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Home Impression Kit or Local Provider: Which Should You Choose?

For most people, the free Home Impression Kit is the easiest way to get fitted for custom earplugs: it comes with your order, and a helper can make your impressions at home in about 10 to 15 minutes. A local provider, such as an audiologist, is a great choice if you’d like a professional to look in your ears first, want a hearing check at the same visit, or have any ear concerns. Either way, your plugs are built the same way in our lab.

Quick answer

  • Home Impression Kit: included with your order, ships in 2 to 3 business days, takes about 10 to 15 minutes with a helper, and return postage is paid.
  • Local provider: a good fit if you want a professional ear check or a hearing test, or if you have ear pain, ear tubes, recent ear surgery, or new or worsening ringing.
  • Already have impressions? You can use those too.
  • Same build either way: 40 business days from the day your impressions reach our lab.

Why do custom earplugs need ear impressions at all?

An impression is the blueprint for your plug. It’s a copy of the shape of your ear and ear canal, and we build your plug to match it.

NIOSH describes custom earplugs as protectors that use an impression of the wearer’s ear to make a device fitted to that one person (Provide Hearing Protection). That matters because ears really do differ. In Measuring How Well Earplugs Work, NIOSH reports that the protection people actually get varies widely across ear canal sizes and shapes, and that poor fit is a common reason protection falls short.

So the goal of either route is the same: a clean, complete impression of each ear. Where you make it is up to you.

How does the Home Impression Kit work?

When you order, we send a Home Impression Kit within 2 to 3 business days. It comes with a guided video that walks your helper through each step. Most people are done in about 10 to 15 minutes.

You do need a helper for this one. A friend, partner or family member follows along with the video while you sit comfortably. Then you pop the impressions in the mail with the prepaid return label, and they head to our lab.

If an impression doesn’t come out right, we send you another kit at no charge. Our step-by-step post, How the Free Home Impression Kit Works, shows the whole process if you’d like a preview.

When is a local provider the better choice?

A local provider is a nice option any time you’d like a professional involved. Audiologists in particular are hearing specialists. ASHA notes that audiologists explain how to protect hearing from noise and perform hearing screenings and tests (Who Are Audiologists?).

Here are a few good reasons to choose a provider visit:

  • You have ear pain, ear tubes or recent ear surgery. Please see a doctor or audiologist before anyone makes impressions or you wear any earplug.
  • You’ve noticed ringing in your ears that’s new or getting worse. That’s a reason to see a doctor or audiologist first.
  • You’d like a hearing test. The NIDCD suggests having your hearing tested if you think you might have hearing loss, and a visit can cover that alongside your impressions.
  • You don’t have a helper handy, or you’d simply feel more relaxed with a professional doing it.

The provider bills their own fee for the visit. For an audiologist, that’s typically $80 to $100. Big Ear doesn’t charge anything extra for this route. If you’d like help finding someone near you, our provider page has a contact form, or you can call us.

How do the options compare?

Home Impression Kit Local provider Impressions you already have
Cost of impressions Free, with prepaid return postage The provider’s own fee (an audiologist is typically $80 to $100); nothing extra from Big Ear None from Big Ear
Who makes them A helper at home, following our guided video A hearing professional at their office Already done
Time Kit ships in 2 to 3 business days; about 10 to 15 minutes to make Depends on the provider’s schedule Mail them to our lab
Ear check or hearing test No Can be part of the visit No
Best for Most people with healthy ears and a helper Ear concerns, a hearing check, or no helper Recent impressions from a past fitting
Build time 40 business days from the day your impressions reach our lab

Does the impression method change how well the plugs fit?

What matters is a good impression, wherever it’s made. Once your impressions reach our lab, every pair is hand-built in the USA the same way.

We also back every pair with our 30-Day Fit Warranty. If the fit isn’t right, tell us within 30 days of delivery and we’ll make it right. That’s true whether your impressions came from your kitchen table or a clinic.

How does Big Ear handle your impressions?

We lead with the Home Impression Kit because it’s the simplest route for most people, and it’s included with your order. Making the impressions is a simple process that you can do in the comfort of your home.

Once we have your impressions, we keep them on file for up to ten years. That makes a second pair, a spare, or a different style easy to order later. Ears can change, though, so a big weight change or 7 to 10 years can mean it’s time for a fresh set.

Here’s what your impressions can turn into:

  • The One, our filtered earplug: a non-linear canal filter in every pair, plus interchangeable flat filters of 9, 15, 20, 25 or 30 dB. NRR 25 dB with one filter installed. From $224.95.
  • Full Stop Super-Soft, our softest solid plug: platinum-cure Shore A 25, NRR 32 dB, $168.95. Lovely for sleep and quiet.
  • Guardian Vanquisher, for very loud, high-impact work: NRR 37 dB, $179.95.

Not sure which one? Find my pair helps you pick.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make my own ear impressions without help?

No, you’ll need a second person. The kit is designed for a helper to follow our guided video while you sit still and relax.

What if my home impression doesn’t come out right?

We’ll send you a second kit at no charge.

Can I use impressions from a previous fitting?

Yes, you can use impressions you already have. Give us a call and we’ll help you get them to our lab. If they’re several years old, or your weight has changed a lot since, a fresh set may fit better.

Is the provider route more expensive?

Big Ear doesn’t charge anything extra. The provider bills their own fee for the visit, which for an audiologist is typically $80 to $100.

How long until my earplugs arrive?

We build your plugs in 40 business days from the day your impressions reach our lab, whichever route you choose. Shipping on your order is $10.

Ready to get started?

Order your pair and we’ll send your free Home Impression Kit within 2 to 3 business days. If you’d rather see a provider, or you have impressions already, we’re happy to help with that too.

Questions about which route suits you? Try Find my pair, or call us at (719) 271-4528. We love talking ears.

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