The questions you should ask when purchasing custom earplugs

Not all custom earplugs are created equal, and they vary widely in terms of price and quality. Here is a checklist of questions to ask your hearing protection provider, so you can be sure you are buying the best product that you can afford.

Which material(s) are used to manufacture the custom earplugs?

Medical grade silicone is the best material to use for custom hearing protectors. This has a number of great properties such as being extremely flexible, and also extremely comfortable and easy to wear. Other materials used include acrylic, which is hard in the ear and does not flex as your body moves.

Flexibility is important as it ensures that your earplugs always create a perfect seal within your ear canal. Earplugs made of hard acrylic don’t form a perfect seal, and are therefore less effective at blocking out noise.

What is the lifespan of your custom earplugs?

When compared to the traditional foam based earplugs, you will find that custom earplugs can offer great value for money and fantastic long term savings. Of course, the initial cost of purchasing custom earplugs is higher, but they will last for years. To make your money stretch the furthest you should only consider custom earplugs which have a lifespan of at least 4 years.

However, the human body is always changing shape and size as we grow older, so it is recommended that you replace your custom earplugs every 4 years or so. By doing this you will always have earplugs which form a completely solid seal with your ear, giving you 100% effective hearing protection.

What guarantees do you offer on the hearing protectors?

While 99% of people that use custom earplugs will love them, not everyone will find them suitable, and it is important to make sure that the company you bought your hearing protection from offers a guarantee.

You should really be looking for companies who offer a money-back guarantee if you change your mind about your purchase. This means that you have a fixed time period where you can send your hearing protection back to the company and receive your money back in full. It is also best to deal with companies who offer a manufacturer’s warranty – this means that they will replace or repair any product free of charge if it becomes defective within the first year of use.

Is there a choice in the level of attenuation (noise reduction) available?

Different working environments pose different levels of risk to workers, and therefore need differing levels of hearing protection. Ask whether your hearing proection is available with a choice of filters so that you can tailor your earplugs to match the location in which you work.

For instance, you may need protection from loud machinery noise such as in a factory or on a construction site, or you may need to retain the clarity of music if you are part of a band. For this reason the custom earplugs supplied would be different because of the different environments.

What about your after-sales care and customer service?

Custom earplugs are much more effective when the customer is shown how to use them. A good company should offer some form of fitting service and training to ensure customers know how to get the most from their hearing protection.

You should also ask what the company’s policy is on adjusting or replacing custom earplugs free of charge if you find they do not fit properly or if they are uncomfortable to wear.