Tips for Choosing Comfortable Ear Plugs

[AmyFromAlbertaCanada]

Hey camino friends!
Ear plugs... simple yet I have no idea where to start.
I have sensitive ears and find ear plugs incredibly uncomfortable and borderline painful. Am I doing something wrong, or are there different plugs for different needs? Any advice or experience could be helpful.

 

[C clearly]

Ear plugs help a bit for me, but not a lot - maybe because I don't want to use ones that block all sounds. Also, they physically annoy me. I usually go to sleep on my side and put an earplug only in the ear that is on top, because it is very uncomfortable to have one in the ear that I am lying on.

For listening to podcasts and audiobooks while walking, I now happily use bone conduction headphones, which don't actually go into the ear and they allow ambient noise as well as the audio content. However, it wouldn't be comfortable to wear in bed.

Probably others will have good suggestions and information to add. In the meantime, here are some old threads with "ear plugs" in the title.

 

[Rick M]

If you are planning on albergues for your accommodations, you're gonna want something to attenuate the two guys in the next bunk playing their nightly symphony. I use in-ear wired headphones. Not the cheap ear buds the teen agers use, but the kind with the rubber cups that seal out sound completely, so the tiny speaker in the headphone can work its magic. I sleep in them, and find them comfortable. Pick your favorite, most come with several different sized rubber cups so you can adjust them to your ear. Models by Beyer Dynamic and Sennheiser have worked well for me over the years. Make sure they are the closed back, not the open back type. The bonus is they make pretty good headphones for listening to music too.

Buen Camino

 

[Roland49]

I used my earplugs on my CF in July 2019 only once. In most cases you don't need them, because you will be tired after walking 25-35km in average .

BC
Roland

 

[Anhalter]

Tried some, even rather expensive ones, from the pharmacy. Did not like them as much as the dirt cheap ones from work. I think they come in a pack of 1000 and have the added benefit of being even lighter then the premium ones. So everytime i feel like i need some, i just bring some home (it's my company after all).

But i also heard of custom made ones that fit your ear like a glove. Might be an option to ask at one of those hearing-aid shops (whatever the word in english is for that...)

edit: just wanted to show that sometimes the cheaper option might work better

 

[CAJohn]

As a gift to myself, I had custom earplugs made. I went to the audiologist and they took a mold of my ear and had earplugs made in the same manner that they would make a hearing aide.

They were super comfortable. You can lay on your side. There is a tiny plastic thing that sticks out from them like a hearing aide that allows you to take them out.

They were absolutely wonderful on the Camino and I was so glad to have them. They were pricy, but I cannot recall how much. If I lost them, I would get another pair.

I was tipped off to their existence by a woman in my partnership who got them as a gift from her husband.

 

[simply B]

I have had to wear earplugs a lot over the years while working in or inspecting various industrial facilities. Cost ranged from "cheap" to "expensive" but nothing like @CAJohn reports....which are probably worth a look.

I took some of the mid-range cost earplugs with me on my first Camino. They were useless for me when it came to drowning out snoring. I gave away all my unused pairs to other pilgs who were interested. IIRC, maybe half of those folks found the gift to be of benefit.

B

 

[BombayBill]

I have tried foam models, rubber models with flanges etc. IMO the best are the soft waxy ones which swimmers sometimes use. They are inexpensive, can be molded precisely to your ear. They eventually get dirty and have to be thrown out. Overall they worked best.

Once I put in the rubber flange ones that had a little stub on the end. When I awoke I couldn’t remove them, they had drilled in. 2 days ! later I couldn’t convince a Sister at a religious order to fish them out with a sewing needle. She directed me to a clinic. Instead I went to a mechanics shop and fished them out with needle nosed pliers. For 2 days the road walking was blissfully quiet.

So now I stick the soft waxy ones.

Life Brand Soft Silicone Ear Plugs | Shoppers Drug Mart

Buy Soft Silicone Ear Plugs from Life Brand at Shoppers Drug Mart. Free Delivery on Orders $50+ excluding Digital Gift Cards. Earn and Redeem PC Optimum Points.

shop.shoppersdrugmart.ca

 

[Former member 91017]

Hey camino friends!
Ear plugs... simple yet I have no idea where to start.
I have sensitive ears and find ear plugs incredibly uncomfortable and borderline painful. Am I doing something wrong, or are there different plugs for different needs? Any advice or experience could be helpful.

Same here.
My perfect, pricey solution: BOSE sleep buds. I cannot feel them when I sleep; they don't mess up my ear canal pressure, have changeable ear-pieces so my differently sized (very small) ears can have their own unique fit...
The price for me remains"worth it" because I have a very loud snorer as a partner, so I use them almost nightly.

