Custom Protect Ear

What Custom Protect Ear does

Custom Protect Ear is a North American manufacturer of personalized hearing protectors, founded in 1974 and operating from Surrey, British Columbia with a US regional office in Tampa, Florida. The company designs, produces, and fits custom-molded earplugs built from individual ear impressions taken at customer sites, using medical-grade silicone and optional noise-level-matched attenuation filters. Its product portfolio spans three core lines — dB Blockers for industrial hearing protection, dB Com for communication-enabled protection, and dB Life for personal and sleep use cases — plus a complementary Shokz OpenComm2 Bluetooth headset for noisy workplaces. The brand portfolio is trademark-protected and manufactured in-house.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market model. The primary motion is enterprise field sales in which certified hearing professionals travel to factories, plants, and job sites across the US and Canada to take 5-minute ear impressions, with 24/7 availability and delivery of custom products within roughly 4 weeks; sales are supported by toll-free phone and email, with free trials as a key conversion tool. A secondary direct-to-consumer motion serves individual buyers through the website for the dB Life line. Pricing is unit-based at $168.50 per person for dB Blockers with a 5-year useful life, a model the company positions as paying back in 6–9 months versus disposable foam earplugs and saving approximately $900 per wearer per year.

The company reports a customer base of over 4,500 enterprises across manufacturing, oil and gas, food processing, rail, data centers, public security, and music/entertainment verticals, with named logos including Nestle Canada. It employs 51–100 people, is privately held (incorporated as Custom Protect Ear, Inc. in the US with a separate ProtectEar USA, LLC), and has no disclosed institutional funding, M&A, or leadership changes in the data set. Recent operational investments include AI-automated 3D modeling for ear impressions and a multi-language website redesign.

Name

Custom Protect Ear

Legal name

Custom Protect Ear, Inc.

Website

https://protectear.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Custom Protect Ear is a 50+ year-old North American manufacturer of custom-molded hearing protectors (dB Blockers, dB Com, dB Life) made from individual ear impressions, serving over 4,500 industrial and consumer customers across the US and Canada via on-site field sales, in-house manufacturing, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hearing Protection Devices

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAMANAL

Safety Accessories & Wearables Retail (Neck Braces, Hydration, Earplugs)

Consumer Products & Retail/Sporting Goods & Outdoor Retail/Motorsports & Powersports Gear Retail

Keywords

• Custom hearing protection
• Personalized earplugs
• Industrial hearing conservation
• Personal protective equipment
• Custom molded earpieces

Headquarters

HQ city

Surrey

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Hearing Protection Devices (dB Blockers): One-time purchase of custom molded earmold hearing protection. Each device has an average product life expectancy of 5 years. The initial purchase includes the ear impression service, manufacturing, and delivery. Reorders are available without needing new impressions for damaged or outgrown earmolds.
2. Professional On-Site Fitting Services: Certified hearing professionals visit customer workplaces to take ear impressions and fit employees. This service is bundled with enterprise orders and is a key component of the sales motion.
3. Replacement and Reorder Products: Customers can reorder replacement earmolds without needing new impressions. Replacement cords, accessories, and individual components are available for purchase.
4. Complementary Audio Products: The company also offers the Shokz OpenComm2 Bluetooth-connected headset as a complementary product for communication in noisy environments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Custom Protect Ear manufactures and sells custom-molded hearing protection devices under its dB Blocker family of brands, including dB Blockers for industrial/occupational use, dB Life for consumer use, and dB Com communication earpieces. The company also distributes complementary communication headsets such as the SHOKZ OpenComm2 bone-conduction headset for workplace communication in noisy environments.

Product overview

Custom Protect Ear offers a portfolio of custom-fitted hearing protection products centered around the dB Blocker brand. The core product line includes three main offerings: dB Blockers (industrial hearing protection with optional filters for noise-matched attenuation), dB Com (communication-enabled hearing protection with radio connectivity), and dB Life (personal/lifestyle hearing protection including sleepers). All products are custom-molded to individual ear impressions using medical-grade materials and feature reusable designs with 5-year lifespans. The company also offers complementary products like the SHOKZ OpenComm2 Bluetooth headset. Manufacturing is done in-house at their facilities, enabling delivery within 4 weeks of impression taking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• dB Blockers: Custom industrial hearing protection designed for noisy work environments; reusable, offering noise-level matched attenuation with optional filters for communication.
• dB Com
• dB Life

Products and services

• dB Blockers Custom-molded hearing protectors designed for workers in noisy industrial environments; produced from individualized ear impressions to deliver certified Noise Reduction Ratings for occupational hearing-conservation programs.
• dB Life Custom-molded hearing protectors sold to individual consumers for personal use such as sleep, motorsports, concerts, hunting, and sensory noise reduction; provides a reusable personalized alternative to disposable foam earplugs.
• dB Com Custom-molded communication earpieces that combine hearing protection with audio/communication functionality for users who need both hearing safety and clear communication.
• SHOKZ OpenComm2 Bone-conduction stereo Bluetooth headset designed for office and industrial communication, allowing situational awareness while keeping the ears open; distributed alongside Custom Protect Ear's hearing protection line for workplace communication users.

Quantifiable outcome

• dB Blockers pay for themselves in approximately 6 months compared to disposable earplugs, with a 5-year product life expectancy leaving approximately 4.5 years of essentially cost-free protection
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Moldex: Moldex is a privately held manufacturer of hearing protection and respiratory PPE, known for disposable and reusable earplugs. Competes directly with Custom Protect Ear in industrial and occupational hearing protection markets, particularly in manufacturing.
• Elacin: Elacin International produces custom-molded hearing protection for musicians, industry, and motor sports. A European-headquartered direct competitor with similar custom-fit, attenuation-tuned product philosophy.
• Sensaphonics: Sensaphonics specializes in custom-molded in-ear products for musicians, audio engineers, and industrial hearing protection. Highly comparable niche custom-fit positioning to dB Blockers and dB Life, focused on sound quality and comfort.
• Decibullz: Decibullz offers thermo-fit custom-molded earplugs that consumers can shape at home without professional impressions. A direct competitor in the custom hearing protection space, especially targeting consumer and shooter markets.
• Etymotic Research: Etymotic Research produces high-fidelity earplugs and custom-fit hearing protection, particularly for musicians, industrial users, and consumers. Closely comparable to Custom Protect Ear on custom-molded earplugs with sound-quality preservation.
• Westone Audio: Westone manufactures custom-molded earpieces for hearing protection, musicians, and communication applications. Direct peer to Custom Protect Ear in custom-fit earmold technology serving industrial and lifestyle use cases.

Broad incumbents

• Howard Leight (Honeywell): Howard Leight, owned by Honeywell, is one of the largest hearing protection brands globally, offering both disposable and reusable earplugs alongside broader PPE. Directly comparable to Custom Protect Ear in the industrial hearing protection category but with vastly larger distribution and budget.
• 3M PELTOR: 3M's PELTOR brand is a major manufacturer of hearing protection and communication devices for industrial and occupational use. Competes directly with dB Blockers and dB Com in noisy work environments, backed by 3M's global PPE distribution network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/protectear
• Facebookfacebook.com/hearingprotection

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Custom Protect Ear