I am currently deployed to Iraq, and I live on a joint Army / Air Force base. About 500 feet from where my quarters are, F-16s take off on a regular basis, and Black Hawks do regular passes over our living area. I am a light sleeper so this made for some restless nights. I decided to shop around for some good quality earplugs in an effort to get some better sleep. Since I have started using Hearos, my sleep is without a doubt much more sound. They are comfortable, inexpensive, and last about 12-15 days a pair if you make an effort to keep them somewhat clean. Solid product all around.
I purchased the Hearos Ultimate Softness Series ear plugs to use at night after a noisy nocturnal elephant moved into the apartment above me. At first I tried using those bright orange Howard Leight Max ear plugs, and although they were very effective at blocking out sounds, they left my ears feeling really sore in the morning. The Hearos plugs seem just as effective as the Howard Leight ones in blocking out the noises of elephantine upstairs neighbors, but are more comfortable and I don't wake up with sore ear canals.
The plugs can be a bit tricky to insert, but once they're in there they are comfortable and don't stick out from your ear -the other plugs I used stuck out quite a bit and caused discomfort when smooshed against a pillow. The only problem with using these ear plugs when sleeping is that they are a little TOO good at blocking out sounds, so I've slept through my alarm a few times... and I'm a pretty light sleeper. So, I wouldn't recommend them if you're a heavy sleeper that needs to make it to an 8:00am meeting.
I gave these ear plugs 5 stars because they are the ultimate combination of comfort and effectiveness... and I can finally get a restful sleep!
Buy Hearos Ultimate Softness, 20-Pair Foam (Pack of 2) Now
From a review of three earplugs, these came in first:
1st place: Hearos Ultimate Softness, 20-Pair Foam (Pack of 2)
2nd place: Quiet Time Comfort Foam Ear Plugs 50 Pair
3rd place: Hearos Xtreme Protection, 14-Pair Foam (Pack of 3)
(they're basically ranked in decreasing softness, since all three block out sounds well)
The following were excluded as they did not fare well in the following review:
Flents Quiet! Please Noise Reducing Ear Plugs 50 Pair NRR 29
and Howard Leight Max-1 Ear Plugs, Uncorded, NRR33, 200 PR / box
w w w . s l a t e . c o m / i d / 2 1 1 8 8 0 0 /
or read the first review found in google with the search term: best ear plugs
The Hearos Ultimate Softness ear plugs were the winners for my ears because they had the right combination of comfort and noise reduction. Some notes: 1) my ear canals are probably narrower than average, so even these tended to generate pressure when worn; of course this can't be avoided since that's how sound is blocked out. But these were definitely the softest out of the three. 2) All three (and probably all ear plugs) don't reduce as effectively lower frequency sounds. They are very good at reducing sounds at the frequency range of music, voices, typing sounds, etc., but not so good at blocking out sounds of your upstairs neighbor dragging his furniture across the floor at dawn, or his evil spawn dropping various toys on the floor.
Pros: Comfortable, effective.
Cons: In people with small ear canals or who have sensitive vestibular systems, all ear plugs, including these, will create slight nausea or discomfort.
Caveat: I have small ear canals.
Conclusion: If unable to stop the source of the noise, and if ear plugs must be used, then use these.
Note: These are rated 32dB
Read Best Reviews of Hearos Ultimate Softness, 20-Pair Foam (Pack of 2) Here
I got a little carried away comparing different brands/models of ear plugs this past week and thought I'd share my experience here. Of the following three, the Hearos Xtreme Protection are my favorite. If the length of this review looks daunting, just skip the rest and take a look at the three kinds of plugs I tried and my overall assessment of their key characteristics:
HEAROS XTREME PROTECTION
Noise isolation: 5/5
Comfort: 4/5
Price: 3/5
Appearance/style: 4/5
HEAROS ULTIMATE SOFTNESS
Noise isolation: 3/5
Comfort: 4/5
Price: 4/5
Appearance/style: 5/5
HOWARD LEIGHT "SUPER LEIGHT"
Noise isolation: 4/5
Comfort: 5/5
Price: 5/5
Appearance/style: 3/5
I decided I needed some ear plugs after being at my wits' end from having to constantly listen to the low rumbly bass of my neighbor's stereo. It's not that it's that loud--but at any volume, constant repetition of a few single low-frequency notes really drives me crazy. I went over and knocked on the door, but no one answered; I'd bang on the wall and they'd turn it down, only to turn it up again half an hour later. I even tried expensive noise-canceling headphones (Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B Active Noise-Cancelling Closed-Back Headphones) and even though they helped, they didn't eliminate the noise.
After reading many positive reviews, I opted for Hearos Xtreme Protection. They have an NRR (noise reduction) of 33, which is the highest I could find in a plug I could afford. I even checked the attenuation data on the back of the package and saw that the decibel reduction was, quizzically, even higher at the low frequencies I was hoping to eliminate. I purchased them and went home and promptly inserted a pair into my ears, which was easier than I expected. I have seen a lot of comments about how they are difficult to get the hang of inserting, but it's really a piece of cake. Just don't skip the part in the instructions about pulling on the top of your ear with your other hand, because that does make it easier to get the plug in all the way. As I heard the second plug crinkling gently as it expanded, I could almost feel the air being sucked out of my ear and a layer of silence emerging. Suddenly I was off in my own world where I could hear only my breathing and the faintest muffled sounds from outside. Once they were fully expanded, I was surprised at how comfortable they were. They exert only a slight pressure on my ears, but it's not annoying at all. My neighbor was not playing music at the time, so I couldn't test their effectiveness against it. However, several hours later I found out from my girlfriend, who had and been sitting at her own computer (in the same room) for the previous hour, that the neighbors had been playing music for quite a while. I never knew because the Hearos were doing their job that well! Tears almost came to my eyes at that realization. A caveat, though: I have another neighbor with a deafeningly loud car stereo that shakes everything in my apartment. I'm not sure these plugs will get rid of that kind of volume, but then again, I haven't heard his stereo at all since I've been wearing them. (I will update this post when I have some real information about this.)
