2024.11.05 2024.11.05

Earplugs Review! Urethane vs. silicone!

kanojohopii

記事内に商品プロモーションを含む場合があります

Hello, my name is Yakiimo!

cat

I don’t know how to choose earplugs.

dog

I don’t know how much I will lose my hearing.

This article is designed to help people who have not worn earplugs very often understand what it would be like to wear them!

Conclusion on Differences

There are roughly two types of earplugs: urethane and silicone.

As far as my experience goes, there is no difference in sound insulation between the two, and basically the urethane one is fine.

I think silicone is for swimmers.

Conclusion on the earplugs themselves

Even with earplugs, construction, ambulances, and loud voices can be heard.

But the sound is distant, so it is recommended for sleep.

I can hear the alarm sound just fine.

In this article, I, who have always used urethane earplugs when I sleep every day, tried silicone earplugs and was surprised by the results.

If you have never worn earplugs or are not sure which product to choose, please take a look.

Comparison of features between urethane and silicone earplugs　
- urethane foam
- silicon foam
Demerit and Advantages of Urethane　earplugs
Demerit and Advantages of silicone earplugs
How inaudible are earplugs in the first place?
Here is a video of how to put on the earplugs
summary

Comparison of features between urethane and silicone earplugs　

urethane foam

The urethane seems hard and dense, like a sponge.

Looks like a low rebound pillow

yakiimo

And some surfaces are prepared and smooth.

silicon foam

My first impression of silicon was that it was like clay!

It is gnarly and a little sticky.

Demerit and Advantages of Urethane　earplugs

Demerit

Although it lasts longer than silicone, urethane also unfortunately deteriorates.

My feeling is that the tension in the earplugs will be gone and I will feel like I can hear a little more than before.

I take it as a signal of deterioration.

Some recommend one-day disposables, but I’ve used them for about a month!

yakiimo

May be sensitive to moisture

When you buy earplugs, they may come with a special earplug container.

If you put them in the earplugs, they will last longer.

However, if you become annoyed and throw it away, you may feel dampness when you touch the earplugs.

So I would store my earplugs in a ziplock for good measure.

Advantages

Compared to silicone, it is nice and airy and doesn’t hurt when sleeping. I use it every day.

(I didn’t realize this until I used silicone.)

You can buy a lot of it at a lower price than silicone.
There is also a lot of variety, so if you don’t like something, you can easily choose another brand.
It is easier to attach and detach than silicone.

How many times can it be used?

Some of them are only for one day, which seems like a waste.

So I generally use it for a month.

At your own risk, but if you don’t mind dirt, you can use it more.

As I use my earplugs, they get dirty with earwax and become squishy with humidity, so I replace them then.

yakiimo

Demerit and Advantages of silicone earplugs

Demerit

breath sound

Perhaps because the earplugs are so tightly sealed, I can faintly hear the sound of my own breathing.

When I sniffle or sigh, I can hear it clearly.

But if you are concentrating on something else, it doesn’t bother you.

My ears hurt from the pressure difference!

I was surprised at how much it hurts when I put these earplugs on and when I turn sideways!

When to put on earplugs

When putting on these earplugs, press them on.

When I release my thumb that I pushed in, it sticks slightly like clay.

At that time, my ears hurt a little, as if a difference in air pressure is created.

When to turn sideways

I hate it when I am lying on my side and when I turn over from my back to my side because of the sudden attack of the pressure difference.

I made the decision not to use this type of earplugs when sleeping because I became afraid of turning over or turning to the side.

Slightly cumbersome to put on.

They are soft and need to be pushed into the ear canal until they fit.

If the frequency of putting on and taking off is small, that is fine.

However, I think it is inconvenient in situations where people talk to you more frequently.

Advantages

I feel that the silicone is better at sound insulation, slightly, really slightly.

I concluded this because the sound of the construction outside was only slightly muffled.

The shape can be transformed so that it can fit any shape of ear hole.

However, be prepared for an attack of air pressure when pressing it into your ear canal!

Because it is silicone, it is suitable for swimmers to wear.

I actually tried it in the bath and no water (hot water) came in even if my hands hit my ears a little.

It was also easy to put on, even with wet hands, as I just pressed it against my ear and put it on.

The only negative point was that the sound of my own pulse was thumping and noisy, perhaps because it was in the bath.

How many times can it be used?

The Amazon description section for one product says it can be used 60 times.

Once a day, it can be used for two months.

But for my part, I think that deadline is much shorter.

What I mean is that once I put one on, my ear wax and small ear hairs get stuck to it.

To clean it up, the silicone is torn off.

Because then they would become smaller and smaller.

And what if it stops coming out of my ear canal? I am afraid that I will have to use it much less often.

I actually tried to use it about 3 times and decided I was done with it.

yakiimo

But if a person does not have such concerns, it seems to work for 2 months.

How inaudible are earplugs in the first place?

Some of you may not have used earplugs much to begin with, so here is an image of sound reduction.

I will show this separately for I can hear the sound/I don’t hear much.

Construction noise
Noise from dryers and vacuum cleaners
People talking nearby
Laptop fan noise when used for long periods of time
Ambulance or emergency sounds
The alarm sounds (and I can hear it just fine)

Distant people talking
TV sound about normal across the wall
Smaller talking voices across the wall

The amount of sound insulation? is data only from my experience, but it seems to be almost the same between urethane and silicone.

Here is a video of how to put on the earplugs

My own way
I’m not good with light
Not centered shots.

It is a bad video such as the following.

Please understand.

It seems that the royal way to put on earplugs is to pull them over the ears and put them in.

The earplugs I encountered had instructions on how to put them on.

But I have had better success with pulling on the lower earlobe.

It may be something that varies from person to person, so finding a pattern that is easy for you to put on is a good strategy for putting on earplugs.

Crush the urethane tightly and wait a little to expand.

The silicone earplugs are good when pushed in with a good gripping force.