Earplugs for small ear canals, what does fit?

Thijs Worm5 October 2026Updated 23 October 20267 min read

Custom earplug that follows the shape of the outer ear and the start of the ear canal

Regular earplugs do not always fit a small ear canal. They fall out, press or do not reduce enough sound. First try a smaller universal size. If that still does not work, choose a custom earplug. It is made from an impression of your ear, separately for each ear, so it stays in place better.

Below you can read why standard earplugs seal poorly in a narrow ear canal, how to test whether an earplug fits well and when custom-made is worth it. We are not a healthcare provider and we do not make diagnoses.

Why regular earplugs do not fit a small ear canal

Most earplugs from the shop are universal, so they are not made for your ear. You roll a foam earplug thin, and it then expands again in your ear and seals the ear canal. That only works if it goes in far enough.

NIOSH, the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, writes in a guide on hearing protection that not every earplug fits every ear. If you cannot get at least half of a mouldable earplug into your ear canal, or if it does not expand enough to stay firmly in place, you need a different size, according to NIOSH.

With a narrow ear canal, the first of these is usually the problem. The earplug is too thick and stays half in your outer ear. An earplug like that presses and easily slides out again. Sound also leaks past it. Arboportaal, the Dutch government's website on working conditions, writes that earplugs are not always inserted correctly into the ear canal, so they do not reduce enough sound.

How to tell an earplug does not fit well

Look out for these signs.

The earplug slides out when you talk, chew or yawn.
It presses or starts to hurt after a while.
You still hear your surroundings almost as well as without an earplug.
It fits well in one ear but not in the other.

That last one is no coincidence. According to NIOSH, you may even need a different size for each ear.

Do the hand test

For foam earplugs, NIOSH gives a simple check. When inserting, pull your outer ear up and back so your ear canal straightens, and hold the earplug in place until it has expanded. Most of the foam should be inside your ear canal. Then cup your hands firmly over your ears. If everything sounds much more muffled, the earplug is probably not sealing properly. In that case, put it in again.

First try a smaller universal size

A small ear canal does not automatically mean you need custom earplugs. Many universal earplugs are also sold in a smaller size, sometimes with mini in the name. If you wear them now and then, for example on a plane or at a concert, first try a smaller size like that and do the hand test.

A custom earplug becomes more interesting if one of these applies to you.

You wear them often or for long periods, for example every night or every working day.
Even the smallest size falls out or presses.
Your left and right ears need a different size.
You want to keep hearing music and voices clearly, with a filter instead of a closed plug.

What both types cost and give you over a few years is explained in custom earplugs or universal earplugs.

Why a custom earplug does stay in place

A custom earplug, called an otoplastiek in Dutch, does not come in sizes. A hearing care professional first takes an impression of your ear with a soft silicone material, which sets after about five minutes. How that works is explained in how an ear impression is made. Our lab Audiform in Kilder then makes the earplug to that shape.

Each ear gets its own impression, so a difference between left and right is not a problem. The earplug also does not need to expand. It rests in the concha, the hollow of your outer ear, and continues into the start of your ear canal. That way it stays in place better when you talk, chew or lie on your side.

Hard acrylic or silicone for a narrow ear canal

You choose between hard acrylic and soft silicone. On its website, Audiform calls hard acrylic ideal for narrow ear canals. Silicone is softer and gives a little when your ear presses against a pillow or helmet. The differences are in acrylic or silicone custom earplugs, which suits you?

Room for a filter

An Audibling earplug has an interchangeable filter that reduces sound without blocking everything. We work with filters from Dynamic Ear Company. The manufacturer writes that the filters have a small diameter, so the earpiece can stay small too, even for the smallest ears. Not sure whether a particular filter fits in your earplug? Ask when your ear impressions are taken.

Small ears when sleeping, at festivals and at work

Where you wear your earplugs determines which material and which filter suit you. You choose the filter with the filter finder.

Sleeping

If you lie on your side, your ear with the earplug in it presses against the pillow. You notice an earplug that already sticks out halfway even more. Soft silicone gives a little when you lie like that. How to still hear your alarm clock and smoke alarm is explained in sleeping with custom earplugs.

Festivals and concerts

At a festival, you want the music to get quieter without sounding muffled. You dance, talk and drink, so an earplug that shifts with every movement is easily lost. More about earplugs for parties and concerts is on parties and music.

Work

At work, you sometimes wear hearing protection for hours on end. You are quicker to take out an earplug that presses or falls out, and at that moment you are not protected. See the earplugs for each line of work in hearing protection for work. If 10 or more colleagues need ear impressions, they can also be taken on site.

Children and teenagers with a small ear canal

The same applies to children, and their ears are still growing. There is no fixed age for custom earplugs. The hearing care professional assesses whether the ear canal is large enough for an impression and whether your child can cope with having the ear impressions taken.

Because ears grow, the earplugs will not fit forever. If the earplug feels looser than before or falls out more easily, go back to the hearing care professional. If your teenager is going to a concert or festival for the first time, let them practise putting the earplugs in a few times at home. Read more in custom earplugs for children.

Does your custom earplug still fall out?

A custom earplug can also come loose. First check that it is in the right ear and that you have put it in properly. How to do that is explained in inserting and removing custom earplugs.

If it is still loose, have it checked by the hearing care professional. A custom earplug can be adjusted, and sometimes a new impression is needed. Arboportaal writes that custom-made protective equipment that no longer fits does not work properly. Does your earplug press instead? Read when custom earplugs hurt, what can you do? More tips are in common mistakes when using custom earplugs.

Frequently asked questions

What is a small ear canal?

Here we mean an ear canal that regular earplugs do not fit well. This is not a medical explanation. If you have pain, itching or other problems with your ear, see your GP (huisarts).

Which earplugs do not fall out of your ears?

Earplugs that fit your ear canal. Sometimes that is a smaller universal size. A custom earplug follows the shape of your ear, so it stays in place better when you talk, chew or lie on your side.

Can each ear be a different size?

Yes. NIOSH writes that you may even need a different size for each ear. With custom earplugs, this is not an issue, because each ear gets its own impression.

From what age can a child get custom earplugs?

There is no fixed age. The hearing care professional assesses whether the ear canal is large enough for an impression.

Where do I have my ear impressions taken?

At a partner hearing centre. You can find one via find a hearing centre. The ear impressions are included in the price and you pay at the hearing centre. Your earplugs are ready about three weeks after your ear impressions are taken.

Design your set with the material, filter, colour and a standard logo if you like. With your design code, a partner hearing care professional then takes the impressions of your ears.

Design your earplugs