Buying the best and most comfortable earplugs for your EDM festival experience may seem pretty simple–just find something that doesn’t interfere with enjoying the music, and that is somewhat comfortable to wear for long hours; however, I am actually pretty picky about ear plugs, and I think a lot of people are which ends up being the reason they don’t get any plugs and go out to EDM festivals while risking their hearing health. I think it’s worth spending some time looking at what’s available before just grabbing a pair.
Most easily-accessible foam ear plugs are not protective enough to your ears and will feel awkward when inserted into your ears. These look like they don’t fit in well and will sometimes fall off as you’re dancing and moving around a lot. I usually keep them as a last resort. I would recommend investing in a custom pair of earplugs with 15dB attenuation. These are THE BEST based on level of protection and comfort. On another hand, a great non-custom option are earasers. They’re very comfortable, are basically invisible while you wear them and sound pretty decent.
Alternative Earplugs That Are Not Too Expensive
There are several options to consider if you’d like to protect your ears without breaking the bank.
For a good price you can check out the quite popular option Etymotic These are high fidelity ear plugs. It replicates the way your ear interacts with sound, only quieter. But they do “stick out” of your ears. If that’s something that will make you feel uncomfortable, then this should be taken into consideration.
Another option would be the LiveMus!c HearSafe Ear Plugs These, have superior filter quality for a very decent price. In this case, it is important to pay attention to sizing. When the size is correct, these plugs actually fit a lot more snugly than the Alpine MusicSafe ear plugs and over the course of the night, you will find yourself feeling more comfortable with the LiveMus!c plugs and removing them fewer times. With these on, the sound is just as crisp as without the plugs, but with no ear fatigue and without the constant ringing of your ears the next morning.
Discount Earplugs for School Music Programs
A great option for musicians can be the EARLOVE-XO, a high-fidelity earplug for musicians which can also be used during your festival experience. With these on, EDM Festival addicts can now safely get near the front of the stage as possible at every set. You will be able to hear the music clearly and everyone can speak to you normally and you will be able to understand them. Sometimes, too much sensory input can trigger people with anxiety, and these earplugs have been tested and proved to work well in these anxious situations. An unexpected advantage if you ask me! They also come in a tube which holds them, this can be put on a key chain so you get to have them around safely and securely whenever you need them, either during an EDM festival weekend or just your everyday life.
The Best Choice If You’re Constantly Surrounded By Music
If you’re one of those who are already working with music, or in the music industry, if you tend to go to almost every single festival, concert or show out there, then this might be the single best option for you: ACS Custom.
Musicians and DJs like David Guetta, Deadmau5, Zedd, Tiesto, Imagine Dragons, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Kean, he Chainsmokers, Armin Van Buuren and many others regulary use these ear plugs. Most earplugs seem to cut too much of the high frequencies which make it hard to follow vocals and guitar, these on the other hand don’t. They fit well, are comfortable, turn the volume down without making things sound muffled. A great point to note is that these stay in place, yet are easy to remove.
Conclusion
There are a lot of good options out there for your ear safety. It can be tempting to just go to the nearest store and buy some simple ear plugs for $5. If you only go to one day of an EDM Festival every few years, then that’s probably fine. But if you enjoy several festivals a year, then I recommend something with better durability, comfort and protection to keep you from hurting your hearing.
For me, I’ll stick with the Earasers.
If you’re looking for good quality EDM Festival gear, I have other pages like this one recommending my favorite accessories and products and giving you lots of ideas and tips. You can have a look at the recommended resources page.