FEATURES:

• Party Plugs are one of the most affordable earplugs on the market.
• Alpine Thermo Shape material allows a perfect fit.

Our Findings:

Very comfortable, soft plastic.  Easy to get in and out with the hard plastic stick.  Unlike some earplugs for concerts, the hard stick fits inside the ear so it is not seen, and there’s little  chance of having people bump into them and damaging your ear. Decibel rating seems a bit off the mark.  They do a great job of minimizing the noise, but at 25 you would think they would block out everything, when in actuality it provides a really nice level noise level reduction.

Sound:  Decent quality with good reduction.

Fit:  Very comfortable.  Applicator stick makes for easy insertion deep in the ear, but not very practical for use in a real live-music environment.

Case:  Very compact and easy to open.

Bottom Line:

One of the most affordable earplugs for live music you will find, with nice decibel reduction and a very comfortable fit.  Discreet and with a small case, you won’t be disappointed with these earplugs.

FEATURES:

• Earasers have left and right plugs, and are color coded so you know the difference.
• Smart Seal approximates the fit of a custom earplug, without the custom cost.
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Our Findings:

The unique design of Earasers made for a bit of a learning curve when inserting them in the ear, and there was an initial moment of not being able to immediately remove the earplug!  Something to get used to, but once they were properly inserted, they offered good sound quality and were very comfortable and discreet- possibly the most discreet looking of all the earplugs tested.

Sound:  Good quality, very clear.  Nice reduction in lows and highs without compromising the overall quality.

Fit:  Very comfortable once inserted correctly.

Case:  Not included, $5.95 case has a key loop but no clip.

Bottom Line:

A very different design than any other tested earplug that some will fall in love with, and others may take time to get used to.  Priced at the high-end of the spectrum in regards to products tested for this article, Earasers nonetheless deliver a quality ear protection product that is worth a few extra bucks!

FEATURES:

• Eardial comes with the option of a mobile App which measures the sound around you and lets you know safe levels and exposure times.
  

• Transparent design makes them “almost invisible when you put them in your ears, no matter your skin color.”

• 5% of profits go to charities on a mission against tinnitus and NIHL (Noise Induced Hearing Loss).

Our Findings:

Very comfortable earplugs, easy to get in and out of the ear.  Very discreet earplugs for concerts -not very visible once in the ear.  Not as much of a sound reduction as some others, but easy to have conversations.

Sound: The music maintained its clarity, but not a hugely noticeable decibel reduction.

Fit:  Very comfortable and easy to use. 

Case:  The smallest and easiest case we tested with a clip.

Bottom Line:

A very discreet and comfortable earplug for live music.  The included app is a bonus feature, but not a huge selling point.  With a portion of proceeds going to charity and the best included carrying case we tested, Eardial is a nice option of earplug for concerts and festivals.

FEATURES:

• Optional neck-cord allows temporary removal of the earplugs without having to store them away.

• EarLove are created with Etymotic Research, a leader in hearing technology.

Our Findings:

The neck cord makes for easy removal without fear of dropping an earplug at a concert, which was a nice feature.  The earplugs are a bit larger than some of the others we tested.  This initially makes for a little difficulty in inserting, and they protrude from the ears a bit, so aren’t very discreet.  Once you get the hang of inserting into the ear comfortably, they seem to work great. Conversations were easy to understand.

Sound:  Music sounded crisp and clear without being muffled.

Fit:  Very comfortable once inserted correctly, but much larger than other earplugs tested.

Case:  Medium sized case with key loop, easy to open and close.

Bottom Line:

A good quality earplug for live music at a nice price-point, although not as discreet looking as some others.

FEATURES:

• EarPeace HD provides 3 filter sets, allowing the user to choose between Medium (11 NRR), High (14 NRR) and Maximum (19 NRR) protection.
• Each package comes with 3 Ear Plugs, providing an extra should you lose one.

Our Findings:

Easy to insert using the pull tab.  (Tab is soft plastic, but a little thicker than some others). Fits in snug, yet soft plastic is comfy inside ear canal.  Really well thought out product and packaging.  The 3 different filter options were nice, and the dual-chamber case allows you to easily stash the filters separate from the earplugs themselves.  All the filters are color-coded, too.

Sound:  Good, clear quality with a nice option of different levels of reduction.

Fit:  Very comfortable and easy to insert and remove.

Case:  Case is a little large for a pocket, but it does come with a small clip.

Bottom Line:

The most intuitive overall product – with options for different levels of noise reduction, and a 3rd earplug in case you lose one!  Good price for a nice overall earplug for live music.

FEATURES:

• Low profile design.
• Designed to be comfortable to wear under hats, helmets and other headgear.

Our Findings:

The Universal Fit package comes with three sizes to offer a more accurate fit.  The plugs are slightly larger than some others, protruding from the ear just a bit, so not the most discreet we tested.  However, they were very comfortable and offered a great level of protection without sacrificing sound quality.  Conversations were easy to understand over the music.  

Sound: These earplugs have a nice NRR of 13, and offer a good level of noise reduction.

Fit: Comfortable fit, albeit a bit larger than some of the other options.

Case: The rubber squeeze-case was easy to use and small.

Bottom Line:

A good design, great price, and high Noise Reduction Rating, coming from a respected company makes for a quality live music earplug.

FEATURES:

• Vibes lower the volume of all sounds equally, from bass to treble, which allows you to hear sound clearly, just at a quieter volume.
  
• Clear outer shell makes Vibes earplugs less visible.

Our Findings:

Comfortable fit, very easy to get in and out of the ear. 3-sizes included in the package, which is great for first-time users who don’t yet know their earplug size.  Really reduced the sound, maybe a little too much, as some of the sound was slightly muffled.  Protruding stick on end of earplug makes for easy application and removal, but also makes the earplugs very visible.

Sound:  Great reduction, but possibly a little lost in quality.

Fit:  Very comfortable, easy to use.

Case:  Small pocket case is easy to access.

Bottom Line:

Great decibel reduction at a good price, but perhaps a slight drop-off in sound quality when using the earplugs for live music.  Included sizing options are a bonus!