Are Ear Muffs or Ear Plugs Better Hearing Protectors for My Kids?
A good sense of hearing is essential for your child's development of speech and language. Studies have shown that even children with only a slight hearing impairment already perform worse in school (on average) than those with normal hearing.
As you probably know from your own daily life, we can't always keep our children away from noise, so I suggest that you do some research on suitable hearing protectors for your kids.
When it comes to hearing protectors, you basically have two options:
Ear plugs: They are tapered inserts which are mostly made of foam and go directly into the ear canal. Some ear plugs are disposable, while others can be washed with soap and reused. They have noise reduction ratios (NRR) starting from 20 to 22 for reusable ones, up to 30 for some disposable foam types.
Ear muffs: They look like head phones, and consist of two cups with soft foam-filled cushions to cover the outer ear, and an adjustable head band exerting the necessary pressure to keep the cups in place. Once properly adjusted, they can be put on in a matter of seconds and instantly provide good hearing protection. The ones for babies and smaller children tend to have noise reduction ratings from 15 to 26, with 22 being a good average.
How do they compare?
Availability and price: Ear plugs are small and cheap. Boxes of 200 pairs are available from $20 to $30. A pair of good ear muffs for kids costs around $20. The ones for adults and teenagers with the highest noise reduction ratings are available for $25 to $35. Ear muffs for babies and children weigh from 100g (3.5 oz) to 225g (8 oz).
Noise Protection: Foam ear plugs provide a slightly higher nominal noise reduction than ear muffs for children and babies. However, ear plugs are not easy to insert properly and rarely fit 100%, while ear muffs, once adjusted, are almost foolproof. As a result, ear muffs often provide better noise protection.
Ease of Use: Ear plugs are easy to carry while taking relatively long to be properly inserted. Especially younger children cannot really insert them themselves, so you have to help them. Ear muffs on the other hand, only have to be adjusted once, and then can be put on in seconds. However, they are bulkier, so parents (or children) might leave them at home, particularly when they don't anticipate a "noisy event".
Comfort: Many children (especially the smaller ones) tend to find ear plugs uncomfortable, while some older ones tolerate them quite well and even prefer them because they can't be seen. Ear muffs are quite comfortable and can be worn for a long periods of time. If worn in hot and humid climate, they can become uncomfortable. Ear plugs are fine to wear in warm climate.
So what should you get, ear plugs or muffs?
To protect your kids' and yourself from "unplanned" excessive noise, it is always good to carry disposable ear plugs (in a sealed package) with you. For this purpose, I don't recommend the reusable ones because they can be easily displaced (so they are not there when you need them) and you really have to pay good attention to hygiene to avoid infections. For regular protection of your kids' ears, invest in a pair of solid ear muffs. They are available in sizes fitting even babies, can be put on in no time, and used for a long time.
As you probably know from your own daily life, we can't always keep our children away from noise, so I suggest that you do some research on suitable hearing protectors for your kids.
When it comes to hearing protectors, you basically have two options:
Ear plugs: They are tapered inserts which are mostly made of foam and go directly into the ear canal. Some ear plugs are disposable, while others can be washed with soap and reused. They have noise reduction ratios (NRR) starting from 20 to 22 for reusable ones, up to 30 for some disposable foam types.
Ear muffs: They look like head phones, and consist of two cups with soft foam-filled cushions to cover the outer ear, and an adjustable head band exerting the necessary pressure to keep the cups in place. Once properly adjusted, they can be put on in a matter of seconds and instantly provide good hearing protection. The ones for babies and smaller children tend to have noise reduction ratings from 15 to 26, with 22 being a good average.
How do they compare?
Availability and price: Ear plugs are small and cheap. Boxes of 200 pairs are available from $20 to $30. A pair of good ear muffs for kids costs around $20. The ones for adults and teenagers with the highest noise reduction ratings are available for $25 to $35. Ear muffs for babies and children weigh from 100g (3.5 oz) to 225g (8 oz).
Noise Protection: Foam ear plugs provide a slightly higher nominal noise reduction than ear muffs for children and babies. However, ear plugs are not easy to insert properly and rarely fit 100%, while ear muffs, once adjusted, are almost foolproof. As a result, ear muffs often provide better noise protection.
Ease of Use: Ear plugs are easy to carry while taking relatively long to be properly inserted. Especially younger children cannot really insert them themselves, so you have to help them. Ear muffs on the other hand, only have to be adjusted once, and then can be put on in seconds. However, they are bulkier, so parents (or children) might leave them at home, particularly when they don't anticipate a "noisy event".
Comfort: Many children (especially the smaller ones) tend to find ear plugs uncomfortable, while some older ones tolerate them quite well and even prefer them because they can't be seen. Ear muffs are quite comfortable and can be worn for a long periods of time. If worn in hot and humid climate, they can become uncomfortable. Ear plugs are fine to wear in warm climate.
So what should you get, ear plugs or muffs?
To protect your kids' and yourself from "unplanned" excessive noise, it is always good to carry disposable ear plugs (in a sealed package) with you. For this purpose, I don't recommend the reusable ones because they can be easily displaced (so they are not there when you need them) and you really have to pay good attention to hygiene to avoid infections. For regular protection of your kids' ears, invest in a pair of solid ear muffs. They are available in sizes fitting even babies, can be put on in no time, and used for a long time.
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