EP2 by Cirrus Healthcare Second Generation EarPlanes Earplugs Ear Protection from Flight Air and Noise Sound (2 Reusable Pair)

EarPlanes have been my go-to solution for eliminating ear pain while flying and driving in the mountains. Years ago, my eardrum burst on descent in an airplane. It was absolutely terrible, and something I never want to experience again. I hope this review helps save you from ear pain as well. I work in the medical field and also hold multiple engineering degrees and hope to use my background to help you. HOW IT WORKS Basically put, EarPlanes are an ear plug with a tube in the middle and a small piece of ceramic material (CeramX) wedged in there sealing your ear canal (and ear drum) from the outside pressure. You can seal your ear with other materials such as moldable silicone or other types of ear plugs, but eventually, you will need to adjust the pressure to match your environment. EarPlanes lets you do that slowly to prevent your ear drum from being strained or rupturing from pressure changes that you can’t keep up with. The way your ear does this naturally is by opening a small valve in the eustachian tube which is located behind your nose in the very top of your throat. The eustachian tube connects to your inner ear and allows you to keep this area clean and at the same pressure as your environment. EarPlanes still require you to do this, but the ceramic makes the process much easier by giving you a lot more time to change the pressure in your ears. If you search hard enough on google, you can find studies from hyperbaric chambers where they used ceramic (CeramX) material to test the timing of pressure changes. The way the filter works is by slowly attenuating the flow of oxygen. What this means is that only oxygen is allowed through the ceramic, and just a little bit at a time can physically pass through the material. The oxygen molecules flow until the pressure on both sides is equal and can flow in either direction for both takeoff and landing. COMPARISON I have purchased nearly every brand of pressure relief ear plugs on the market, including everything I could find on Amazon trying to find the perfect fit and plug. In my opinion, EarPlanes are the best option because the ceramic filter in them is designed to change pressure at the slowest rate from all of the ones I have tried. I’d say about half of the plugs labeled for this use don’t even have ceramic in them (I cut them open) and were completely useless beyond reducing noise. ORIGNAL VS EP2 The original EarPlanes have a filter that only lasts for 1 “round trip” which is unclear if this includes multiple connecting flights. The original design has a larger core and a smaller max flange size and is thus less adaptable to a variety of ear shapes. The EP2s are designed to last up to 5 round trips due to more durable ceramic. They also include a strap which is very helpful on an airplane in case the plug comes out of your hand. There’s a slim chance you’ll recover the plug if it hits the ground between airplane seats. The strap also allows you to keep them readily available. If you look at the EP2 design, it has an additional flange (5 total) compared to the original with a smaller flange at the tip and a larger flange at the back. The flanges are thinner with less angle and thus able to flex a little more which should make them more likely to seal, more comfortable, and more adaptable. It also has a bulb on the back that allows you to easily handle/remove the plug. The EP2 is longer and is made of comfortable silicon which is overall better than the original material. The first EP2 that hit the market was slightly different than what is sold today (see my pictures). It had a larger hard plastic covering the ceramic tube section that made it a bit bulkier. This section attached to the original strap like the current design, but the strap was a little different. The flange design was almost identical except the largest flange was bigger, and this was preferrable for my ears. I cannot get the current original or EP2’s sold today to seal my ear (see more on getting a seal below) so I have workarounds. If EarPlanes are painful or don’t work for you, try reading below for some tips that could help. FIT The biggest complaint that I read in reviews is about EarPlanes not fitting properly. Fortunately, you have multiple options for fit, and I’ll explain how to get a better seal later. First, EarPlanes come in 4 official varieties (and one 5th that’s no longer sold – the first EP2): original, original small/kids, EP2, EP2 small/kids. I highly recommend the EP2 over the original. Most will probably be OK with the adult size, but if you are concerned about small ear canals, get the EP2 small/kids version. If either plug is uncomfortable or too big, it’s easy enough to take a razor blade and cut the silicon to remove unnecessary flange sections toward the end. You can also directly shape the flanges if you want to customize the fit if they are too wide. Either way, expect to feel some discomfort when putting anything in your ear for the first time. This is normal unless it’s stabbing pain, at least 5 out of 10. Ultimately, I cannot get the current EP2 or original to fit my larger ear canals, so I have a different set of modification tricks that I explain below. SEAL Getting a good seal that is completely airtight is the most important aspect of selecting and inserting your EarPlanes. I find the best way to get the EarPlanes seated is by first using my opposite hand and reaching around across the top of my head and pulling up on my ear while inserting. This straightens the canal just enough to make it easier to place the plug and get it to seal right the first time. When the EarPlane is sealed, you should hear a