We’ve looked into the Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam earplugs. But how did they hold up? In our opinion, there are potentially one of the best earplugs for sleeping.
What are the Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam earplugs?
Like the name suggests, these earplugs are made from a soft foam material, making them incredibly comfortable to wear. Once squeezed, they have a slow release time, so you don’t have to quickly insert the earplug before it expands. This makes the whole process a lot earlier, especially when you’re tired.
They even come with a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of 32 decibels (dB), one of the highest ratings on the market.
So not only are they soft, they do a fantastic job of reducing noise. In our opinion, this makes them ideal earplugs for sleeping. The soft foam provides a comfortable secure fit that can last all night, without irritating your ears. Mack’s states that their earplugs are the “#1 doctor recommended brand of foam earplugs to protect hearing and to get a good night’s sleep.”
Of course, this noise reduction is also helpful in situations that could harm your hearing, like live concerts, loud events, being around firearms or loud construction work. If you’re not in a loud environment, these Ultra Soft earplugs could also be used for studying or relaxation, whenever you need an extremely quiet environment.
For ease, these earplugs come in a big jar with a safety seal and a flip-open top to easily get your next pair when you need them.
For Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam earplugs 50 pair, they usually sell on Amazon for about $8. If you used a new pair every night, that would cover for you 50 nights. If you used each pair twice, you could make them last for 100 nights. Overall, these earplugs are extremely good value, especially for those who need ear plugs for sleeping every once in awhile.
Not only were the Mack’s Earplugs the first earplugs used in a World Series Baseball Game, they are also the official earplugs of USA Swimming. A trusted and long-lasting company, Mack’s has a huge following and a variety of products to meet different needs.
Are Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam earplugs reusable?
Like most foam earplugs, Mack’s Ultra Soft are not reusable. The foam material will lose its shape after a few uses, and will no longer fill the ear canal as it should do. While this may not be the biggest deal when sleeping (letting in some sound) it can be dangerous when used as a hearing protector in loud environments. You need to be sure that your earplugs are doing what they’re supposed to and protect your hearing appropriately.
Typically, users will reuse foam earplugs 2-3 times before throwing them away. Not only will they lose shape after a few uses, their material is ideal for bacteria. Because they are foam, you won’t be able to properly wash them, thus they will become dirtier and potentially be exposed to bacteria and germs. It should be fine to reuse foam earplugs 2-3 times, but they should be thrown out soon afterwards.
To learn more about reusable earplugs and whether they’re right for you, you can check out our article on Everything You Need to Know About Reusable Earplugs.
Other Mack’s foam ear plug options
Mack’s has been around for a long time, and they’re not going anywhere soon, either. Thankfully, they also offer different soft foam earplug options, ideal for different sizes ears.
From the smallest to largest, here are some other Mack’s foam plug options. We won’t go into too much detail as we’ll review each of these separately, but here’s some information to give you a better idea of Mack’s earplug sizes.
Mack’s Slim Fit – For the smallest ears
These bright purple earplugs are one of the smallest foam earplugs from Mack’s. They’re much more slender than the other options and slightly smaller than Mack’s Dreamgirl earplugs. These have a rounded top and a NRR of 29 dB. Not as high as the Ultra Soft plugs, but still a good rating.
Mack’s Dreamgirls – Slightly larger than Slim
The next size up are the Mack’s Dreamgirls in a bright pink colour. These are slightly larger than the Slim Fit version, but only by a hair. These have a slightly pointed end with a NRR of 30 dB. Again, this tub comes with 50 pairs so they will last quite a while.
Mack’s Original – almost the same size as Ultra Soft, but slightly smaller
Mack’s Original earplugs are a bright teal colour and are almost the same size as the Ultra Soft. However, the Original earplugs are slightly smaller. With a NRR of 32 dB, they provide the same level of noise protection as Mack’s Ultra Soft.
Mack’s Ultra Soft – The largest, but typically the squishiest
The largest earplug of the group is the Ultra Soft. However, these are usually the easiest earplugs of the group to compress, so their size shouldn’t cause an issue. It just means that once they do expand, they’ll fit the ear canal snugly and provide a very effective fit.
However, all of these earplugs are good in their own way.
How do you insert a Mack’s earplug?
If you want to know all the details about inserting earplugs, you can learn more on our how to use earplugs guide.
In short, you just need to remember roll, pull and hold for foam earplugs.
- With clean hands, roll the plug into a tight, thin cylinder. You want it to be long and thin, like a snake, rather than rolled into a ball. The thin cylinder shape will help you insert the plug into your ear canal.
- Pull the top of your ear upwards by having your free hand reach over your head. By pulling the ear up, you’ll open your ear canal wider and make it more straight overall. So reach over your head and pull the ear up.
- Insert the earplug well into the ear with your other hand. When the plug is in the ear canal, hold it there. Simply keep it in place with your finger. Slowly, the foam earplug will begin to expand and fill the canal fully. It will expand for a comfortable and snug fit into the ear.
- That’s it! If it doesn’t feel quite right, feel free to take the plug out and try again. It make take you a few tries before you get the process down perfectly.
It’s a fairly simple process that is used for almost all foam earplugs, but can be tricky at first. However once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to insert earplugs easily without any stress. When you’re done with the earplug, gently pull it out of your ear.
Conclusion on Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam Earplugs
Basically, these are one of the best foam earplugs, especially for sleeping and noise reduction. They’re affordable, easily accessible and extremely comfortable. These earplugs do exactly what they say they will: they protect your hearing and reduce external noise very effectively.
We would definitely recommend using these types of earplugs for loud situations, like fireworks and construction, but these are our go-to earplugs for sleeping. They’re so comfortable that you forget that you’re wearing them. Plus they fit well enough that they won’t fall out during the night. Their soft foam material doesn’t irritate the skin, so you can sleep as long as you want without any discomfort.
All in all, Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam ear plugs are a fantastic product, greatly reduce noise levels and we would absolutely recommend them.
