Best Ear Plug?

[<Will>]

Any suggestions for best ear plug for noise protection/comfort

Found this site with some suggestions

[The Medway Handyman]

What? Pardon? Speak up!

[Nitromax®]

In the past I found ear plugs very uncomfortable an a relief to remove, given the choice I would go for decent ear muffs.

[Clot]

YOU HEARD! :)

[Andy Burns]

Flents Quiet! Please

and

Howard Leight MAX

from that page, I use them for server rooms rather than DIY, but they're pretty effective, I have used them as an alternative to going round and decking the neighbours once or twice!

[tim.....]

against the polyurethane foam, I found the latter to be CFU, which is the exact opposite of the website's results.

The polyurethane ones simply did not adhere to anything inside the ear and would fall out at the slightest opportunity.

tim

[Jules]

I bought some waxy ones from an airport once (I can snooze on planes happily so long as I can drown out the roar of the air circulation systems) - never again, they were crap and kept falling out.

The ones that are more like the material that those memory foam matresses are made from seem to serve me a lot better. They still fall out once in a while, but not too bad and they don't feel disgusting. Any DIY place should carry them (last time I bought any in England I think they were about 3 quid from Mackays up in Cambridge)

[Rod]

I tried quite a few - and decided that the foam are the best for me. Some companies offer sample packs.

There is a technique to rolling and inserting some - once mastered they work very well. In the end the Laser Lites would probably be my choice. But it also depends on whether you are trying to maximise noise exclusion or comfort. Or cost!

But I do find that wearing any is extremely isolating when my tinnitus is bad.

[Dave Liquorice]

I get on well enough with the disposable foam type. There is a bit of knack to fitting. You do need to roll them down into a narrow cylinder not just squidge 'em. Once rolled small quickly pop into the ear canal and hold your finger gently on the end until the plug has expanded a bit and isn't going to drop out.

At a price, note these foamy things should only be single use. You don't want an outer ear infection, they tend to be like tooth ache. And you *REALLY* don't want an inner ear infection, that knobbles your balance and puts you in bed not daring to move, not that you can without feeling badly sea sick, falling over or both.

I normally use a pair of decent peltor ear defenders for noisy stuff, saves stuffing things in your ear canal.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Cant beat a good muff..

[The Natural Philosopher]

I have slept through a 110dB rock band Jules. All it takes is fatigue..

[Nitromax®]

I beg to differ....

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You'd need to give details of use. Personally I prefer ear defenders - you can take them off more easily when not required. They keep your ears warm too. ;-)

[Owain]

Doesn't the Mrs take offence if you wear them in the house though?

Owain

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Not provided you nod every now and again.

[Mike Barnes]

You can buy them in boxes of 200 on eBay for not very much money, individually wrapped in pairs.

[tim.....]

How is an ear plug going to give you an inner ear infection? [and after 20+ trips to the ENT man, I'm a expert on inner ear problems ;-)]

tim

[Andy Burns]

You put in your ear, take it out, leave it on the side for whatever lurgy to settle on it and grow in the wax/skin left on the surface, then put it back in your nice warm ear later to encourage growth, rinse and repeat.

I have a friend who got such an infection (don't know where from) but he had two 9 month stints off work and still walks with a stick.

[tim.....]

That's the outer ear.

In inner ear is the bit behind the ear drum (actually that's the middle ear, the inner ear is even further in)

Under normal circumstances there is no route for anything, except vibrations, from the outer ear to the inner ear. Infections in the middle/inner ear gain entry via your throat.

tim

[Dave Liquorice]

"Under normal circumstances"...

Once there is an infection it can spread through body tissues, some infections are some what better at that than others.

Personally I'd not take the risk of getting an outer ear infection (which are pretty unpleasant) for the few pence cost of a pair of disposable ear plugs.