Earplugs

The tan colored, super soft Hearos are the only ones that I can wear for long periods of time without causing discomfort.

Yes, I also prefer Hearos. They are cheap cheap at Walmart. They are soft and fit right into your ear easily and form to the shape of your ear canal. You dont even think about them being in there, they are that soft!

I too vote for the soft foam cylinder type of ear plugs. Try them at home for a night or two first, though. I have a friend who can't use them, due to the shape of her ear canal - they fall out on her. BTW, I've found the earplugs useful for trying to get sleep on the plane ride across the Atlantic. The wind noise and various other sounds tend to wake me up.

I also have trouble wearing ear plugs so appreciate the tip for getting them to stay in. A little off the original topic but may help people reading these posts: I have a lot of trouble with my ears when I fly. (ear infections. congestion, plugged ears for several days afterward, etc.) My doctor recommended two steps that would help (and it has) First, I use a heavy duty nasal spray a couple of hours before I go. (Afrin is one brand) Then I use ear planes. They kind of screw in your ears. The aren't comfortable enough for me to sleep in, but they have really helped with air compression changes on take off and landing. You have to put them in about an hour before take off and an hour or two before landing. My ears usually clogged up during the landing and that has not happened since I have started doing these two things.

Connie: As a pilot (not an airline pilot) I can tell you that the main problem with ears is on landing, not on takeoff (this is why babies cry more on landing than takeoff). I realize you have had problems, before you started using Earplanes, on both takeoff and landing--I'm just saying that due to ear the anatomy of the inner ear, problems on landing are more common for most people. Usually (and defer to your doctor if he's saying something different than I'm saying) it's fine if you insert the Earplanes just prior to the aircraft beginning its descent, which is normally about 30 minutes prior to landing. I'm not aware of any medical advantage to inserting them 1 to 2 hours before landing.

The key for earplugs is to get the ones that have a high DB rating. Forget anything less than 30, they are not worth the trouble.

I like the "Earplugs in a Jar" (yes, that's the name, and a good description) sold by Orthomed. Soft foam. 33 DB rating - the highest I've found anywhere (and I'm a pretty stubborn/determined shopper). Available in drug stores. The container is a clear, plastic "pill" jar like you would buy vitamins in. Got a jar of 'em right here.

Worth their weight in gold. Really.

Thanks for the tips Kent. I do actaully have much more problems with the landing. All my other "actions" (such as putting them in 1 to 2 hours early) came off the instructions that the ear planes come with. Good to know I can put them in a little later, since they aren't as comfortable as I would like. (darn those small ear canals) I may try the child's size this trip. I also find that I get a lot of colds after flying on an airplane. Any tips on that? (I already do the air borne) Thanks

I've never liked earplugs. I always pack some of the soft foam plugs in case it's too noisy to sleep. The best thing about the soft foam ones is they're free. Airlines have a supply on board. If I've worn mine at all, I'll ask for a new pair the next time I fly.

I think one reason people have more trouble with pressure on decent is they don't stay ahead of it. When you take off it's obvious. People are chewing gum, drinking water or doing whatever helps them equalize the pressure.

Most don't notice the start of the decent until something starts hurting. It's always harder and more painful to try to catch up to the pressure changes than to stay ahead of it.

If you have a baby, start them sucking on a bottle or pacifier at least a half-hour before landing. Many times the baby is sleeping and parents don't want to disturb them. They wake up screeming and don't stop until they've cried themselves to sleep in the car on the way home from the airport. Your doing the baby a favor to wake them up and start them sucking.

An aircraft is a closed environment so it's always cold and flu season. During the flight staying hydrated and using hand sanitizer are two good ways to avoid the bugs. After a flight gargle warm salt water a few times to help clean out your ears, nose and throat.

IMO the ones you get in flights are good. I don't really need any, I only tried them a few times and they seem to be fine. They are very soft and expend inside your ear.

Thanks, everyone, for all the tips. I do plan to use them on the plane to help me sleep. We stayed in a beautiful hotel in Lucerne this year that was right on a busy road. The weather was nice and chilly at night, and we opened our balcony doors so as to enjoy the coolness and our down comforters....however, the traffic noise was unbearable. The noise prevention earplugs would have been wonderful! I'm going prepared for my next trip. Thanks again.

I may be stating the obvious, but if you plan to wear earplugs in a hotel situation, and intend to use an alarm clock to get you going for your day, make sure you can still hear the alarm clock WITH the earplugs in. I have some personal experience on this one!

I don't like earplugs, so am picky about what I use. For awhile I used various foam cylinder types (for motorcycling and for quiet sleeping), but they were never comfortable and I had trouble fitting them to my ear. Plus the fact that they extend into the ear canal irritated my ear. Everyone is different.

What I've discovered recently are Mack's earplugs, available at Rite Aid etc. They are soft maleable discs that fit your ear opening but don't push down into the canal. Very effective. They come in a plastic box of 6 pair or so. Each pair can be used up to 5 times (sounds gross but you get used to it).

Another piece of advice I'm very religious about when flying is no alcohol. I never drink alcohol on the airplane, only water or juice. I've never had bad jet lag because of it in all my years of flying to Japan.

I use ear plugs every day to sleep and the best ones I have found are Moldex Rockets. They are comfortable reusable/washable and come with a cord and a case. I buy mine at a contractors store and 1 pair lasts me a couple of months. You can try requesting a free pair at their website. They may send you a sample. That's how I got my first pair.

No matter what type you go with, try to get ones with a cord. It makes them easier to manage on the plane and harder to lose and easier to find if they pop out in the middle of the night.

I know someone one who uses the MAC plugs, mentioned above, every night and has done so for years and she loves them. Whenever I tried them they came out and got stuck in my hair or I would step on one and it would end up on my shoe or something. I kinda like putty.

I am a big fan of Macks. Foam earplugs normally fall out of my ears. These are soft and contour the way I want them to. Furthermore they keep noise out quite well.