Earplugs. That very thing that stops sound from getting through to your sound holes and disturbing your peace has been around for eons. Even then, there has never been a perfect-fit earplug, let alone one that offers the perfect seal. However, recently, a revolutionary earplug surfaced in the market that promises a custom fit and seal for any user—even if you have weird-ass ear canals (surfers, you hearing this?)—and it does so without pressure. It is called the Fluid Earplugs from startup Paxauris.
Now, I am going to be perfectly honest here. I only learned about Fluid Earplugs through its knockoff, which is widely available on the Internet. These guys ended their Kickstarter campaign in September, but already copies have flooded e-commerce platforms in Asia and now even Amazon. But never mind those. Every revolutionary invention deserves to be celebrated and supported, which is what we are going to do here.
Fluid Earplugs are inflatable earplugs that, when inserted into your ear and inflated, conform to the shape of your ear canal, creating a comfortable and perfect seal to cut out noise. True to its nature as a safety device, it is safe by design, being biocompatible, and has low-pressure inflation, so it does not hurt your ears. It has a durable construction that is washable and, of course, reusable. Because it inflates via fluid, Paxauris Fluid Earplugs can conform to any ear—even the most hard-to-fit canals.
Oh, did we mention that the seal is so good that this pair of earplugs not only offers noise protection? It offers water protection too, so swimmers and surfers can get the protection they need even if they have odd-shaped ear canals. Another boon: you never need to roll it like foam earplugs to get it ready. Just insert it, press the cap to inflate the tip, and voilà—it creates a comfortable, reliable seal instantly. To remove, just tug on the tab to deflate it.
Fluid Earplugs are perfect for noisy workplaces, watersports, hunting, music events, traveling, or simply when you need to focus. It is also good for sleeping, but I have questions about this. Each earplug has a tab that protrudes, so it may not be the best for sleeping unless you sleep upright. Just saying.
It is made from skin-safe, medical-grade silicone and filled with water and pharmaceutical-grade glycerin (bakers will be familiar with this stuff). Why fluid inside and not air? Because sound does not travel well across interfaces between mediums with different acoustic impedances, and in the case of Fluid Earplugs, you get multiple impedance boundaries that attenuate the sound.
This innovative ear protection is on Gen V, which should have the same noise reduction rating as Gen IV: NRR 24 dB. The campaign has ended, and while Paxauris is working to fulfill pledges, it is also accepting late pledges on Kickstarter, where you can secure a pair for US$45 (U.P. US$49.95).
Images: Paxauris.
