Sleeping
Concerts
Motorcycle
Swimming
Work
Kids
On stage
In the studio
Rehearsals
Writing music
Mixing at home
Daily commute
Long journeys
Listening at home⏱️ Estimated reading time: 12 min
On this page: Overview
Key Takeaways
Yes, for short loud stretches such as a party or a playdate, as long as one adult can always hear and respond. Take them out for quiet, close moments and whenever a child is near water.
Yes. A crying or calling child is loud, so it stays audible: a passive SNR 24 earplug turns a 95 dB moment into roughly 71 dB at the ear. Ordinary voices get quieter too, by about 21 dB in the speech range.
Measured close to the child, as a parent holding them would hear it, cries reached 99–120 dB(A) in a study of 26 children, loudest from about nine months to six years.
In a test of 48 toys, the average was 94 dB(A) at 50 cm and 102 dB(A) at 10 cm. Rooms full of playing children averaged about 80 dB, with typical peaks near 97 dB.
No. The NHS advises against wearing earplugs or ear muffs all the time, because it could make you more sensitive to noise. Wear them for the loud bits of the day and take them out when the house goes quiet.
A reusable silicone earplug with moderate reduction and a flush fit goes in and out in seconds. Our Life+ is rated SNR 24 dB, lasts up to 100 uses and costs £29.95, or £109 for a 10x Pack.
By teatime, plenty of parents know the feeling. The toy siren that only has one volume, a toddler mid-shriek, a sibling row on top. People who search for earplugs for overstimulated parents usually bring a second, quieter question with them: am I even allowed to do this?
A widely shared online post about a dad who wore noise-cancelling headphones while his baby cried drew thousands of replies. Most of them came back to one point. He could still hear the baby.
At Bollsen, we make reusable silicone earplugs that are German-tested, independently certified 24 dB and trusted by 1,000,000+ people. Our guide to earplugs for noise sensitivity covers everyday sound feeling too loud in general. This page is about you, the parent, wearing the earplugs to take the edge off home noise for an hour or two.
Am I a bad parent for wearing earplugs?
No. Wearing earplugs for the loudest stretch of a day with young children lowers the sound reaching your ears without switching you off from your family, as long as one adult can always hear and respond and the earplugs come out for the quiet, close moments.
In the replies, plenty of parents admitted to feeling the same guilt. It tends to run both ways in a busy house. What most families settle on is practical and a bit boring. Agree who is “on”, wear the plugs during the loud bit, and hand over before either of you takes a break.
Earplugs never replace supervision. They come out whenever you are the only adult and a baby is sleeping in another room, and they come out for anything involving water. Short bursts around the loudest moments are the whole idea, not an afternoon behind a wall of silence.
Music SoundPRO★ 4.8 · 514 reviews
Watersafe+★ 4.8 · 684 reviews
Life+★ 4.7 · 3,700 reviewsLife+★ 4.7 · 3,700 reviewsMusic SoundPRO★ 4.8 · 514 reviewsWatersafe+★ 4.8 · 684 reviewsLife+★ 4.7 · 3,700 reviewsHow loud do toys, playrooms and a crying child actually get?
Family noise is louder than it feels on paper: a crying child held close has been measured at 99–120 dB(A), children’s toys average 94 dB(A) at 50 cm, and a room of playing children averages around 80 dB with typical peaks near 97 dB.
The crying figure comes from Calderon, Carney and Kavanagh, who measured 26 children in a set-up that mimics a parent holding the child. The loudest cries came from children aged roughly nine months to six years.
For toys, a study of 48 children’s toys found an average of 102 dB(A) at 10 cm, close to where a toddler holds them, and 94 dB(A) at 50 cm. The loudest reached 123.6 dB(A), and most were above 85 dB(A).
For a whole room, a 2025 PLoS One study put sound meters on four- to six-year-olds in Swedish preschools. Indoor play averaged about 80 dB, with typical peaks around 97 dB. We found no published measurement of a British soft-play centre or a children’s party, but both are rooms of playing children plus toys and music, so these figures are a fair guide.
On a tired day the same noise can land harder. Our explainer on why everyday sound can feel louder than it should looks at the reasons behind that.
| Moment | Measured level (source above) | Roughly at your ear with an SNR 24 earplug |
|---|---|---|
| Room of playing children, average | ≈80 dB | ≈56 dB, close to a quiet conversation |
| Same room, typical peaks | ≈97 dB | ≈73 dB |
| Toy at arm’s length (50 cm), average | 94 dB(A) | ≈70 dB |
| Crying child held close | 99–120 dB(A) | ≈75–96 dB, still loud |
| Worked example: a 95 dB moment | 95 dB | ≈71 dB |
The right-hand column simply subtracts the 24 dB rating, so read it as a rough guide. Real results depend on fit and on pitch.
Will I still hear my child with earplugs in?
Yes, you will still hear your child, because a crying or calling child is loud: a passive earplug rated SNR 24 dB lowers sound by roughly 24 dB, so a 95 dB shriek reaches your ear at about 71 dB, which is still clearly audible, while ordinary voices become quieter as well.
That last part matters. Voices drop by about 21 dB in the speech range (the M value in the rating H 24 / M 21 / L 19), so a child chatting softly at the table may need you to lean in. No passive earplug picks voices out from noise. The doorbell, the smoke alarm and a shout from upstairs stay audible for the same reason a cry does: they are loud.
