Your child’s hearing is precious, which is why you should start protecting their ears from damage at an early age. However, we know that can be difficult. Some children simply don’t want to wear ear protection, while parents struggle to find the right-fitting earplugs for little ears.
Whether you want to safeguard your child against loud music, water, or flying, Earjobs has you covered. Here we’ve selected the comfiest, best-fitting, child-orientated ear protection out there to make sure you can fit the needs of your little one.
How to choose the best hearing protection for your kids
There’s a handful of factors you need to look out for when shopping for ear protection for your kids. First, it’s important to check the noise reduction rating of the protection you’re buying. The higher the number, the more noise that will be blocked out.
If the earplugs are for an activity such as swimming, they should still let some noise through so your child can hear if they are being spoken to or given instructions. Damage to the hearing begins at 85 decibels, not taking into account repeated exposure.
If the ear protection is sold with an NRR (noise reduction rating) label, then it has been tested and approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
It’s also so important to buy based on comfort when it comes to kids. It’s very unlikely your child will wear anything they feel uncomfortable in, so choose soft-fitting earplugs that will fit their bears well.
Finally, think about aesthetics. While you may not care what your earplugs look like, the colour and overall design of children’s earplugs can be the difference between your child wearing them every day, and the product simply being thrown out. Choose a product your little one is likely to be drawn to.
Best Children's Earplugs for Swimming
Putty Buddies earplugs are one of the very best ways to protect your kids from swimmer’s ear. Not only are they super secure to keep water out, but they’re also very comfortable and come in a range of fun colours to get your child excited about wearing ear protection.
The soft silicone reduces noise by around 20-22dB while still allowing your child to hear you from the poolside. Each pair of Putty Buddies comes in its own sturdy plastic carry case, too, so they hopefully won’t go missing too much! Oh, and did we mention these earplugs float? If dropped into the pool, they’re super easy to retrieve. You can team Putty Buddies up with an Ear Band-It swimmers headband for double the protection.
Shop Putty Buddies Earplugs here.
Shop the Ear Band-It Ultra Swimmers Headband here.
Best Children's Earplugs for Music
Our very own Musicmate earplugs are a fantastic choice for those who need all-round music protection: whether that’s for music class, performances, or concerts. Now available in child sizing, these earplugs are second to none for comfort and value, using specially developed membrane filters to allow your child to enjoy music without sacrificing quality.
Musicmate earplugs are great for wear over long periods, are reusable and washable, and come with their own aluminium carry case with keychain to keep them together at all times.
They’re pretty much invisible while worn, too, and won’t cause itching or pressure build-up. No longer will your child complain of ringing ears - these earplugs are an absolute gamechanger.
Best Children's Earplugs For Flying
Cirrus EarPlanes are loved by adults and children alike for their ability to regulate pressure inside and outside of the ear canal. The all-new EP2 version from Cirrus is an improved version of the company’s original design, made with the wearer’s comfort in mind. These earplugs are even softer and have an improved cap on each, making them easier to insert.
The EP2 design is also reusable, and the earplugs are corded to make them easier to find if your child drops them. Using a CaramX ceramic filter, these earplugs stop ears from painfully popping during altitude changes, while still allowing sound to filter through to hold conversion.
Shop the Cirrus Earplanes EP2 here
Best General Purpose Children's Ear Plugs
Mack’s Kids Size Soft Mouldable Silicone Putty
The wonderful thing about mouldable putty is you don’t need to worry about earplug sizing! These mouldable silicone putty earplugs from Macks are an affordable way to protect your child’s hearing when swimming or sleeping. The hot orange colour makes these super easy to find in the water on the off-chance they fall out, too.
Able to reduce noise up to 22dB, these earplugs protect hearing while still allowing your child to hear you from the poolside. Mack’s putty also works great during concerts, motor races, and aeroplanes, although they need to be removed during takeoff. Mack’s putty for kids can be used for children of any age, but it is recommended to try the adult putty on children over 6 years of age.
Shop Mack’s Kid Size Soft Moldable earplugs here.
Alpine Pluggies do it all: they’ll protect your child’s ears from music and water, flying and even help them to concentrate in noisy environments. Pluggies were specifically developed for kids between the ages of three and 12 to muffle excessively loud noise and prevent early hearing damage.
As well as protecting hearing up to 30dB, these earplugs also keep water out of the ears and are extremely comfortable as they’re made from soft AlpineThermoShape material. If you’re looking for versatile earplugs that will take your children to the pool, to school, to band practice, then Alpine Pluggies are the one. These tried-and-tested earplugs provide a natural flat absorption into the ear and a perfect fit to ensure your child’s hearing is protected at all times.
Shop Alpine Pluggies here.
By Ann Holmes