I came across an interesting hearing protection product at this year’s National Hardware Show – Decibullz’ custom-molded ear plugs. Before I get into the details, let’s talk a little about ear plugs in general.
Ear plugs and earphones sold as hearing protection must be tested and given a noise reduction rating (NRR). If you see hearing protection products without an NRR rating, such as cheap non-branded foam ear plugs at a big box store, they might not protect your hearing as well as you think.
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The NRR indicates how many decibels (dB) of sound are attenuated by the device. The higher the NRR, the better. Most ear plugs fall between a NRR of 24 and 32 dB.
You might not think that is a very great difference, but the dB scale is logarithmic, so an increase of 3dB equates to a doubling of sound. Subject your ears to too much sound over a long enough period of time and your hearing can be permanently damaged.
It’s worth noting that the highest possible NRR for any ear plug would be in the neighborhood of 35dB. That’s because you could block 100% of the sound entering through your ear canals and some would still get “in” through your teeth and bones. Chew something crunchy with your ears plugged and you’ll see what I mean.
Ear plugs custom-molded to fit the wearer’s ear canals are at the high end of the spectrum, in terms of effectiveness and comfort. Originally, the only way to get them was to go to a specialist who could mold them on-site or take an impression and ship custom-made plugs later on.
More recently, it became possible to mold them yourself by mixing a two-part silicone compound and molding it to your ear canal and outer ear.
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Decibullz‘ ear plugs offer something different, a heat-activated material (thermoplastic) that can be softened by immersion in hot water. The material is attached to a stem that accepts a variety of in-the-ear plugs (provided). When the material is heated, you insert the plug and mold the material to fit the outer part of your ear.
Here’s a video showing how it all works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2EgTfa80Vk&feature=youtu.be
Unlike other custom-molded plugs, these can be immersed again in hot water and reshaped for a better or more comfortable fit. Properly fit, Decibullz have a NRR of 31 dB, which is about as good as it gets for in-the-ear plugs.
Decibullz offers several products based on this custom molding technology. There are regular ear plugs which provide the mentioned hearing protection, and also earphones that can be connected by Bluetooth or wire to a media device. The earphones are intended to provide audio and do not offer any rated hearing protection.
Decibullz also offers percussive filters, which allow you to hear normal sounds but selectively block sound from guns, artillery, and other percussive sounds. They do this by means of a tiny “valve” that instantly closes when subject to high sound pressure.
I asked an engineer at Decibullz how the mechanism works and he likened it to covering the end of a toilet paper tube with an index card and having the wind blow against it. The stronger the wind, the tighter the seal between card and tube. The same is true of sound pressure; the higher the percussive sound the tighter the “valve” seals. Additional sound dampening is provided by a series of acoustic mesh filters.
Percussive filters do not receive an NRR rating because it’s not a relevant measure of the protection provided by this kind of device. NRR is the average protection at all frequencies; percussive filters only protect against rapid sound spikes at certain frequencies. I was told they should provide protection for people using nail guns and jack hammers, but not for something like a concrete saw, which produces a solid wave of sound.
The percussive filters are “developed for shooting and military use”; it would be wise to contact Decibullz before using them for other applications.
Connected to a phone or other media device, the wired and Bluetooth plugs can be used to listen to audio or make and receive calls. The wire coming out from the plugs also contains a microphone and a module that allows you to control your phone or media device (on/off, volume, skip songs, make or take phone calls, etc.).
Decibullz does NOT currently offer dB-limiting earphones. Earphones with this feature limit would audio to 85 dB or less, which is the maximum 8-hour exposure allowed by OSHA. If you use Decibullz’ earphones or any others that don’t offer dB limiting, be sure not to blast the audio or you could end up damaging your hearing.
Pricing
- Ear plugs: $26
- Wired earphones: $40-60 ($60 for the latest generation)
- Bluetooth earphones: $120
- Percussive shooting filters: $75
Buy Now(Ear Plugs via Amazon)
Buy Now(Percussive shooting filters via Amazon)
Buy Now(Other Decibullz Products via Amazon)
More Info(via Decibullz)
First Thoughts
I stumbled across this company while wandering the exhibition hall at the National Hardware Show. I’ve never used custom-molded plugs, but can see how Decibullz’s would likely provide a higher level of protection. After all, they have the type of in-the-ear plug I already wear, plus a secondary seal from the molded material.
Stuart’s Note: From what I’ve seen, there are some disposable foam ear plugs that provide a comparable level of protection, but foam ear plugs can be more difficult to insert than reusable ones. Reusable ear plugs, such as those by 3M/Peltor, have a noise reduction rating of 26 dB.