The reduction also rises with pitch. In lab testing to EN 352-2 it runs from about 22 dB in the lows and mids to 35 dB at 8 kHz, so everything is quieter and a toy siren a little more so.
For this kind of use we suggest our Life+ passive SNR 24 dB reusable silicone earplugs (£29.95), made from hypoallergenic natural silicone with a two-lamella shape that sits flush in the ear. A small tab pulls them out in a second when someone needs you, and they last up to 100 uses in an aluminium case that lives on a keyring.
When should the earplugs go in, and when should they come out?
Put the earplugs in for a named loud stretch and take them out on a clear cue, such as the party ending, the toy going back in the box or a child wanting to talk. In for the noise, out for the people.
Toy noise and tea time. The half hour before dinner is often the loudest of the day. In while you cook, out once everyone sits down to eat and talk.
Playdates. Four children in a living room can sit in that 80 dB band for an hour. One adult wears earplugs while the other stays “on”, then swap, and both take them out to sort a squabble.
Birthday parties and soft play. Noise, bright lights, a crowd and sugar all at once is sensory overload for plenty of adults too. In when the music starts and the room fills, out for the cake and the goodbyes. Our guide to earplugs for sensory overload sets out a fuller plan for busy rooms.
The school run. A crowded gate at pick-up can be loud, but you are crossing roads with small hands in yours. Keep the earplugs in your pocket here and save them for the loud bit at home.
Bath time. Earplugs out, every time. Near water, your hearing is part of the supervision.
Can I wear earplugs all day as a parent?
No, and the plan above never asks you to: the NHS hyperacusis guidance advises against wearing earplugs or ear muffs all the time because this “could make you more sensitive to noise”, while short-term use may help in very noisy environments, which is exactly the loud-bits pattern.
So is it bad to wear earplugs all day? For a parent, yes, if they stay in through the quiet hours too. Stories, cuddles and the wind-down before bed are quiet, close moments, and that is when the earplugs go back in their case.
Night is a different question. If street noise or a snoring partner keeps you awake once the children are asleep, our article on noise sensitivity and sleep covers wearing earplugs in bed, and it is worth agreeing first who listens out for the children overnight.
Protection still has its place for the genuinely loud moments, and the NHS hearing loss page advises wearing ear protection when exposed to loud noises. See a GP if everyday sounds feel painfully loud, if hearing changes suddenly, or if there is pain or discharge.
Which earplugs suit a parent at home?
Most parents do best with a reusable silicone earplug giving moderate reduction of around 20–25 dB, because it lowers the din while a calling child stays audible, and it goes in and out in seconds between the loud stretches of the day.
Foam disposables often carry an SNR above 30 dB, but they take time to roll and expand, and conversation gets hard to follow. Noise-cancelling headphones work best on steady, low hum and need charging. Ear defenders go on fastest but feel bulky and warm after a while.
Fit, comfort over an hour or two and moderate reduction are what to look for in everyday earplugs. If standard sizes never sit right, Life+ with AI ear measurement from two photos costs £44.95, and we send the size that matches your ear canal.
Does one pack cover the whole household?
If both parents want a pair, plus spares for the car and the changing bag, the Life+ 10x Pack (≈11p per use) costs £109 for ten pairs, against about 30p per use for a single £29.95 pair. Orders over £35 ship free in the UK, so a 2× pack at £44.95 qualifies and a single pair does not.
Give each adult their own pair rather than sharing, and wash them with water and mild soap. Our guide on how to clean reusable silicone earplugs walks through the routine. Every order comes with our 40-day money-back guarantee, so you can try them through a real party weekend first.
Children copy what they see, and a parent who pops earplugs in for the hand dryer and out to talk is modelling calm sound habits. If your child wants a pair of their own, Kidz+ is our separate earplug for ages 3 to 12 (under-3s wear earmuffs instead), and our guide to earplugs for kids explains fit by age.
For the child-as-wearer side in more detail, see the best earplugs for kids by age. And if your child is the one covering their ears at parties, our article on earplugs for children with sensory processing differences is written for parents.
Where to start this weekend
Pick the one loud stretch that leaves you most frazzled, maybe Saturday’s party or the hour before tea. Agree with the other adult who is “on”, decide the cue for taking the earplugs out, and try it twice before judging it.
Home noise is only one part of a family day, and the same in-for-the-loud-bits idea runs through our wider guide to everyday comfort when sound feels too loud. If you would like to try a pair, Life+ costs £29.95, is rated SNR 24 dB, lasts up to 100 uses and comes with our 40-day money-back guarantee.
His connection to hearing protection stems from personal experience with sound sensitivity during live events and work in noisy environments, an issue that made him more aware of the long-term risks of unmanaged noise exposure. Today, as both a communicator and a user of BOLLSEN products, he is passionate about raising awareness around the importance of proactive hearing care.
At BOLLSEN, he develops data-driven marketing campaigns, writes SEO-focused articles, and manages communication channels that connect customers with practical knowledge about hearing protection. His work ensures that BOLLSEN’s message—prioritizing health, performance, and sustainability reaches a global audience in an engaging and trustworthy way.
Passionate about writing since childhood, Timotej combines creativity with a strong analytical approach, continuously testing new ideas in digital marketing, performance advertising, and social media. He believes in learning through innovation and collaboration, balancing leadership with openness to new perspectives.
Beyond his professional role, Timotej is committed to a healthy lifestyle and finds inspiration in fitness, sports, and quality time with friends. His personal passion for well-being aligns with BOLLSEN’s core values, making his work not only a career but also a cause he deeply believes in.