How long does it take to make custom earplugs?

How long do you have to wait for custom earplugs? At Audibling, they are ready about three weeks after your ear impressions are taken. Those three weeks only start once impressions of your ears have been made, not when you create your design. So the time until your appointment at the hearing centre comes on top of that.

Below you can read how the route from design to earplug works, where you lose time without noticing and the latest date to have your ear impressions taken for New Year's Eve, carnival and the festival season.

From design to earplug in five steps

1. Design. You design your earplugs online. You choose the material, colour and filter, and a standard logo or jewel if you like. You get a design code and a PDF that you take to the hearing centre. You do not pay anything online.
2. Book an appointment. With that code, you book an appointment at a partner hearing centre. How soon you can go depends on the hearing care professional's schedule. If you cannot find a hearing centre near you, let us know and we will help you further.
3. Ear impressions. The hearing care professional first looks in your ears and then takes an impression of both ears. This takes 10 to 15 minutes on average. The ear impressions are included in the price and you pay at the hearing centre. Exactly how it works is explained in how an ear impression is made.
4. Made in the lab. The impressions go to our own lab, Audiform in Kilder. There, every custom earplug is made from your impression, in the colour you chose, with the filter and the print if you chose one.
5. Ready. Your earplugs are ready about three weeks after your ear impressions are taken, with a storage case. You agree with your hearing care professional whether you collect them or have them sent to you.

What is the delivery time for custom earplugs?

The delivery time for custom earplugs has two parts. You control the first part yourself, which is how soon you book an appointment for your ear impressions. The second part is up to us. From the day your ear impressions are taken, it takes about three weeks until your earplugs are ready.

Custom earplugs are not made in advance. They are only made once your impression has arrived, because they follow the shape of your ear. That is why they seal well. This custom work takes a few weeks.

Where you lose time without noticing

The appointment at the hearing centre

The three weeks only start after your ear impressions are taken. If you make your design today but only call for an appointment two weeks from now, everything moves back two weeks. So book an appointment as soon as you have your design code. If you have a fixed date, do not plan your ear impressions on the last possible day. With a few days to spare, everything will be ready in time.

An ear that needs cleaning first

Before taking the impression, the hearing care professional looks into your ear with an otoscope. If the ear canal is not clean enough, it has to be cleaned first. That can take extra time. If you often have problems with earwax, mention it when you book the appointment.

A gift

If you give custom earplugs as a gift, the delivery time only starts once the recipient's ear impressions have been taken. How to plan that for Sinterklaas and Christmas is explained in giving custom earplugs as a gift.

With a team, club or company

If you order for 10 or more people, our specialists can take the impressions on site. We agree on the date together. The custom earplugs are ready about three weeks after that day, recognisable for each person and with a storage case. Anyone who is not there that day has their ear impressions taken at a partner hearing centre. For that person, the three weeks count from their own appointment.

Counting back for New Year's Eve, carnival and festivals

This is how to work it out. Take the day you want to wear your earplugs and count back three weeks. That is the last day on which your ear impressions must be taken. Preferably book your appointment a week earlier, so you have time to spare. If you have them sent to you, also allow time for delivery.

These are the latest possible dates. Your earplugs will then only be ready around the day itself, which is tight if you want to try them out first.

New Year's Eve

Since 1 August 2026, there has been a national ban on consumer fireworks. From this New Year's Eve onwards, you may no longer set off consumer fireworks yourself. You will still hear bangs on New Year's Eve, at central fireworks displays by professionals and at associations that have been granted an exemption by the mayor.

For bangs, the DIM filter is the right choice. It is a level-dependent filter for impulse noise. You keep hearing your surroundings, and when there is a bang the filter reduces the sound extra. Our Earplugs for fireworks have this filter. If you take part in carbide shooting (carbidschieten), read hearing protection for carbide shooting. More about short, loud bangs is in hearing protection against impulse noise.

Carnival

Carnival 2027 runs from Saturday 6 to Tuesday 9 February. If you want to wear earplugs from the first day, have your ear impressions taken by Saturday 16 January at the latest. The new carnival season starts on Wednesday 11 November 2026. If you arrange your earplugs around that date, you will be in good time. Which filter suits the music in the pub and on the street is explained in carnival earplugs you will actually wear.

King's Day, Liberation Day and festivals

If you want to wear your earplugs on King's Day, Tuesday 27 April 2027, have your ear impressions taken by Tuesday 6 April at the latest. For Liberation Day on Wednesday 5 May, that is Wednesday 14 April. If you have a ticket for a summer festival, count back the same way from the first day of the festival. Do not wait until the week before, because then you are too late.

For music, a filter with flat attenuation suits best, so the music still sounds clear. Read more in why music sounds muffled with regular earplugs. Which custom festival earplugs suit you is shown in the guide to parties and music.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to make custom earplugs?

They are ready about three weeks after your ear impressions are taken. The time until your appointment at the hearing centre comes on top of that.

Does the delivery time start when I create my design?

No. The three weeks count from the moment the hearing care professional has taken impressions of your ears.

How long does taking the ear impressions take?

Taking the impressions takes 10 to 15 minutes on average.

Where do I pay and how do I get my earplugs?

You pay at the hearing centre. The ear impressions are included in the price. You agree with your hearing care professional whether you collect your earplugs or have them sent to you.

Can it be done faster?

Count on about three weeks after your ear impressions are taken. If you have a fixed date, such as a trip, a festival or a party, contact us before your appointment at the hearing centre. Then you know where you stand.

Does the same delivery time apply to businesses?

Yes. When we take ear impressions on site for 10 or more people, the custom earplugs are also ready about three weeks after the ear impressions are taken, recognisable for each employee and with a storage case.

Sources

• Rijksoverheid, Landelijk vuurwerkverbod voor consumenten dit jaar van kracht (national ban on consumer fireworks in force this year, 1 July 2026, in Dutch)
• Rijksoverheid, Wanneer zijn de officiële feestdagen in Nederland? (official public holidays in the Netherlands, in Dutch)
• Omroep Brabant, Carnaval 2027, houd deze data vrij in je agenda (the dates of carnival 2027, 18 February 2026, in Dutch)
• Audibling, How is an ear impression made for custom earplugs?

Last updated 7 October 2026.