Life can get loud sometimes — literally! So earplugs are a must-have accessory to ensure your comfort and help protect your hearing, whatever the situation.
The range of earplug styles is extensive, with different materials and noise reduction levels offered depending on their purpose. The best earplugs for you will depend on what you need them for, whether that’s blocking out a snoring partner at night, enjoying concerts without leaving with your ears ringing, for regular swimming, or to make plane travel more comfortable.
To help you find your perfect pair, we’ve gathered our top picks of the best earplugs for every occasion.
2025’s top earplugs:
- Loop Engage 2, $49.95, Catch (here’s why)
- Mack’s Flightguard Airplane Pressure Relief Ear Plugs, $14.30, Amazon (here’s why)
- Alpine PartyPlug, $56.45, Amazon (here’s why)
The best earplugs of 2025
01
Loop Engage 2
from $67.73 at Catch
Best for: everyday use
Loop earplugs are some of the most popular on the market and for good reason. Its expansive range includes earplugs for sleeping, general noise reduction, music, sports, kids, and more.
For a daily-use earplug, try Loop Engage 2. These earplugs are designed to reduce background noise while keeping conversations clear, avoiding the muffled sound some earplugs can cause. They’re perfect for a variety of settings, including at home, in the office and out and about. A super comfortable design means they can be worn day in, day out. Plus, the range of colour options means you can match your earplugs to your personality! Though they also have a transparent option if you’re after a more discreet look. A great all-rounder.
Key features:
- Filters background noise by 16 decibels
- Comes with four sizes of ear tips
- Reusable and easy to clean
- Includes a carry case
- Available in seven colours
Also available at:
02
Mack’s Flightguard Airplane Pressure Relief Ear Plugs
from $14.30 at Amazon
Best for: travel
We’ve all experienced that disconcerting sensation of ear pressure changes when flying. Luckily, some earplugs can sort it out for you.
I can vouch for these Flightguard Airplane Pressure Relief Ear Plugs, which have the dual function of relieving ear pressure and reducing noise levels. They work without any active effort on your part, adjusting as needed during take-off and landing. Mack’s is a specialist earplugs company that has been around since 1962, so the team knows their stuff.
The gripable stem makes these earplugs easy to insert. It’s recommended that you insert the earplugs before take-off. They’re safe to wear for the entire duration of your flight. If you like, you can remove them once at cruising altitude, but when I travel, I keep mine in to help reduce noise mid-flight. If you do remove them, make sure to pop them back in an hour before landing for best results.
Key features:
- Noise reduction of up to 26 decibels
- Reusable and easy to clean
- Includes a carry case
Also available at:
- $22.95 from eBay
03
Alpine PartyPlug
from $56.45 at Amazon
Best for: concerts and music events
Have you ever gone home after a concert with your ears ringing? That’s because the volume level at these events can sometimes exceed what is considered a safe level to listen to for an extended period. That’s why music-lovers should invest in a pair of earplugs expressly made for concerts.
Alpine PartyPlug earplugs are a great choice. They’re designed to reduce music to a safe volume without altering the sound quality. Another great feature of Alpine’s earplugs is that they’ll keep conversations clear, so you can keep on chatting with your friends during festivals, or can hear a performer’s patter between songs in a show. A comfortable design makes these suitable for all-day wear at music festivals.
If you’re a real music aficionado, Alpine also produce the Alpine PartyPlug Pro that offers higher noise reduction (average reduction of 21 decibels) while maintaining musical clarity.
Key features:
- Average noise reduction of 19 decibels
- Reusable and easy to clean
- Includes a carry case
- Available in two colours
Also available at:
- $32.95 from eBay
- $39.95 from Chemist Warehouse
04
Mack’s Pillow Soft Silicone Putty Ear Plugs
from $14.89 at Amazon
Best for: swimmers
If you’re a regular swimmer, wearing water-resistant earplugs is a good way to help prevent swimmer’s ear (an infection of the outer ear canal), so you can keep on doing the thing you love. Silicone earplugs are a great choice as they are moulded to fit perfectly in your ear, helping to prevent leaks.
Mack’s Pillow Soft Silicone Putty Ear Plugs are an affordable choice, and are made with non-toxic hypoallergenic silicone putty. Silicone earplugs can take some practice to insert properly, so make sure to follow the directions on the back of the packet to ensure you’re wearing them correctly. They should act like a seal on the outer ear canal. So, like a plug over your ear as opposed to a stopper in your ear canal.
Though we’ve ranked these as best for swimming, Mack’s silicone earplugs are also a good multipurpose choice. They also work well for sleep, study and travel.
Key features:
- Noise reduction of up to 22 decibels
- Silicone conforms to your ear shape
- One size fits all
- Water-resistant
05
Loop Switch 2
from $97.95 at Amazon
Best for: people with noise sensitivity
For a discreet, all-day wear option, it’s hard to go past Loop earplugs. The biggest benefit of the Loop Switch 2 is an adjustable toggle on the loop that makes it easy to move between its three noise reduction settings instantly with minimal fuss.
