What brand are your favorite Ear Plugs?

[Penner]

What brand are your favorite ear plugs, for Sleeping? I'm looking for recommended brands to try. Thanks!

 

[Anniesantiago]

Hearos!
Extreme Protection.
But you have to really smush them into your ears.
Love them!

 

[Theatregal]

What brand are your favorite ear plugs, for Sleeping? I'm looking for recommended brands to try. Thanks!

These work best for me. Not necessarily the Lee Valley brand - this type can be found at most pharmacies. Important specs: the shape and the 33db noise reduction rating.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=57051&cat=1,42207

 

[Hope0925]

What brand are your favorite ear plugs, for Sleeping? I'm looking for recommended brands to try. Thanks!

I prefer the silicone ones that you can squish into your ear and completely seal out sound. I wouldn't leave home without them, and they're already in my pack for my first Camino in May!

 

[Albertagirl]

I too have used silicone ear plugs. They squished into my ears quite satisfactorily to keep out sound. However, on a later occasion they refused to be removed, disintegrating in my ears when I attempted to do so and causing (temporary) hearing loss, which was quite disconcerting. I used wax ear plugs, which I believe have cotton in them, on my recent camino. They also squished in satisfactorily to keep out sound. But I never had any problem removing them. In Canada they can be bought in Shopper's Drug Mart.

 

[Penner]

I prefer the silicone ones that you can squish into your ear and completely seal out sound. I wouldn't leave home without them, and they're already in my pack for my first Camino in May!

Hi, Thanks for your reply, but what BRAND are they?

 

[Albertagirl]

They are plugs of silicon or wax cut to a suitable length to go in the ear and the ones I have used do not have a brand name. I think that they are made, or at least marketed, by the drug store chain which sells them.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Ohropax, that is the BRAND. Cotton and wax, you mold the, to your ear yourself, not hoping which ever foam will stay in shape. They come in their own little tin. But be careful not sleeping in. Which is my I wear a Jawbone bracelet to wake me in the morning.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I use 3M foam earplugs in the cylindrical shape. I have found that the conical shape does not stay in my ear. The 3M brand plugs are cheap; I use them for 3-4 nights, then toss them.

 

[peregrina2000]

Ohropax, that is the BRAND. Cotton and wax, you mold the, to your ear yourself, not hoping which ever foam will stay in shape. They come in their own little tin. But be careful not sleeping in. Which is my I wear a Jawbone bracelet to wake me in the morning.

I think Anemone means ototap, here is a link with a picture of the box.

http://ototap.es/tapones-cera-ototap-oto-tap.html

This company makes many different kinds of of earplugs, so if this is the type you want (rather than the cylinder type), make sure to ask for the ones "de cera cubiertos de algodon" (made of wax and covered with cotton).

They are very cheap and widely available in Spanish pharmacies.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

In Canada, and on Amazon the ones I use are called Ohropax, but we are talking about the same type. Ohropax come in a little tin box with 12 plugs in each, wrapped in cotton.

 

[jimabfalter]

What brand are your favorite ear plugs, for Sleeping? I'm looking for recommended brands to try. Thanks!

Just go to the drugstore and buy a couple of sets and see what is best for you. As someone else said look for the 33 decibel type. Do not stress! They are just earplugs for goodness sake!

 

[peregrina2000]

In Canada, and on Amazon the ones I use are called Ohropax, but we are talking about the same type. Ohropax come in a little tin box with 12 plugs in each, wrapped in cotton.

Sorry Anemone, I just assumed you were having keyboard issues.

 

[LauraK]

I use a brand called Leight Sleepers earplugs by Honeywell (at Walgreens and CVS drugstores in US). They are made of soft foam in a T-shape. I find them much more comfortable than the Hearos brand and others that are much firmer. You can squish them down and they slowly expand back to size filling the ear canal. The t-shape makes it easy to take out. tried four different earplugs over the years because my husband snores and found these the most comfortable and best for keeping sound out.

 

[Hope0925]

Ohropax, that is the BRAND. Cotton and wax, you mold the, to your ear yourself, not hoping which ever foam will stay in shape. They come in their own little tin. But be careful not sleeping in. Which is my I wear a Jawbone bracelet to wake me in the morning.