noticeable difference in the sound, almost as if you have water in your ears. Moving the plug in and out just slightly should stimulate your ear drum as the pressure pushes and pulls. If you cannot achieve a perfect seal, try the techniques below for additional help. Modification technique 1 – Cut/Shaped – Using a razor blade or sharp box knife, cut the EarPlane to fit your ear canal better including removing 1 or 2 (or more) flanges from the end or reshaping the flanges by cutting material circumferentially. Be sure to cut against a cutting board or similar surface. USE CAUTION WHEN CUTTING AS TO NOT CUT YOURSELF. Modification technique 2 – Silicon Molded – This is a sure way to get a nice fit. Purchase soft silicone ear plugs as shown in the photo. Some brands call these silicone putty, moldable, or pillows. Take a small ball about the size of a pea and work it into a long, narrow strip long enough to wrap around the flanges of the EarPlanes and provide a more custom fit. You can even remove some of the flange material to make it easier to add the desired shape. Push the silicon into the flange and against the plug very hard until it becomes highly attached (to reduce the risk of it coming off in your ear). After, place the entire plug including the newly molded silicone into your ear canal until it is comfortable and you have achieved a seal (see photo). Modification technique 3 – Custom – I happen to have custom-shaped ear plugs due to being a serious musician (google “custom hearing protection” for numerous vendors out there). With this type of ear plug, you can get a brand with a removeable filter. I have removed the filter in mine (easily pops in and out), and then inserted a modified EarPlane into the hole (see photo). It easily makes a tight seal (very important!) inside of the filter hole after using a razor blade to cut away all of the flanges from the EarPlane. This is by far the most comfortable and luxurious way to wear an EarPlane. I have suggested to the company that makes EarPlanes to consider working with a hearing protection company to offer a custom solution. For those of you who can’t get any ear plug to work including after trying the modification techniques above, this should do it for you. It’s going to cost you $100-200 and potentially a trip to the audiologist, but it’s well worth the money. The plugs should last a very long time, just replace the EarPlane filter section after every 5 round trips. MOBILE APP Yes, there’s an app for that! The company that makes EarPlanes, Cirrus Healthcare, also made a new app called EarPlanes+ that works on Apple and Android mobile devices. It uses the pressure sensor in your device to alert you to pressure changes and watch over time. I find watching the pressure very helpful in flight, and prior to the app, I used the altimeter on my smart watch. The watch was annoying because I couldn’t get it to stay on and track continuously without having to touch the watch face every 15 seconds. The app offers another way to watch the altitude or pressure during your flight to know when you should put the plugs in as well as your rate of pressure change. It will also automatically alert you if you don’t want to keep your eye on the gauges for your entire flight. OTHER REMEDIES Some find the Valsalva maneuver (or reverse Valsalva maneuver) helpful for clearing ear pressure, but for me it is of limited use in descent where the eustachian tube has the hardest time clearing due to the directional design of flap in our inner ear. My doctor recommends Afrin about 30 minutes before flying along with a decongestant. I don’t find that the decongestant does anything for me except mess up my head, but I do find Afrin somewhat helpful. I currently use it before flights. The affects of Afrin last about 12 hours for me. I am sure to bring gum and/or a large bottle of water on flights. The best bet for me is to stay hydrated and swallow with a gulp of water every couple of minutes on descent which really helps the pressure pull back on the Eustachian tube and clear the ear. I’ve seen flight attendants suggest using a cup with a paper towel soaked in warm water to put over the ear, but I have no idea mechanically what this would do to help beyond providing a distraction and possibly a little hydration to the ear drum, which could help slightly in rare circumstances. Some airline workers end up getting ear tubes if they continue to experience ear pain from being unable to clear the pressure in the ear. This is a minor outpatient surgical procedure where your ear drum is cut open, and a small tube with flanges is inserted to always keep your inner ear at the same pressure as your environment. The tube will change the frequencies you hear slightly and could fall out or cause your ear to become infected. There are other risks which should be considered. I have had several sets of tubes as a child, and they left intense scarring on my ear drum which every doctor that looks in my ears, even for a physical, comments on. In my mind, this should be a last resort but could be necessary if you must fly frequently with unresolved ear pain. CONCLUSION It’s very hard to design an ear plug that will fit the variety of shapes and sizes of humans out there, and it’s very expensive to put out a bunch of sizes to choose from in the store. The EarPlanes manufacturer has made their best effort to fit the biggest variety of ear canal sizes, and for some, like me, this is not enough. However, once you can get a proper fit, EarPlanes makes a huge difference in the experience of flying or driving if you struggle to clear the pressure in your ears on takeoff or descent. It’s worth the effort to leave your pain behind and enjoy traveling the world. This is the only brand I recommend.

