When Johnny Jet did his 5 things I always pack guest post a while back, he included earplugs as one of his essential items. Quite a few people I’ve traveled with feel the same way, including my light-sleeping wife.

She never goes on a trip without some kind of earplugs, so I let her put these squishy Hearos earplugs to the test on our recent trip to Ecuador. They got a big thumbs up from her and I can see why. These foam earplugs squish down to nothing when you roll them in your fingers. But then after you put them in your ears, they expand to form a tight seal that blocks out noise. No more jet engines and ventilation noises on a plane, no more traffic noise or annoying hostelmates at your cheap hotel.

These Hearos ear plugs are rated to block out 32 decibels of noise, which is substantial. Most of what gets through otherwise is coming through your skull vibrations as much as your ears.If this isn’t enough though, they make advanced ones that block out even more.

These earplugs are simple, effective, and easy to pack since they’re small and light. When they get gunky, you can afford to throw them away and pop in a new pair. After all, you can get two 20-packs at Amazon right now for around 7 dollars. That ought to last you plenty of nights of honking horns and garbage trucks.

Get them at physical drug stores, mega retailers, or online at Amazon.

See more at Hearos.com—including an iPhone ap you can download to measure decibel levels at that next rock concert…