Engage Mode works great for everyday settings, like brunch with friends or a day in the office, offering noise reduction up to 20 decibels. The Experience Mode has noise reduction up to 23 decibels, perfect for when you’re attending concerts or music events. The strongest setting, Quiet Mode, offers noise reduction up to 26 decibels to help make your daily commute and other noisy environments more comfortable.
A recommended add-on is the Loop Link connector cord. With Loop Link, you can also choose to remove the earplugs completely but have them easily accessible for when the noise level around you changes.
Key features:
- Three noise reduction modes
- Four sizes of ear tips included
- Reusable and easy to clean
- Includes a carry case
- Available in four colours
Also available at:
- $94.95 from Loop
06
Sennheiser SoundProtex Plus Hearing Protection Earplugs
from $129 at David Jones
Best for: all-rounder
These Sennheiser earplugs are the most expensive on the list, but you get what you’re paying for. They can be worn all day and into the night, are reusable and easy to clean, and are made with soft, flexible, medical-grade TPE material.
With three different noise filters (low, mid and high) to choose from, these offer noise reduction for every situation, from offices and busy streets right up to working with power tools and attending concerts. They also come with a “total block” filter, created to block out as much sound as possible for a good night’s sleep. They can also go in the pool with you to block out water.
Sennheiser has a longstanding reputation for supporting music and musicians, so these are another great option for music-lovers. The earplugs use a two-stage filter system to ensure there is no compromise on sound quality, while reducing volume to safer levels and keeping conversations clear.
Key features:
- Noise reduction of up to 20 decibels (with high filter)
- Includes a carry case
- Comes with four different filter types
- Three ear tip sizes
- Reusable and easy to clean
Also available at:
- $129.95 from Sennheiser
07
AudiPlugs Soft Foam Comfort and Sleep Earplugs
from $6.99 at Chemist Warehouse
Best for: sleeping
We all know how important it is to get a good night’s sleep every night, which is why earplugs are a must-have night-time accessory for so many people — myself included! A classic soft foam earplug is a great choice, as well as being a good budget option.
These AudiPlugs offer some of the highest noise reduction levels on this list, so they are perfect for when you want to block out as much sound as possible. These are comfortable for overnight (or all-day) wear, and the soft foam material means they will conform to the shape of your inner ear. Make sure you select the right size, as wearing an earplug in the wrong size can lead to discomfort over time. They need to be rolled before inserting, and will expand out again to fit the shape of your ear.
Keep in mind that soft foam earplugs will have to be replaced frequently, unlike some of the other options on this list.
Key features:
- Noise reduction of up to 33 decibels
- Includes a carry case
- Comes in a pack of 4 pairs
- Budget-friendly
Also available at:
- $8.95 from Chemist Direct
- $9.90 from Woolworths
08
Alpine MusicSafe Pro
from $65.08 at Amazon
Best for: musicians
Musicians and others in the music industry, like sound engineers, are more at risk of hearing loss than others, due to frequent exposure to high decibels. To help your hearing in the long run, it’s important to protect yourself with earplugs that are specifically designed for use in musical environments.
The Alpine MusicSafe Pro earplugs come with three interchangeable filters, which you insert into the soft earplug shell. A set of white filters which offer noise reduction up to 16 decibels, silver filters (up to 19 decibels), and gold filters (up to 22 decibels).
The other brilliant inclusion with Alpine MusicSafe Pro is a cord which attaches to your earplugs and sits around the back of the neck. The cord is perfect for rehearsals when you may not wish to wear your earplugs consistently, removing the hassle of having to return them to the case in between, keeping them safe, clean and in easy reach.
Key features:
- Noise reduction of up to 22 decibels
- Three individual earplugs included (one spare)
- Three sets of filters
- Includes a carry case
- Comes with a cleaning spray
- Reusable and easy to clean
Available at:
- $29.95 from Alpine
09
ProTech Protect Noise Control Small Earplugs
from $7.50 at Chemist Direct
Best for: smaller ears
If you have smaller ears like me, you’ve likely experienced the discomfort of wearing earplugs that are too large for you. Luckily, these smaller earplugs by ProTech are a comfortable (and affordable!) option. Make sure to follow the directions on the packet for inserting, as incorrectly placing these in your ear canal can also lead to discomfort, as well as reduce the effectiveness of the earplugs.
Key features:
- Noise reduction of up to 33 decibels
- Comes in a set of five pairs
- Soft foam conforms to your ear shape
Also available at:
- $13.79 from Catch
Is it okay to wear earplugs while sleeping?
Yes! In fact, many earplugs are designed with sleeping in mind, and made to block out as much noise as possible, whether that be a snoring partner or a noisy street outside. This is good news for us all, since having good sleep hygiene is an important factor in our wellbeing. In fact, sleep has been linked to immunity, heart health and even longevity. One important thing when choosing an earplug for sleep is to make sure you are using the right size of earplug, or else the frequent use can cause discomfort.
Are foam or silicone earplugs better?
The best earplugs for you will depend on why you need them. Foam earplugs are great when you need to reduce noise or block out as much sound as possible, like when going to sleep. Silicone may be the better choice if you find traditional earplug sizes don’t work for you, or you have a sensitive inner ear. These putty-style earplugs work like a plug over the ear, as opposed to being inserted into the ear canal. Keep in mind, both of these types will need to be replaced regularly.