Ideally, anyone who works in loud environments would wear custom-molded plugs produced by an industrial hygienist. But for reasons of cost and convenience, that’s unlikely to happen.
DIY molded plugs like the ones from Decibullz are a reasonable second-best choice. I like the idea of being able to mold plugs myself and remold them if I’m unhappy with the initial fit.
There are a couple of caveats to owning these plugs. It’s important to follow the instructions when molding them—especially as relates to the heat of the water and allowing the material to cool slightly before shaping to your ears. And you don’t want to store molded plugs where they might get hot enough to lose their shape.
It doesn’t matter if you choose to wear custom-molded ear plugs, traditional foam or reusable ear plugs, or earmuffs – what does matter is that you wear some kind of protection when working with tools that operate at hearing-damaging levels.
If you know anyone who suffers from Tinnitus or some other kind of hearing damage you’ll understand how miserable and debilitating it can be. Hearing damage is permanent; once it’s gone, it’s gone; hearing damage is permanent.
2 years ago, we asked you about your favorite hearing protection, and only one reader mentioned wearing custom molded ear plugs.
How many of you wear custom-molded ear plugs now? How many of you are open to the idea?
Anson
Flugz earplugs, the two part putty into your ear ones are my favorite. I haven’t tried their silicone or heat to mold ones.
Any wired/bluetooth ones are gimmicks. Taking calls in a noisy environment, lol just lol. Before you say heavy equipment it’s vastly different application.
Percussive shooting filters – no thanks I’m not taking the chance for hearing loss if a valve sticks or has water in it. For those of with sensitive hearing we use both in-ear molded/disposable as well as regular cans.
btw: the orange foam disposables are 15-20 cents a pair and 32db nrr, good for visitors.
MarkT
I would give them a shot.
Joe G
A 3dB difference is (roughly) a doubling of energy but is not a doubling of loudness. Tests show that apparent loudness doubles every 6dB or so.
Benjamen
Actually I just had this discussion on Instagram, 3dB doubles the amount of energy, but since sound falls off as the square of the distance, to get double the sound pressure level you have to square it which is 6dB. (logarithms are weird).
I was told to double the perceived or apparent loudness you need something like 10dB, but since we are messy creatures I think that depends where you are on the scale.
Farid
If your dealing with a workplace hearing conservation program, doubling is at 5-dB not 6. That’s because hearing conservation limits are based on a dose bases (time weighted average of noise over 8-hour shift). The A-weighted sound level scale is used as the basis for evaluating sound levels, as it more resembles human response to frequencies spectrum. Long time ago, when I worked in industrial hygiene and engineering safety controls , I did a paper on the derivation of the 5-db doubling effect.
A good source of information about hearing protection can be found here:
https://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/new_noise/index.html#decibles
What was missing from OSHA program (it might still be, but I haven’t looked at it in a long time) is better protection against ultrasonic and subsonic frequencies. These can have significant negative physical and psychological effects on people, but are not accounted for in A-weighted sound measurements. So, we used the C-scale (flat response scale) for evaluating effectiveness of sound mitigation solutions.
Minimum perceived loudness change for most people is 2-dB.
Fm2176
I’d try them. Spent the past two days zeroing iron sights on M4A1s and wearing foam plugs. Have Peltors but Georgia heat and humidity make them less than ideal. Also have issued percussive plugs somewhere, the same as what the trainees wear.
Pete
WHAT?!
ktash
🙂 Yup!
Frank D
I have a dozen of the triple flange silicone ear plugs on a string around, made/sold by 3M (purchased additional in bulk, cost of one set is up there for what they are). I pretty much never use any powertools (other than maybe a drill fastening screws) or indoor and outdoor equipment without them. Can’t beat the convenience and comfort while enjoying suppressed sound and protecting my hearing. I dampen them slightly for a better seal. For extended loud environments (chainsaw, wood chipper, … ) I put a pair of ear muffs ( peltor, husqv, … ) on as well.
fred
With all the different and seemingly effective hearing protection options available on the market – you would think that it would be a no-brainer and easy to get your workers to wear them consistently. In the shop – we probably had 80 to 90% compliance and were always trying to incentivize 100%. I think when it was hot – folks may have become less diligent about all PPE – but we tried to constantly and consistently reinforce its proper use. We worked to follow OSHA and NIOSH guidelines and we had instituted a Buy Quiet Program in one of our businesses.
