Advice based on our own product information and knowledge base, not medical advice.
Sustainable hearing protection: earplugs that last for years
You keep buying disposable earplugs, while a set of custom earplugs lasts for years. A worked example, and how repairs, separate filters, cleaning and stored impressions make your earplugs last longer.
Take the next step for your hearing
Hearing protection comes in all kinds. One difference few people think about: how long does it last? You throw disposable earplugs away after use and keep buying new ones. A set of custom earplugs you clean and wear for years. Below we work out that difference for you, and you can read how to make your earplugs last as long as possible.
In short
- Custom earplugs last four to five years with good care. You get at least 2 years' warranty.
- If you use disposable earplugs every day, you throw away hundreds of pairs in that same time.
- Filters can be replaced separately, a damaged earplug can be repaired and we make a new set from your stored impression.
Why good hearing protection matters
Noise damage is a common occupational disease; in the Netherlands, for example, it is one of the most frequently reported. Outside work, too, we’re often exposed to loud sound: in the club, at a festival, with a drill in your hand. Damage to your inner ear doesn’t heal. That’s why prevention is the only thing that really works.
The best hearing protection is hearing protection you wear consistently as soon as it gets too loud. For that, it has to fit well and be comfortable. An earplug that presses or keeps working loose, you take out, and then it doesn’t protect. Well-fitting hearing protection with the right filter brings the noise down to a safe level, provided you wear it.
One set for years: a worked example
Take someone who wears hearing protection every day, for example at work or at night. We work with two assumptions: you use a disposable pair for one day, and a set of custom earplugs lasts four to five years with good care.
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.
If you use a disposable pair for a few days, divide the number by that number of days. If you only wear hearing protection a few times a year, the difference disappears and disposable or universal earplugs are a fine choice. What the difference means in euros, you can read in cheap earplugs.
How to make your earplugs last longer
How long custom earplugs last is partly up to you. And if something goes wrong, you usually don’t need to replace the whole set.
- Clean them regularly. With lukewarm water or a cleaning spray, and let them dry before you put them away. How best to do that, you can read in how to clean earplugs.
- Replace only the filter. If a filter is worn or lost, order a separate filter in our shop. Within 3 months of delivery we change the filter free of charge if you want a different strength.
- Have them repaired. If an earplug is damaged or no longer works as it should, request a repair.
- Have them checked. During a check we clean your earplugs ultrasonically and test whether they still seal properly. After 4 years we do that free of charge. How that test works, you can read in the leak test for hearing protection.
- Use your stored impression. We keep your impressions for 2 years. If you lose a set or want another one, we make it via order an extra product without a new fitting. What else you can do if you lose them, you can read in lost earplugs.
Why the fit counts too
Custom earplugs are more comfortable to wear than universal earplugs. Because they fit your ear canal exactly, after a while you hardly feel them. That makes you put them in sooner and keep them in longer, and in the end that’s what protection is all about.
Wear hearing protection for work? Then see hearing protection for work; for teams of 3 or more we come to your workplace to take impressions. And if your ear is full of earwax, don’t start on it yourself with cotton buds. Dutch GP guidance (Thuisarts, by the Dutch College of General Practitioners) advises lukewarm water first: spray it into your ear with the shower head once a day, or put in 5 drops twice a day, for 5 days. Your own doctor can advise you on the rules and options in your country. Still blocked after 5 days? See your GP or have the earwax removed, for example by Audinc at our locations in the Netherlands.
Custom earplugsOne set that lasts for yearsAt least 2 years' warranty, separate filters and repairs available. The fitting is free. See the models
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Frequently Asked Questions
Read MoreFAQ
By sustainable we mean here: earplugs that last a long time and that you use again and again. You throw disposable foam earplugs away after one or a few uses. Custom earplugs you clean after use, and with good care they last four to five years.
Four to five years with good care. You get at least 2 years of warranty, and we use 4 years as the moment for a free check of the fit. What changes over the years is mainly your ear canal.
Yes. If your earplug is damaged or no longer works properly, you can request a repair. A filter that is worn or lost can be replaced separately, without you needing a whole new set.
Yes, if you keep them clean. Clean them after use with lukewarm water or a cleaning spray and let them dry before you put them away. Custom earplugs are personal, so you do not share them with others.