Yes, that's the brand, but most drug stores, at least here in Canada, have cheaper knock-offs that work just as well.

 

[Carol06]

Hearos!
Extreme Protection.
But you have to really smush them into your ears.
Love them!

I agree. They are fabulous, and comfortable too. It was a recommendation on this site that led me to buy them originally. I use them at home too. The only downside is that I was in a hotel once and did not hear the fire alarm go off. Fortunately my husband woke me, and luckily it was a false alarm.

 

[MTtoCamino]

Even though I never bothered with ear plugs I found I was blessed to sleep. I always slept close to the shake the alburgue snorers.
But I did take some that I use at the range made by 3M E-A-R 29db

 

[jmcarp]

We used the kind that comes in the form of silicone balls which you roll into cylindrical shape and insert into your ear; sorry, I don't recall the brand but we bought them at a pharmacy here in the US before we left for Spain.

The key to making any of the ear plugs work is not to "squish" them into your ear. They simply won't stay in place. As mentioned above, roll them into cylinders slightly smaller than your ear canal and insert them carefully into your ear -- not to far or else you might cause damage to your ear drums. Be sure there is sufficient length to grab them in the morning to remove them. The cylinder will expand to completely fill and seal your ear canal. It helps to give your ears a good cleaning beforehand to remove any wax that has built up.

A side benefit of the silicone earplugs is that my wife pulled off a small portion and shaped it into a thin, flat disk which she placed over a hot spot on her foot and held it in place with a piece of duct tape. It worked like a charm to relieve the friction and prevent a blister from forming.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Sorry Anemone, I just assumed you were having keyboard issues.

I don't blame you, talk about a strange brand name

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

 

[Pete Hohmann]

What brand are your favorite ear plugs, for Sleeping? I'm looking for recommended brands to try. Thanks!

Consider white background noise instead of earplugs. Even the most effective earplugs cannot block out all the noise, especially low pitches like snoring. Sound is often transmitted directly through the bones of your head to your eardrum, bypassing the outer ear and ear canal.

I used my i-Phone with earbuds that felt comfortable in my ears at night. There are many white noise mp3 files available that use white noise specifically designed to mask snoring. It was so effective that I would deliberately sleep next to snorers so other people would not have to, and I am a very light sleeper. I was even able to sleep with people talking right next to me.

My i-Phone would typically lose about 20% of it's charge playing all night. I put the "snoring" song on a repeat loop (it looped every hour). I never had a problem recharging my i-Phone on the Camino, but I also brought earplugs just in case.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

My dogs all snore. i just love it. it's my white noise. If they snore it means they are happy, if they are so am I. Think of your bunk buddy as a snoring pup, chill and sleep.

 

[annakappa]

Free from our Iberia flight. No idea of the brand. They work perfectly!

 

[MTtoCamino]

My dogs all snore. i just love it. it's my white noise. If they snore it means they are happy, if they are so am I. Think of your bunk buddy as a snoring pup, chill and sleep.

The snoring issue was almost always the reason for disagreements. There is no natural cure, so please those of you planning to stay in alburgues, as this ear plug thread thread is attempting, leave anger at home. You do adjust as Anemone points out, her adjustment was due to the carring of pets, & both of us was the carring of fellow pilgrims.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

The snoring issue was almost always the reason for disagreements. There is no natural cure, so please those of you planning to stay in alburgues, as this ear plug thread thread is attempting, leave anger at home. You do adjust as Anemone points out, her adjustment was due to the carring of pets, & both of us was the carring of fellow pilgrims.

I'd go further, use it as a sound meditation tool. Really.

 

[MTtoCamino]

I'd go further, use it as a sound meditation tool. Really.

Very positive way to end your day.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Locally bought "No Ton" foam plugs and a Buff over the ears (keeps them in) and eyes (for when somebody sweeps the room with a high intensite LED flashlight at 5am.

 

[LauraK]

The snoring issue was almost always the reason for disagreements. There is no natural cure, so please those of you planning to stay in alburgues, as this ear plug thread thread is attempting, leave anger at home. You do adjust as Anemone points out, her adjustment was due to the carring of pets, & both of us was the carring of fellow pilgrims.