On the construction/remodeling jobsite – I suspect PPE use was more hit and miss. I think that when the crews knew that I or one of the “bosses” were coming – they made a show of it. Human behavior is remarkable – and you come to realize that you can only provide easy access to things like ear plugs, buy/try out styles you are told by the users that like, train folks on their proper use – where and why they should be used, incentivize proper behavior and follow up to dissuade bad behavior. You would think that preventing hearing loss would be enough of an incentive – but its apparently not for everyone.
Farid
“…I suspect PPE use was more hit and miss. ”
Since you mention it. The things that people did trying to pretend following safety rules when they saw us (my hygienist colleagues and I) us coming while doing site safety evaluations were pretty comic and truly sad. The extent of effort that people took to bypass safety measure and procedures order to save a few minutes of work a day was outstanding and unfortunately misguided.
I’ve seen instances where people were literary poisoning themselves so they can smoke a cigarette, or risking loosing an arm so that they can make one extra cut every hour. In one of the cases I saw, two men lost their heads (literally) for not following the simplest rules. In another case, a young father of 2 lost both hands due to bypassing a safety switch while doing machine setup. The funniest was one worker who placed a spacer between the ear muffs and his head, so that he can still hear the radio while, technically, still wearing his hearing protection!
Jonathan
At 46, I wish I had taken better care of/or knew what we even knew 20 years ago, between starting to mow lawns at 10, and exposure in my teens and 20’s to percussive noises’s both in the US and abroad, as well as working on/off stage and during sound tests. I’ve been fighting getting hearing aids, but I’ve started to notice that I get short with family when I can’t hear them clearly and I also speak a lot louder because of hearing loss.
I’m thankful I don’t have tinnitus on a permanent basis, I’ve experienced it for up to 30 minutes, and long term it would drive me crazy.
I digress, while I love the custom fit and NRR and the BT function of a cordless solution, but I still prefer an earbud on a lanyard like the LG Tones and copycats. The new LG Tone FREE, looks promising for BT earbuds as it still has a base that sits around your neck, but it will all depend on strong the magnets hold the earbuds in place, something I’ve wanted to try out in store, but looks like it could solve three problems at once, I’ve been waiting for it to actually be released and not just a concept. LG TONE Studio HBS (BTW while I prefer LG over Samsung , nonetheless I did opt for the new S8+ over the new LG6 flagship and I don’t work for Lucky Goldstar (the real name behind the initials) they are the Awia to Sony in S. Korea, and both are innovative brands that think outside the box.
I digress again. The LG TONE Studio HBS, if you seen a LG tone BT most likely in the Gym. The band that goes around your neck that has the electronics and battery also sports personal surround speakers (aimed at your ears) as well as
the docking/charging station for the BT ear buds that can be used for private listening.
Since I left the tech industry and sales, and now do a lot more autopilot type work, I’m either listening to audible books or music. But on my jobsites, most of my clientele live in upscale homes that start at 3/4 million so I can’t really listen to my music streamed over most job site radio/speaker solution’s ( hard rock, heavy metal and other high tempo music -high speed-low drag – it keeps motivated and focused), so the new FREE might be the best of both worlds, ( when I run my chipper, chainsaw, or other noisy 2-stoke I normally don some Winchester electronic earmuffs over earbuds.
With regards to the new S8/s8+ I picked up a new phone, because my 17 y.o. wanted to replace her S5 that she bought after saving for when she was 14, so Costco had a deal we couldn’t pass on, and my S5 was getting long in the tooth, and had been getting slower and slower and battery-life (even with 3 batteries that I rotated thru, had gotten dismal, ( I use apps for mileage tracking, employee locating, and insurance discounts, which have GPS, Wi-Fi, and Cell all operate at maximum power).
That said I’ve been blown away by Samsung’s implementing and using some of current (and older) unused BT standard options.
First I love that I can stream from my phone AT THE SAME TIME to two sources 2 speakers or two headphones, I will say that it can be a little live/stadiumish sounding with the micro delay. This solved the problem that the Ryobi/Sonos solution provided, but a far superior solution. In that I can seamlessly listen to music over BT in my rig and also keep my earbuds in and then walk in to a store, and not miss a beat and when I get back in after my rig re-“pairs” its with better bass. Also I find that hands free is better over headphones.
How the S8/S8+ has blown me away, while I’m not an audiophile, but I used to be able to run a sound board and do sound reinforcement engineering calculations for performance space’s. With the hearing loss it impossible as the hearing loss is worse in one ear than the other, probably proximity one ear to where the cartridge gets ejected from the receiver (even with ear plugs, hearing damage can come thru sound induction, through your jaw bone if the stock is pressed against your cheek).
