Earplugs

The real issue is that when you go to any pharmacy, they only carry one (1!) specific type of those bottle caps 🤷

Anyone here actually used these earplugs for noise protection?
Do they get in the way when you're trying to sleep? Do they chafe? Just looking for any kind of feedback, good or bad.

Thanks 🙂

Are there any comfortable earplugs out there?
If they’re custom-molded, I assume they’d feel better?
Is there maybe some kind of protection that doesn't go deep into the ear canal?

Earplugs usually bother me. I don't even wear headphones.

I think what bugs me most about plugs and earbuds is how they seem to compress when you shove them in, and then once they're in, they try to expand but can't. That pressure is just annoying. If earplugs were custom-made, logic says that pressure wouldn't be an issue, right?

Rebecca Reed3 said:Are there any comfortable earplugs out there?
If they’re custom-molded, I assume they’d feel better?
Is there maybe some kind of protection that doesn't go deep into the ear canal?

Earplugs usually bother me. I don't even wear headphones.

I think what bugs me most about plugs and earbuds is how they seem to compress when you shove them in, and then once they're in, they try to expand but can't. That pressure is just annoying. If earplugs were custom-made, logic says that pressure wouldn't be an issue, right?

Yeah, you can get an 8-pack (16 plugs total) at CVS $9.25, and it's totally worth it. You can even wash them with water. They absorb sound way better than those cheap ones from the drugstore that turn into rocks after a week. I've been wearing plugs every single night for five or six years now—I can't sleep without them, and a sleep mask is a must for me too.
The plugs shouldn't compress like that; you're probably just putting them in wrong and warping them... grab one, roll it between your fingers like a little cylinder until all the air is squeezed out, then just tuck it in. Once they're in, they settle into place perfectly so you can sleep through loud noises. Honestly, after all these years, I can still hear certain things even with them in, but that's just habit at this point.

darktinker4, thanks so much! 👍
didn't see your reply earlier

darktinker4 said:Yeah, you can get an 8-pack (16 plugs total) at CVS $9.25, and it's totally worth it. You can even wash them with water. They absorb sound way better than those cheap ones from the drugstore that turn into rocks after a week. I've been wearing plugs every single night for five or six years now—I can't sleep without them, and a sleep mask is a must for me too.
The plugs shouldn't compress like that; you're probably just putting them in wrong and warping them... grab one, roll it between your fingers like a little cylinder until all the air is squeezed out, then just tuck it in. Once they're in, they settle into place perfectly so you can sleep through loud noises. Honestly, after all these years, I can still hear certain things even with them in, but that's just habit at this point.

How many times can you actually reuse those earplugs, and how do you even clean them?

I’m thinking about starting to use those disposable foam earplugs every single night.

So, I have a question for anyone who uses them on a daily basis.
Has anyone ever experienced an buildup of earwax causing a blockage, or perhaps dealt with an ear infection because of regular plug use?

I use the ones I picked up from CVS. Honestly, I don't really have an issue with earwax buildup, so I can't give you much insight there. But I can definitely recommend these—they're small, and they don't give me those annoying headaches. They come in different sizes, so just make sure you grab the ones that actually fit you. Personally, I wear mine for seven nights before swapping them out. And yeah, I clean my ears, obviously.
https://www.cvs.com/shop/mivolis-colorful-earplugs-172778131.html

I honestly can't recommend these enough—they're a total lifesaver for me.

https://www.cvs.com/ohropax-color-cepi...626090984.html

I haven't dealt with any ear infections or anything, though sometimes my ears get a tiny bit itchy if I wear them for way too long (like if I actually manage to sleep for a full 10 hours, which is super rare for me 😬).

Those look way too chunky to me. Honestly, they’re basically just bigger versions of the ones up there.

Richard Hill2 said:I honestly can't recommend these enough—they're a total lifesaver for me.

https://www.cvs.com/ohropax-color-cepi...626090984.html

I haven't dealt with any ear infections or anything, though sometimes my ears get a tiny bit itchy if I wear them for way too long (like if I actually manage to sleep for a full 10 hours, which is super rare for me 😬).

Yeah, totally agree, these things are killer.🙂

dustyowl29 said:I use the ones I picked up from CVS. Honestly, I don't really have an issue with earwax buildup, so I can't give you much insight there. But I can definitely recommend these—they're small, and they don't give me those annoying headaches. They come in different sizes, so just make sure you grab the ones that actually fit you. Personally, I wear mine for seven nights before swapping them out. And yeah, I clean my ears, obviously.
https://www.cvs.com/shop/mivolis-colorful-earplugs-172778131.html

Thanks! I actually gave those a try and they worked well for me.
I don't personally struggle with wax buildup either, but I was reading some things online suggesting that using earplugs might actually push existing wax deeper, potentially causing a blockage.
But I suppose if you stay on top of your ear hygiene, everything should be fine.

dustyowl29 said:Those look way too chunky to me. Honestly, they’re basically just bigger versions of the ones up there.

They aren't really the same thing though, because those CVS ones have much weaker sound isolation.
With my Ohropax, it feels almost like I'm in a vacuum...

So, how do they work for everyone else? Personally, they just give me a massive headache—probably because of that vacuum seal thing. Plus, they're way too wide.

Ryan Green said:Thanks! I actually gave those a try and they worked well for me.
I don't personally struggle with wax buildup either, but I was reading some things online suggesting that using earplugs might actually push existing wax deeper, potentially causing a blockage.
But I suppose if you stay on top of your ear hygiene, everything should be fine.

I use the same ones. My main issue is that my ears tend to clog up because of things stuck in there (basically, my AirPods 😁), but these plugs don't cause that, even though I use them every single day.