by
Olivier Poirier-Leroy
Protect your ears while in the water with our selection of the best ear covers and bands for swimming.
When it comes to keeping water out of your ears when you are in the pool, there are a few options available to the recreational swimmer.
As a life-long wearer of swimmers’ earplugs, I have always relied on silicone putty earplugs for keeping the inside of my ears dry. Swim caps are another option, but wrapping a cap around your head and achieving a leak-proof seal is very difficult and won’t stop water when submerged.
Another option for protecting your ears is the swimmer’s ear band.
Ear bands, when used with swimmers’ earplugs, are a doctor-recommended way to protect the ears.
(This is an important point to remember: a swimming ear band alone won’t keep the ears dry. They need to be used in conjunction with earplugs.)
Whether you are prone to ear infections (aka swimmer’s ear), have a perforated eardrum, are sick of having to use ear drops for swimming every time you get out of the water, or wear ear tubes, the ear band helps keep the ears dry so that you can focus on having fun in the water.
In this guide, we will look at the top ear bands for swimming and enjoying your time at the pool.
Let’s dive in.
Mack’s have long been a fixture on pool decks. They have been a sponsor of USA Swimming for as long as I can remember. Which, coincidentally, is right about the time I started wearing their Mack’s Silicone Putty Earplugs.
The Mack’s Ear Band Headband is meant to be used with its waterproof earplugs to create a double layer of ear protection.
It is made of neoprene, the same material that wet-suits are made of. The headband is stretchy, durable, and floats, which is perfect for the occasions it slips off your head doing a majestic cannon-ball.
Combined with a pair of silicone earplugs, this headband is our top pick for the best swimming ear band.
The Ear Band-It Headband is very similar to the Macks Headband, but has a couple different additional options for swimmers looking to protect their ears in the water.
For starters, the Ear Band-It comes in three different sizes, with small being for babies (1-3 years of age), medium for toddlers and older children (4-9 years of age), and large (10 years of age to adults). If you are looking for more color combination, they also come in ten different colors.
The NOVOs Swimming Earband Headband comes in a variety of colors and patterns, giving you options for what kind of style and look you want to be wrapped around your head. They come in two different sizes. Medium is ideal for children aged 4-9, while the large fits kids 10 years of age to adults.
Olivier Poirier-Leroy Olivier Poirier-Leroy is the founder of YourSwimLog.com. He is an author, former national level swimmer, two-time Olympic Trials qualifier, and swim coach.
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