The S8 has a an adaptive sound that is customized to each individual ear’s sensitivities and/or each ear’s hearing loss in Fhz from 20/20k and adjusts the L/R output accordingly. I’ve been blown away it’s like the way music used to sound, and hearing music like I could when I was in high school in “Hi-Fidelity” and big studio coiled ear-muffs (LOL). Honestly unless they do something along the same lines with hearing aids, that are designed around one’s hearing loss based on each ear, I may look for an app that can use this tech for hearing loss with either hearing aids or headphones. It freaked me out yesterday in store, as it sound it like it was also playing through the phones speakers in my hand. I took out the earbuds 3x times.
That said Active noise cancellation works, how well all depends on the components, but if you can block and counter outside frequencies you can listen to audio at a lower level and protect your hearing, or correct your hearing it all comes at a temporary or a permanent price .
Sorry I know this a diverges abit off topic, but my point is use hearing protection, so your not in my boat down the road.
Mark
Diverges at bit off topic?
Frank D
So, in summary, you really like the LG Tone and Samsung S8+, I guess 😉
Jonathan
Actually my point was, that I wish that I could care less about either brand, and still had the hearing of my youth, and had been instructed or informed the importance of hearing protection.
That aside, the Galaxy S8 and it’s ” adapt personal sound” if it wasn’t massed produce, it would probably cost 10-20k on the open market, but to have audio tested and adapted (customized to each ears hearing loss and adjust volumes and frequency spectrum, it’s kinda of like a an Eq or a soundboard for each ears based on ability). I’ve noticed I don’t have to have the volume at 7 -8 anymore when 5-6 is more than adequate.
So like several of the other posts that stress the importance of hearing protection, this is a little about the joy of some temporary hearing restoration to enjoy the subtle nuances in music, that I’ve been missing.
If you’ve haven’t t experienced it, don’t minimize the damage , or the joy of rediscovering what was lost. I would be just as happy if it was Fein or Harbor Freight.
The axiom applies you don’t know what you have till it’s gone.
RC WARD
As someone that suffers from tinnitus I can tell you it is not good at all. Mine was most likely caused by loud music but who knows, these things look great and seem to be pretty easy to shape. I’ll have to give them a try.
JoeM
I was born technically deaf. (Family genetic trait. Until the invention of Ear Tubes a generation or so ago, every Male in my Mother’s family was either Deaf or Musically Gifted. Something to do with the same set of genes going both ways, nothing, or super-tuned.) I heard my first sound at Age 2 (The night after my ear tube installation surgery.) and having been through about… 8 replacement sets as a child, and all the leaky ears and wax issues that came with the hearing defect, MY ears are really wonky on these things.
I have been trying to find ANY kind of Ear Protection that works properly for my wacky hearing, since I was about 8 years old, and could hear static on the Radio that no one else in the house could hear.
I’ve tried the 3M ones, custom made ones, re-purposed wax swimming plugs… certain frequencies STILL get too loud for me to hear right while using my tools. The closest I’ve ever had was wearing Sennheiser Earphones (Studio or Over-Ear Cans) and playing music while I work. But, that isn’t safe when someone needs my attention.
For any younger tool users out there… 16-25 area… just starting out in Construction or Heavy Machinery work… Do yourself a favour and start trying on Ear Protection NOW, before it’s too late to protect YOUR hearing! I’m 35 and I STILL haven’t found an affordable, non-damaging solution.
Alick
Foam disposable plugs are good. There are lots of brands so easy enough to find which ones fit your own ears the best.
I have custom moulded ones also – fitted just like custom hearing aids and bought to wear under a motorcycle helmet. The audiologist inserted a foam plug deep in the canal and injected silicon so far in I thought it was going to come out my nose ! I didn’t find them much better than foam disposables.
For regular flyers, noise cancelling ‘phones are absolutely worth the cost and for work in really noisy environments and for shooting, the Peltor 30dB NRR cans are my choice.
MichaelHammer
I have constant tinnitus, 24-7. I’ve tried to protect my ears throughout my career, but I have to constantly take them off for conversations, phone calls, comfort and then forget to put them on. Or I would convince myself that short bursts like a chop saw or quick cut with a circular saw would not damage my hearing. Then a couple years ago I discovered headphones by ryobi. They provide excellent protection and have a microphone so I can hold normal conversations. Remarkable, I was so happy until I tried to wear them long term. After two or three hours they were excruciating to wear. It fealt like I got smacked on the ears with a 2 X 4. *sigh* Back to the drawing board.
