HEAROS Ultimate Softness Series Ear Plugs, Beige, 56 Pair

Super low price for a box of 50 earplugs. And they are actually excellent quality. It’s some type of soft memory foam material. Usually these types of materials cause my ears to itch, but whatever formulation they’re using here didn’t cause any irritation for me. So do they work? Yes. Loud noises are noticeably reduced but not completely cancelled out. Easily recommended.

Because my ears have very narrow ear canals, and one of them takes a 90 degree bend and goes straight up, I am particular about my ear plugs. Because I use earplugs for active motor sports, shooting, and chainsaw work in Hawaii, over the ear protection isn't always practical. I recently purchased 5 different brands of earplugs and put them to the test. Here's what I found, sorted for most to least favorite.Mack's Ultra Soft - My personal favorite, and at $0.17/pair, also the least expensive. They share the same small diameter of the Hearos Ultimate Softness, but are a bit more firm and a few millimeters longer. So, for me, they did a better job of subjective sound dampening, and were a bit easier to grip and pull back out. My tests are mostly in warm weather. In very cold weather, these could be too firm for some users. The Mack's and Hearos Ultimate Softness both shared the same smaller diameter.Hearos Ultimate Softness - These were the softest, most comfortable plugs I tested. At $0.18/pair they were the second cheapest, and also my second favorite. My daughter doesn't like earplugs, as they really bother her ears, but she was at least able to tolerate these. I think most people would be pretty happy with these, however, they were not my favorite for two reasons. First reason is that they seemed to stop slightly less high-pitched sound than the other plugs. All the plugs are rated at 33 db, but that's because that is all they are allowed to be rated. Subjectively, these were at the lower end of sound blocking, but still adequate for most tasks. My only other "complaint" is that these seemed to take the longest to spring back to shape and fill the ear because they are very soft, and they are somewhat shorter than the Macks. This makes them feel a bit like they might fall out for the first minute or two, and their 2-3 millimeter shorter length makes them every so slightly more difficult to grip and remove. Both minor complaints, and these are very good plugs.Hearos Xtreme Protection - As the name implies, subjectively, these blocked the most sound of all the ones I tested. They have the same larger diameter as the 3M plugs, but are easily twice as soft/half as firm. They gave a very full feeling to the ears, but were not uncomfortable. At $0.39/pair, they were the most expensive plugs tested. They were the most effective and were quite comfortable, but the Mack's were 95% as good, and less than half the cost. These went into my shooting kit and would be my third selection, for use when max protection for a shorter wear period is ideal.Flents Quiet Contour. These plugs have a bell shape. I did not find that the shape made any improvement to sound dampening. These were on par with the Mack's for noise suppression. The downside of the wide end is that there is more material in your outer ear, which could be uncomfortable for some, and also perhaps less aesthetically appealing. However, if you're in charge of safety compliance, that extra bit makes it much easier to visually see that someone is wearing hearing protection, and it did leave more to grip for removing the plugs. At $0.30/pair, these were the second most expensive, and I do not recommend.3M 1100 - These are what was issued to me for my 22 years of military service, and the benchmark from which I was judging. About the only positive thing I'll say about them is that they came individually packaged by pairs, so you can carry or store them in dirty or wet environment easily, but these were absolutely the least comfortable of the ones I tested. I paid $ 0.27/pair for them which puts them in the middle of the pack price wise. For me, they are much too firm, and also have the largest diameter of the group. In very cold weather, they would be nearly solid. They quickly made my ears sore/itchy. As much as I usually love 3M products, I do not recommend these.For those who care about such things, I tested these several ways. I wore each pair for about an hour just to get subjective feel for long term comfort. The exception was the 3M, which I could not leave in the entire hour because they were uncomfortable. Then to test for noise reduction, I put one brand in one ear and a different brand in the other ear and work for half an hour, then switch ears. During the test, I listened to speech, music, traffic noise, etc, and noted which plugs seemed to be most effective.

Love them, need them for sleep

These certainly are difficult to see, so they're never embarrassing. But they only block out the most harsh aspect of noise. I have conversations while using them. They're super soft and comfy but not the greatest for noise reduction.

I don't often write reviews for products but this is one case where I feel that it could be a benefit to other people. I've had sleeping problems for most of my life and about a few years ago I discovered the Hearos brand ear plugs. These were a huge help and I've reordered them multiple times. On my recent reorder though I have to say I'm hugely disappointed. As many of the other reviews have mentioned the product itself has changed. They seem bigger but definitely have a different consistency and feel. The old versions used to have a smooth and soft texture to them, like memory foam. The new ones I received have a glossy, almost plastic feel to them as well as a different more bulky shape. I didn't notice much of a difference at first aside from the size but after a week of using them I've woken up with a soreness in both ears. It's gotten to the point where I can't use the plugs at all or it creates a huge amount of pain from the pressure. After not using them for a few days I noticed small scabs forming inside my ears and it seems that these ear plugs actually created tiny sores.One thing that I have to mention is that this is the first time I've ordered the bulk 56 pair, mainly because it was actually cheaper than the smaller packs which should have been a red flag. You may have better luck ordering the smaller packs since I'm not sure if these different plugs are exclusive to the bulk pack. I've been satisfied with this brand up until now so I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and plan on ordering a smaller pack.Update: After receiving a smaller pack Hearos Ultimate Softness Bulk Pack Ear Plugs 20 Pair (Pack o I'm relieved to say that this smaller box is the original ear plugs that I've used for so long. If you're not sure what you're getting and you're worried about getting the new style some of the reviews are complaining about then you should be safe with this one.

Wow, these earplugs are a brilliant little invention! They block out noise so effectively it’s almost like stepping into a soundproof room—it’s fascinating! I found myself testing just how much they could handle, and they didn’t disappoint. The price is solid for something that works this well. Plus, they’re super comfortable; you can wear them for hours without even noticing. Simple solutions can solve everyday problems beautifully!

I have been using these earplugs for past 12 years. They are the most comfortable and effective earplugs that I’ve ever worn. They also do not chafe or irritate my ears. I would highly recommend these to anyone who needs a quiet sleeping environment or to block out loud sounds during the day. The flesh color is discreet.