Decibullz Custom Molded Earplugs, 31dB Highest NRR

Molded earplugs are the way to go. It’s hard for me to find a regular pair that fits right, but these work well.

After the initial molding process, I realized a few issues immediately after they set up. After taking these for a ride on the motorcycle, I needed to try and re-mold these.

I molded them a second time which actually made everything worse. I am very disappointed to say the least, especially for the price. This is likely the very first, truly negative review I have had to make on any product. Money not well spent at all.

Design: They appear well made and designed. They have a rubber end cap that is removable, a hard plastic – non moldable inner tube and 4 sets of tips to try. The larger silicone spear tips were the only ones that would seal in my ear canal. The other spear tips were too small and the foam would not seal in my ear at all even after squishing it down and inserting.

Issues: The inside tube digs into my ear canal. My ears canals are wide open on the bottom of the opening but curve slightly up and into my ear canal. The straight tips do not curve like that and dig into my ear canal causing pain within a few minutes of wearing them. It also compresses the silicone spear tip along the length, bottoms out on the ear canal and then the end pokes the inside of the ear canal.

This issue is common across other brands I have tried that utilize this style of tip. I thought the moldable form of this brand would aid in positioning this inner tube into my ear canal without causing pain but it did not.

The foam tips do not squish well. They are too wide to get them up into my ear canal. The rubber back plug (with the logo) sits so low on the bottom of my ear that it rubs and digs into the cartilage on my ear lobe and causes pain. You can see this in other pictures where this will rest on your ear. It is worse under a motorcycle helmet.

I tried to mold these twice. The second time, the moldable insert was flat, thin and difficult to get re-molded. I had flattened it out and it had no bulk left to it to start again. I was able to move the tip around slightly and make a few adjustments. It did not set up any better or function any better after the second try. I think it is best to get it as close to perfect the first time and then just tweak it if you need to re-mold it. Expecting to start over completely isn’t really possible.

After it set up, the mold was hard and if I move my head side to side, it breaks the seal on my ears letting in noise. With a helmet on, the foam in the helmet pushes slightly on my ears, which pushes against the hard plastic and causes the seal to break.

One short ride on the highway and I’m done with these. They are painful, difficult to make fit, leak noise and I am unable to remedy this. Within 45 minutes of opening the package, they went in the garbage.

Many favorable reviews out there and these are not a one size fits all. Study your ear canal and decide if your ears would accomodate this design.

It’s not a bad product, I just could not make it work for me.

For a while, I was researching a lot of the top choices for hearing protection because my girlfriend and I were going to the Indy 500 for the first time, and we wanted to protect our ears. Having been to NASCAR races before, I knew what I was looking for and I also knew I didn’t want over-the-ear ear muffs because they can put some strain on your head and cause sweat to pool around your ears. So, I wanted earplugs to counter these issues. I investigated a lot of options, but Decibullz was the first choice I saw and it stuck with me the whole time.

I’ll put it simply: These ear plugs are the best out there. With the slightest caveat.

Most of the negative reviews for this product are due to user error. If you follow the directions and mold them properly, you will experience NONE of the issues they faced. These ear plugs were comfortable for an entire 3 hour race, no irritation, and no hearing loss at all. No sound bled through, and they didn’t ever feel like they were going to fall out.

The setup is pretty straightforward, but let me share what I did to make them fit absoultely PERFECTLY:

1. Setup the earplugs while boiling your water. I got the case/laynard/plugs bundle, so I used the non-laynard filters and the smallest tri-flange tip they had. This is to ensure the earplug goes in far enough into your ears to get a good inner mold(very important).
2. Once water and plugs are ready, do ONE PLUG at a time!!! This is crucial. The steps say to do both, but it is much easier when you can focus on one plug at a time. Let it sit in the water for 5-6 minutes.
3. Gently scoop the plug out with a spoon. I used a metal spoon and had no issues. And let it cool until you can touch it. Be careful not to squeeze too hard!
4. This is the most important part: Carefully put the plug in your ear. Make sure to rest it in your ear, and then ONLY push where the filter is initially. Making sure the plug is IN your ear properly is the most crucial step! And make sure it is in as comfortably far as possible.
5. Begin to massage the plug into the space of you ear. I focused on pushing to the back of my ear, then massaging above my ear lobe, and then the front of the ear. And then keep pushing on the filter to maintain that seal. Keep doing this for a few minutes. Also, very useful to have another person helping, but a mirror works too to ensure the whole ear canal is covered.
6. During this process, I also was squeezing my ear (top and bottom, front and back) around the mold to make sure it took total shape of my ear and to ensure it’s not going to hurt my ears for being in a long time.
7. Once the plugs are hardened, carefully take them out and let them cool. Then repeat the steps for the other ear plug.
8. After all the plugs are molded, it is important to test the plugs TWO different times. First, test both plugs in at the same time to ensure the sound around you is at least muffled. Have some air blow into each ear. If you hear a lot of air/wind, then it is best to try and refit them to make sure your whole ear hole is covered.
9. If that test passes, then you will want to switch to the foam ear tips (these offer the best noise cancellation). Squeeze the foam tips so they compress and go further in the ear. Do the same test as the last step. If you have the same issue, make sure to change the tips BACK to the ones you used initally and then repeat the steps to refit them/warm them back up.
10. The plugs should significantly reduce the sound. Almost like you’re underwater. But you should still be able to hear mostly everything. It reduces the noise, not cancel it out.

For anyone looking to use these plugs for the same application as me (in-person auto racing spectating), then these are absolutely PERFECT!

I was able to hear the cars go by at a reasonable volume, AND I could still talk to my partner between passes and hear the announcer clearly over the speakers.

Because of how great these plugs were, I definitely anticipate using these for other applications (concerts, more races, anything that is loud).

If you were on the fence about getting these plugs, please let this review be the sign to get them. Ignore the bad reviews, because they more than likely did not install them correctly.

TLDR: Bought these plugs for IndyCar/NASCAR races, and worked perfectly for that application. I shared the steps I took to make them fit right, and experiencd none of the negatives the bad reviews shared because I followed the steps. Highly recommend getting these plugs!

Dudaba un poco de estos tapones por la situación de moldearlos, pero el uso de agua caliente hace el proceso de moldeo muy fácil y siguiendo las instrucciones te ayuda mucho a moldearlos de la mejor forma. He asistido a 2 conciertos y se escuchan las voces claras y no queda el zumbido en los oídos posterior al concierto. Los seguiré moldeando para un mejor ajuste pero sí los recomiendo!