Permanent results
Easy to use
Pain-free
surgery-free
about earBuddies®

EarBuddies splints take advantage of the natural process of cartilage-hardening to reshape the soft cartilage of baby's ears, resulting in a permanent, surgery-free correction.

This fixes baby ear problems long before they are aware of them, avoiding the emotional impact of bullying & teasing, and the costs & complications of surgery. And by treating early and avoiding surgery, EarBuddies provide better results, without risk, at lower cost.

With a thirty year history of success and safety, EarBuddies is the world’s best selling Early Ear Correction™ system, and has helped thousands of babies to grow up comfortable and confident with their ears.

Why use EarBuddies?

EarBuddies have been changing children’s lives, before they’re old enough to realise, for more than 30 years.

Endorsed by Medical Experts

Neonatal ear splintage is simple and effective, and supported by a wealth of academic research and clinical evidence.

Trusted by Healthcare Providers

Trusted by some of the most eminent children’s hospitals and medical institutions in the world, including Boston Children’s Hospital, the Mayo Clinic, the NHS.

Hundreds of Testimonials

Hundreds of stories and photos from parents worldwide showing the life-changing effect of EarBuddies.

Fit at Home

Available for parents to fit themselves at home, with detailed online advice and instructions.

Professional Network

Available through an increasing number of EarBuddies Professionals around the world.

The Benefits of EarBuddies:
Safe

EarBuddies are a safe solution, avoiding the risks of surgery & anaesthesia

EarBuddies are a safe solution, avoiding the risks and complications of surgery & anaesthesia.

While post-op pain can be managed, complication rates e.g. scarring can be as high as 10%.

Easy to Use

EarBuddies are simple to use & include a clear Fitting Guide

EarBuddies are simple to use & include a clear Fitting Guide. We think of it like fitting braces to a child’s teeth, only more affordable and quicker. Newborn babies can get great results in just 2 weeks.

No Down Time

No need for time off school or work later in life

No need for time off school or work later in life. If the opportunity for EarBuddies splints is missed, corrective ear surgery usually requires general anaesthesia and time off school or work.


Recovery from pinnaplasty surgery later in life involves:
After 5 to 10 days: bandage and stitches are removed
After 1 to 2 weeks: most children can return to school
After 4 to 6 weeks: swimming should be OK
Around 8 weeks: contact sports should be OK

Affordable

EarBuddies are affordable, in line with our philosophy

EarBuddies are affordable, in line with our Philosophy that every child around the world should grow up comfortable and confident with their ears.

Fit at Home

Choice of fitting at home or Professional Fitting

Choice of fitting at home or Professional Fitting. EarBuddies are designed to be fitted at home by parents, but for babies with difficult ear problems, or those who’d rather have professional support, there is a global network of EarBuddies Professionals who can help.

Permanent Results

EarBuddies provide permanent, life-long ear correction. When the soft cartilage of baby's ears is held in the right shape, it hardens in the right shape, and retains this shape permanently.

Natural & Pain-Free

EarBuddies reshape the soft cartilage of baby's ears, so it naturally hardens in the right shape

EarBuddies reshape the soft cartilage of baby's ears, so it naturally hardens in the right shape. This results in a permanent, surgery-free correction, before baby is old enough to realise, so they can grow up comfortable and confident with their ears.

Permanent Results

EarBuddies provide permanent, life-long ear correction

EarBuddies provide permanent, life-long ear correction. When the soft cartilage of baby's ears is held in the right shape, it hardens in the right shape, and retains this shape permanently.

Avoids Teasing & Bullying

EarBuddies corrects ear deformities before children can be teased

Children and adults are often teased, and while names like 'Dumbo, Big Ears, Yoda, Spock & Wing Nut' can be meant in jest, they can have a deeper psychological impact.

EarBuddies corrects the problem before the child is aware of it, and before teasing & bullying can take place. If EarBuddies are fitted early enough, the child is usually unaware that treatment is taking place at all.

