Advice based on our own product information and knowledge base, not medical advice.
Cheap earplugs: foam, universal or custom? What they cost per year
What are the cheapest earplugs, and do cheap custom earplugs exist? An honest comparison of foam, universal earplugs and custom-made earplugs, with a worked example per year.
Take the next step for your hearing
If you’re looking for cheap earplugs, you probably think of the price per pair. But if you wear hearing protection often, the price per year is a better measure. Below we compare foam earplugs, universal earplugs and custom earplugs honestly, with a worked example.
In short
- Foam earplugs are the cheapest per pair, but you keep buying new ones.
- Universal earplugs with a filter are a good choice if you need them a few times a year.
- Custom earplugs cost more per set, but last four to five years. With daily use they often work out cheaper per year.
- At Audinc custom earplugs start at €99, and the fitting is free.
Which earplugs are the cheapest?
Per pair, foam earplugs. They’re meant for single or short-term use and cost very little. Inserted properly they attenuate a lot, but that’s exactly the tricky part: you have to roll them up and let them expand deep in your ear canal. If they’re only halfway in, they barely attenuate. Music and voices sound dull, and after a few uses they get dirty or lose their shape.
For a one-off job in the shed or as a spare in your bag, they’re fine. If you wear them every night or every working day, you keep buying new ones.
Universal earplugs: the middle ground
Universal earplugs are reusable and often more comfortable than foam. Many models have a filter, so music and conversations stay easier to follow. They’re made in a few standard sizes, so whether they seal well depends on your ear canal.
If you only need hearing protection a few times a year, for example for a concert or festival, universal earplugs are a fine choice. You can read in detail how they compare with custom-made in universal earplugs (like Alpine) or custom.
Order universal online or have them fitted?
You can order universal earplugs online in no time. That’s easy, but you only know whether they fit once they’re in. If you have earplugs fitted, we first look in your ears, you choose a filter with us that attenuates a lot or just a little, and you decide yourself whether you want a cord on them, for example. The earplug is made from an impression of your ear, so it only fits you exactly. Want to try a few times first to see whether you like wearing hearing protection? Then feel free to start with universal earplugs.
What does it cost you per year? A worked example
Take someone who sleeps with earplugs every night. Say a pair of foam earplugs costs you 25 to 50 cents; check what your own earplugs cost and do the maths with us. If you use a new pair every night, you get to 365 pairs a year. Custom sleeping earplugs, such as the Custom SleepzZ, start at €119.95. With good care they last four to five years.
Calculator · cost
What does hearing protection cost you per year?
Enter how often you use earplugs and what they cost. The result is an example, not a promise.
At your rate of use, custom earplugs work out cheaper after about 10 months.
We assume a lifespan of 4 years (with good care they last four to five years). Filters, cleaning products and repairs are not included. Prices incl. VAT.
A worked example based on assumptions, not a promise. The result depends on what your earplugs cost, how often you replace them and how well you look after your custom earplugs. We don’t count filters, cleaning products or any repairs.
The lesson is simple. If you wear them a few times a year, foam or universal earplugs are the cheapest. If you wear them every day, custom-made is often cheaper per year, and more comfortable too. How to make them last as long as possible, you can read in sustainable hearing protection. Reading up on earplugs for sleep? Then our article on earplugs for snoring helps too.
What do custom earplugs cost at Audinc?
Our custom earplugs start at €99, incl. VAT. Exactly what you pay depends on the model, the filter and the extras you choose. All current prices are at custom earplugs. Health insurers rarely cover custom earplugs; you can read about the exceptions in claiming custom earplugs on your insurance. Why we can keep that price, you can read in price and quality at Audinc.
Is there a deal?
We don’t run temporary promotions or fake discounts. But a lot is included in the price, and there are a few ways to save:
- Free fitting. The advice and the impressions cost nothing. Book an appointment at a location near you.
- Free filter change within 3 months. If the filter turns out too strong or too light, we change it free of charge within 3 months of delivery.
- Loss guarantee for €13. Covered against loss for one year; if you lose them, you only pay an excess. More in lost earplugs.
- 10% off an extra set. We keep your impressions for 2 years. Order an extra set in that time and you get 10% off (not on in-ears and CENS).
- Gift card. Want to give someone earplugs? With a gift card you choose the amount yourself.
- Business rates. For teams of 3 or more we come to your workplace to take impressions and make a quote.
Got a question? We're all ears.
Frequently Asked Questions
Read MoreFAQ
Per pair, foam earplugs are the cheapest. They are meant for single or short-term use, so if you wear them often you keep buying new ones. Whether they are also the cheapest per year depends on how often you use them.
Custom earplugs cost more per pair than foam or universal earplugs, but they last for years. At Audinc they start at €99. If you wear them every day, they often work out cheaper per year than earplugs you keep buying.
We do not run temporary promotions. But a lot is included in the price: the fitting is free, we change your filter free of charge within 3 months of delivery, and for €13 you can take out a loss guarantee. You get 10% off a second set within 2 years of your fitting, and for teams of 3 or more we make a quote.
With good care they last four to five years. You get at least 2 years of warranty. What changes over the years is mainly your ear canal, which can make the fit less good.
Online you buy universal earplugs in standard sizes. That is fine for occasional use. For daily use a fitting is better: we also look in your ears, you choose the filter that suits you and the earplug matches your ear canal exactly.
