Give yourself the gift of not having to hear annoying people.
They say ignorance is bliss. And they’re right – especially when you’re on a plane, next to a chatty passenger.
Earplugs are a common and easy cure to this problem, but most earplugs are ugly, disposable, one-size-fits-all foam cylinders. That’s where Decibullz come in. Decibullz Custom Molded Earplugs’ unique selling proposition is that they’re custom moldable – designed to perfectly fit the shape of your ear in order to have the highest possible noise reduction.
In this review, I’ll go over the pros and cons of the earplugs and how to mold them properly.
What sets Decibullz apart from your average pair of disposable earplugs?
It costs $8.99 for 50 pairs of Mack’s Ear Care Foam Earplugs. It costs $25.99 for one pair of Decibullz Custom Molded Earplugs.
Some math:
- $8.99 / 50 ≈ $0.18 per disposable earplug
- $25.99 for one pair of Decibullz
- $0.18 * 145 ≈ $26
- Therefore one pair of Decibullz costs approximately 145 times more than a disposable pair of earplugs
So what warrants the 145X price difference per earplug?
Well, Decibullz are not disposable, for starters. Also, they don’t look anywhere nearly as stupid as those foam earplugs look. In fact, wearing Decibullz almost looks like wearing one of those high-tech wireless earbuds. (Get the all black ones for a tactical look, perfect for the shooting range.)
Decibullz come with three sets of silicone tips (the triple flange tips) in S, M, L and one set of foam tips. They also include a small carrying pouch so you won’t lose the earplugs. Because custom moldable exterior and the size options, you’re sure to find the right comfortable fit regardless of your ear size.
Are Decibullz more sound protective than disposable earplugs?
Honestly, I’m not sure. I have no way of testing the exact decibels, however I have tested the Decibullz while traveling to Portugal, Ireland and the Netherlands, and while on the NYC subway, and can confidently say that they do cut down on noise significantly.
How to Mold Decibullz Earplugs
The outer part of the Decibullz – not the tips that go into your ear canal – are moldable to fit the shape of your ear.
If a picture is worth a thousands words, then a video must be worth hundreds of thousands. Here’s a video depicting how to mold the earplugs:
The red part of the earplugs in the photo below are made from a thermoplastic material, which basically means that it melts when hot and can be repeatedly molded, even if you mess up the first time.
It’s important to place one earplug in the water at a time, because if there are two, they can melt and stick together.
Fitting the earplugs to the shape of my ear was a bit challenging at first. I let them cool off for a bit, then went over to a mirror to make sure the fit looked just right.
Pros
- Multiple tips for all ear sizes
- The earplugs stay in and don’t fall out
- Great for traveling, planes, the subway and even at the shooting ranch
- Includes carrying pouch so you won’t lose them
While I primarily used my Decibullz while traveling, they can be used for much more than just that. They work well at shooting ranges according to a number of other reviewers.
Note: I’m not an avid shooter (I live in New York City), and did not test these while shooting. I have gone shooting (skeet shooting) on past occasions, however, and would assume that Decibullz are well suited for shooting ranges.
Are Decibullz comfortable for sleeping?
Yes, but if you’re a side sleeper the Decibullz can jam into the side of your head which isn’t comfortable. I’ve worn these earplugs for hours at a time without issues. Wearing Decibullz feels like wearing any average pair of noise-isolating in-ear headphones.
Cons
- Silicone tips aren’t very comfortable
- If you only need ear plugs once in a while, you might be better off buying disposable ones
This will depend on your personal preferences, however I felt that the included foam tips were much more comfortable than the silicone tips. I frequently wear in-ear headphones like the Etymotic mk5 which has a very similar triple flange silicone tips, but the silicone tips that came with the Decibullz were nowhere near as comfortable as the Etymotic ones. Additionally, the Decibullz user manual states that the foam tips are better at reducing noise. For those reasons, I only ever wear the foam tips.
The Verdict
Overall, the Decibullz Custom Molded Earplugs are far superior to your average disposable earplugs – and they should be, considering they’re 145 times more expensive. With the custom fit and foam tips, the earplugs are comfortable and perfect for travelers, frequent flyers and shooting enthusiasts.
Where To Get It
- Get the earplugs at Amazon.com
- And also at Decibullz.com
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below.
The Decibullz Custom Molded Earplugs were provided for this review. As always, this Decibullz review contains only my honest views and opinions. 🙂 Find out more about me and this site here.
Do they seek replacement foam tips? I know first hand that ear wax does soften the tips after a while.
I believe you can purchase replacement tips from Decibullz.
Can you get more canal tips if they are getting soft from Amazon and how long does it take to get soft
Hi, thank you for the information about the earplugs. I was looking at this product. You have helped me a lot.
Ps: I can see your content is in Spanish but the sentences are not correct, I can see many grammar mistakes. I am not sure if it’s an automatic translation o not. Still, I wanted to let you know as I am a native Spanish speaker. Thank you!
Hi Roxana! Thanks! Yes, my content in Spanish is auto translated, so I’m sure there are a number of errors. Thanks for giving me a heads up.
tried your ear plugs, had great difficult getting to fit in my ears even with the smallest plugs. tried shooting my shotgun with them. remolded and tried again. still too loud. tried to remold but found the material while it became soft became more elastic and I could not mold any more in fact material started to separate from the valve section. further attempts to correct were futile