Avoids Psychological Impact

Stick-Out Ears can make life miserable, and lead to "poor performance in school"

EarBuddies avoid the emotional impact of teasing & bullying. Stick-Out Ears can make life miserable and lead to "reduced quality of life, reduced self-esteem, social avoidance behaviour and poor performance in school."

Avoids Plastic Surgery

EarBuddies are far more affordable, and likely to achieve a better result

EarBuddies are far more affordable than surgery, and likely to achieve a better result.

Once, corrective ear surgery (Otoplasty / Pinnaplasty) was the only option, costing up to £5,000 for the average UK Pediatric case. Surgery is always far more expensive than splintage, and the result will always be inferior to the natural hardening of the cartilage with a splint in place. Some types of ear deformity, such as Stahl’s Bar, Folded-Over Helical Rim and Stick-Out Lobe, are very difficult (if not impossible) to fix surgically, even for an experienced surgeon.

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The alternative to splintage is surgery, which is best undertaken from the age of six years, when the cartilage is hard enough to prevent the stitches from "cheese-wiring" through it, and before the child is teased. Whilst prominent ears are relatively easy to fix for an experienced surgeon, the other conditions described here are considerably more difficult to correct. Surgery is not always successful, however, and complications can arise. Bleeding and infection are the most common, but post-operative deformity can ensue. Complication rates vary between surgeons and according to the technique used, but figures of up to 5% are by no means unusual. Complete loss of the ear and, very rarely, death are also documented.

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Let your child love their ears...

Premium Pack

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Basic Kit

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Approved by Experts

Backed by Research

“Many ear deformities can be corrected at birth by a splintage device”

“Early splinting of neonatal ear deformities has been proven to be successful”

"Many are told it will improve with age, .... when in fact the opposite is true."

“When correctly applied and well tolerated, they can reduce ear prominence.”

How It Works?

When your baby is born, the cartilage framework of the ears is extremely soft because of Mum’s hormones. Some squashing of the ears is natural at birth, but if the ears remain an odd shape after 48 hours, or if they start to stick out, this will quite quickly become permanent as the cartilage hardens.

EarBuddies splints re-mould the cartilage folds in a baby's ears to restore the natural curves and hold the ear close to the side of the head so that when the framework hardens in the controlled shape, there is a permanent, surgery-free correction.

Top 5 Baby Ear Myths
Click circle to show the truth

“Baby will grow into those ears”

"This is almost never the case. Often the opposite is true - it is common that ears slowly drift out between birth and 6 months."

“Just stick them back with tape”

"Taping an ear back without the splint in place is not effective, and can cause kinking, flattening or notching of the rim of the ear, which may not become noticeable until later in life."

"Don’t worry, the ears will get better on their own"

"If an ear sticks out or an obvious ear deformity remains 48 hours after birth, it should be splinted as soon as possible."

“Those ears will need surgery”

"Most ear deformities can be corrected by EarBuddies."

“EarBuddies won't work now - baby is too old”

"Early splintage is always easiest and quickest, but we have had many success stories from babies starting splintage up to 8 months old. Even 18 months may not be too late, but it will require much more persistence and a longer splintage period."

Fit in Just 20 Minutes

At least 5% of people have abnormally shaped or Stick-Out Ears. Stick-Out Ears are the most common ear deformity, and around 2% of babies develop Stick-Out Ears in the first 6 months of life. EarBuddies can be fitted by parents at home in under 20 minutes.

An independent study at the Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow in 2012 showed a 78% success rate in newborns when splints are fitted by parents, with 73% rating ease of use as 'easy' or 'incredibly easy'. With early splintage and dedication, fantastic results continue to be achieved by parents at home.

Professional Fitting

While the majority of EarBuddies are fitted by parents at home, when professionally fitted and the treatment supervised, success rates rise to up to 92%, even in older babies or those with difficult ear problems.

Professional fitting combines the surgery-free, permanent correction of EarBuddies with the clinical experience of trained fitters. Choose amongst our global network of EarBuddies Professionals.