Took me a couple of goes to get the angle right, hence four stars. Once I had it, the full feeling in my left ear eased off and there was proper wax stuck to the end to show for it.

Drops at night, a cotton bud in the morning, and my left ear still felt muffled half the time. The buds came out with a smear at most. This picked up a little brown lump on the second go, and that side felt clearer by the afternoon.

Microsuction is about ninety bucks where I live, they want you on drops for a week beforehand, and the next spot was three weeks away anyway. With my right ear muffled and driving me mad, I grabbed these for the wait. Kept the booking, but the wait was a lot easier.

Six years in hearing aids, and I used to run a cotton bud round each ear before the domes went in. The buds left fluff behind and my ears itched by lunch. A quick once-over with these instead and the domes sit much more comfortably.

Forty-odd years using cotton buds and I'd never seen anything worth showing anyone. First go with this, I held the tip up for my wife and she made a noise I've never heard her make. Would gross her out again, ten out of ten.

Did the whole routine the chemist suggested: drops twice a day, ten minutes on my side with a towel under my head. A week later my ear felt sloshy, blocked and itchy on top of it. These are dry and done in a minute, which suits me far better.

Does what it says. I wear hearing aids in both ears and get through a fair few, so I'd love a pack bigger than the four boxes. Fifth star when they do one.

By knock-off time my ears are unbearably itchy, and oil drops only made a greasy mess. Getting the wax out takes the edge off, and I've stopped going at them with my car key.

Cotton buds were part of my morning routine, yet my right ear always sounded slightly dull on the phone. One slow twist with this brought out a brown smear the buds had clearly been missing. A bit embarrassing, honestly.

Used to go through a packet of cotton buds a month and my ears still felt blocked and itchy half the time. Haven't bought a packet since these turned up.

bit obsessed with checking the tip afterwards, not gonna lie

My GP stopped doing ear syringing, the audiology place charges a small fortune, and the oil drops they hand you don't do much. I still go when it's properly blocked, but for that half-blocked feeling in between, these do the job.

Lid on the case is a bit fiddly with wet hands, hence four stars. Otherwise a big step up from the drops I was using, which always left my ears itchy.

Gym earbuds plus a sweaty hour equals itchy, waxy ears. I used to fix that by poking a cotton bud around in the change room, and my earbuds still came out grubby. A go with one of these after the gym and they stay clean now.

The softening drops from the chemist made my ear feel more blocked, not less, and the nurse wanted another week of them before she'd syringe. Gave these a go in the meantime and at last saw some actual wax come out.

I used cotton buds after every shower for most of my adult life and could never work out why my left ear still felt stuffy and itchy by the afternoon. I was sceptical a sticky stick would be any different, but on the second go a little brown clump came away on the tip, which is more than a bud ever showed me. The buds have moved to the makeup drawer and my ears feel fresher for it.

Bought these for Dad. He's had hearing aids for years and hates the drive to the clinic every time his ears block up. Now he does both ears on a Sunday arvo and reckons it's the best present I've ever given him.

Tradie here. Between the plaster dust and sweat on site, my ears feel packed and itchy by Friday. Five minutes on Friday night and they feel like mine again.

First stick didn't pick up much, the second one got it. My ear had been blocked and annoying for days, so I'd put a couple of oil drops in the night before, which seemed to help. Took a star off for the learning curve.

Call centre headset all day, and I kept a box of cotton buds in my desk drawer for the itchy, waxy feeling by mid-arvo. Swapped them for the two-box pack, free shipping, one case at work and one at home. The tip shows me what the buds never did.

My ears make wax like it's a full-time job and the left one blocks up every few months. Drops never touch it and the clinic gets expensive. Finally something I can use at home to stay on top of it.

Nothing's bulk billed near me, so every time my ears blocked up and got uncomfortable it was eighty-odd dollars out of pocket. Haven't needed to book in since I got these, though it's only been a couple of months.

My ears get dry and flaky and itch constantly, and cotton buds only scratched at it and left little cotton threads behind. The flakes and wax come away on the tip instead, and I'm not fiddling with my ears all day.

I am seventy-four and have had my ears syringed at the surgery twice a year for more years than I care to count, always after a week of olive oil and usually once I can no longer hear the television properly. My daughter ordered these for me. The handle is easy to hold and I can see straight away whether I have got anything.

Smaller than I pictured from the photos, which threw me a bit. Does the job though. The stuffy feeling in my left ear is gone.

Every winter I'd end up digging at an itchy, half-blocked ear with cotton buds, which only made it angrier. This year it's been these instead. Gentle, quick, and the tip shows me what came out rather than leaving me guessing.

I watch those ear-cleaning videos far too late at night, so swapping cotton buds for something where I can actually see the result was always going to happen. Very satisfying, slightly gross.

I make more wax than anyone I know, and I was booking microsuction every three months because my right ear would block right up. Using these every week or so, I made it to five months this time. Could be luck. Not complaining.

