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A more comfortable earplug for side sleepers.

Words: Chris Boykin
Photography: Nils Sjoholm

“I’m a side sleeper and have used moldable wax earplugs. Is there a more comfortable earplug for side sleepers?”

Not only is there a more comfortable earplug for side sleepers, but a more effective one at a lower cost with a fraction of the waste.

Moldable wax earplugs are widely recognized as being quite comfortable. The downside to wax is they tend to cap out at just 17 dB of sound reduction typically making them the least effective an any earplug. Lastly is the cost. Moldable wax earplugs are, by far, the most expensive solution for sleep. If you’ve used wax earplugs you know that “cheap” $5 package tends to last just 10-14 days as the earplugs can rarely be used more than two times. Use the earplugs to sleep every night and this low up front cost runs into more than $100.00 per year – Not cheap.

Enter Happy Ears of Sweden – The makers of the original reusable earplug. After serving more than 1mil customers, since 2010, they can say Happy Ears fit 96% of ears. If you’re one of the 96% you’ll see Happy Ears are comfortable and effective. Compared to other reusable earplugs Happy Ears keep a very small profile in one’s ear and and this is very important for side sleepers. The earplug does have a stem, but it’s less than 1cm (or a 1/3 of an inch for you Americans) and quite soft. Also when tilted upwards the stem tends to sit naturally inside the “outer ear” as if it isn’t even there. What’s best is Happy Ears are CE Certified to reduce volume 27 dB, making them much more effective than any moldable option. If the earplugs are working for you the final benefit is the cost. Most will use a single pair of Happy Ears for approximately one year meaning you’ll spend just $20-$25USD. You’ll sleep better saving so much on Happy Ears.

Whether you’re a side sleeper or not, start with one of their Discovery Pack starter kits and they guarantee you’ll sleep better.