Recommend soft safe earplugs, such as a soft medical grade silicone that immediately returns to its default manufactured shape [edited]

Samuel

Samuel

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
i wear earplugs 24/7. i use disposables now, but there are issues.

i wonder if there are any soft earplugs made out of a safe material. my old respirator had a soft silicone that would retain its shape. like that. [edit: i mean that it would RETURN to its DEFAULT shape and not squish around until it fails to work or whatever!] foam has formaldehyde.

i use mack's silicone earplugs, but they are hard and do not revert to default shape. i go through 1-2 per day in each ear. also they have slippery substance. also i have no idea if they are safe [for examlpe, i don't know the result of the silicone breast implants thing].

so i am asking for soft safe /reusable/ earplugs i guess.
 
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Hi Samuel, I‘m using these:
https://www.aponeo.de/03185431-wellnoise-ohrenstopfen-blau.html
Wellnoise Silikon
I don‘t know if they‘re available in your country.
I use them for a longer time; in principle, they‘re washable. You can form them, and They keep their form. They produce very good silence. I am pretty sensitive when it comes to noise, and stuff in my ear. I sleep on the side, which is no problem with these earplugs. I tried different types, and these are the only ones I buy now.

I hope this was your question...
 
I use these but they sound similar to what you have already?

Amazon product ASIN B004TX1MVU
they revolutionised my sleep and i no longer need sleep meds as a result. Still not restorative but i used to wake to the smallest sound and my CNS would massively overreact and make me feel awful.

i get a few uses out of each pair before they lose that stickiness which helps them seal. Sometimes that stickiness is more like slipperiness, when that happens i squish them a bit and they tend to go sticky.
 
I struggled for years with earplugs. I have quite a small ear opening/tube. There is a noun for it that escapes me today!

Anyway, I find Moldex Spark Plugs very good (35snr). I think you can rinse them but I find I don't really need to. I guess it depends on how mucky your ears get.

I wear mine at least 12 hours a day and sometimes a lot longer than that. I get at least a week's wear out of each pair - though I try to wash my face, plus ears, at least once a day if not twice. I wash my hands before inserting them too.

They aren't expensive and can be bought on ebay and amazon. You can buy quite small amounts just to see if you can get on with them.

I've found they block a lot (but not all) human voice. They virtually eliminate the sound of the hoover, lawn mowers, aircraft, chainsaws, cars, bathroom extractor fan, etc. However if my husband has a cold, he's snoring does cut through :(.

Method of insertion is key to being comfortable and them working effectively.

*****the fastidious look away now*****

Moisten the tip of your little finger and use it to moisten the ear canal. Don't put your finger in too far! Up to the first knuckle should be enough.

Then take the ear plug and roll it between the thumbs & forefinger of each hand as though rolling a cigarette to warm the material and elongate it. When it's about half as long again is about right.

Insert the tip of the earplug into the ear canal. The angle you put the plug in is important. You are aiming in, up and back. Our physiology may vary slightly, but if you think of it as a clock I find halfway between 10 and 11 o'clock works best for me. If you have the angle right it will just slide in smoothly.

Don't insert it all the way. Just almost all the way. The external end of the earplug flares. The widest bit at the very end should remain outside and provide a cover to the canal.

If the earplugs aren't returning to their default shape, or are becoming uncomfortable, or the surface starts to feel different even if they look clean, it's time for a new pair.

Edit - you can sleep on your side with them in. Once they're in right you don't notice them.
 
I love Sleepsoft by Alpine :) They are reusable, very soft, very easy to use and clean, very effective and super comfortable.

Their other model Worksafe is equally excellent, depending on what kind of noise your are looking to block out.

However, they are silicon-free and do not have shape-memory, so maybe not exactly the kind of earplug you were asking for? They do keep their shape really well, no need to mould them before use or anything, just stick them in.
 
There are several threads about sound sensitivity noise cancelling etc & i wasnt sure which thread to post this on. I remember discussions about Quieton, Loop earplugs, howard leight, pointy foam ones. I have always used Hearos earplugs but they got thinner & firmer recently which i dont like, which led me, in a huff, looking for other brands...
I found these recently
Silicone Ear Plugs for Sleeping Noise Cancelling, 10 Pairs Reusable Earplugs for Sleeping, Concert, Snoring, Travel, Work, 10 Colors, 33dB SNR : Amazon.co.uk: Health & Personal Care

Best. Earplugs. Ever!