These actually work! I've always had ear pain during flights, and a minor cold or allergies makes it excrutiating, but I just took four painless 5-6 hours flights with Ear Planes. They're not particularly attractive or comfortable, and it's difficult to hear with them in, so I wouldn't recommend this product for someone dealing with mild ear discomfort, but if you're like me and ear pain makes you dread flying, these are a must! Tip: Do make sure you have they're fully in place. I used a similar product years ago and had a miserable flight. Later, I realized I hadn't pushed them in far enough to create a seal.

I was suffering from an annoying earache on one of my ears, and had an 8-hour flight coming. Looked all over the internet for something that helped to make my take-off and landing as painless as possible, and luckily found this product. The morning of my flight, I used some ear drops on my achy ear. I put both earplugs on as soon as I got to my seat on the plane (about 30-40 mins after applying the medicine). I kept the EarPlanes on during all the flight and took them off at my destination's airport, after leaving the plane. Beautiful flight! Because the earplugs have a little portion that sits out of the ear, I wasn't able to use the earphones for the movies in the usual way, so I held the earphones next to one of my ears, and problem solved. That's the only thing I needed to adjust. Also, as I wasn't sure about the fit, I ordered this model and the Kids one. Tried on the adult size and fitted nicely. I've already bought a couple of pairs more as the EarPlanes are now my new must for flying.

I'm a 25 year old guy. My fiance and I travel to Jamaica every may and the last two years I've had the worst pain you could imagine as we were landing. It literally feels like the inside of my ears is being ripped. On the way down this year I pUT them in for take off just because I was scared. I noticed I felt slight pain, but nowhere near what I had in the past. However if you follow the instructions, put them in one hour before you land there is no pain. Nothing. Sitting here dumbfounded as these little plugs completely relieved me of all my pain. I also continued to flex my jaw to pop my ears as well. Never can be too careful. I was able to enjoy my vacation and even the flights!

These are AMAZING! I've always had problems with pressure in my ears when I fly. When earplanes first came out it was a miracle for me. But I'd only be able to reuse them once before the stopped working. Not these bad boys. They have lasted me through 5 round trip flights. Worth every penny! If you have the same issue, buy these now. You'll be happy you did. Also they do block some noise but they're not for that, so if you want to not hear crying babies, buy regular earplugs.

Took a 4 hour flight in the US on Delta, not bad, but you know how that goes. Put them in as instructed before the flight, walked on plane no problem. About 1 1/2 hours in, it starts to "sweat", now if you don't know what ear canal sweat is, it's itchy and fairly gross. So this begins the cycle of pulling them out, digging at your ears and putting them back in. Other wise, when they're in, they work perfectly. I would clean with Silicon safe Contact Lens cleaner if you plan on reusing them.

I like the older version of The earPlanes much better. My ears never hurt when I wore those. I tried the new ones during Thanksgiving break. My ears hurt....

Every time I fly, I cry the whole entire flight because my ears hurt so much from the pressure. I just got back from a trip and I absolutely dread flying because I know how much my ears hurt. Before my trip, I was looking for anything that would save my ears from the pressure and altitude. I am so glad I discovered Earplanes. Usually taking off is what kills my ears but as soon as I put the Earplanes in, I had no pain! I had a little discomfort on landing I think because I didn't put them in 30 minutes before landing. When landing my pain was a 2 when normally it would be a 10. Thank you Earplanes!

