Snugs Only review: Custom fit earphones (as seen on Dragons’ Den) made affordable thanks to 3D-scanning

As seen on BBC’s Dragons’ Den – Until relatively recently, only Rockstars, F1 drivers and audiophiles with plenty of money to burn could afford custom-fit wired headphones. Not anymore. Snugs, a new UK company, that’s capitalising on advancements in 3D-scanning technology is bringing custom-fit eartips to bring anyone willing to drop £179 on them.

There are three main benefits to Snugs earphones:

1. They really stay in your ear. Walking? Jogging? Wrestling?! It doesn’t matter. Snugs aren’t going anywhere.
2. Noise isolation. The moment you slide these in, you’ll feel like the world around you has been put on mute.
3. Sound quality. The detail of music gets a huge boost.

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Snugs earphones review: How it works

The process takes about two weeks in total. First, you need to make your purchase from the Snugs website. Next, book an appointment at your local audiologist to get your ear 3D-scanned. Finally, wait. The moulds are made in the USA, so it takes a couple of weeks for them to be created and then shipped to your door.

In order to get your moulds, you need to go to your local Snugs-supported audiologist to have your ears scanned. The whole process takes less than five minutes. The 3D scanning itself is totally painless and take about 90 seconds per ear, with some faffing in between. The experience is similar to a doctor shining their light in your ear… just for a really long time. Be sure to thoroughly clean your ears before you go to save embarrassment.

Snugs earphones review: How do they feel?

In a word: snug. Hence the name, I suppose. So snug they come with a tiny bottle of lube to help you slide them into your ear. This is a fiddly process at first, and at my first attempt, it took a solid minute to get them in. But fear not: this is a process that gets easier with time and you soon won’t need the lube.

When my Snugs arrived, I wore them for two hours straight and eventually took them out because they became uncomfortable and sore. This is totally normal for a first-time wearer. I’ve now been wearing the Snugs for about three weeks and discomfort is no longer an issue.

Snugs earphones review: Sound quality

Snugs are technically just the mould that goes into your ear, so the sound quality will depend on the earphones you have driving them. I opted for the Snugs Only product and fitted them to the SoundMAGIC E10S earphones and can honestly say I’ve never heard sound as intimate as this before.

The level of detail that the E10S fitted with Snugs Earphones achieves is very special. Subtle tones that get lost in regular earphones cut through with refreshing clarity here. The best way I can think to describe this is by likening it to hearing a voice come clearly through the Whispering Gallery on a busy day at St Paul’s Cathedral. That.

Apologies if you’ve not been to St Paul’s (you really should go).

Snugs earphones review: Noise isolation

I’ve regularly worn these on my commute to the office where I face 30+ minutes of London Underground noise torture. Usually, the screeching wheels and rattling carriages of a Northern line train drown out 75% of the podcast or Spotify track I’m listening to. Not anymore. The custom moulds block background interference really well, and the physical nature of the Snugs mean the funnel is so deep in your ear that audio leakage is pretty much non-existent.

Snugs earphones review: Conclusion

The tight fit of Snugs suffocates the outside world, leaving just you and your audio. It’s important to remember that Snugs Earphones don’t give you good audio – the headphones you attach to the moulds do that. Snugs Earphones, thanks to the 3D-scanning of your ear, create a tight seal between your eardrums and the outside world. And the result is incredible, intimate and secure.