Two days of asking everyone at work to repeat themselves. One go with this and the muffled feeling eased, no GP waiting room required. That alone was worth it.

We both had a cotton bud habit and itchy, waxy ears to show for it. Got the two-box pack so my partner would stop pinching mine. The buds are back in the cupboard for nail polish.

Works. Would buy a bigger box if they made one.

Every single time, the GP wants a full week of drops before they'll syringe, and that week is miserable. Muffled, sloshy, itchy, the lot. This time I had these on hand while I did the drops, which at least made the week feel like I was getting somewhere.

Disgusting and fascinating in equal measure. Ordered a second box.

I sleep with foam earplugs because my wife snores like a leaf blower. My ears used to feel clogged and itchy every morning. Doing them every few days and that's stopped.

I'd sit on the left of everyone at dinner so my good ear faced them, and kept attacking the other one with cotton buds. One go with this and there was a waxy smudge on the tip, which explained a lot.

I was buying cotton buds every other week and still ending up at the ear clinic once a year with a blocked ear. An extra twenty dollars got us a second box, and with free shipping the two-box pack was a no-brainer.

Right ear cleared first go, the left took three or four goes over a couple of days. Got there in the end. Four stars because it needed patience.

Microsuction is so loud it puts me on edge for the whole appointment. When my ears start feeling blocked now, I try these first. Quiet, takes a minute, and I'm in charge of it.

Brisbane summers make my ears itchy and gunky, and I'm not putting oil in them in that heat. Two minutes after the shower and I'm not fidgeting with them all day at work.

Olive oil spray just left my ear sloshy and even more muffled, and I wasn't paying for suction again. These are completely dry, which I much prefer.

My right side went a bit muffled over the weekend and the clinic couldn't see me until Thursday. Gave these a punt. That night I could hear the fridge humming from the lounge, and I kept the booking anyway.

My wax is the soft, sticky kind, and cotton buds just smeared it around until the ear felt blocked. It actually stays on this tip.

Would love a slimmer case to carry around, this one's a bit chunky for my handbag. The sticks themselves are great. My ears used to get so itchy I'd end up at the GP asking for something. Not lately.

Every time my left ear felt a bit full I'd reach for a cotton bud, and twice in two years that ended with me booking in to get it cleaned out properly. Switched to these. I can see what's coming out now, and there's been no repeat so far.

Mum had been saying 'pardon?' since Friday and the olive oil from the chemist wasn't doing a thing. By Sunday lunch she'd stopped. Bought her the two-box so she's got a spare.

New to hearing aids, and I'd been prepping my ears with cotton buds every morning, which my ears did not enjoy. Doing them with one of these before the aids go in has made the days between audiologist visits far more comfortable.

I play in a band and wear in-ear monitors three nights a week. My ears get waxy and the mix starts sounding dull. One before soundcheck and it's crisp again.

Got the four-box for the house. Three adults with waxy, itchy, blocked-up ears, and we'd been sharing one bottle of drops that never seemed to do much. Everyone has their own case now.

Brilliant for keeping on top of things between GP visits. My left ear still blocked right up once this year and needed the nurse, so four stars, but that's down from three or four times.

Tried every drop and spray the chemist sells for my muffled right ear before I'd fork out for microsuction. This is the first thing that's actually shown me what came out.

Bought these for my husband, who now hears me the first time. Mostly.

Wax runs in the family. Dad's had his ears syringed since the eighties and I'm heading the same way. Drops never shifted the blocked feeling in my left ear, so these are part of my Sunday routine now.

It wasn't painful, just an itchy, something's-in-there feeling that crept up over a couple of days and wrecked my concentration. Drops made it feel worse. Settled after one go with these.

I used to buy cotton buds by the hundred and still needed suction once a year. The suction's still on the calendar, but these have replaced the buds. The tip shows me what they were missing, and a box has 24 sticks I rinse and reuse.

Took a star off because the box it shipped in arrived a bit crushed. Case and sticks were fine. My left ear has been much less muffled since.

I ride a motorbike and wear earplugs under the helmet every day. My ears used to feel plugged and itchy long after the plugs came out. A couple of twists when I get home sorts it.

binned the cotton buds. same couch, but now i can actually see what comes out

We're out past Dubbo and the nearest place that does microsuction is a two-hour drive. These mean I'm not making that trip every time my ear feels a bit full.

Itchy ear sorted without a single cotton bud. Stick rinsed under the tap, dried on a tissue, then into its case. Easy.

Bought one box to see what the fuss was about. I'd been alternating olive oil and cotton buds and my right ear never quite felt clear. These pick up what the buds just pushed around, and twenty-four sticks goes a long way. Getting the two-box next so my husband can have his own.

There's a knack to how gently you turn it, which took me a couple of tries. Once I had it, it picked up the itchy, flaky bits easily. Four stars only for the fiddly start.

