Earplug Recommendations

Soldato
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1 May 2003
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11,099
My neighbour is having an extension on the back of their house.

I work nights, so I'm in need of some comfortable noise cancelling earplugs, just to get some sleep.

Appreciate any recommendations.
 
Consigliere
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12 Jun 2004
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SW17
Curveball as i have issues sleeping...but i found having a speaker playing rain noises to work better than earplugs. Could be an idea and feel more "natural" rather than having stuff blocking your ears.

I did research and Mack's came up v highly rated. But i realised i can't deal with ear plugs.
 
Permabanned
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Some buy a white noise machine but I find brown noise (sometimes called reds noise) better as it is lower.

Install an App on your phone and test with in ear bids and see what suites you best.

Your going to need Bluetooth buds and good battery but no doubt you will not need to go as high as 50% as that is what they spec the battery lifer at normally.

I do something similar (bit more involved) to this and make my life much better than before with all road noise etc.


Amazon.com : Noise Generator

"Customer Reviews:

By Corey Coddington on May 9, 2020…
The brown noise setting is great see more
This machine has excellent sound quality.

By Loren Matson on March 3, 2020
I like the option for brown sound to help drown out traffic noise."


The Ultimate White Noise Generator • Design Your Own Color (mynoise.net)


Online Background Noises • Relaxing Sounds • Noise Maskin


Noise Generator - Apps on Google Play


White Noise Generator – Apps on Google Play
 
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Soldato
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The problem with earplugs is they have a problem with deep noise or bassy type stuff so banging and sounds like that are hard to get rid of. They will reduce them but not eliminate then.

One of the problems aswell is that because they block most other sounds the bassy sounds break through the quiet at times which can be a problem in its self.

You need to get them as deep as possible without rupturing your ear drum. Then you will discover how much sound your body actually absorbs. Then there is the position you sleep in. If like me you sometimes lie your head on your arm your heartbeat will sound like a bass drum.

Anyway.

3M: Earsoft FX are quite big so need a big ear channel to feel comfortable while sleeping but have good noise reduction.

Next down I would say Howard Leight: Max (the orange ones). Slightly smaller than the 3m ones but close noise reduction.

Then Id say Modex: spark plugs. Even smaller and very easy to get in but slightly less noise reduction again.

Look on Amazon as they are much cheeper than the sleep or snore shops. You can get a pack of say 20 for less than £5 at Amazon while that could cost you £20+ at a snore shop.

What you have to do with them is roll them between your fingers to get them thinner and more rigid then get them in your ear quick before they expand, then hold them there while they expand again.
 
Soldato
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18 May 2010
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You can buy an assortment in a pack from Amazon and try them all, I went through a load before I found the ones that don't make their way out of my ear in the night, nothing worse than looking for an ear plug at 3am
 
Permabanned
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I have larger canals (and very good hearing, bit of bummer at times) so none of those earplugs work for me, hard to get buds for my earphones also like Comply too small but SoundPeats do XL and so do SpinFit so I am sorted.
 
Soldato
OP
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1 May 2003
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Thanks for all the replies

I'm gonna buy a few off this list and see how I get on.

Just hoping they aren't starting the build until next year, as there approval has been delayed
 
Soldato
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Plymouth
Then Id say Modex: spark plugs. Even smaller and very easy to get in but slightly less noise reduction again.

These are the ones I use. I really rate them in terms of a balance of cost, comfort, and noise blocking. I'm a side sleeper and I easily sleep in them.

I'd like to third that. I too have tried many, sleep on my side and find these to be the best balance.
 
Man of Honour
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Just to the left of my PC
I often use 3M 1100 earplugs as I work shifts and often need to sleep in the daytime. I find them effective and comfortable. I sleep on my side and they're not a problem for that. You can buy a box of 200 pairs on Amazon for not all that much. Somewhere around £20.

Foam plugs can be a bit of a faff to get in as you have to squish them and get them into your ear canal so they expand in situ, but it's not a big deal.

They're not completely noise cancelling. You'd need to go a lot further than earplugs for that. They're noise reducing, up to ~40dB in some frequencies. Which is enough to move most noises from "jerks you awake" to "sleep through that".
 
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