Complete Reviews Guide: Best Earplugs For Musicians

musician ear plugs

Musicians earplugs are a necessary tool when performing at home or on stage. Find the best earplugs for musicians with our complete review guide.

Performing and playing music can be quite the experience. It's emotional, fulfilling, cathartic, and very, very loud.

From playing the drums in your basement to playing for arenas full of fans, music can take a toll on your hearing if you aren’t careful.

People often associate hearing loss more with loud noises from machinery than with recreational exposure. However, if you're exposed to loud music day in, day out, the impact is inevitable. 

This is why musician’s earplugs are a necessary tool to remember when you’re getting all your equipment.

Take some of the stress out of finding the best earplugs for musicians with our complete review guide.


Why Would you Wear Headphones to a Concert?


It seems like a silly statement, after all, don’t you go to a concert to hear the music?

However, if you think about it, the music at concerts is much louder than the noise you encounter on a daily basis. In fact, regular conversations measure around 65 decibels, whereas a music concert can be as loud as 120 decibels!

Exposure to noise this loud has the potential to cause permanent hearing damage, even a two-hour concert (let alone a whole day music festival).

For this reason, wearing headphones to a concert will greatly reduce your risk of long-term hearing loss.

They don’t block out the sound entirely and can actually make the music sound better. Overall, you hear the sounds more astutely whilst preserving your hearing, it’s a win-win!


Types of Earplugs


There are several types of earplugs available on the market to cater for a wide variety of needs.

Some of these include:


Disposable earplugs


These are designed for single use only and are generally made from foam. They do a great job at blocking out sound and are pretty comfortable. Foam earplugs usually muffle sound, so aren’t the best choice for musicians.


Reusable earplugs


Designed to be used over and over again, these earplugs are most commonly made from silicone and require regular cleaning to keep them in a suitable condition. They’re great for those who use earplugs regularly as you know you’ll always have a pair, unlike disposable earplugs that may run out.


Pre-moulded earplugs


If regular, over the counter earplugs don’t seem to fit your ears properly, you can have a pair moulded to your specific needs. They’re more expensive than other types of earplugs, but are a worthwhile investment if you wear earplugs on a regular basis.


What to Look for in Musician’s Earplugs


If you’re a musician and therefore frequently exposed to loud music, finding the right kind of earplugs is crucial. Use the following points to help make an informed decision.


Lower the volume


To prevent hearing damage you want to decrease the volume of the sound, however, a musician does not want this factor to compromise the quality of the sound.

Foam earplugs will certainly lower the volume, but are almost guaranteed to reduce the quality and are therefore best avoided.

Look for earplugs labelled as ‘high-fidelity’ as they’re designed specifically for musicians and will sufficiently reduce the volume whilst still allowing you to hear clearly.


Maintain high sound quality


As a musician, there’s no point in not being able to hear the sound of the music clearly. Muffling the noise will result in being unable to hear the music accurately and therefore unable to perform properly.


Comfort


If your earplugs are uncomfortable you’re less likely to wear them, therefore rendering them useless. Make sure they fit comfortably inside your ear canals. Due to the fairly low cost of earplugs, it’s worth experimenting with a few brands and styles in order to find ones that fit you.

If over the counter earplugs don’t seem to cut it, there’s always the option of pre-molded earplugs. Earplugs that are attached to a bit of string are a great idea as you can take them in and out without fear of losing them and wear them comfortably around your neck.


Long-lasting


if you intend on wearing your earplugs on a regular basis it’s advised to buy a pair that will last you a long time. Reusable earplugs that are made from high-quality silicone are easy to find and are safe for wearing over and over again.

In order to keep your earplugs in top condition, follow the care guidelines and clean them regularly.


Affordability


fortunately, buying a pair of earplugs won’t break the bank. Naturally, some are more expensive than others, but if you’ll wear your earplugs frequently it is a small price to pay to save your hearing.

