By Andrew Liszewski
So maybe there are worse things in life than your ears not popping before or after a flight, but that doesn’t make the feeling of the pressure difference any less uncomfortable. A few years ago we brought you a small pump that could be used to equalize the pressure inside your ear canal after a flight, but to be honest these EarPlanes look like a far safer solution to the problem. As far as I can tell they’re designed to be worn during take off and landing, and feature a ‘pressure regulator’ on the inside that ensures the air pressure inside your ears and the plane’s cabin are always comfortably in balance.
EarPlanes consist of two elements: a hypoallergenic silicone ear plug and a ceramic pressure regulator. The silicone earplug has four circumferential rings which provide an airtight seal between the product and ear canal. The ceramic element is a controlled porosity filter, one end of which is exposed to the external cabin pressure, with the opposite end exposed to the sealed chamber formed when the ear plug is inserted in the ear. Thus, as the cabin air pressure changes, a pressure differential is created across the ceramic filter, thereby causing air to flow through the filter. The filter acts as an impedance to the flow of air into and out of the ear canal.
Since the filters will get clogged over time the EarPlanes need to be replaced every so often, so a set of 4 will cost you $24.50.
these have been out forever i used them when i was ten so there at least 9 years old and they actually work.