Thanks MTtoCamino for the perspective and kind reminder to be tolerant. As a snorer, I am really super conscious that I may bother someone (my husband says I am not that loud at all). I often don't get a good night's sleep because I try to sleep on my side by putting my fleece or pillow along my back so I don't roll over on my back. I lie awake afraid to go back to sleep when I wake myself up snoring in the middle of the night. I even reduce my wine intake because I know I might snore louder if I am really relaxed. I stay in pensions once in a while so I can get a stress free night of sleep (knowing I won't bother anyone). I read often how bothered people are by snoring and I hate being one of those people. I know there are people that don't seem to care about how loud they are, but I thought it would be helpful to let non-snorers know that many of us snorers do feel bad and also have difficulty sleeping for this reason. I do bring earplugs because some of those really loud arhythmic snorers do keep me awake too.

 

[Kerrygold]

What brand are your favorite ear plugs, for Sleeping? I'm looking for recommended brands to try. Thanks!

The ordinary ones from Tiger Stores. You can find Tiger Store in every bigger city, there is one in Pamplona, and they sell a box of 10 pairs or so for 1 euro. Worked perfectly for me.

 

[Colette Z]

What brand are your favorite ear plugs, for Sleeping? I'm looking for recommended brands to try. Thanks!

I have very narrow ear canals so only the WAX with cotton work for me. I completed my CF on April 23 this year and experienced more than 1 snorer. The wax earplugs (in Slovakia 0.50€ for pair of 2, in Spain farmacia 0.80€ for 3 pairs) are so soundproof that some nights I couldn't fall asleep as all I heard was my heartbeat and breathing PS: perhaps not very "pilgrim-like" but we had a picture on one snorer and would ask at the Albergue if he was there and if yes asked for another room

 

[trecile]

I brought several pairs of earplugs but never used them. Instead I used earbuds to listen to podcasts I downloaded on my phone. Having something else to listen to besides snoring worked well for me. I was usually asleep in about five minutes.

 

[MartinZ]

Corded EAR (3M) soft fx. 39dB attenuation!
The cord is great for finding them if they should fall out somewhere during the night

 

[notion900]

I can't remember the brand, but I bought a bag of foam ones from an industrial protective equipment retailer. 'Travel' ones are more expensive and less effective. Only industrial will do!

Another tip is to reach around the back of your head and pull your ear back before you insert them. This straightens out the ear canal and means they go in properly and will stay in.

 

[Hiawatha]

Times two for the corded variety of ear plug , if the cord worries your throat place it to the back of your neck . You almost never lose a plug when using these .
My colleagues , doctors , nurses , and paramedics that work long shifts and try to snatch sleep in the noisiest and most unlikely places all swear by using ' Blutack' . It is the slightly sticky blue putty like material used for attaching posters to walls .

 

[howlsthunder]

I have psoriasis in one of my ears and the skin is sometimes so dry that foam ear plugs won't go in/won't stay in. I have much better luck with silicone earplugs (any brand, but I currently have Mack's). They come in sets of 8 (they're good for about 5 uses each before they pick up too much dead skin/oils and stop sticking in your ear) so two packs should be enough for a Camino, especially if I don't need them every night and/or supplement with earbuds/foam earplugs.

The silicone kind come in little disc shapes that you roll up into a ball and then spread across your ear canal opening - you just kinda smush it "into" your ear. It creates a much better seal than the foam kind and don't fall out. Plus they're very comfortable and don't press awkwardly on my ear cartilage the way some of the foam kinds do, and they have a level profile with your ear itself - they don't jut out like the foam kind, to catch on your pillow. On occasion, however, they will cause pressure in my ears (because they seal REALLY well and I trap air behind them on accident) and some off-brands seem to disintegrate a tiny bit but I haven't had that issue with Mack's brand.

Edit to add: apparently Mack's brand rate well in @melciados 's website link!

 

[Ivan Denis]

I take regular foam earplugs like the Leight and submerge them under melted canning wax. But i always choose from the best electronic earplugs so to squezze out air to let wax soak in. The result is over 50dB sound reduction. Using the earplugs continuously definitely causes ear infections and probably causes tinnitus.