Mack’s

The Mack’s Slim Fit Foam Ear Plugs look like any regular old foam earplugs, but I could feel the difference in quality as soon as I put them in my ears. They quickly formed an airtight seal and muffled sound instantly. While I could still hear some noise (earplugs aren’t meant to completely eliminate noise, by the way), the loud snoring going on next to me went from a roaring thunderstorm to a minor distraction that was easy to tune out. These particular earplugs have a noise reduction rating of 29 dB. For reference, most earplugs on the market have a rating of 0 to 30 dB and the higher the number, the more effective they are. 

And they’re specifically made for small ear canals. I’ve used other foam earplugs in the past and always have issues with them falling out in the middle of the night. It wasn’t until I had a conversation with Pete Brenner, whose family started selling Mack’s earplugs in 1962, that I realized it’s because I wasn’t using the right size earplugs for me. It makes a huge difference in effectiveness, so keep that in mind. The foam is also soft and pliable, so it molded right to my ear canal for the perfect, comfortable fit.

If you don’t have small ears, you can still take advantage of Mack’s advanced snore-blocking technology with its Snore Blockers or Original Soft Foam Earplugs. If you go with any of these options, make sure you thoroughly read the directions before putting them in your ears. One of the most common reasons these types of earplugs get a bad review is because they’re not inserted properly.