 

[Former member 91017]

Ear plugs help a bit for me, but not a lot - maybe because I don't want to use ones that block all sounds. Also, they physically annoy me. I usually go to sleep on my side and put an earplug only in the ear that is on top, because it is very uncomfortable to have one in the ear that I am lying on.

For listening to podcasts and audiobooks while walking, I now happily use bone conduction headphones, which don't actually go into the ear and they allow ambient noise as well as the audio content. However, it wouldn't be comfortable to wear in bed.

Probably others will have good suggestions and information to add. In the meantime, here are some old threads with "ear plugs" in the title.

Which ones do you use? My son is on his umpteenth pair of Trekz (he's hard on things, but Camino is hard on things.. so maybe you have something better).

 

[RJM]

I never needed earplugs on the Camino, a do not like having something like that in my ear while I'm sleeping anyway.

 

[Phoenix]

I've found silicone swimmer's earplugs to be the most comfortable. Part of the reason is they don't go into the ear canal, rather they sit at the opening of the canal. A pair usually lasts 2-4 days if cared for properly.

Available on amazon and at most large pharmacy chains.

Silicone ear plugs, amazon

 

[trecile]

There are a couple of different options for DIY custom molded earplugs on Amazon.

Amazon.com : Radians Custom Molded Earplugs, Orange : Radian Ear Mold : Clothing

Amazon.com : Radians Custom Molded Earplugs, Orange : Radian Ear Mold : Clothing

www.amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N129AQ8/?tag=casaivar02-20

 

[Jeff Crawley]

My go to plugs are Howard Leight Laser Lites - after, of course, removing my hearing aids!

Otherwise the 100% guaranteed solution is a single occupancy room in a hotel or hostal - if anybody is snoring and keeping you awake you've only yourself to blame.

 

[gypsy9]

I support what Phoenix recommended. Silicone earplugs are not so expensive and can be bought in pharmacies in Spain. I am a light sleeper and I find them essential (snoring, plastic bag rustling, and toilet door banging). I also have tinnitus.
In one (desperate) situation, I have used gobs of Blu-tack !
Buen Camino

 

[Anniesantiago]

The BEST earplugs I have found are simple, cheap HEARO earplugs.
Coming in second are just cheap soft foam earplugs like Mack's Ultra Soft or these pink/yellow ones.
Any that are soft and spongy.
I can stuff, stuff, STUFF them into my ears until I can pretty much hear nothing.
And with my MCS, I can hear a fly fart a mile away.

 

[EL LECHERO]

I have had to wear earplugs a lot over the years while working in or inspecting various industrial facilities. Cost ranged from "cheap" to "expensive" but nothing like @CAJohn reports....which are probably worth a look.

I took some of the mid-range cost earplugs with me on my first Camino. They were useless for me when it came to drowning out snoring. I gave away all my unused pairs to other pilgs who were interested. IIRC, maybe half of those folks found the gift to be of benefit.

B

TRAIL MAGIC AT ITS FINEST!!!

 

[woody66]

Earplugs!
Put them in they muffle exterior noise;and then amplify the sound of my heartbeat/pulse in my ears still cant sleep!!
Woody

 

[Dave2525]

Couldn't have done without them. I'm a light sleeper so no matter how tired I was I needed them to get and stay asleep. Just simple foam earplugs from the local pharmacy

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I never needed earplugs on the Camino, a do not like having something like that in my ear while I'm sleeping anyway.

You obviously "sleep like a log". Lucky you!

Coming in second are just cheap soft foam earplugs like Mack's Ultra Soft or these pink/yellow ones.
Any that are soft and spongy.
I can stuff, stuff, STUFF them into my ears until I can pretty much hear nothing.

Annie, I use the same yellow/pink ear plugs as in your photo and they work very well for being quite cheap. I think the little "knob" at the end creates even more of a barrier.
P.S. I will say the molded silicone ones get great reviews from forum members and do sound a bit tempting to give a try.

 

[JamesVT]

Ear plugs help a bit for me, but not a lot - maybe because I don't want to use ones that block all sounds. Also, they physically annoy me. I usually go to sleep on my side and put an earplug only in the ear that is on top, because it is very uncomfortable to have one in the ear that I am lying on.

For listening to podcasts and audiobooks while walking, I now happily use bone conduction headphones, which don't actually go into the ear and they allow ambient noise as well as the audio content. However, it wouldn't be comfortable to wear in bed.

