The Best Quality Child Ear Protection and Kids Ear Plugs
Contents
As a parent, the safety and protection of your child is your biggest concern. As such, only the best products will do when protecting them.
This counts for everything from the best cold medicine to the best ear protection.
A national CDC survey found that about 15% of children between 6 and 19 had at least slight hearing loss in one or both ears, most of it mild and in one ear only.
Hearing isn’t something to be taken lightly. Long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA can cause permanent hearing loss, and young children need adults to protect their ears for them.
To help you find the best product to protect your child’s ears, our product review guide will show you your best kids ear plugs on the market.
Criteria
To choose the best kids ear plug, you first have to know what makes a good ear plug.
The primary criteria are protection of hearing and protection from an ear infection, specifically swimmer’s ear, when in the water.
Other important features include that the ear plug should fit comfortably into the ear. It should also be made of a comfortable material.
This means that it won’t irritate the skin, which is especially important for children with sensitive skin.
Ear plugs that are safe to reuse multiple times are more cost-effective, which is always a bonus.
Product Overview
Putty Buddies’ Original Swimming Ear Plugs
The product we found that fit these criteria the best is the Putty Buddies’ Original Swimming Ear Plugs.
The maker says they were developed by an ear, nose and throat specialist.
The ear plugs themselves are made of a soft, moldable silicone.
They will cater to any size you need and not irritate a child’s sensitive skin.
The maker also markets them for children with ear tubes. Ask your child’s doctor whether your child needs earplugs for swimming, since advice varies by child.
A package of these ear plugs comes with six pads of silicone for ear plugs in bright colors. They won’t get lost easily, even if they do happen to get knocked out while playing in the pool.
These ear plugs are made for kids, but their moldable design means parents can use them too. For very loud events, such as fireworks or concerts, earmuffs sized for children give more reliable protection.
These kids ear plugs are also reusable. You don’t have to buy new ones every time you need a pair. This saves money in the long run.
Pros and Cons
Let’s take the bad news first and tackle the cons of this product.
The main one is that these ear plugs are a putty rather than a solid piece, so they soften in heat.
Because of this, there have been complaints of these melting in warmer, heated pools.
Small pieces could get stuck in the child’s ear. If that happens, have a doctor remove them rather than digging them out at home. What’s more, the putty doesn’t hold its form anymore, making the product virtually ineffective.
Luckily, though, this problem is only caused in hot water, such as swimming in a heated pool, which means it’s avoidable.
On the bright side, the pros of this product heavily outweigh the cons.
The first is the fit of the earplugs, since you can mold these specifically to the child’s ear. They’re a custom fit every time and can even be worn by adults as well.
In addition to a custom fit, these ear plugs can be molded to have a good seal to keep water out of the ear, protecting children with ear problems so that they can’t get water in their ears and from swimmer’s ear as well.
Of course, since this is blocking the ear with a tight fit, they’ll also block some sound.
In addition, the tackiness of the ear plugs helps them stay in better than some of their competitors’ products.
They’re made out of silicone that won’t irritate your child’s ear either.
Another pro of this product is that they can be reused for a while (follow the package directions), so you don’t have to buy new ear plugs every time you want to go out for a swim.
Conclusion
From your day to day routine to an emergency, as a parent, you do your utmost to protect your children.
That includes only doing and having the best for your kids.
Protecting your children’s ears is important, and the Putty Buddies’ ear plugs are a comfortable choice for swimming. If your child has ear pain, drainage or trouble hearing, see their doctor.
Sources
- Prevalence of hearing loss among children 6 to 19 years of age (JAMA, 1998), PubMed
- Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIH)