After such a successful experiment, I decided to sleep in them. I could feel them when I was on my side, but they were not uncomfortable--just there. (I later discovered, thanks to some other reviews here on Amazon, that you can simply cut the end off of the plugs with scissors, which does not affect their sound-blocking abilities in the least.) Coupled with the fan on my window unit, I couldn't hear a thing outside of the room. No annoying neighbors, cars, or anything...I didn't wake up once. I used that first pair for about 4 days, and could have used them longer--you could wear the same pair for a week with no problem. About the only con to these plugs are the fact that they are bright blue and a bit long (though, as I mentioned, they can be cut), which means they're not exactly discreet. But if you're anything like me, you don't really care what you look like in these things as long as you don't have to listen to other people's noise. Also, and more relevant for me, is the price. At about $.60/pair in small quantities, they are the most expensive of the three. However, they are significantly cheaper if you buy them in bulk here on Amazon, especially if you are a Prime member and can get free shipping--this brings the price down to a much more reasonable $.35/pair or so.
I decided, "wow, if the first kind of plugs I tried were so great, what about the others?" Since Howard Leight Max plugs also have great reviews on Amazon, I picked some up a local C-V-S (sold as "Super Leight" in a package of 10 pairs). While I found them to be very easy to insert and extremely comfortable, they didn't seem to offer quite as much noise isolation as the Hearos Xtremes. Although they have the same NRR (33), the seal just didn't seem quite as tight, and I'm pretty sure this is the reason. Comparing the plugs side by side, the Super Leight seem just a tad smaller in diameter. As a result, they are easier to remove, which I consider a con because I would rather have earplugs stay put. However, if your ears are smaller than mine, you might find the Howard Leight's just as good, if not better, at reducing outside noise; and they would probably be more comfortable as well. Just be aware that they are hunting-jacket orange, so they are even less discreet than the Hearos XP's. However, they are the cheapest of the three plugs--if you buy 200 pair on Amazon (sold as MAX1, but I'm pretty sure it's the same plug), it brings the price down to just a dime or so per pair! Because these plugs seem to be similar in their construction to the Hearos XP, you should be able to get at least a week's worth of wear out of these plugs as well--so you're set for four years!
Just for the heck of it, I figured I might as well try the Hearos Ultimate Softness too (another plug well regarded by Amazon reviewers). Although they were comfortable, the seal was not very tight at all and they didn't seem to block nearly as much noise as the Xtremes or the Super Leights. When I compared them side by side with the Xtremes, I realized how much smaller in diameter the Ultimate Softness are, which is almost certainly the reason. They are, however, the most discreet of the bunch. They barely stick out of my ears at all, and they blend in better with my skin tone--of course, they may not blend in with yours. It would be nice if they made the same kind of plugs in different colors, but manufacturers probably think it would be more confusing for the consumer. They are a little cheaper in the drugstore than the XP, but in bulk they become quite a bit cheaper at about $0.25/pair.
Since noise-blocking is by far the most important feature for me, I'm going to stick with the Hearos Xtreme Protection. Don't take my experience as gospel, but if you have average to large ear canals (which I'm not sure how to figure out, but I figure mine must be of the larger variety), you will probably find the Xtremes to be the best noise blockers. If price is your main concern, go with the Howard Leights, which are almost as good at noise-blocking but much cheaper. If you want to do some of your own comparisons, Hearos will send you a free sample if you fill out a form on their website. If you don't want to wait 6-8 weeks, you can go to your local drugstore and spend about $10-$11 and pick up a few different brands for yourself.
If I missed anything you're curious about, leave a comment and I'll do my best to provide more information. Thanks for reading to the end!
Want Hearos Ultimate Softness, 20-Pair Foam (Pack of 2) Discount?
I did a lot of research and read a lot of reviews before deciding on which ear plugs to buy. Who knew there was so many options!?! I finally settled on these since they were getting such great reviews. To give a little background, I was shopping for ear plugs to use when sleeping since my bro and his friends were keeping me up at night. These ear plugs are really great at muffling sound. My problem is they get painful! My ears start aching after a few hours of sleep and the ache ends up waking me up. I followed the directions on inserting them, it's not rocket science, and I do have sensitive ears, so others probably won't have a problem. I'm just writing this review for others that have sensitive ears like me.
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My initial rating was based on sleeping with this mask for a few days, and based only on the fact that it blocked out light better than my previous grocery store purchased sleep mask. However, other than that this mask is horrible in the comfort area. It's made of hard plastic on the outside and uncovered foam on the inside. It does block out light if you're lying on your back, but if you're a side sleeper you'll have hard plastic pressing against the side of your face, which can be distracting and occasionally even painful. After a week or two I threw this out and went looking again. Although it's twice as much, I found the perfect sleep mask: the Escape Luxury Sleep Mask by Dream Essentials. I've been using that one for two years and it's still perfect. Check my other reviews for a full review of the same mask (that color is no longer offered, but it's still available on Amazon in other colors if you search) for full details. It's easily twice the price of this mask, but soooo worth it!
