Macks Pillow Soft Silicone Earplugs 6 Ct

I'm on my 3rd box of the 6 pairs box. These work great. I alternate with these and the foam inserts (the ones you roll between your fingers to make warm and skinny, and then insert INTO the external ear canal). These stay on the OUTSIDE of the ear canal. They create an air-tight covering over the opening of your ear canal. No air, no noise ;-D You can probably get 4-6 uses per pair, depending on how much you sweat at night, how clean your ear is, or if you get any hair caught into the putty while applying these. Also, how you store these will affect your amount of use. If they fall on the floor when not in use, you better believe that they will pick up any hair/lint/dust that is on the surface it lands on (carpet, hardwood, etc). They don't last as long as the foam ear plugs because they do lose their stickiness over time with each use, and they pick up/stick to debris more than the foam ones. I did notice that when I would remove them after waking up I would have somewhat liquidy earwax at the tip that was "most inserted" into my ear. Probably since there isn't airflow into your ear canal, the ear wax may get warm as you sleep at night, and melt (since ear wax is fatty acid with debris). No biggy, it wasn't gross or a ton of quantity. I was recently using the foam ear plugs a lot because they are easy and comfortable and last longer. However, I noticed that I had some random chaffing inside my left ear canal that wasn't going away. Maybe I needed a fresh pair of foam earplugs, who knows. I remembered I had these silicone earplugs, they eliminate noise and stay OUTSIDE your ear. I live on a busy street and my bedroom is in the front of the home (nearer to the street). I think they eliminate noise MORE than the foam ear plugs! I was so happy that I had them on hand and will continue to use. It's almost scary how much you CAN'T hear with these in...so use only if you need/want almost COMPLETE silence. I don't think I'd use them if I had a baby or lived with someone who may need help at night (or whenever you sleep) because you probably wouldn't hear their cry/call. Same goes for if you are "On-call" for work or something, unless your phone ringer was set to HIGH, you may miss the call. These work that well. Inserting/applying takes a little practice because at first try you still hear sounds, but you really need to push in a little into the ear canal to get that SEAL and spread over the external ear enough that it sticks and won't fall off with movement. It's easy, don't worry, just takes a try or two. They stick great, unless you're sweaty, then they may not stick as well, or if you have excess ear wax that gets warm and melts and loosens the grip. I love them and have gotten used to using them and their pro's and con's. Overall, 2 thumbs Up!