How to Insert Earplugs for Swimming So They Stay In and Keep Water Out

A loose plug ruins a lap in the first length. Water slips past the edge, the seal breaks, and you spend the rest of the swim shaking your head instead of counting strokes. Getting earplugs to stay put comes down to three things — dry skin, a straightened canal, and a plug matched to your ear shape. Do those right and the plug holds through flip turns, dives, and an hour of open water.

Prep The Ear Before Anything Goes In

Clean, dry ears are the starting point, and skipping this step is why many plugs slide out within minutes.

Water, sunscreen, and earwax all act as lubricants. A plug pressed against a wet canal wall never grips properly, so it works loose the moment your head turns. U.S. Masters Swimming puts clean, dry ears first in its insertion guidance — before any pulling or twisting.

Dry the outside of the ear with a towel corner. Tilt your head and let gravity drain the canal for a few seconds. Skip cotton swabs; they push wax inward and can scratch the canal lining. If your ears feel waxy, a few drops of an over-the-counter earwax softener the night before makes insertion noticeably easier.

How Do You Insert Earplugs So They Actually Seal?

Pull the outer ear up and outward to straighten the canal, then twist the plug in gently until it seats — the twist is what creates the seal.

The adult ear canal curves forward. Pulling the outer ear (the earlobe and the rim above it) up and back opens that bend into a straighter tube, so the plug travels in without scraping or jamming.

Then insert with a slight twisting motion, per U.S. Masters Swimming, until you feel a snug, comfortable seal. The twist works the plug past the canal’s natural contours rather than forcing it straight in.

Technique changes with plug type. Moldable silicone gets pressed over the canal opening to form a cap-like seal, while flanged or ergonomic styles — including plugs shaped for left and right ears — go in with the twist and a final press. Johnson’s Hearing notes that silicone swim plugs are generally designed to seal the ear opening rather than sit deep in the canal, so don’t expect or aim for a deep fit.

Never force a plug deep into the canal. Pressure that builds past “snug” is your signal to back out and refit.

Some plugs are color-coded or molded for a specific side. Check before inserting — a left plug in a right ear often seals poorly no matter how carefully you twist. If you’re still sorting out which style suits your ears and stroke, the roundup of tested earplugs for swimming breaks down the fit differences between silicone, flanged, and moldable options.

Test The Seal, Then Fix It Before You Get In

A plug that passes a light tug test will hold in the water; one that shifts needs refitting before you swim.

Once the plug is seated, lightly tug or press it to confirm it stays in place, as U.S. Masters Swimming advises. You should feel mild resistance and no movement. Cup your hand over the ear — a proper seal muffles outside sound noticeably. That muffled quality is your cue that the fit is right.

If the plug shifts or loses its seal mid-swim, take it out, dry the ear again, and reinsert. A plug that keeps breaking its seal usually means the wrong size.

Pain is a stop sign, not something to push through. Discomfort or a sharp feeling means the plug is too deep or the wrong shape. Refit it; if the pain continues, switch styles. U.S. Masters Swimming advises seeing a doctor to check for eardrum damage if pain persists after removal.

This guidance covers swim plugs worn in the canal or at the ear opening. Foam sleep plugs follow different rules — they’re rolled thin and expanded inside the canal, and they aren’t built to resist water pressure.

Adults and recreational swimmers can follow the same steps. Kids’ ears are smaller and more curved, so a smaller plug and a gentler pull usually work better than the adult method.