Checklist of what to consider when choosing earplugs and ear defenders

I have experimented with earplugs and ear defenders over many years, and have accumulated considerable experience with the range available. In the hope that my experience may be helpful to others, this page lists the main characteristics of ear protection which seem to be important.

The following checklist is in no particular order because priorities vary according to individual needs. What may be important for you may not be important to someone else and may vary even for you from one situation to another. Each item on the checklist links to a section further down the page which gives more information.

• Have a suitable rating for keeping out noise
• Adapt instantly to the changes in size and shape of the ear canal which inevitably occur when talking or eating
• Cause minimal echoing of one's own voice inside one's head when speaking
• Be comfortable in the ear
• Be reasonably small and portable
• Be cosmetically acceptable
• Does not pull or stick to the hair
• Protect against wind pain
• Be water tight
• Can be positioned and removed easily and quickly
• Be straightforward to purchase
• Be reasonably priced

The reviews page discusses specific types of earplug and ear defender in the light of the checklist.

Have a suitable rating for keeping out noise

Decibel rating is a measure of the volume or loudness that can be reduced, and good manufacturers do supply the decibel rating for their protection. However the conditions under which the ratings are measured tend to be hidden away in small print somewhere. The fact that the effective decibel rating must depend on the size and shape of the earplug generally passes without comment. Yet it becomes particularly significant where the earplug is, for example, hollow, ostensibly to make it more comfortable for sleeping. Common sense dictates that, being thinner, it cannot cut out as much noise as a solid version.

While on decibel rating, I have yet to come across a manufacturer which gives the pitch range for their decibel ratings. The capacity of any material to dampen down sound varies according to the pitch of that sound - and intrusive sound comes over a range of pitches.

Let me explain:

• Children at play are painful to my ears because children naturally have high pitched voices. It is honestly no exaggeration to say that their screaming is as if knives are being stabbed into my ears. As it is of course impossible to avoid this sound completely, it would be helpful to know which ear protection manufacturers would advise against high pitched noise. Incidentally although my intolerance to high pitched sound is due to a botched ear operation, I find that most older people share it to some extent. It seems to be a problem of increasing age. So manufacturers would do well to take note of its importance.

• The pitch of engine noise is much lower. So it would be helpful if manufacturers would provide information on the best ear protection for a long car, air or train journey. In this need too, I am by no means alone. Although I do not find low pitched noise painful at most volumes, I do find it tiring for any length of time.

So although decibel ratings are essential if manufacturers' products are to be taken seriously, they are not enough. For the time being, though, they seem to be all we have.

Adapt instantly to the changes in size and shape of the ear canal which inevitably occur when talking or eating

When I mentioned to someone that I liked a particular type of earplug because I could eat with it in, he laughed. Yet it was a serious comment. Again, let me explain:

It is important for the self-confidence and wellbeing of people with painful hearing that they are able to join in social gatherings where there is the noise of lots of people together in the same room. Such social gatherings invariably involve eating, drinking and chatting, all of which constantly change the shape of the ear canal and accordingly tend to break its contact with the earplug. As soon as the slightest chink is formed, noise suddenly and violently intrudes.

Yet I have found no earplug manufacturer which gives this information. The reviews page offers advice from my experience.

Cause minimal echoing of one's own voice inside one's head when speaking

This characteristic too will probably come as a surprise to anyone who hasn't used earplugs. You may think that it is an over-the-top and even ludicrous consideration. However the fact is that wearing earplugs can and does cause one's own voice to rattle around inside one's head. It can be so distracting that it stops one thinking straight to the extent of rendering one speechless. In certain situations this does not matter at all, but in others it can matter a great deal.

I rather suspect that the better the earplug is at reducing noise, then the greater the echoing from one's own voice. Hence the need for a range of protection for different purposes. The best at noise reduction is not necessarily the best for every situation.

Be comfortable in the ear

Particularly important to many people is comfort while lying in bed - perhaps to protect against background noise or a partner's snoring. With the weight of the head on the earplug, it should not feel hard and should not unduly transmit the sound of rubbing against the pillow while tossing and turning.

Important also to some people is that the ear protection should be non-allergic while in contact with their skin.

Be reasonably small and portable

This characteristic is worth flagging for the following reasons:

• There are situations where ear-defenders are preferable to earplugs in spite of their bulkiness.

• People like me with particularly sensitive ears keep earplugs readily available everywhere they are likely to find themselves - in the car, in bags, in coat pockets, etc. For obvious reasons, the earplugs are best kept in a case or plastic bag of some sort, but this is seldom what they are bought in. Many earplugs are sold in relatively large packs, It would be useful if manufacturers could also sell small containers without sharp corners for a single pair of earplugs. I have tried the tiny self-seal bags sold for coins and stamps, but they split too quickly.

Be cosmetically acceptable

Earplugs and ear defenders are available in a range of colours and styles, some more discrete than others.

Does not pull or stick to the hair

All earplugs can trap long hair if not carefully pulled back during insertion. What is significantly different about some ear protection is that it can catch and pull long hair while in use.

Protect against wind pain

It is common to get ear ache when out in a fierce wind.

Be water tight

This is important for swimmers.

Can be positioned and removed easily and quickly

Some types of ear protection are not immediately ready for use. The most dramatic example is the extensive rolling between fingers that wax earplugs require to warm and soften them before insertion.

Similarly earplugs need to be able to be removed smoothly without falling apart and leaving bits in the ears.

Be straightforward to purchase

This needs no further explanation.

Be reasonably priced

Price is of course tied to how often the protection is - or should be - reused.