Material

Acrylic or silicone custom earplugs, which suits you?

Fons van den Oord1 September 2025Updated 23 October 20264 min read

Choose silicone if you wear your custom earplugs for long periods at a time, sleep with them, wear them under a helmet or have sensitive ears. Choose hard acrylic if you want a sturdy, smooth earplug that you can wipe clean quickly, for example for work in industry or the food industry, or if you have narrow ear canals. This matches the advice of our own lab, Audiform in Kilder, where all our custom earplugs are made. You choose the attenuation separately from the material, because all filters fit in both. At Audibling, silicone costs €10.90 more than hard acrylic.

Below you can see the differences side by side, with the material that suits each situation best.

Whichever material you choose, the ear impressions at a partner hearing centre are included in the price and you pay at the hearing centre.

Acrylic and silicone custom earplugs compared

What to look for	Hard acrylic	Silicone
Feel in your ear	Hard, smooth and holds its shape	Soft and flexible
Comfort for long wear	Good with a good fit, feels firmer	Pleasant for long days and sensitive ears
Sleeping and helmet	Feels harder when there is pressure on your ear	Softer on the pillow and less pressure under a helmet
Durability	Strong and durable material	Also lasts for years with good use and care
Care	Smooth surface, earwax wipes off quickly	Same routine, with a damp cloth and without alcohol
Often chosen for	Industry, the food sector and narrow ear canals	Music, motorcycling, sleeping and sensitive ears
Filters	DR, DM, DI and DIM	DR, DM, DI and DIM
Price guide	From €179.00	From €189.90

The price guide applies to Earplugs for general use in clear, including VAT, on 4 October 2026. A different use, colour or filter changes the price. Current prices are on custom earplug prices.

When should you choose hard acrylic?

Hard acrylic is a sturdy, smooth plastic. The Audiform website states that hard acrylic is ideal for industrial use, the food industry and narrow ear canals. In practice, you choose acrylic in these situations.

You work in a dusty, greasy or hygiene-sensitive environment and clean your earplugs often. A smooth surface is then easy to keep clean. If you work in the food or pharmaceutical industry, also take a look at detectable custom earplugs.
You have narrow ear canals.
You want the most affordable version. At Audibling, hard acrylic in clear is the base price.

When should you choose silicone?

Silicone is soft and flexible. Audiform says this soft flexible material is widely used for motorcycle earplugs, music earplugs and sensitive ears. Silicone is especially suitable in these situations.

You wear your custom earplugs for hours at a time, for example a whole working day or a long evening of music. Also take a look at custom earplugs for music.
You sleep with them. Audiform makes sleep earplugs from soft material, because it is comfortable to lie on. Read more tips in sleeping with custom earplugs.
You wear them under a helmet. According to Audiform, soft material then gives extra comfort and less pressure. See custom earplugs for motorcycling.
You have sensitive ears or you are sensitive to how things feel, for example with sensory overload, HSP or autism.

Ambulancezorg Nederland, the Dutch ambulance care association, also prefers the soft version of custom earplugs in its information sheet on hearing protection.

What does the material not change?

A few things you choose separately from the material.

The attenuation. All filters fit in hard acrylic and silicone custom earplugs, and they are interchangeable. Which filter suits you is explained in how the DR, DM, DI and DIM filters work.
The colour. Both materials are available in clear, black, white, green, red and blue, and in a custom colour by arrangement. You can see all options on personalise your earplugs.
Logo or jewel. A logo print or a jewel in silver, gold or rose gold is possible on both.
The ear impressions. For both materials, a hearing care professional takes an impression of your ear. You book an appointment through find a hearing centre.

Still not sure?

Ask yourself three questions. How long do I wear them at a time? Is there pressure on my ear, from a pillow or a helmet? And how often do I need to clean them at work? The more hours and the more pressure, the more likely it is that silicone suits you. The more often you clean them in a dirty or hygiene-sensitive environment, the more likely it is that acrylic suits you.

When your ear impressions are taken, discuss your choice with the hearing care professional, who can see your ears. In the Designlab you choose the material and see the price straight away. How to keep both materials clean is explained in cleaning and caring for custom earplugs.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, acrylic or silicone?

Neither is always better. Silicone is softer and more comfortable for long wear, sleeping or under a helmet. Hard acrylic is sturdy, smooth and easy to keep clean, and is a good match for work in industry or for narrow ear canals.

Are silicone custom earplugs better for sleeping?

Usually, yes. Soft material feels more comfortable when your ear is on the pillow. That is why our lab Audiform also makes sleep earplugs from soft material.

Which material lasts longer?

Hard acrylic is a strong and durable material. Still, the lifespan mainly depends on how often you wear them, how you look after them and whether your ears change. According to Ambulancezorg Nederland, custom earplugs used with care generally last four to six years. Also read how long do custom earplugs last?