Disposable & Reusable Earplugs
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| Foam Earplugs By far our most popular type of earplug is the disposable foam variety. These come in many shapes and sizes, but there are a few basic concepts that may be applied broadly. Insertion Foam ear plugs for hearing protection are meant to be rolled between your thumb and index finger. Just once or twice back and forth should reduce the diameter to something reasonably narrow. Then, reach over your head and pull upward on the top of your ear, opening the ear canal. With the other hand, insert the rolled plug lengthwise as far as is comfortable. While still pulling on the top of your ear, allow the foam to expand. As this happens the sound from outside should diminish, and then just go away. Repeat with your other ear. In some cases, this process can be tedious. A little practice and it should become routine. If the ear plug is not inserted correctly, or not in far enough, the level of protection will be compromised. With proper insertion, it should be darn quiet with any of the plugs sold here. NRR The NRR, or Noise Reduction Rating, is an EPA approved method of testing the effectiveness of earplugs on real people. So while the testing procedure may be standard, the group of test subjects used introduces some variability to the process. For this reason, we try not to focus too hard on the numbers. These major name brands make very effective ear plugs. The really big differences are in the area of fit. Can you get the plug inserted properly? Once they are in, are they comfortable enough to wear? Plugs you'll wear are way more effective than any number on a box. Shape - Barrel or Taper The original foam earplug, the EAR Classic from Aearo, has what we term a barrel shape. It is cylindrical. This type of plug is formed by a cookie cutter method being applied to a sheet of specially formulated foam. In this case the foam is made of PVC, and the color is a bright yellow. This process leaves the open cells, or air pockets, in the foam exposed. Some people feel that this allows dirt or grime to attach itself to the plug during the rolling process. Another plug of this type is the Deci Damp from North. These are identical to the EAR Classic, except the color is off-white. Ear plugs with a taper shape are molded rather than cut. There are several competing technologies for how to accomplish this. The plugs from Howard Leight have a smooth outer finish, or skin, while plugs from Moldex have the cells or air pockets in the foam exposed. Tapered plugs are generally made from urethane foam that is injected into a mold. This allows a wide variety of shapes to be made. Comfort We find that many users prefer the tapered shape, as it more closely resembles the ear canal. One of the major aims of any ear plug, along with great protection, is comfort. Comfort can mean something different to any given user, but time and again internal pressure within the ear canal comes up. This is the outward pressure exerted by the foam as it tries to regain its original shape. People with smaller ear canals seem to notice this more. In this case, my suggestion would be the Howard Leight LPF1 or LL1. In my opinion, they have the least amount of pressure. During the design phase, as each manufacturer adjusts their formula in search of the perfect plug, there are competing aims at work. When the plug is rolled down for insertion, it needs to spring back in a reasonable amount of time, but not so fast that you can't get it in the ear. Temperature sensitivity is also a factor here. Does the foam react differently in Alaska vs. Florida or Texas? In the early days of foam plugs, these were real problems. Rick Pedley pks-store@pksafety.com |
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