Thirty-odd years of waxy ears, drops and cotton buds, and only now have I seen what was actually in there. Wish I'd found these twenty years ago.

Cotton buds left my ears feeling scratchy and raw, and I'd still get a faint crackle when I chewed. These are gentler, there's no fluff left behind, and I can see exactly what I've picked up.

Two of us, two boxes, free shipping. No more cotton buds, and no more guessing what came out. Easy decision.

I wear hearing aids and used to clean my ears with cotton buds before putting them in. My ears still felt full by the afternoon and the wax kept clogging the filters. Since switching to these I change them a lot less often.

Was sure it'd be a gimmick and I'd end up paying for suction again. Then I looked at the tip. Not a gimmick. The muffled feeling I'd woken up with was gone by morning tea.

I use a fresh stick for each ear, so a box goes quicker than you'd think. Would love a bigger pack. Still beats a week of drops every time my right ear feels blocked.

The itch always hit right as I got into bed, and oil drops only made it worse. One before lights out and I actually drop off now.

I hate people poking around in my ears, professionals included, so for years it was cotton buds and hoping for the best. These let me do it myself, gently, and actually see the result.

Every time I used a cotton bud it felt like I was packing it further in, and my ear would end up sore and blocked. This lifts it out instead.

Labelled my case so my partner keeps his hands off it. He's got his own. He just won't use it, then complains his ear's blocked.

Retired, two hearing aids, and the audiologist visits for wax were adding up. My wife helps me with these on a Sunday and everything sounds clearer through the aids all week.

The clear lid scuffs up quickly in a toiletry bag. Minor thing. The itch I used to get after long flights is gone, and that's what I bought them for.

After every shower I'd go at my ears using a cotton bud, and the left one would feel half underwater for an hour afterwards. Swapped the bud for one of these and that soggy, plugged feeling after a shower hasn't been back.

My sister and I went halves on the two-box pack. We both get the same blocked left ear, so it must run in the family.

For years it's been the same routine. Ear blocks up, a week of drops, a GP visit, a nurse with a big syringe, then three months later it starts again. I still get it done properly when I need to, but these handle the build-up in between, and that full, stuffy feeling hasn't got out of hand since.

Wife reckons I'm less grumpy since she chucked out my cotton buds and handed me these. My ear doesn't feel stuffed up after a clean any more. She's probably right.

Gave up on oil drops because they ran down my neck. Now I give each ear a turn while my moisturiser sinks in, and the itchiness I used to fiddle with all day just isn't there.

Mine's the dry, crumbly kind of wax, and the right ear had gone a bit dull. Took a few goes to collect it all, but sounds are sharp again. Four stars for the patience it needed.

Years of olive oil and cotton buds. All it did was make my pillow smell like a salad and the buds come out greasy. First go with this, proper wax came away on the tip instead.

The fizzing drops made my ear itch like crazy. This doesn't. Simple.

ok this is disgusting but i'm obsessed

Between microsuction visits I'd fill the gap with cotton buds, and by the next appointment my ears felt worse than ever. These keep things comfortable between visits now, and the buds have gone to the back of the drawer.

Kept telling everyone on video calls 'sorry, you dropped out' when it was my ear, not the wifi. One of these later, the meetings got a lot less awkward.

Bought the four-box so the adults in our place would stop lining up at the GP for ear cleans. We went through them faster than I thought, so an eight-box would be handy. Otherwise spot on.

Years of the bud-then-jaw-wiggle routine whenever my ear felt plugged. These do a better job than any cotton bud I've owned, and seeing the gunk on the tip is weirdly satisfying.

I have taken an unreasonable number of photos of the tip. My group chat has asked me to stop.

The clinic isn't cheap and I was in there more often than I'd like, one ear or the other blocked and uncomfortable. These are simple to use and I could see straight away they were doing something.

I was a cotton-bud-after-every-shower person. Swapped to these and my ears feel far less irritated.

Two-box pack: one stays home, the other lives in my work-trip bag. Hotel air-con leaves my ears itchy and blocked-feeling, so it's handy to have.

Got these for Dad's birthday. He wears hearing aids and his ears are always waxy. He loves them, but the packaging is too plain to gift, so I wrapped the case in a hanky. Four stars.

Two bottles of drops and a box of cotton buds a month, and I still never knew if I'd got anything. First go with this, the tip came out with a proper bit of wax on it. Now I know.

I get a tickly, crawly feeling in my ear that sends me round the twist, and a cotton bud only ever made it worse. Picking the wax up with these instead has calmed it right down.

Swapped my cotton buds for these. Cheaper than the clinic, no appointment needed, and I can finally see what I'm getting out.

Itchy, waxy ears and a cotton bud habit to match, for years. The buds never seemed to get anywhere. Now it's one of these a couple of times a week and the itch has settled. Easily my best online buy this year.