Earplugs/muffs to block out a crying baby
June 14, 2013 12:56 PM Subscribe
In the next two weeks, there will be a new addition to our household -- a baby. (Not mine.) And since it's not mine, I would prefer not to hear it. There are lots of AskMes about earplugs, but many (like the ETY ones) use as a selling point that they don't muffle speech. I want to muffle everything. Best ear protection for the job, <$30?
Ear Plug Superstore has an Ear Plug Assortment to let you try some out. That's probably the best way to see what works for you.
posted by jeffkramer at 1:03 PM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by jeffkramer at 1:03 PM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Construction earplugs.
On a related note, living with someone who had a baby (not mine), you adjust pretty quickly. It's annoying, but that overwhelming urge to make them quiet seems to fade pretty quickly.
posted by valoius at 1:05 PM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
On a related note, living with someone who had a baby (not mine), you adjust pretty quickly. It's annoying, but that overwhelming urge to make them quiet seems to fade pretty quickly.
posted by valoius at 1:05 PM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The combination of earplugs and earmuffs is the way to go. For earplugs I like the Howard Leight MAX1s. They have a noise reduction rating of 33dB, which is about as high as earplugs get, and they're pretty comfortable.
Anyway, use a high NRR earplug in combination with a high NRR pair of earmuffs (like the Peltor H10A) and you'll be set. It'll also give you an easy way to decrease the level of attenuation without taking the plugs out of your ears, since taking the plugs in and out tends to irritate the ear canal.
posted by jedicus at 1:06 PM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Anyway, use a high NRR earplug in combination with a high NRR pair of earmuffs (like the Peltor H10A) and you'll be set. It'll also give you an easy way to decrease the level of attenuation without taking the plugs out of your ears, since taking the plugs in and out tends to irritate the ear canal.
posted by jedicus at 1:06 PM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
For motorcycling and batala I find the cheap concertina style plugs on a string work well. Fitting them properly is key.
posted by BenPens at 1:16 PM on June 14, 2013
posted by BenPens at 1:16 PM on June 14, 2013
Also, white noise is pretty effective at drowning out the sound. There are decent iPhone apps and other mp3 files online.
posted by judith at 1:30 PM on June 14, 2013
posted by judith at 1:30 PM on June 14, 2013
The Navy uses the David Clark model 19A for flight deck use. Also get the comfy gel ear seals. I used to use a pair when my kid had colic.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 1:49 PM on June 14, 2013
posted by Confess, Fletch at 1:49 PM on June 14, 2013
I have a cheap package of Hearos brand foam ear plugs that I can't use because they block in-person speech too effectively, but not the sounds I want to drown out (usually high-bass, high-volume recorded speech from roommate's game casts or TV). I don't know how they'd fare against the higher-pitched whines and screams of a baby.
The attenuation chart on this package lists:
posted by WasabiFlux at 1:51 PM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
The attenuation chart on this package lists:
Frequency 125 250 500 1000 2000 3150 4000 6300 8000 Mean Attenuation 38.4 40.3 43.2 41.8 38.6 45.0 45.7 49.6 47.3 Std. Deviation 2.9 3.5 4.0 3.8 2.6 2.8 3.5 3.8 4.3
posted by WasabiFlux at 1:51 PM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
I love Hearos...I've found them to be the best of any that you can buy in the earplugs aisle. I use them to sleep every night, but I also used them when I had roommates if I was trying to read or something and didn't want to listen to any kind of noises the roommates made. I think they would definitely work to block out a crying baby.
I would try these first before going with a more expensive brand...they're like $4 for 10 pairs or so.
posted by fromageball at 2:33 PM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
I would try these first before going with a more expensive brand...they're like $4 for 10 pairs or so.
posted by fromageball at 2:33 PM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
The standard foamy roll ups work great BUT you have to get the 3M ones, all others are pale imitations.
posted by fingerbang at 2:51 PM on June 14, 2013
posted by fingerbang at 2:51 PM on June 14, 2013
Best answer: Hearos worked to block out the sound of my own crying baby.
posted by KathrynT at 4:43 PM on June 14, 2013
posted by KathrynT at 4:43 PM on June 14, 2013
I swear by White Noise. Air Conditioner has saved my nerves more times than I can count.
posted by winna at 5:05 PM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by winna at 5:05 PM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Silicon ear plugs. Waaay better than foam. All the restful quiet of divorce without the divorce!
posted by applemeat at 5:12 PM on June 14, 2013
posted by applemeat at 5:12 PM on June 14, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks, all! Going to go with the Hearos under the Peltor H10A.
Luckily, as long as I can get to sleep I can sleep through anything (including when a possible meth lab blew up across the street from my house and shook the windows). So hopefully the combined ear protection will do it.
posted by fiercecupcake at 5:25 PM on June 14, 2013
Luckily, as long as I can get to sleep I can sleep through anything (including when a possible meth lab blew up across the street from my house and shook the windows). So hopefully the combined ear protection will do it.
posted by fiercecupcake at 5:25 PM on June 14, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by 41swans at 1:02 PM on June 14, 2013