Probably others will have good suggestions and information to add. In the meantime, here are some old threads with "ear plugs" in the title.

On my Camino I used the inexpensive, moldable silicone earplugs that shut out/muffled most of the noise at night while sleeping. They were comfortable and resisted getting dirty. I carried a spare pair that switched to using about midway on my Camino.

 

[camino.ninja]

Hey camino friends!
Ear plugs... simple yet I have no idea where to start.
I have sensitive ears and find ear plugs incredibly uncomfortable and borderline painful. Am I doing something wrong, or are there different plugs for different needs? Any advice or experience could be helpful.

I am experimenting with Apple Airpods Pro. And I will say they are super nice for both sound and blocking out noize. For sleeping they do not work if you like to sleep on the side. Fine if you sleep on the back.

 

[BobY333]

My wife swears by the Sharper Image "Wireless Sound Soother Headband". It plays white noise though flat speakers. We have a fan in our room at home, and this recreates it on the Camino. Cost is $100, though you can sometimes find a coupon.

 

[MikeyC]

I have tried foam ear plugs but they typically fall out during the night. After I started wild swimming during the pandemic I found the malleable plastic type swimmers ear plugs in my local Decathlon store. They work a treat both for swimming and for a quiet night.
I am putting a link so as to save writing a fuller description.

Malleable Swimming Ear Plugs Blue and Pink NABAIJI | Decathlon

Do you want to keep the water out of your ears without inserting ear plugs? Malleable ear plugs are the best solution that can be completed by a…

www.decathlon.co.uk

 

[HE-J]

I use the silicone wax type for swimmers ...but find they’re too big & uncomfortable when I’m sleeping on my side so ....simply rip them in half ...et voila! Works a treat ¡Buen Camino!

 

[sternenstrasse]

Earplugs (the compressable ones that are made out of a sticky foam) were an essential item on my list!

 

[Kevin Malinak]

I'm with you on the fact that ear plugs bother me...
However, the noisy environment(s) bother me more, so...
I wear them when trying to sleep in noisy environments. to "reduce" the noise... make it more bearable.
The thin Silicone membrane exterior with wax inside are probably my favorite for comfort and noise, however I can't find them anymore, so a close second is the orange foam plugs are what I use now.
My ears got used to wearing them over time, and now they don't bother my ears anymore.
They do make these in different sizes, but not all stores carry the different sizes. Try to find a smaller size to cause less discomfort. You might already, but if you follow proper procedure to install them, they bother your ears less.
Blessings, -kevin-

 

[trecile]

I use soft cheap wired earbuds that are comfortable for side sleeping.
I listen to semi-boring podcasts, but you could use a white noise app.
I set a timer on my podcast app for 15-20 minutes, and often fall asleep within five minutes.
For me it helps to have something to listen to, to distract me from other sounds in the room, than to try to block out the other sounds.

These are what I use

Amazon.com

 

[Kaleo]

https://www.earplugstore.com/ The Ear Plug Store has a wide variety of ear plugs. They have helpful staff who answer questions. I ordered custom ear plugs to muffle sounds, as well as foam plugs for sleeping. If you have small ear canals (and regular foam ear plugs are uncomfortably large), I recommend trying these very soft plugs: Howard Leight brand Max Lite LPF-1 https://www.earplugstore.com/holemauffopl.html

 

[NYSE]

Hey camino friends!
Ear plugs... simple yet I have no idea where to start.
I have sensitive ears and find ear plugs incredibly uncomfortable and borderline painful. Am I doing something wrong, or are there different plugs for different needs? Any advice or experience could be helpful.

Drink more beer and wine along your way and by night you won't be feeling (or hearing) a thing

 

[Kathy F.]

Although I thought I would, it turns out I didn’t need earplugs the vast majority of time.

I was usually pretty exhausted by the end of the day so tended to drop off easily.

And the times when the snorers were loud enough to interfere with my falling asleep, I was surprised to discover that the snoring usually stopped after an admittedly long 15 minutes or so.

Had the snorers unconsciously found a good position for comfortable sleep? Had they died? Don’t know, don’t care. It was a surprising and welcome realization - all I had to do was be patient and lovely sleep would soon be mine.

Full disclosure, my sleep aid was an eye mask.

 

[cbacino]

Hey camino friends!
Ear plugs... simple yet I have no idea where to start.
I have sensitive ears and find ear plugs incredibly uncomfortable and borderline painful. Am I doing something wrong, or are there different plugs for different needs? Any advice or experience could be helpful.

Try silicone earplugs. Unlike the foam cylinders that are jammed into the ear canal, silicone earplugs are designed to cover the opening of the ear canal. No discomfort and they are better at damping down sound. I'd never go back to foam.

