I use Leight (laser lite, uncorded):
These are definitely much cheaper, and I suspect feel softer, while offering the same alleged protection.
Using a pair of earplugs every night is a huge quality of life difference.
I'd be happy to give you a pair of Hearos next time I see you! I also have a few pairs of SilentEar reusable earplugs that I use for airplances or other times that I want to be able to easily insert/remove earplugs.
I have often benefited from recommendations for Things I Didn't Know I Wanted.
Given that Less Wrong is a community of unusually intelligent, critical, and self-improvement-focused people, I suspect we can generate a pretty helpful thread of product recommendations — perhaps even a monthly thread of product recommendations.
Rules: