Don’t pull too hard. Just a gentle tug is enough to have your ear expanded enough for the ear plug. It may be helpful to use a mirror so you can more clearly see what you’re doing.
To see if the plug is working, listen to yourself speak. You should sound muffled, as should the sound around you. Do not expect it to completely silence the surroundings, but it should quiet them. If the plug is not working, you may need to try a different form of plugs or possibly smaller ones. Most of the foam body should be in your ear canal by the end. Sometimes you have to try again if the foam is not sealing sound out properly.
You may need different sized plugs for each ear. This is not uncommon, so don’t be surprised if you have to buy two different types of plugs. It may be a good idea to buy a few packs of plugs in different sizes and see what works for your ears.
Make sure you do not push the plug in too far. Most of the plug should be in the canal, but you should still be able to easily grab the plug with your fingertips when you need to remove it. If you can still hear well with the plug in place, you may have inserted it incorrectly. Refer to the instructions manual and try again. If the plug still does not work after a second attempt, you may need a different size plug.