 

[RJM]

You obviously "sleep like a log". Lucky you!

Annie, I use the same yellow/pink ear plugs as in your photo and they work very well for being quite cheap. I think the little "knob" at the end creates even more of a barrier.
P.S. I will say the molded silicone ones get great reviews from forum members and do sound a bit tempting to give a try.

lol....I think being very tired and wine or beer with dinner play more of a role than luck.
Even with a short afternoon siesta nap I am always dog tired when I hit the rack around 10:00 pm on the Camino.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

My wife swears by the Sharper Image "Wireless Sound Soother Headband". It plays white noise though flat speakers. We have a fan in our room at home, and this recreates it on the Camino. Cost is $100, though you can sometimes find a coupon.

I am not at all keen to have Bluetooth that close to my head all night.

 

[wabana]

Wow! a ‘respirational’ discussion indeed. Best comment- “Even with a short afternoon siesta nap I am always dog tired when I hit the rack around 10:00 pm on the Camino” Bluetooth disrupts REM sleep. Me? I brought foam plugs - never used ‘‘em once… best solution I found that worked- a extra vino Tinto before bed! Side benefit I was the first to the bano en la manana Now that’s Camino wisdom from a veteran!!! “Drink more beer and wine along your way and by night you won't be feeling (or hearing) a thing” Rioja. Bueno…Tinto at 1.5€ a bottle was the best sleep aid

 

[Yumadons]

Just in case you’re unable to wear them, I couldn’t get them to go / stay in my ears and was fine. Friends who had walked the CF said it was a MUST and I was almost panicked I couldn’t get them into my ears since I’m a light sleeper. I also don’t necessarily FALL ASLEEP even after 200K+ bike rides. (I suspect even tho tired after these events I’m also wired).

At any rate it was not a problem even tho I stayed in all albergues. I suspect walking was enough to be “tired but not wired” and my “light sleeping” mind was able to distinguish between snoring and a dog about to puke.

 

[LakeMcD]

I use these every night, as my wife snores, I sleep. They are very soft and over the years i notice that when they do fall out, it usually means its time to replace them, about once every 3-4 weeks.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051U7W32/?tag=casaivar02-20

 

[Anniesantiago]

Earplugs!
Put them in they muffle exterior noise;and then amplify the sound of my heartbeat/pulse in my ears still cant sleep!!
Woody

Yup. Then there's that. lol!

 

[Anniesantiago]

lol....I think being very tired and wine or beer with dinner play more of a role than luck.
Even with a short afternoon siesta nap I am always dog tired when I hit the rack around 10:00 pm on the Camino.

This is Joe's strategy.
Wine.

 

[BobY333]

I am not at all keen to have Bluetooth that close to my head all night.

FYI - assuming this was referring to the Sharper Image headband, it’s actually not Bluetooth. It has built in white noise (a few varieties to choose from). It works for her - I manage to sleep like a rock regardless. My parents talked about me sleeping on the high school gym floor while my older brother played basketball games

 

[Juno]

Hey camino friends!
Ear plugs... simple yet I have no idea where to start.
I have sensitive ears and find ear plugs incredibly uncomfortable and borderline painful. Am I doing something wrong, or are there different plugs for different needs? Any advice or experience could be helpful.

I may have damaged my ears wearing foam earplugs on numerous trips abroad so a friend has sent me some called Earpeace which are a better shape and don’t go in too far, which is what causes problems. I hope to use these on my next Camino. Have a look on the web. There are 3 in tiny cases so they don’t take up much room. The company does ones for festivals too.

 

[WilliamTee52]

Hey camino friends!
Ear plugs... simple yet I have no idea where to start.
I have sensitive ears and find ear plugs incredibly uncomfortable and borderline painful. Am I doing something wrong, or are there different plugs for different needs? Any advice or experience could be helpful.

I found the most comfortable and most effective ones to use are HEAROS Xtreme Ear Plugs, 14 pair pack. I got them from Amazon. They were very inexpensive and light.

 

[CathrineeM]

Hey camino friends!
Ear plugs... simple yet I have no idea where to start.
I have sensitive ears and find ear plugs incredibly uncomfortable and borderline painful. Am I doing something wrong, or are there different plugs for different needs? Any advice or experience could be helpful.

I am using ZenPlugs and very pleased with it. Washable and reuseable silicone, very comfortable and looks neat.
Bought mine from a Norwegian company, but didn't have to pay any shipping

ZenPlugs

Supplier of earplugs

skoogen.no