Is a Higher Noise Reduction Always Better When Buying Earplugs?

Cannot be consciously closed 

The ears may be one of the most fascinating sensory organs in the human body — they cannot be consciously closed — making them distinct from the eyes, nose, and mouth. This non-closable auditory organ is equipped with an extremely sensitive nervous system and is almost entirely exposed to the external environment, making it highly susceptible to damage. Hearing damage, once sustained, is irreversible.

Why do we have to use earplugs?
Generally speaking, sounds above 60 dB can cause discomfort or even irritation for most people, while sounds above 80 dB may potentially damage hearing. Unfortunately, in modern society, noise levels in many situations often exceed 60 dB, making it essential to find suitable noise reduction earplugs to minimize the impact of environmental noise on us.

Is a higher noise reduction always better?
For beginners, there is often a common question when first searching for noise reduction earplugs: "Is a higher noise reduction always better?" The answer is quite clear: it's not that "earplugs with a higher noise reduction rating are always better", but rather that "the best earplugs are the ones suitable for a specific situation".

SNR and NRR.
There are two main standards for evaluating the noise reduction rating of earplugs: SNR (Single Number Rating) and NRR (Noise Reduction Rating). Both of these quantify the noise reduction effect in numbers, specifically indicating how many decibels the noise is reduced after being blocked by the earplugs. Sound can travel through gases, liquids, and solids. Apart from traveling through the air to reach the auditory nerves, sound can also be transmitted directly to the auditory nerves through the body (such as via bone conduction). Therefore, achieving a 100% noise-blocking effect is impossible.

How to make earplugs higher noise-reducing?
From another perspective, the noise reduction effect of earplugs often inversely correlates with the comfort of wearing them. This is easy to understand (not wearing earplugs is certainly more comfortable than wearing them). Many earplugs use a more sealed design or materials (such as expandable memory foam) to enhance noise reduction, often resulting in greater pressure on the ears and compromising wearing comfort.

What is your practical needs?
From the practical needs of most users, people may not purchase noise reduction earplugs to completely block out noise but rather to avoid being disturbed by it. In fact, when the sound level we hear is below 40 dB, it generally does not cause us anxiety; if it is further reduced to below 30 dB, we feel it is "very quiet". At around 20 dB, sound essentially does not capture our attention.

Conclusions
Based on the analysis above, choosing noise reduction earplugs should consider two factors: the first is the specific usage scenario, and the second is the noise reduction rating of the earplugs. For instance, if the earplugs are only used while sleeping to prevent being woken by a neighbor's dog barking, there is no need to use foam earplugs that make the ears feel swollen (even though most of them have a noise reduction of over 30 dB). In this case, using more comfortable earplugs with a noise reduction of 23 dB (SNR), such as Saccater Earplugs, would be wiser. However, if you plan to use them in a shooting range with noise levels exceeding 120 dB, you should opt for higher-grade noise-reducing earmuffs instead of earplugs. See, the usage scenario dictates the choice, rather than simply pursuing higher noise reduction effects — especially when such effects require sacrificing comfort unnecessarily, which could end up being counterproductive.

Make decision wisely.
In some specific situations, such as when flying or taking a train, you might want to avoid being affected by noise while still not missing important announcements. In these cases, choosing "suitable earplugs" is much wiser than choosing those with a "higher noise reduction rating".
I hope these suggestions help resolve any doubts you may have when selecting noise reduction earplugs.