Earplug Information

Earplug Links

For reasons of comfort, earplugs aren't the ideal choice for everyone. You may want to investigate old-fashioned, heavy-duty earmuffs; you can also consult our report on headphones, which includes information about noise-canceling models.

Lately, manufacturers have been putting a new technological spin on earplugs, offering models that attenuate the sound of an iPod's earbuds or even inject white noise directly into the users' eardrums. There aren't enough reviews about these products to assess their effectiveness; we advise extreme caution until the results are in.

We also found some tantalizing hints that the U.S. Government is investigating high-tech earplugs for soldiers in combat situations. According to a March 7, 2008 Associated Press report by Chelsea J. Carter, hearing loss from roadside bombs has affected almost two-thirds of U.S. soldiers in Iraq, who come home with conditions ranging from mild tinnitus to permanent deafness. The U.S. Army has started to hand out QuietPro earplugs, which contain a digital processor designed to filter out blast noise and cost about $600 per pair, as well as lower-tech, double-sided plugs that (depending on how they're worn) block out either weapons fire and explosions, or noise from airplanes and tanks.

Sister San Francisco, a supportive website for women DJs and MCs, has a helpful article about hearing loss and buying earplugs for music industry professionals called "Equipment Lowdown: Earplugs."

Kevin Surace at Quiet Solutions, a company dedicated to the creation of quiet places using advanced building technologies, has written an informative introduction to sound levels and decibels called "Sound & Noise."

The Ear Plug Superstore is an online retailer mentioned in a number of reviews as a source of assortment packs and trial kits of earplugs from many manufacturers.

Earplug Manufacturers

Aearo/E-A-R

Etymotic Research

Flents

Hearos

Howard Leight

Mack's

Moldex