Ever get tired of foam earplugs falling out of your ears? Or maybe foam plugs just don’t feel right? Radians custom molded earplugs could be great alternative, but they aren’t perfect. Are they worth the extra hassle?
Overall, we really enjoy these earplugs but have learned they are definitely not for everyone. Check out our review on the Radians custom molded earplugs!
What are custom molded earplugs?
Custom molded earplugs are different from regular foam plugs for one main reason: you need to mold them to your ears.
With foam earplugs, you follow the standard insertion procedure: roll the earplug, insert into your ear canal and hold it there until it slowly expands. The foam fills the ear canal and you’re all set!
With molded earplugs, you need to work the material first before they can fit your ear. Once the material has been left to “set” the earplug will remain in that shape, allowing you to reuse them.
Some molded earplugs are only good for a few uses, depending on what you’re using them for and what type they are. If you’re using them for sleep, you’ll get quite a few uses out of them (as long as you take care of them). If you’re using molded earplugs for swimming made of wax or putty, you’ll only get a handful of uses before you’ll need to throw them out.
How are the Radians Custom Molded earplugs?
The company states that these earplugs are an easy, do-it-yourself kit that molds in 10 minutes. They say these earplugs are easy to mold, work great and provide great noise reduction. However to be honest, they can be really difficult to get them molded properly, especially if you don’t have any experience with molded earplugs before.
Many people get nervous about fully inserting this gooey putty far into their ears. Yes, you’ll get a custom earplug, but is it worth the extra effort and concern? Some customer reviews even mention that they couldn’t remove all of the putty from their ears, and needed a friend or spouse to get the rest of it out.
In the worst case scenario, this could happen. However, it’s unlikely.
These particular molded earplugs are made from a non-toxic and hypoallergenic silicone, so you can rewear them again and again after washing them. This is a great selling point for those who need earplugs a lot, but don’t want to spend money on disposable plugs.
Some customers with small ear canals prefer these earplugs, because you can pitch off some of the putty and make the earplug smaller. You obviously can’t do this with other types of earplugs.
Many reviews remark that these will stay in their ears throughout the night without falling out. Plus, because they’re reusable, you can wash them and reuse them. For more information on reusable earplugs, check out our article on Everything You Need to Know About Reusable Earplugs and whether they’re right for you.
Are the Radians molded earplugs good for noise cancelling?
In our opinion, these custom earplugs are pretty good at noise reduction. They won’t block out every sound, but they do a pretty good job. However, this ensures that you can still hear important things around you, such as a fire alarm or home security alert.
They come with a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of 26 dB. This is a solid rating for earplugs. However, this will greatly depend on whether you mold them correctly or not.
If you’re looking for earplugs for sleeping, you can check out our extensive guide on the Best Earplugs for Sleeping. However, we also really love the Mack’s Ultra Soft earplugs or the HEAROS Xtreme Protection. Both are foam earplugs, so you won’t be able to reuse them much, but they provide extreme noise reduction while still remaining comfortable when sleeping.
However, if you don’t like the feel of foam earplugs, the Radians custom molded earplugs might be a great alternative. They could be used for sleeping or any loud environment, such as shooting, fireworks, construction and loud music.
How do you mold these earplugs?
These earplugs can be tricky to mold properly, but it can certainly be done.
- Open your Radians earplug containers and separate the colour material and the white material into halves, keeping the halves separate. So that means you’ll end up with two chunks of coloured silicone and two chunks of white silicone. This will be enough to make you one set of earplugs
- Mix one of the colour halves with one of the white halves. You need to combine these until they are one consistent colour, so take your time.
- Put the material into one ear and push the center of the silicone into your ear. Once it’s in far enough, let the material sit in your ear for 10 minutes.
- Remove the silicone and give it time to set. Repeat the same steps for the second earplug
While the steps aren’t difficult, it can be hard to get the hang of it right away. Most people are afraid of putting the silicone into their ear, so they don’t push it in far enough.
You can also buy a separate Radians custom molded earplugs neck cord. The small screws on the end make it possible to attach these cord to your molded earplugs. This can be hugely helpful if you tend to lose earplugs, or need to take the earplugs in and out in certain situations.
What we like about the Radians molded earplugs
There’s definitely a lot of positives about these earplugs, including:
- Soft and comfortable
- Won’t fall out during sleep
- Fit the ear extremely well
- Comfortable in the ear even for side-sleepers
- Alternative to foam earplugs that may cause irritation or discomfort
- Great option for those with ear canals that don’t fit the standard size of earplugs
- Affordable, especially compared to professional molded earplugs from a healthcare professional
What we don’t like about these earplugs
As always, no earplug is perfect and these are no exception. A few of the disadvantages to these earplugs are:
- No “squish” once they’ve set
- Once the mold has set, these earplugs are stiff and fairly hard
- Getting a good fit comes down to the individual and how well you’re able to mold them
- You may need to buy a few packs in case the first few molds don’t turn out well, which can be a bit costly
- If you mold them incorrectly, the silicone may cover part of your outer ear and cause discomfort
- The sticky silicone can get stuck in your hair, so it’s recommended to keep your hair pulled back. You’ll also need to trim any ear hair otherwise you won’t get the best fit
Final verdict on Radians Custom Molded earplugs
If you don’t like foam earplugs, these custom molded earplugs are definitely a solid option. They provide good hearing protection from noise and fit extremely well since they are custom ear plugs.
Our main issue with these is that you need to be comfortable and knowledgable to get the best mold for these. We would recommend watching some videos on Youtube on how best to mold these earplugs before trying them yourself. You’ll also want to make sure your ears are clean before beginning the process.
Some Youtube videos:
Visual demonstration of molding these earplugs
Another demo of how to mold the Radians earplugs
Once they’re molded and you’re happy, these earplugs are wonderful. They’re comfortable, effective and will stay in your ears all night. You just need to make sure you get the best mold first.
