13 Best Ear Plugs (2025): For concerts, sleep, listening

You just do One pair of ears, so that’s a good idea Take care of them– And good earplugs can be useful in all kinds of situations. A proper set is a much better solution for blocking noise in the middle of the night than a pillow on your head, and is more comfortable than headphones. What you’re looking for with earplugs really depends on what you want them to. For example, when you’re sleeping, comfort is paramount. Additionally, there is a need for a promiscuous approach to blocking snoring, traffic noise, or car alarms on the street.

However, if you’re watching your band play live, you just need to maintain as much fidelity as possible and cut out frequencies that are harmful to your hearing. The average concert pumps around 100 dBs, but if you’ve seen my bloody Valentine’s Day, you’ll notice that some bands seem to have a personal revenge against their ears. This means you can’t choose a pair of earplugs that work in any situation. Instead, I chose a few that met my various needs.

Be sure to check out other people I’ll buy the guideLike, The best sleep gadgets, The best wireless earphones, The best wireless headphonesand A gift for those who need a good night’s sleep.

Updated May 2024: Added Etymotic MusicPro Elite, Loop Switch, and Minuendo Live, and updated prices.

Special offer for gear leaders: get a 1 year subscription Wired 5 dollars ($25 off). This includes unlimited access Wired.com and our printing magazines (if necessary). Subscriptions help us fund the work we do every day.