If you’re buying disposable earplugs, pay close attention to how many pairs come in the packet to make sure you are getting value for money.

Reusable earplugs cost more initially, but when you consider you can wear the same pair repeatedly, they may be worth the extra money.

Model

Lower The Volume

Maintain High Sound Quality

Comfort

Long-lasting

Affordability

Zildjian HD Ear Plugs- Light

85 %

95 %

90 %

95 %

85 %

ER20 ETY Plugs Hearing Protection Earplugs Standard Fit

90 %

90 %

90 %

95 %

90 %

Vater Earplugs

90 %

95 %

90 %

90 %

90 %

BestCraft Earplugs

95 %

95 %

90 %

90 %

80 %

PureSilence Earplugs

90 %

90 %

90 %

90 %

95 %


5 BestEarplugs for Musician



Zildjian HD Ear Plugs - Light


noise cancelling ear plugs

This set of musician earplugs comes with three high-fidelity earplugs, two sets of attenuation filters, and an anodized aluminuim case that's made to clip easily onto a key ring or cymbal bag for easy, convenient storage.

The earplugs themselves are made of silicone that is hypoallergenic.

This makes them effective, without irritating your skin.

Since the silicone is soft as well, so wearing them all day for a concert or music festival won’t be a problem at all. 

The use of multiple filters also protects your ears from harsh sounds without making it impossible to discern sounds like voices and high notes.

This is an important feature for a musician.


ER20 ETY Plugs Hearing Protection Earplugs Standard Fit


ER20 ETY Plugs Hearing Protection Earplugs

These earplugs have a noise reduction rating of around 20 decibels when correctly used.

That means they'll definitely protect your ears while you practice and perform.

Again, these earplugs have the feature that's crucial to a musician.

You can still discern sounds like voices when you have them in, so they don’t interfere with communication on stage, but they quiet these sounds to a safer level.

For convenience, these earplugs also come with a cord and case for easy use and storage.

They also have a ready-fit design, so you don’t have to worry about ordering the wrong size.


Vater Earplugs


Vater Earplugs

These earplugs come with two filter styles to cater to two different levels of hearing protection, to keep you at the right sound level for the environment you're in at all times. 

The fit on these earplugs is fantastic, and wearing them for long periods of time shouldn’t be a problem at all.

Once again, these earplugs have the important feature that they quiet the sounds around you to a healthy level but don't muffle it.

These earplugs also come with a cord and a durable carrying case. This can easily be attached to a key chain or music bag.


BestCraft Ear Plugs


BestCraft Ear Plugs

These earplugs offer two different pairs in their set.

The green pair offers a lower hearing protection that you could use for practice.

The the white pair is for extremely loud setting, such as if you were playing a concert.

These are reusable and easy to clean, making them a little more economically friendly than earplugs you have to continually repurchase.

They're also hypo-allergenic, so any sensitive skin concerns shouldn’t be an issue.

These are also designed to fit into your ear comfortably and selectively cancel noise so only harmful sounds are quieted down.

They come with a cord and an aluminium case for easy storage between uses.


PureSilence Ear Plugs


PureSilence Ear Plugs

PureSilence brings to the table another pair of effective, selective noise canceling earplugs.

They're fitted to provide optimum protection for your ears as well provide a comfortable fit that won’t be a problem to wear for long periods of time.

These also promise to protect against tinnitus, or the ringing you get in your ears when they aren’t protected from loud sound well.

They also offer the added feature of sound isolation, so that a musician can hear their instrument to tune it on stage.

These earplugs also come with a convenient travel case.

You can easily fit it into your pocket or bag without fear of losing them when you aren’t using them.


Conclusion


Musician earplugs are an important part of the equipment that cannot be overlooked.

Not only is it crucial to safety, but more specifically, they're crucial to the protection of the sense that musicians use most.

While Beethoven made beautiful music without his hearing, that’s no reason to throw yours away.

Ear plugs are a small purchase compared to other musical equipment, but just as important.