Most of my review and inform I got from ChatGPT. With help from Ear Planes support this product has worked and I am shocked 0 Pain this is not paid its honestly the best follow the steps and you will have 0 pain don’t listen to people who didn’t use it right also get the ear planes app on the start of the flight **Flight Info:** - **Departure:** 9:15 PM - **Landing:** 7:25 AM - **Total Flight Time:** 7 hours, 10 minutes **My Story:** I’ve always dreaded the excruciating ear pain that comes with flying. The pressure buildup, the discomfort, the days of blocked ears—it's something I wouldn't wish on anyone. But on my recent flight from to Dubai, I finally found a solution that WORKS! Here's how I did it, step by step, and how EarPlanes made my flight completely pain-free. **The Product:** EarPlanes Ear Plugs **Preparation & Timing:** 1. **Before the Flight:** - **Packing:** I made sure I had my EarPlanes, Otrivine 0.1% Nasal Spray, compression socks, eye drops, and my Bose QC Ultra noise-cancelling headphones all ready to go. - **Boarding Time:** 8:15 PM. I wanted to be prepared well before any pressure changes began. 2. **During the Flight:** - **3 Hours Before Landing (Around 4:30 AM):** I used the Otrivine 0.1% Nasal Spray to ensure my nasal passages and Eustachian tubes were clear. This is crucial for allowing your ears to equalize pressure effectively. - **1 Hour Before Landing (6:25 AM):** I reapplied the nasal spray. Again, keeping everything clear is key. - **45 Minutes Before Landing (6:40 AM):** I inserted the EarPlanes. This timing was perfect—it allowed the EarPlanes to start working before the most significant pressure changes during descent. - **30 Minutes Before Landing (6:55 AM):** I started chewing gum and swallowing frequently to help my Eustachian tubes stay open. This step was crucial and made a huge difference. **The Result:** **Zero ear pain. No pressure buildup. No blocked ears.** I landed at 7:25 AM, and for the first time ever, I didn't experience the intense discomfort that had plagued me on previous flights. It was like a miracle—I could actually enjoy the landing without wincing in pain. **Why This Works:** - **Nasal Spray:** By keeping my nasal passages clear, I made sure my Eustachian tubes could function properly. This is essential for equalizing pressure. - **EarPlanes:** These earplugs use a ceramic pressure-regulating filter that gradually equalizes the pressure, preventing sudden changes that cause pain. The timing of insertion is key—45 minutes before landing worked perfectly. - **Chewing Gum:** This simple action helped keep my Eustachian tubes open during the most critical part of the descent. **Final Thoughts:** If you've ever experienced ear pain during flights, **you NEED these**. I followed this routine step-by-step, and the results were nothing short of amazing. No pain, no discomfort, just a smooth, pleasant flight. EarPlanes are a game-changer, and I can't recommend them highly enough. This isn't just a recommendation—**it's a solution**. If you follow these steps, **THIS WILL WORK FOR YOU** too. Thank you, EarPlanes, for making my flights pain-free!

Bought these for my boyfriend and I, he has really bad ears that don't equalise well and I've had excruciating pain the past. We did several long haul flight on a backpacking trip and they worked a dream! Mainly worn for take off and landing, but also worked mid flight when my boyfriend started suffering from a pressure headache. Not the most comfortable if trying to sleep but do work as noise cancelling. Easy to use, fit well, will defo buy again!

I absolutely love my earplanes!! I have used the disposable ones a few times as I have terrible ear pressure pain when flying and I was feeling guilty for having to dispose of them. Now I have discovered these, I feel better that I'm not as wasteful. Comfy, and easy to wear, these help to eradicate any discomfort when flying. They also drown out a bit of the noise which can be helpful if there are some rowdy passangers or kids having a tantrum, although you can still have a conversation with them in. I have already recommended these for family and friends, and bought a pair for my mum as I know she struggles with this. I wouldnt travel without them.

Use these all the time when I fly - as I really suffer with ear pain when taking off and landing. The really do work. No ear popping with the change of air pressure at all. So glad they've brought out these new ones, because the old style ones only lasted for a one flight there and back. These have a handy little strap that clip on to the ear plugs which you put around your neck so you don't loose them. I've also marked on the box when I've used them, to keep track of how many times they've been used.

I’ve got very narrow ear canals and when taking off and landing in a plane my ears are painful and get blocked up. I bought these ear plugs hoping that they would help but sadly they made no difference. If you have the same problem as me I wouldn’t recommend them.