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Jul 29, 2023

Best Earplugs to Prevent Hearing Loss for 2023

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Our wellness advice is expert-vetted. Our top picks are based on our editors’ independent research, analysis, and hands-on testing. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

These earplugs make it easier to protect your hearing in a noisy world.

Just because your ears can hear perfectly today doesn't mean your hearing will stay in tip top shape forever. That's why protecting your hearing now is the best way to prevent hearing loss in the future.

The easiest way to do so is by avoiding loud noises that can damage your ears, particularly your inner ear. Exposure to extremely loud sounds (anything over 85 decibels) for a prolonged period of time, even if it's a one-time thing, can cause hearing loss, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And damage to the inner ear or auditory neural system, the CDC says, is generally permanent. That means that just one loud concert or football game could do lasting damage. But it's not just those intensely loud sounds that harm our ear health. Even the noise pollution we interact with on a daily basis can actually harm your hearing. Scary, right?

I tried out each earplug and wore them during my regular daily routine. I also took the earplugs to karaoke night to test them out in a loud environment.

Read more: Hearing Loss Is More Common Than You Think: 5 Signs You Should Get Tested

For loud concerts, noisy restaurants or deep work, I found the Minuendo Adjustable Lossless Earplugs, the most expensive on this list, to be the ideal earplug for all sorts of hearing protection. With the adjustable node on the side of each plug that reduces sound by from 7 decibels to 25 decibels, you can customize the level of sound protection to serve you in moderately loud to critically harmful-to-your-hearing environments.

These are the everything earplug, with a customizable node that you can adjust for your desired level of noise reduction and they come with 11 sets of ear tips and a carrying case. They are also conveniently magnetic, which is a thoughtful touch that makes them easier to keep track of.

As someone who lives on a busy New York street, it can be hard to focus deeply in my apartment without the constant interruptions of sirens or beeping cars or the occasional shouting passerby.

This is one unfussy earplug. It was the easiest to use and insert into my ear, and it properly dampened the sounds of the busy New York streets where I was walking and muffled the blaring sounds of karaoke songs.

You are going to have to put in some work to have the Decibullz Custom-Molded Earplugs work for you, but once they are fit to your ear, they reduce sound by up to 31 decibels, the highest level of sound reduction on this list.

To test the earplugs, I wore them as I worked, slept and socialized throughout one week and considered the price, fit, comfort, quality of noise reduction and usability of each. I switched between the earplugs during my office work and while I was out at bars, walking around or on the subway. For earplugs that were designated to serve noisy environments, the Decibullz and the Vibes, I brought them to louder places, like karaoke and wore them on walks around my bustling block. For the Loop Quiet earplugs that were meant for reducing background noise, I worked and slept with them. For earplugs that could serve both environments, like the Minuendos, I wore them as often as I could. For more on how CNET tests the products and services it reviews, here is a full explanation.

When purchasing an earplug for hearing loss prevention, consider the level of decibel protection it will provide. A higher number of decibel protection can take the dangers of loud arenas down a couple of notches. The earplugs I tried offered anywhere from 15 to 31 decibels of protection. Another essential factor to consider is the question, "will you actually wear these?" That all comes down to the style and fit of the earplug. Consider how comfortable it is to have the earplug in your ear, would you be fine wearing it for an hour? Three hours?

As I spent time with these earplugs, I began to recognize the various purposes for which someone would use this product. I don't go to concerts as often as I do work in a noisy apartment, so an earplug that muffles the noise in my apartment suits me better than one that reduces the level of sound by 30 decibels. But a musician or someone who attends a live music event every week will demand more sound protection.

Read more: What Musicians Can Teach Us About Noise and Hearing Loss

We live in an incredibly noisy world and it can be nearly impossible to avoid the cacophony and protect our ears. Luckily, you don't have to. That's where earplugs come in.

Wearing earplugs in loud spaces like at concerts (being in the front row at a rock concert produces 140 decibels of noise, according to University of Iowa Health Care's website), at noisy restaurants (around 60 to 80 decibels), while using heavy machinery (around 110 decibels) or riding the subway (around 90 decibels) can not only prevent hearing loss but also tinnitus.

I should add that, before I wrote this article I was not an avid earplug user. But as I worked, walked around and traveled with these earplugs in, I quickly became converted to an earplugs-for-everything advocate. They helped me focus more on my work with less distractions. They made the commute on the subway nearly silent.

We've compiled a list of earplugs that will dampen the noisiest concerts and loudest subway rides, but also provide clarity as you work and move, because you shouldn't only care about your hearing health in particularly blaring situations.

For more on hearing tips, here are 10 tips to lower your risk of hearing loss and five ways to take care of your hearing aids this summer.

The Minuendo adjustable lossless earplugs were the best I tested for a variety of noise environments, from blocking out background noise to reducing harsh sound in extremely loud spaces.

Yes, depending on the pair you use, they can reduce noise by anywhere from 10 to 30 decibels, with many earplugs averaging around 20 decibels.

Silicone tends to fit better to your ear, while foam provides a tighter seal which obstructs harsh sound from getting through. Depending on where and how you use your earplugs, you may want foam over silicone or vice versa.