Mack'sPillow Soft Silicone Earplugs - 6 Pair, Value Pack – The Original Moldable Silicone Putty Ear Plugs for Sleeping, Snoring, Swimming, Travel, Concerts and Studying | Made in USA

I'm on my 3rd box of the 6 pairs box. These work great. I alternate with these and the foam inserts (the ones you roll between your fingers to make warm and skinny, and then insert INTO the external ear canal).These stay on the OUTSIDE of the ear canal. They create an air-tight covering over the opening of your ear canal. No air, no noise ;-DYou can probably get 4-6 uses per pair, depending on how much you sweat at night, how clean your ear is, or if you get any hair caught into the putty while applying these. Also, how you store these will affect your amount of use. If they fall on the floor when not in use, you better believe that they will pick up any hair/lint/dust that is on the surface it lands on (carpet, hardwood, etc). They don't last as long as the foam ear plugs because they do lose their stickiness over time with each use, and they pick up/stick to debris more than the foam ones.I did notice that when I would remove them after waking up I would have somewhat liquidy earwax at the tip that was "most inserted" into my ear. Probably since there isn't airflow into your ear canal, the ear wax may get warm as you sleep at night, and melt (since ear wax is fatty acid with debris). No biggy, it wasn't gross or a ton of quantity.I was recently using the foam ear plugs a lot because they are easy and comfortable and last longer. However, I noticed that I had some random chaffing inside my left ear canal that wasn't going away. Maybe I needed a fresh pair of foam earplugs, who knows. I remembered I had these silicone earplugs, they eliminate noise and stay OUTSIDE your ear.I live on a busy street and my bedroom is in the front of the home (nearer to the street). I think they eliminate noise MORE than the foam ear plugs! I was so happy that I had them on hand and will continue to use.It's almost scary how much you CAN'T hear with these in...so use only if you need/want almost COMPLETE silence. I don't think I'd use them if I had a baby or lived with someone who may need help at night (or whenever you sleep) because you probably wouldn't hear their cry/call. Same goes for if you are "On-call" for work or something, unless your phone ringer was set to HIGH, you may miss the call. These work that well.Inserting/applying takes a little practice because at first try you still hear sounds, but you really need to push in a little into the ear canal to get that SEAL and spread over the external ear enough that it sticks and won't fall off with movement. It's easy, don't worry, just takes a try or two. They stick great, unless you're sweaty, then they may not stick as well, or if you have excess ear wax that gets warm and melts and loosens the grip.I love them and have gotten used to using them and their pro's and con's. Overall, 2 thumbs Up!

Short version: These work better than any other earplugs... by a LOT. Knead them to warm/soften them before you apply them to your ears. Do NOT try to jam them inside your ear canal, just put them in the shell of your ear. Wait about 10 (or so) minutes until your body warms up the earplugs, and smooth them a little more, for more coverage of your ear.My full review: We live in an apartment. Overhead, our neighbors and their dog are noisy, stomping overhead when they get home from a late shift at work, or a late night at the clubs. Next door, two yappy dogs bark at everything, and join the fray when the upstairs dog barks.And then there's the mockingbird in some tree near our bedroom window. Apparently, male mockingbirds make loud calls, all night, when they're in season... which can go on for weeks.Ugh.So, I tried another brand of earplugs - not Mack's - that were made of foam and had lots of rave reviews. They were pretty to look at, came in a cute carrying case, and even a little tool to make sure the earplugs were thorougly wedged into my ears.They didn't work. I mean... they really didn't work. No matter what I tried, they fell out of my ears within seconds. And I don't really like jamming things into my ear canals, anyway.Since those had such glowing reviews, it took me months to try something else. I thought my ears were a weird shape or something.In desperation, I tried Mack's Pillow Soft Silicone Putty Earplugs (that's this product), and I could not believe the difference.Yes, the earplugs feel a little weird. They don't go inside your ear canal. Instead, you press & smooth them so they fit the "shell" part of your ear, and fully cover the opening to your ear canal. (The putty is a little sticky, so the earplugs stay in place.)But wow... SUCH a difference! Now, whether it's a noisy upstairs neighbor, a yappy dog next door, or a mockingbird with no manners at all, I can actually sleep again.So far, I've used one set (of six in the package), about six or seven nights. They're still sticky enough to continue using, so this is a good value.I'm still getting used to how they feel, but there's no way I'll use any other earplugs. These are that great.These block nearly all the annoying sounds, and even my husband's occasional snoring. But, oddly, I can hear a slight (only slight) hum from the fan in the bedroom. (That's not a problem. It doesn't keep me awake, and may even mask some sounds.) So, if your alarm clock is near your bed, I'm pretty sure you'll hear it, even when wearing these earplugs. (Test that on a night when you don't absolutely have to wake up on time, the next morning.)I had no idea how much my sleep was interrupted, until I tried these earplugs. It took me a few nights to get used to actually sleeping soundly, instead of being in a constant state of anticipation/anxiety, that noises were imminent.But now... well, I don't often given five-star reviews to products, but these earplugs earned that, and my gratitude, as well.My advice is: if you're desperate for a good night's sleep, skip the foam earplugs and go directly to these, instead.

I had cochlear implant surgery and am working hard to regain my hearing in my right ear using a processor that streams sounds to my brain rather than going through my ear. To get good results, I have to practice listening for hours and hours for many months. I bought these earplugs because I still have some hearing in my left ear and I need to plug that so that only my CI is doing the hearing. From my experience, foam earplugs are a irritating after a while and I need to be very gentle. My left ear is all I have as far as natural hearing and I don't want to damage the ear drum or have any issues.These work well. They don't go into the ear, they cover the ear and make a seal around it. That keeps most noise out as well as water. I use these ear plugs in my right ear as well when showering to keep water out as I continue to heal from surgery and they work pretty well. I did find I had a little water in my ear after showering but it may have been user error. That only happened once out of five uses. These do take a little practice to get a solid seal but after using them a few times, it's very easy. Roll them into a ball and press them against the ear opening - not IN it. A seal forms and it stays that way until you remove them.These are comfortable and safe. They are helping me to regain hearing that I haven't had in 30 years by isolating my implanted ear. They cancel most noise well but I can still hear some loud sounds. That isn't a problem. If you need total silence at all times, it may be but these really do a good job both blocking noise and keeping water out of the ear canal. I will repurchase unnecessary. The price is great!

Works great for better sleep. Large supply lasts a long time.