My next door neighbors keep odd hours and their dog sometimes gets let out at 2-3 a.m. and it immediately starts barking and howling when it gets outside. I was just about ready to put my house on the market when I found these, I can put these in before sleeping and their dog does not awake me. I have put them in while the dog is howling in the yard next door and as they slowly expand the sound dims and fades away.

They work so well I had to buy a bed-shaker alarm clock since I could no longer hear my alarm go off in the morning, but the uninterrupted sleep is far more valuable to me. I am stocking up on these, they are a lifesaver.

From a review of three earplugs, these came in first:

1st place: Hearos Ultimate Softness, 20-Pair Foam (Pack of 2)

2nd place: Quiet Time Comfort Foam Ear Plugs – 50 Pair

3rd place: Hearos Xtreme Protection, 14-Pair Foam (Pack of 3)

(they’re basically ranked in decreasing softness, since all three block out sounds well)

The following were excluded as they did not fare well in the following review:

Flents Quiet! Please Noise Reducing Ear Plugs – 50 Pair – NRR 29

and Howard Leight Max-1 Ear Plugs, Uncorded, NRR33, 200 PR / box

w w w . s l a t e . c o m / i d / 2 1 1 8 8 0 0 /

or read the first review found in google with the search term: best ear plugs

The Hearos Ultimate Softness ear plugs were the winners for my ears because they had the right combination of comfort and noise reduction. Some notes: 1) my ear canals are probably narrower than average, so even these tended to generate pressure when worn; of course this can’t be avoided since that’s how sound is blocked out. But these were definitely the softest out of the three. 2) All three (and probably all ear plugs) don’t reduce as effectively lower frequency sounds. They are very good at reducing sounds at the frequency range of music, voices, typing sounds, etc., but not so good at blocking out sounds of your upstairs neighbor dragging his furniture across the floor at dawn, or his evil spawn dropping various toys on the floor.

Pros: Comfortable, effective.

Cons: In people with small ear canals or who have sensitive vestibular systems, all ear plugs, including these, will create slight nausea or discomfort.

Caveat: I have small ear canals.

Conclusion: If unable to stop the source of the noise, and if ear plugs must be used, then use these.

Note: These are rated 32dB

As I write this, I have in front of me the last of a 4 pr pack purchased from WalMart. I must have smaller than average ear canals, because unlike the other reviewers, I find these to be the most comfortable, highest sound attenuating ear plugs I’ve ever used — including a $100 custom made pair that are comfortable but do not attenuate as well. Another reviewer mentioned a preference for another brand also sold at WalMart — I believe he is referring to the day-glo orange plugs (Silencio?) usually sold in their sporting goods departments. Those plugs are made from a harder material than these, are slightly large for my ears, and become painful after an hour or so of use. These Hearos are sold in their pharmacy area and are so comfortable I’m sure I could wear them all day if I needed to. I wear them occasionally at work when I’m under a deadline and REALLY need to concentrate. They’re almost too quiet, they really do block out everything! It strikes me now that a possible reason some reviewers are dissatisfied is that the material these are made from is so soft that they’re more difficult to insert correctly versus more rigid plugs. Compress them into a much smaller diameter cylinder by rolling the plug between your thumb and forefinger, then grab the back of your ear by reaching behind your head with your other hand and insert as far as it’ll go (making sure to leave enough to be able to pull them out when you’re done).

I’m extremely happy I bought these. I have never regularly used earplugs before, but just moved in under some neighbors who watch TV late at night. I needed something to drown them out that was comfortable to sleep with.

Inserted deeply, these completely silence my neighbors. A person in the room with you speaking at a normal volume will be difficult to hear. I actually had my house re-roofed last week and slept through the hammering with these plugs in. They’re also soft enough that I can sleep eight hours without any discomfort, even if I am laying on my side.

My biggest gripe? They make me sleep through my alarm. Whoops.

At 40 pairs for beans, these are a great value.

I have used another pair of earplugs that were made of similar material and was skeptical that these were any better, specifically for low frequencies (obnoxious bass from neighbor). They work wonderfully for this purpose and are very comfortable when wearing at night. I use them most nights and can only hear my heartbeat and our air purifier (barely). I heard a thumping noise after putting them in my ear, felt my pulse and sure enough it was my own heart! They work great.

These are unbelievable. They are very different from regular foam ear plugs, the yello ones commonly used. When your roll the Hearos into a small roll between your fingers, they do NOT expand to the original size immediately, but it takes a while for them to expand (kind of like memory foam beds), so you can really push them deep into your ears before they begin to expand. That way, you get a great fit deep into your ear before they expand to the original size. As such, they block out sounds fantastically. I barely hear my window AC in the bedroom anymore, it just sound like a very faint fan. The downside is that I barely hear the alarm clock in the morning, but at least everything turns quiet with these in my ear. I have tried regular ear plugs, the yellow ones, but the Hearos are far better. There is a huge difference between foam ear plugs and foam ear plugs apparently, something I had a hard time believing prior to purchasing the Hearos.

These ear plugs REALLY work. They were too large for my ear channels so I ordered the ones made for women. I gave these away. If you have never worn ear plugs let me warn you that it took me one week to get my ears use to them.

And a helpful hint… if you sleep most of the time on one side. You can probably get away with just wearing one in the opposite side you sleep on.

While these are the most comfortable ear plugs I’ve ever used,

I still eventually take them off at night because they become

somewhat uncomfortable for me. This may just be me, but they are just

a tad too big to wear that long. I’m a 5′ 9″ guy bTW.

I’d still buy these again, though. They are a life saver since

I work nights.

I am currently deployed to Iraq, and I live on a joint Army / Air Force base. About 500 feet from where my quarters are, F-16s take off on a regular basis, and Black Hawks do regular passes over our living area. I am a light sleeper so this made for some restless nights. I decided to shop around for some good quality earplugs in an effort to get some better sleep. Since I have started using Hearos, my sleep is without a doubt much more sound. They are comfortable, inexpensive, and last about 12-15 days a pair if you make an effort to keep them somewhat clean. Solid product all around.

I purchased the Hearos Ultimate Softness Series ear plugs to use at night after a noisy nocturnal elephant moved into the apartment above me. At first I tried using those bright orange Howard Leight Max ear plugs, and although they were very effective at blocking out sounds, they left my ears feeling really sore in the morning. The Hearos plugs seem just as effective as the Howard Leight ones in blocking out the noises of elephantine upstairs neighbors, but are more comfortable and I don’t wake up with sore ear canals.

The plugs can be a bit tricky to insert, but once they’re in there they are comfortable and don’t stick out from your ear — the other plugs I used stuck out quite a bit and caused discomfort when smooshed against a pillow. The only problem with using these ear plugs when sleeping is that they are a little TOO good at blocking out sounds, so I’ve slept through my alarm a few times… and I’m a pretty light sleeper. So, I wouldn’t recommend them if you’re a heavy sleeper that needs to make it to an 8:00am meeting.

I gave these ear plugs 5 stars because they are the ultimate combination of comfort and effectiveness… and I can finally get a restful sleep!