I got Radians earplugs to keep water out of my ears, and bought the Decibullz version for a comparison. Specifically, I need to use them for my son and wanted to try them myself before trying to fit them on a child. Each has their advantages. For noise protection, the Radians are rated at 26 dB noise protection vs. the Decibullz at 31 dB. I couldn't tell a difference with a different type in each ear, but I'd give a technical point to Decibullz if you're looking for hearing protection. The molding process is a little simpler with Radians vs. Decibullz, but they are both pretty simple. The Radians require you to mix together two types of putty, and then press the mixture into the ear and the "bowl" around the ear hole. It takes about 10 minutes to harden enough to be able to take the plugs out without deforming them. The Decibullz plugs require you to put the earplugs into boiling hot water and then mold them to the ears - the same way you would make a moldable mouthguard. The disadvantage of the Decibullz plugs is that trying to mold them to the ears too soon can result in a hot ball of putty in your (or your child's ear.) While it probably wouldn't cause any serious damage, it can easily frighten a child making the process ten times harder. The Radians plugs avoid that whole problem. On the other hand, the Radians plugs do one thing you should know about. While they sit in your ears curing, they make annoying "snap, crackle, and pop" sounds that you can actually feel - like champagne bubbles in your ears. It is a cross between tickling and irritating. If an adult knows about it ahead of time, they will be fine. A child, on the other hand, will want to rub their ears, and this will mess up the molding process. You get one shot at it, and if something goes wrong, you have to buy a new earplug kit. You definitely have to warn the kids, and then stay on top of them to keep their hands away until the plugs cure (about 10 minutes.) Just like making a mouthguard, you put the Decibullz in boiling water for 5 minutes, take it out for 30 seconds, and then mold to the ear. I would wait a SOLID 30-45 seconds before trying on my child because they are pretty warm. Don't want to frighten a child while time is of the essence. After molding to the ear, let them sit another 5 minutes in the ear, and they are ready to roll. The directions didn't say whether one should remove the round Decibullz logo'd cap from the outside part during the heating/molding, but I did, and it seemed to work out fine. Neither type of plugs have a way to tell the right plug from the left one after they have been molded (the Decibullz plugs have a faint R and L stamped on them, but these get erased when you're forming them in the ears.) I suppose you could press a small fleck of different colored material in the outer surface of both types of plugs on one side before they harden, and call that "right side." Just plan ahead for it. As for keeping water out of the ears, both brands make an equivalent seal around the ear holes. With the Radians, I would emphasize what the directions say: that pressing the putty down into the ear hole is important. This makes sure that there is a part of the plug in the hole to better keep out water and sound. And both brands stay in the ear well AS LONG AS YOU MOLD PART OF THEM UNDER THE CURVE AT THE FRONT OF THE EAR "BOWL" ABOVE THE EAR HOLE. They instructions don't make much mention of this, but it's important. One real difference is that the Radians make a solid plug, whereas the Decibullz are designed with a tube through the middle of them. They provide you with a rubber stopper that seems to plug this tube up water-tight, but if you lose one of the rubber stoppers, they won't keep out water or sound. For adults, probably no big deal, but for children, it is something to go wrong. The Radians are as comfortable in your ear as you would expect an ear plug to be, and they are pretty durable. Also, when molded to an adult's ear, they sit pretty flat on their outer surface, but in a child's ear, they will be bigger and bulge out a bit more. I don't think it makes a difference, but just rest easy that they give you plenty of putty to make two plugs for a child. In summary, Radians earplugs are safe to use (with no danger of burning the ears during molding), comfortable to wear, seem to stay in very well, come in several colors, and keep water out of the ears very well (even if they are perhaps a hair less effective at protecting against noise.) On the other hand, snap-crackle-and-popping could cause a child to mess up the molding if you aren't careful. But on the other, other hand, the Decibullz earplugs come with a rubber stopper in them that if lost, will make the Decibullz plugs useless for noise and water.