I havent been able to use the hard silicone sort and usually creating a total airtightness affected the pressure in my ears which i find really painful like landing on an airplane. But these are brilliant, you have to be quite gentle pushing them in and get them in at the right angle, but once positioned a gentle push and they are airtight its massively more effective than the foam ones, and streets ahead of Loop IMHO as those still let some air in.

I can sleep in these even on my side they are no different to the foam ones even though the core is firmer, and the other bonus is no need to roll between fingers so much more hygienic.

I wash mine in a little warm soapy water with antibac soap, rinse well & good to go again like new.

If you get them remember to push in & pull out slowly if you're sensitive to air pressure changes

I think they fit youre requirements in your OP @Samuel
 
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JemPD said:
Best. Earplugs. Ever!
Click to expand...

Ooh, thank you, they sound good. :emoji_thumbsup:

I've got Flare Isolates, which are amazing because they block all but bone-conducted sound. Even the tiniest version is a tight fit in one of my ear canals, though, so I only use them if someone's playing music late at night (which is rare here). Mostly I don't need that level of sound blocking, the soft silicone ones do a good enough job. Trouble is that they quickly get grubby, and they're not cheap.

These look much better, as I'd be able to clean them properly. I'll get some and see if they fit in ears that seem to be the size of a four-year-old's!
 
My ears are i think medium-large sized @Kitty but you just push till it stops and seals. Might be an issue to sleep in if you sleep on your side as the 'trunk' bit is quite firm so if it sticks out too far it will dig in.

I returned my flare ones as found them useless. Have you tried Loop ones? I dont find them as good as foam ones, but someone on here said they really liked them recently, there seem to be a lot of threads with similar titles/dicussions i get mixed up

A word to the wise... if you do buy a box... it has a piece of INVISIBLE tape holding it closed.... picture if you will, a fumbling swearing Jem throwing them across the room in frustration after spending 10mins trying to get into them, only to discover...





Theres a little piece of tape on it




:emoji_sweat_smile:
 
JemPD said:
Best. Earplugs. Ever!
Click to expand...
I have just ordered these earplugs and will follow your instructions. One of my ears objects to foam earplugs now, so I can only wear them briefly. Maybe it will accept these.

Like others I need to wear both earplugs and noise cancelling headphones for real noise. I call that "double noise protection". If I also put "Ocean Waves" on through the headphones, I call that "triple noise protection". Silence is always better, but I find if there are workmen or cleaning or gardening going on in the house or nearby, double is not enough and the waves stop me getting startled/kept vigilant by sudden noises.

Really helpful to know you didn't find the Sony XM5s good compared to Bose, as I was considering trying them. The last few Bose products I bought have stunk for months before I can start using them. My carers have better things to do than airing headphones!

Thanks for all the tips.
 
I have ordered JemPD’s recommended earplugs for what it’s worth. I find them about as effective as loop quiet’s for my earshape. Possibly a little more effective, but I also find they irritate my ear more, especially when sleeping on my side, so I tend to use them sporadically during the day, while using the loop quiet’s for sleep.
 
Thanks for the tips. I will be getting some more earplugs soon so will report back.

For the daytime when it's noisy I am similar to @Evergreen in a multiple step approach. I have in ear headphones with comply foam tips which isolate well and then ear defenders over the top, then play music or white noise playing if listening to an audiobook.
 
Evergreen said:
I have just ordered these earplugs and will follow your instructions. One of my ears objects to foam earplugs now, so I can only wear them briefly. Maybe it will accept these.
Click to expand...

Good luck!
I have found that if you put them in & leave them to soften in the warmth of the ear a little while & then jiggle them in jiggling & pushing, they go in further and then form a proper seal. When i first put them in i can never get the angle right. But you'll know when they're in properly because you'll feel the air pressure change inside the ear. Without that seal theyre not up to much. And still even all these months later, i find the angle they need to go in, to be very counter intuitive & always have to 'jiggle & push' a little before i find the deep entrance to the canal.

Yann04 said:
I have ordered JemPD’s recommended earplugs for what it’s worth. I find them about as effective as loop quiet’s for my earshape. Possibly a little more effective, but I also find they irritate my ear more, especially when sleeping on my side, so I tend to use them sporadically during the day, while using the loop quiet’s for sleep.
Click to expand...
It's interesting because we all have such different ear shapes. They irritate my ears the least out of all i tried, including Loop.
I do wish it was all easier for us all, but we have to try things to see.
 
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