Best Earplugs for Survival and Emergencies

Your ears can fall victim to both short-term and long-term damage, but hearing protection is often overlooked for survival kits. In emergencies, there are plenty of uses for earplugs, ranging from sleeping to shooting and everything in between. The best earplugs can be difficult to find since there are hundreds of options including disposable plugs, and many have specific uses in mind.

This is where we come in. We’ve researched the best earplugs, tested them, and now the results are in: the overall best, a budget option, and a disposable option. If you need to focus, sleep, or protect your hearing, one of our picks will cut out the noise.

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Contents (Jump to a Section)

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SureFire is well known for their lights and suppressors, but it turns out they have pretty stellar hearing protection products as well. The EP4 Sonic Defenders hold fast in your ear but are still low profile enough to wear under helmets, earmuffs, and more!

The big feature is the manually toggleable noise filters which you won’t find on other plugs. They work great and give you some great versatility and the ability to switch your sound reduction higher and lower quickly.

Here is what you get with the SureFire plugs:

• Medical Grade Polymer (Hypoallergenic: No Latex)
• NRR: 24 dBa
• Low-profile ear retention rings
• Filter caps, radio comms compatible
• Carrying case and lanyard included
• Made in the USA

They are versatile, effective, and durable- so it’s easy to see why the SureFire EP4 Sonic Defenders Plus Earplugs are the best.

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These plugs are very similar to the military-issue plugs, but they come in a few color options and they stretch your dollar a little further, They are comfortable, cheap, and considerably reduce noise with a noise reduction rating over 30.

They come with plenty of accessories and you can trim the stems easily with a knife or scissors to have them fit under other ear protection or to be more comfortable when you sleep with them in.

Here is how our budget pick measures up:

• 6-pack (3 pairs)
• Silicon
• NRR: 31 dBa
• Carrying case, lanyard, and travel bag included
• Made in the USA

If you are looking to get some earplugs in your survival kits for cheap, ANBOW Soft Ear Plugs are what you need.

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The contour is key, making these disposables worth picking up and highly effective in a wide range of applications. That vase-shaped contour alleviates pressure, whereas cylinders don’t and cones are prone to working their way out.

Here are the full specs:

• 20-pack (10 pairs)
• Polyurethane Foam
• NRR: 33 dBa
• Pair carrying case included
• Made in the USA

If you are looking for disposable plugs that still work well, grab some Flents Quiet Contour Ear Plugs.

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Everything We Recommend

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The Earplugs We Compared

Our research narrowed the field down to several brands and types of earplugs that we compared: Honeywell, SureFire, Loop, Mack’s, 3M, Flents, ANBOW, AXIL, Vanguard, Moldex, and more.

You can see our full list of review criteria below in the What to Look For section, with an explanation for each.

We considered a wide range of ear protection but ruled out over-ear guards (earmuffs) to simplify the comparison process, and due to their larger size and weight. We also didn’t consider powered earplugs with active noise reduction due to their energy requirements. Passive plugs are the way to go and one less thing to worry about breaking in an emergency.

We’re always looking for new and better solutions, so if you have earplugs that you swear by, let us know in the comments. We review most of our tested gear annually so we can try to get it in the next roundup round and see if it will beat out our top picks.

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What to Look For

The best earplugs have a few features to look for:

1. Value
2. Material
3. Noise Reduction Rating
4. Comfort
5. Versatility

When you get the right blend of these, you can find hearing protection that will reliably cut louder noises down. Below, we break down what each of these features means for the plugs that truly set themselves apart.

Value: Cost vs. Benefit

The amount of money you spend on something as simple as earplugs shouldn’t blow out your entire budget. Hearing protection is cheap and can even be made with scrap fabric you may have around the house.

You never want to spend too much money on one thing when it comes to personal protective equipment. It’s better to diversify your equipment to make sure you are covered for a wide range of scenarios.

Material

Polymer and foam are popular choices for earplugs but there are several types of both. There are also cheaper silicon plugs. Not all foam is created equal though, there are several densities and even viscoelastic (memory foam) that are used for plugs.

While higher densities can be more durable, they can also apply more expansion pressure over time causing discomfort.

Noise Reduction Rating

Noise reduction rating is an indication of how much sound earplugs block out. A good noise reduction rating is between 22 and 33, with 33 being ideal for extremely loud environments.

Our suggestions range from 24-33 dBa, providing significant hearing protection and noise reduction while still remaining comfortable in-ear.

Comfort

If you’ve ever dealt with uncomfortable earplugs, you know that this can be one of the key characteristics to focus on. If they are putting pressure on your ear canal, it can give you headaches and wake you up if you use them for sleeping. A good fit and great comfort are necessary for them to work for long periods.

April points out the same in her review of our top pick:

Versatility

Versatility in ear plugs is being able to use them for a wide range of situations. Our top pick really excels here because you can toggle between two levels of noise reduction, making them ideal for a wider range of activities.

Comfort also lends to versatility when it comes to sleeping. You’ll need earplugs to be pretty comfortable to get good sleep with them. You don’t want them applying pressure to your ear canal and waking you up.

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Earplugs vs. Earmuffs

Many people ask which you should use, but they are completely different in our view. The best answer to the earplugs vs. earmuffs debate is both.

Earmuffs are a staple for hearing protection, but so are earplugs. You can also use both, which is ideal at the gun range or other loud areas where you’ll need serious noise reduction.

Making sure that you select earplugs that are compatible with over-ear earmuffs can make your plugs even more versatile. All of our picks work with earmuffs, so you can take them to the range with you or use both in extremely loud environments.

Where we deviate from suggesting both is when we consider hearing protection for survival purposes. Earplugs have a significantly smaller profile, weight, and less moving components to break.

This is one of the main reasons why earplugs take the cake when it comes to protecting your hearing in survival situations.

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Who Needs Earplugs?

Everyone is probably familiar with earplugs, but they aren’t the type of equipment you have lying around unless you have a shop or use them for work. Still, they are worth investing in because they can protect your hearing and help you out in emergency situations.

We consider earplugs to be essential for this kit:

Depending on your situation and resources, we also suggest considering plugs for your:

Earplugs can always come in handy for many survival hobbies or projects around the house.

Sources and References

All of our experience and the testing we do to determine the best earplugs are useless without listing our research sources and references. We leaned on these for the book knowledge that we paired with our hands-on testing and practical survival experience:

Konopka, W. (2000). Otoacoustic emission examinations in soldiers before and after shooting. The Polish Otolaryngology. Volume 54. Issue 1. Pages 745-749. (Source)

Scotto, C., et al. (2009). Earplugs improve patients’ subjective experience of sleep in critical care. BACN Nursing in Critical Care. Volume 14. Issue 4. Pages 180-184. (Source)

Ylikoski, M., et al. (1995). Physical Characteristics of Gunfire Impulse Noise and its Attenuation by Hearing Protectors. Scandinavian Audiology. Volume 24. Issue 1. Pages 3-11. (Source)

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The Final Word

Earplugs are often overlooked as survival and preparedness gear, but they provide an invaluable service protecting your drums from loud noises, helping you concentrate, and letting you get some sleep in strange places.

Here are a few other guides and reviews our subscribers have found helpful:

We presented quite a lot of information, but as always: if you have any questions let us know and we would be happy to help. Our research and testing found the SureFire EP4 Sonic Defenders Plus Earplugs to be the best option given its value, material, noise reduction rating, comfort, and versatility.

Keep exploring, stay prepared, and be safe.

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