We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-01 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want replacement soft silicone ear tips that turn your existing in-ear earbuds into something you can lie on at night, choose Earphones Plus 6; if you need standalone soft silicone ear plugs that block snoring, water and loud rooms, choose Quality Plugs by Rips 50. They both lean on soft silicone comfort, but they solve two completely different problems — one upgrades the earbuds you already own, the other replaces them with pure silence.
• Earphones Plus 6 — biggest strength: six pairs of 14mm black silicone tips designed to slip onto in-ear earphone stems measuring 4mm to 5.5mm, so you can refresh or resize the fit of earbuds you already own.
• Earphones Plus 6 — biggest trade-off: it is not a listening device. No drivers, no cable, no battery. If your earbuds don't fit the stem range, these tips do nothing for you.
• Quality Plugs by Rips 50 — biggest strength: 100 individually wrapped soft silicone ear plugs with a 25dB NRR / 28dB SNR rating, reusable, washable and waterproof for swimming, sleeping and concerts.
• Quality Plugs by Rips 50 — biggest trade-off: they block sound rather than play it, so they are useless if what you actually want is music or audio at night.
• Who each pick is for: Earphones Plus 6 is for someone who already owns in-ear earphones and wants a softer, better-fitting silicone tip. Quality Plugs by Rips 50 is for someone who wants quiet — from a snoring partner, a pool, a workshop or a loud venue.
Earphones Plus 6 is a consumable accessory, not a gadget. You get six pairs of black silicone ear tips with a 14mm outside diameter, built for in-ear earphone model earbuds only. The whole pitch is fit: soft silicone sits differently in the ear than stiff or worn-out factory tips, and for side sleepers that difference is the entire point. A softer, correctly sized tip spreads pressure instead of digging in, which is why people hunting for sleep-friendly earbuds often end up shopping for tips rather than new earbuds.
Buy Earphones Plus 6 if you already like your in-ear earphones and just want a softer, larger, silicone tip in black, especially if you wear them lying down. Skip it if you're expecting a complete pair of earbuds, if you need noise blocking rather than audio, or if you can't confirm your stem diameter. For those shoppers, this isn't the product — it's a part.
Quality Plugs by Rips 50: Who It's For
Quality Plugs by Rips 50 is the opposite kind of product: it doesn't play anything, it removes everything. The set contains 50 pairs — 100 ear plugs total — made from soft, non-toxic silicone in blue, each pair individually wrapped so you can stash them in a bag, a car, a purse or a desk drawer without them getting grimy. The stated noise reduction is 25dB NRR / 28dB SNR, which is squarely in the range you'd want for snoring, shooting, yard work and concerts.
The design details matter more than they sound. There's a long stem, which makes removal easy and keeps your fingers off the part that sits deep in the ear — a small thing that becomes a big thing when you're pulling them out half-asleep. They're reusable and washable with basic soap and warm water, and the manufacturer rates them for anywhere from two months up to a year of use. They're also waterproof, so they hold up for swimming, which is rare enough among sleep-oriented plugs to be worth calling out.
Buy Quality Plugs by Rips 50 if your goal is quiet: a snoring partner, a shared hotel room, a pool, a range, a gig, or a noisy office. The quantity is the other selling point — 100 plugs means you can leave pairs everywhere and never think about it. Skip them if you want to listen to anything, if you dislike the feeling of a sealed ear canal, or if you specifically need in-ear audio. They are protection, not playback.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for sleep with audio → Earphones Plus 6. Soft 14mm silicone tips on earphones you already own are the practical route if you want music, podcasts or white noise in bed.
• Best for swimming → Quality Plugs by Rips 50. They're explicitly waterproof and designed to hold under water. Earphones Plus 6 is silicone too, but it's an earbud tip, not ear protection.
• Best for concerts, shooting and yard work → Quality Plugs by Rips 50. This is exactly the use case the 25dB NRR / 28dB SNR figure is there for.
• Best if you already love your earbuds → Earphones Plus 6. You're spending on a fit upgrade, not a new device.
• Best if you want the longest-lasting supply → Quality Plugs by Rips 50. 50 pairs, individually wrapped, reusable for months at a time.
• Best if you're unsure about fit → Quality Plugs by Rips 50. One-size soft silicone plugs have no stem-diameter requirement, while Earphones Plus 6 lives or dies on that 4mm–5.5mm measurement.
• Best if you need a complete listening product → neither. Earphones Plus 6 is tips only; Quality Plugs by Rips 50 makes no sound at all.
If I had to pick one for myself, I'd buy Quality Plugs by Rips 50. In my opinion it's the more versatile purchase: it works whether you're sleeping, swimming, at a concert or mowing the lawn, and 50 individually wrapped pairs means you'll still have some next year. I'd only choose Earphones Plus 6 instead if I already owned in-ear earphones I liked and specifically wanted softer silicone tips for side-sleeping — and in that case, I'd measure my stems before ordering, because that compatibility range is the whole ballgame. Check the current price on Amazon for whichever one matches your situation.
how to put on silicone earbuds
Silicone tips stretch over the earphone's connector stem, so the fit depends on stem size. Earphones Plus 6 is made for stems measuring 4mm to 5.5mm (5/32" to 7/32"), and the tips are 14mm across on the outside. Measure your stem first — if it falls outside that range, the tip won't seat properly.
what are the best earbuds to sleep in
There's no single answer, because comfort depends on your ears and your sleeping position. What the specs tell you is that soft silicone is the sleep-friendly material here: Earphones Plus 6 uses it for replacement tips so you can keep your own earphones, while Quality Plugs by Rips 50 uses soft silicone to block sound entirely. Pick based on whether you want audio or silence.
are there earbuds for sleeping
Yes, and there are two routes. One is upgrading in-ear earphones you already own with softer tips like Earphones Plus 6, which comes as six pairs of 14mm black silicone tips. The other is skipping audio altogether with soft silicone ear plugs like Quality Plugs by Rips 50, which are rated at 25dB NRR / 28dB SNR and are reusable and washable.
They aren't competing on the same job. Quality Plugs by Rips 50 gives you 50 pairs (100 plugs) that are individually wrapped, washable, waterproof and reusable for two months up to a year — that's a long supply of noise protection. Earphones Plus 6 gives you six pairs of 14mm tips that only help if they fit your earphones' 4mm–5.5mm stems. Buy for the job you actually have.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: Knox Blue Microphones Yeti vs Turnstile Audio TAPH700, Kensington H1000 vs Yoley Classroom Headphones Bulk: On the, Corsair HS35 vs KZA COUSTICS Axas, YUEBAITU Long Cord vs Acer OHW328