The difference between High-Tech vs. Conventional Earplugs
Whether you’re having trouble sleeping, wanting to get some work done in a bustling cafe, or simply need a little peace and quiet no matter where you are, earplugs provide an ideal solution. Made to keep noise out, earplugs are not only a useful product to own, but a practical one. After all, you can’t turn down the volume on the world, but you can block it out.
Why Use Earplugs?
Along with the obvious purpose of blocking out unwanted sound, both conventional and high-tech earplugs have a multitude of other benefits for their wearers. Earplugs can help protect your ears, keeping your hearing abilities top-notch throughout your lifetime. They can also significantly increase your quality of sleep, which in the long term lowers your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, heart attacks, and depression.
When it comes to deciding what kind of earplugs are best for your lifestyle, you have two main options: high-tech earplugs or conventional earplugs. Each earplug type has its own benefits, as well as its own drawbacks. Here, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of each earplug type.
Conventional Earplugs
Conventional earplugs are the earplugs that should come to mind when you think about the versions airline stewardesses hand out before an overnight flight. They are disposable, made of memory foam, and have no electronic components. However, don’t let their simplicity fool you.
Conventional earplugs are a popular choice for those just getting into earplug technology, as they are cheap to purchase (sometimes costing only a few dollars!) and easy to find. You can find these types of earplugs at nearly any drugstore or convenience store across the globe. They often come in multipacks, and while you can use the same pair multiple times, they are typically disposed of after a few uses, making them a more sanitary option that doesn't require cleaning.
Because they are made of foam that adjusts to the inside of your ear, conventional earplugs are extremely comfortable, and you may even forget you’re wearing them! They work well to block out sound, but they don’t provide any additional features, such as playing white noise for the user or allowing certain sounds to permeate while others remain blocked.
Simply put, conventional earplugs are a generic product that gets the job done at a fraction of the cost of high-tech earplugs. Conventional earplugs are not fitted for individuals, but rather, come as a “one-size-fits-all” product.
High-Tech Earplugs
Unlike conventional earplugs, high-tech earplugs can be personally fitted to your ear shape for an optimal earplug experience. They also come in a much wider variety of styles and options depending on your main purpose for using them.
High-tech earplugs can range anywhere in price from $100 to $400, so if you’re in the market for a new pair, make sure you do your research. The major difference between conventional and high-tech earplugs is that high-tech earplugs can often have a multitude of built-in features while conventional earplugs will not.
For example, some high-tech earplugs can play white noise or music, while others can block out loud noises while allowing softer noises to come through (people who spend a lot of time on gun ranges often use this type of earplug). In the case of sleeping, the most popular types of high-tech earplugs are those that are customized for each individual’s ear canal to provide the best sound blockage, as well as those that are able to provide some sort of background sounds for sleeping, such as white noise.
Where to Begin
If you’re new to using earplugs, it may be a good idea to start with conventional ones, as they’re much more affordable and easy to acquire. Once you’ve spent some time getting used to conventional earplugs, and when you have a better idea of what kind of features your ideal earplugs would have, investing in a pair of high-tech earplugs is the next step.
If you want a better night’s rest, getting yourself a pair of earplugs is the way to go. It may turn out that conventional earplugs can do the trick, but if not, be sure to look into high-tech earplugs to find a pair that’s ideal for your sleep habits and lifestyle.
Resources— Hearing Choices, Everyday Hearing, Healthline
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