Invisible Earplugs that Nobody Notices
Most earplugs are extremely visible when worn. They are colored in screaming loud yellow, green, or other aggressive colors. It is hard not to notice that someone wears them.
Why is that? Most earplugs are foam earplugs and are designed for working safety. And it is helpful for a supervisor if he can easily spot employees who are not complying with the safety requirements of wearing earplugs.
But there are also discrete earplugs available to buy. And some other earplugs can be hidden easily. Which type and brand of earplugs are best and the most invisible will be discussed in this article.
Which type of earplugs to wear depends on how loud the music or environmental noise is.
Basically, there are two types of invisible earplugs available: foam earplugs and reusable earplugs.
Foam earplugs are best when the environment is very loud and reusable earplugs are better when it is not so loud.
Foam earplugs
Foam earplugs are the most well known type and they are usually very visible.
Foam earplugs provide strong to very strong sound protection. They are usually much stronger than other types of earplugs.
Foam earplugs can be hidden easily and can be hidden completely.
There are four steps involved to make them invisible:
- Inserting the plug properly (approx. ⅔ to ¾ should be in the ear canal)
- Using skin colored earplugs
- Painting the earplugs black (even if already skin colored)
- Cutting them a bit shorter (no more than ¼!)
If a skin colored earplug is used properly, is painted black, and cut shorter then it will not be visible to anybody.
For a detailed description please see our article on how to make foam earplugs invisible.
Due to their strong hearing protection, most foam earplugs should be sufficient enough for almost all concerts and clubbing.
Reusable Ear Plugs
Reusable earplugs provide less sound protection than foam earplugs. They are often advertised as being well fit for concerts and music events.
However, they do not provide strong enough protection for loud concerts or noises. Therefore, they are best used when the environment is not too loud.
In medium loud environments, foam earplugs might often be stronger than needed.
There are many different brands of reusable earplugs. A brand that is difficult to spot is the ACS Pacato.
There are many other brands available, but most of them have a stem sticking out of the ear, which makes them easy to spot. Of the more invisible plugs, the ACS Pacato above is one of the best.
The other reusable earplugs on this website (Etymotic Research ER20XS, Alpine PartyPlug, etc.) are all more visible than the ACS Pacato.
Reusable earplugs are more expensive than foam earplugs and are sold for around USD 10-20 a pair.
Other Types of Earplugs
There are other types of earplugs available.
Wax earplugs are not invisible because they remain mostly in the outer ear. Professional musicians earplugs are usually also larger and more visible than the mentioned earplugs above (foam and reusable earplugs).
Professional musicians earplugs such as the ER25 have very good sound quality. But they are more expensive and, unfortunately, also more visible.
Sound Quality
If you are also interested in sound quality, then read our article on listening to music. Which brand of foam or reusable earplugs you use makes a huge difference.
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