I am not fond inserts because they get so grimy on the job site. Plus I can’t get the darned things into my left ear properly.
I like my 3M headphones without the microphone, but I can’t get ten minutes to myself on the job, so wearing them is impractical.
I am so glad this subject came up. I would love to hear suggestions for you guys.
Frank D
I wear my yellow and orange silicone triple flange ones for hours. When they get grimy from dirty hands, dust while hanging around my neck, … they are easily rinsed / washed with a bit of soapy water while washing my hands.
Can’t imagine using the foam ones since I found the silicone ones.
ktash
Thank you for the great post! It’s so helpful to understand the details of this, particularly the logarithmic progression. A person might think they were getting good protection and not be.
People don’t think to protect their hearing unless why they understand it is important to do so. As someone with a moderate hearing loss, it really sucks.
I wear hearing aids, though never in the shop. Both because it would amplify the sound, but also because sawdust is not their friend. BTW, loudness can be independent of frequency when it comes to our ears, so you might not be able to understand speech, but still hear the loudness. Each hearing loss is different. It’s pretty tricky stuff.
I plan to check these out. The expense of protecting hearing is really worth it.
ktash
Oh, and we hear with our brains as well as our ears. That’s why it’s important to get hearing aids even when you can get by without them. This has to do with with understanding speech. With your brain, you need to use it or lose it. Once you lose it, it does not come back easily, if at all. So, once the ears are damaged, that part of the brain goes offline (more accurately, it probably gets used for something else).
Most loss comes on gradually, which is why people don’t know they have hearing loss even with moderate loss like mine. The brain is adapted and a person gets used to that. Getting tested is the way to find out.
Costco has the best prices (1/4 to 1/2 the cost) and free testing. They have good brands that may be one generation behind the “latest thing,” though this is rarely a very big change. Their audiologists are reasonably good to excellent.
Protecting it if you still have excellent hearing is inconvenient and frustrating. So is not being able to hear.
Jonathan
Thanks, we have Kaiser, and the deductible is rather high compared to most other services, eyeglasses, labs, Rx, visits, etc.
Costco has all kinds of unknown deals, we are in the process of a Refi, and for Executive memberships, max lender fees (origination/underwriting $295) and very competitive rates. Just learned they even sell coffins, and both Wal-Mart and Amazon would like to assimilate Costco, “resistance is futile” lol Hopefully we won’t need to check out that dept for another 30-40 years.
ktash
Yes, some decades, I’d hope. But, even then, I’d plan to wait till the coffins are on sale 😉
Farid
Glad you brought it up. There is some evidence that words are the basis for our thought process, so impairing our hearing can have a big negative effect, as you mentioned.
Also, latest research shows hearing loss leads to higher incidences of Dementia.
still hearing
I basically live with a pair of Moldex Rockets around my neck @ 26 db reduction not bad and they fit mostly comfortably , Just got a pair of these Decibullz NRR 31s and
WOW its like total comfort , completely disappears feel wise . I would go as far as saying they are more comfortable then my custom made $600 IEM I use for music .
Sound reduction with the rubber tips better than the Rockets .
Just need to add the cord for a complete package {should be included imo}
ktash
Thanks for the tip about getting the cord, too.
ktash
I got an error message when clicking on the Amazon other products link.
Paul
Hey just so you know the “other” amazon link is dead.
Fantastic write up!
Chris
Check out the db Blocker line from Protectear, I’ve had a pair for 10 years now and they still look and fit like brand new. I have the percussive option so jobsite conversations aren’t a problem at all. Half the time I forget I’m wearing them.
Nathan
color me intrigued – I’ll try a set. I go though a number of different things between shooting and using power tools. I keep a set of peltor muffs in my gun bag and another set on the work bench.
But I also keep a number of silicone plugs around. Been wanting to get something custom molded for a while.
Joe B
Your website delivers yet again. I am in the process of buying some and I will give these a try. Just yesterday I was removing carpet nail strips and in the closet, for sure the noise gets up there close to a .22 shot at times.
DougSK
I bought a pair of these about six months ago. I thought I’d use them for the range and other general stuff. I didn’t have much success with them. My ear canals must be a bit funky, cause there is a substantial difference between one ear and the other. I remolded them a few times to be sure. The plug to open the canal to hear around you needs a bigger ‘handle’ since it seems to get lost in the molding material.
I used them once for the range and switched back to foamies and some howard light impact pros. It wasn’t enough ear pro since I still have functioning ears. 😉