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Wadded (Toilet) Paper Earplug Review

Description

As a professional sound designer, I've always tried to protect my hearing at loud concerts. It started with wadded up toilet paper from the restroom. Then when I started planning ahead, I used real earplugs.

Imagine, as the party starts, you suddenly realize the DJ has the audio level set somewhere between ‘way too loud’ and ‘instant destruction’. What do you do? First you should acknowledge that there really is a problem and you need to do something if you do not want your hearing to be damaged. As you consider building your own earplugs, you have a brilliant idea and head for the closest restroom...

To get the flattest attenuation out of toilet paper, moisten the paper under a water tap, remove the excess water by wadding the paper, then stick it in your ears. Beware : dry paper doesn't attenuate the lower frequencies at all, as measured during our tests.

Wet wadded toilet paper does the job and even supersedes earplugs designed for musicians in terms of offering a flat frequency response!

Attenuation Table

	60Hz	125	250	500	1k	2k	4k	8k	16kHz
Rated	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	NRR 16
Measured	13	14	15	17	19	22	25	28	31	ΔF ±6.5

NRR stands for Noise Reduction Rating. It is a standardized measure expressed in decibels (dB), and represents the overall attenuation offered by the earplug. The higher the NRR, the stronger the attenuation. Differences in the NRR of less than 3 dB between earplugs have no importance in practice.

ΔF represents an important factor for musical applications, as it measures the standard deviation from a spectrally flat attenuation between 60Hz and 16kHz. The smaller the ΔF, the higher the fidelity. ±3dB is virtually inaudible and can be considered as the very best one can get.

Audio Simulation

Using headphones is best for this test. Pick a file from the top row, adjust its sound level to match the real life situation (e.g., the bike should play louder than the snoring), and then switch to the bottom row to audition the earplug under test.

Snoring	Bike	Babble	Plane	Gun	Industrial	Club	Rock
w/Plug	w/Plug	w/Plug	w/Plug	w/Plug	w/Plug	w/Plug	w/Plug

Comments

Ridicule never did anyone any real harm, but loud sounds definitely will. Toilet paper earplugs will save your hearing when nothing else is available. Although wet toilet paper will give you attenuation results on par with earplugs for musicians, we do not advise using toilet earplugs on a regular basis since loose paper could get stuck in your ear and facilitate an infection. Consider buying Mack's Roll-Ups Wallet earplugs as a better alternative.

Use	Score	Comments
At Home	•	Doesn't make much sense at home unless you have no other option.
On the go	•	Will save your hearing when you have nothing else at hand!
Industry	•	Will save your hearing when you have nothing else at hand!
Music	••	Performs quite well actually, but not recommended for regular use.

Manufacturer Links

• Toilet Paper for Musicians