EarMolds Direct Custom EarMold: Comfortable and Clear
by Nelson Dozier
San Antonio (TX) Police Department
The custom earmold, from EarMoldDirect, is a great product. They are custom in that they are made from an impression taken of the inside of the ear. After you place your order, they send you a kit so you can create the impression.
The instructions and video for making the ear mold are easy to follow. Each Earmold kit contains two parts, like a silicone putty. Both are removed from the container and melded by kneading together. A small foam cushion is placed in the ear, followed by the blended mixture. After approximately eight minutes, it has hardened enough to remove and place in the return envelope.
The return envelope is convenient and ensures a quick turnaround time. The customer support was superb, providing updates when the impression was received and when the custom earmold was mailed, along with a follow up call to ensure that the earmolds fit properly.
Other earmolds I have tried were uncomfortable, wouldn’t stay in the ear due to sweat, or didn’t allow me to hear ambient surrounding noises. The custom earmold addresses all these issues. It doesn’t fall out of my ear, it allows for ambient noises to be easily heard, and even in very loud situations, the radio traffic is clear.
According to the manufacturer, this is because the custom earmold aligns with the eardrum. This provides comfort, privacy, and the ability to adjust the radio volume. The earmold uses existing cord configurations.
From the manufacturer:
A variety of accessory cords (sold separately) are available for direct connectivity to the radio. Specific to bike safety is a Stealth 3-Wire Kit with ring-finger PTT (adjustable Velcro band) and omni directional mic. The Custom Earmold seamlessly connects to this. Utilizing the kit keeps both hands on the handlebars during radio communication.
Members that are current and in good standing with IPMBA receive a cord at no charge, with their Custom Earmold, that connects to their shoulder mic (3.5mm connector).
Purchasing is available online by credit card, PayPal, or agency purchase order for multiple units. An online instructional video is utilized for DIY impression purposes and a postage paid self-mailer is included for the lab to receive the impression for fabrication. The turnaround time is approximately 10–14 days once received.
Visit EarMoldsDirect.net or contact Charles at 704-237-0561 or charles@earmoldsdirect for more information.
Nelson is a downtown bike patrol officer with the San Antonio Bike Patrol Unit for the past seven years and enjoys biking in the desert southwest. He can be reached at nelson.dozier@sanantonio.gov.
Photos courtesy Nelson Dozier.
(c) 2021 IPMBA. This review appeared in Volume 30, No. 2, of IPMBA News.