If There's No Time to Put on Earplugs / Earmuffs, What's the Second Best Option to Protect Hearing?

When you don't have time to put on earmuffs or earplugs, what is the best scientifically proven method for protecting the ears?

Palms over ear, pushing tragus in or putting finger inside the ear canal?

Of course I found 2 controversial studies with opposing results.

Personally, I find the tragus technique to be the most effective as I can really put pressure on it to seal the ear canal tight.

 

Pushing the tragus in for me, by far.

 

How to protect hearing from loud noise using your hands

This recent (above) study concludes the finger in the ear is the best method, but this old (below) one says the tragus method. It is from the sixties though, and it also tests an earplug. I wonder what kind of earplugs were used back in the day.

Attenuation Provided by Fingers, Palms, Tragi, and V51R Ear Plugs

 

Fingers in the ears is the most effective, but least sanitary. I go with the tragus.

 

3M EARSoft earplugs were invented back in 1967. Before that it was wax only.

 

That explains why the earplugs performed poorly in the old test.

Still between the hand techniques there's inconsistency in efficiency.
Probably it depends how they are applied: how much force is used, proper angle, how tight is the "sealing".

I wish the human ear was capable of closing the ear canal with the tragus voluntarily. That would save us from the hurdles of ear plugs.

 

The old foam ones get a NRR of 29, and are not as good as the more modern foam ones.