allow you to choose the correct filter to suit your noise environment, whether you are a musician, motorcyclist, or a professional working in the noisy industries. This means you aren’t going to have too little or too much attenuation, both of which are situations you want to avoid.

When getting your impressions made for your custom earplugs, the audiologist should ensure that the impression material reaches just past the second bend of the ear canal. This creates a deep seal between the impression material and the bony part of the ear. This results in a more natural sounding earplug because the occlusion effect (closed in feeling) is minimised.

Custom earplugs also reduce the occlusion effect as they contain vents which allow trapped low-frequency sound to escape.

The comfort factor

The most common criticism about earplugs and ear-muffs is that they are uncomfortable to wear. Ear-muffs are hot and tight causing sweating and soreness. Also, eye protection often interferes with ear muffs, meaning they aren’t effectively protecting your ears.

Disposable and reusable foam earplugs need to be inserted deep into the ear to reduce noise levels effectively. Unfortunately, because they place pressure on the ear canal, they can be uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time. Its tempting to remove them to give your ears a break, but if you are in a noisy environment this really reduces the effectiveness of your hearing protectors.

The better quality custom earplugs are made from an impression of the ear which extends past the second bend of the ear canal. As they are moulded to the ear, they provide a perfect fit.

When looking for custom made earplugs, check what material the earplugs are made of. Some custom products are made of an acrylic material which is hard and cold in the ear, and doesn’t flex with body movement. This means that noise can leak through the air gaps that are created, resulting in ineffective hearing protection.

High quality custom made earplugs are made with a soft medical grade silicon material, as this makes for a more comfortable earplug. The earplug will flex and move with your body movement, so whether you are walking, talking or dancing you will always have a good seal.

Cost effectiveness

While traditional forms of hearing protection have a low upfront cost, if you have to use them on a regular basis, the costs soon mount up. For example, professionals who work within the noisy industries often use three pairs of foam earplugs a day, and at 16 cents per pair, this adds up to over $115 per year.

On the other hand, custom made earplugs often cost much less than this when you consider how long they last for. High quality custom earplugs last for four years and even the most expensive will cost only $88 per year!

The other cost to take into account is the environmental waste caused by using disposable hearing protection. Going back to the above example, if on average you use 3 pairs of hearing protectors a day, for 240 days a year, over a four year period you’ll have disposed of 5760 earplugs.

Can you imagine a heap of 5760 disposable earplugs next to only two custom hearing protectors?

While the upfront cost of custom hearing protection is higher than traditional forms of hearing protection, you can reduce your risk of buying hearing protection that isn’t right for you. Look for a company that offers a money back guarantee, and will repair or replace your hearing protectors if the material or filters break down.

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