Any idea what stores might carry them? I'm flying coach and need them if I have any hope of catching my zzz's on the flight to Europe. If you have any tips on what kind work best and are comfortable appreciate that too. Thanks.

ttt

As a connisseur of fine earplugs, I'll expose you to my biases. I used to use a brand named EAR Noise Filter but have not been able to find them in eons. I switched to a brand called Husher, which are similar; these are foam plugs. Don't get the plasticized ones used to keep water out of swimmers' ears because they don't work well for keeping out noise. I don't like those bright colored space-age material kind, either. They get kind of mungy really quickly. In any event, it's important to follow the directions for inserting them into your ears. You have to compress them, insert, and hold them there until they expand to fill your ear canal. Wouldn't leave home without 'em.

The baffled types (Earplanes, etc) are for easing ear pressure/pain at high altitude and do not really deaden sound much.<BR><BR>The foam ones work best if you don't want to spend a fortune.<BR><BR>BUT the best solution is sound deadening headphones which work like magic. Unfortunately they are expensive. Brookstone carries a couple of versions for about $70-$100. But the VERY BEST are by Bose. At $299 that is a bit much for most folks - but if you travel often they are worth their weight in gold. Totally eliminate the rumble/roar and have excellent stereo sound quality when plugged into the airline sound system or your own CD player.

Try CVS, Walgreen, Target, etc. They are near the eardrops in health and beauty aids.

Another suggestion is to visit a sporting goods store. I have not tried it, but I'll bet the earplugs they sell to people who go shooting would work very well!

Any gun shop will have an assortment of earplugs. You can buy the disposable foam ones in a package of a dozen or so and just throw them out after one use. Look for a noise reduction rating in decibels - higher is better. Good quality earmuffs will be in the 29 db range, but you won't be able to approach that with plugs.

Thanks to all for the ideas. Any other recommendations on best type or brand/who carries them, please share. Between the thin walls in hotels, the flight over, and the snoring spouses, I'm betting this post will be useful to lots of us.

Thanks for the gun shop tip. Hadn't occurred to me.

I've tried all kinds of earplugs because DH snores all night long....very loudly! I like the wax kind sold at Walmart, only about $2. You can mold them to fit your ear and create a soundproof seal. When I wear mine, I can't even hear the alarm clock or phone next to my bed. They stay in all night, and you don't have to push them into your ear canal like you do with foam plugs.

I've tried the foam ones & found them so uncomfortable that they kept me awake anyway. The wax ones sound interesting, but for hotels, wouldn't this be a safety issue? If someone was yelling "fire", I think I'd want to know about it....

Topping for us hard of hearing due to airplane whine and kids whining.