The 6 Best Earwax Removal Kits

Editor's Notes

February 05, 2021:

To expand on our previous warnings, no one should should ever stick anything smaller than their pinky finger into their own ear, and the only time anyone should insert tools actually into the ear, is when you're at the doctor for treatment of compacted ear wax. To that end, we have removed all of the sets of scrapers, hooks, and various other tools, because not only are they not safe for home use, but the combination of good ear drops and an irrigator is far healthier in general for the skin inside the ear, and works every bit as well, although it might take a little longer, or even a couple applications. We also removed a pair of irrigators that consisted of giant spray bottles with hoses and long tips, because the tips are often too long to be perfectly safe, and because overdoing it with the water jets can actually dry out your ears, which can easily cause wax buildup to be a recurring problem. As a final side note, you should also avoid cleaning your ear with hydrogen peroxide, as it tends to have a similarly unhealthy drying effect.

With that in mind, the Earwax MD and Debrox Drops are the most effective options, because they use active chemicals to either dissolve or oxidize away solidified buildups. The Squip Kyrosol and especially the Naveh Pharma CleanEars are made with much gentler formulas, so they aren't quite as effective, but their glycerin and mineral oil, respectively, ensure that nothing will get overly dry or itchy.

October 04, 2019:

First we want to state in unequivocal terms, never stick things all the way into your ear canal. Even traditional cotton swabs can be dangerous to the ear canal by scratching it or damaging the sensitive ear drum. If you do have earwax issues, it's a good idea to get a recommendation from a doctor for the right type of tools to use in your situation. If you're looking for a product to use on others' ears, and if you have the appropriate training, we've included a kit with some metal tools that -- again, given proper care and caution -- can be helpful in skilled hands. But for the most part, you'll want to stick to cleaning your own ears with jets of water and gentle chemicals.

To that end, the Equadose Hear and the Bofuya are both relatively inexpensive and come with most of what you'll need for clean ears. If all you need is the loosening drops, check out the Debrox, and for just the plastic syringe, the Flents. The Squip set is a minimalist bundle that essentially contains just those two things. For what it's worth, some people prefer to use the common blue silicone bulbs like the one found in the Earwax MD. Those are effective, but remember they can be difficult to clean out, and the last thing you want is to try and clean your ears with something that's already dirty inside. If you have a recurring and hard-to-tackle problem with buildup, the Bionix OtoClear can help, though it does cost a lot. Actually, if you purchase different tips, it makes a decent water flosser that can help keep your gums clean.