For us, that’s a premium we’re not quite prepared to pay, especially as we wrote last year there are a host of alternatives out there that are not only more effective but comfier to boot. Today though we’re shedding light on some more unsung heroes of sound protection, including some only recently released products, that we believe also outperform the rotund plugs from Belgium despite only costing a fraction of the price.
1. Flare Calmer Nude
Launched just this year, the Flare Calmer Nude is the newest set of colourways of the wildly successful Flare Calmer. Sharing the same extra comfortable body as the Flare Calmer Soft, the Calmer Nude comes in a nude colour for every skin tone. This makes it ideal for anyone who’d rather their sound device not stand out.
But what is the Flare Calmer, I hear you say? The Calmer is a revolutionary new take on sound. Rather than reduce the volume of sound, the Calmer features a small waveguide designed to direct sound more precisely into your ears. By bypassing the natural curves of your inner ear, it minimizes chaotic sound reflections that can otherwise resonate in the ear canal.
This unwanted resonance often triggers stress or overwhelm in response to noise, leaving you feeling unsettled. This makes the Calmer ideal for those who experience noise sensitivity, including sufferers of misophonia and other similar conditions.
Learn more about the Flare Calmer Nude here.
2. Earjobs Musicmate Pro
Loop Earplugs have become a common sight on dancefloors across the world and while on one level we are pleased to see any sort of hearing protection in use at live music venues, we can’t help but feel these folks are missing out on the music experience they deserve. The reason? Barring the Loop Engage (we’ll get to this later), all Loop Earplugs feature a wad of plastic that sound must pass through to get to the ear canal. The effect of this? Sound quality is lost, with an experience not that dissimilar to using a dense ear plug such as foam. The Loop Engage does feature a hole for sound to pass through, but it is so long and narrow it may as well not exist.
While only costing a fraction of the price of the Engage, the Musicmate Pro boasts great sound clarity thanks to its large acoustic mesh filter that sits flush with the ear canal, providing a direct entry point to your inner ear. Music sounds pristine while wearing the Musicmate Pro, in some instances even clearer than without ear plugs as distortion is removed by the filter. And thanks to their ergonomic design that matches the slightly curved shape of the ear canal, they’re comfortable for all-night wear. Better yet, the Musicmate Pro now comes with a bonus lanyard, so you’ll never lose a pair of ear plugs while boogying again.
Learn more about the Earjobs Musicmate Pro here.
3. Alpine SleepDeep Multi-Size
Earlier this year Loop dropped the Dream, a $70 (!) ear plug designed primarily for sleeping. While we’ll give Loop some props for the seductive look of the Dream, we can’t help but bauk at that price tag. Especially when there is a hugely popular, functionally identical ear plug available for nearly half the price that no doubt heavily influenced the design of the Dream.
Alpine SleepDeep came out a few years ago to rave reviews. It features the innovative ‘foam wrapped in soft silicone’ approach that the Dream seeks to emulate. Reading through reviews, one common complaint about the Dream is that the soft silicone part of its tips separates too easily from the inner foam. For whatever reason, this does not happen with the Alpine SleepDeep. We also think when it comes to sleeping, the extra circle material on the ear plug (the part that gives Loop its signature look) adds a little unnecessary bulk, though we’ll admit this might not bother those with less sensitive ears.
The Alpine SleepDeep Multi-size, which came out last year, addresses the most common complaint with the SleepDeep, that users couldn’t get the right fit if they had smaller ears, by including two different sized ear plugs - Small and Medium/Large ear plugs. Great value for money, especially when you consider the whole package is almost half the price of the Dream.
Learn more about the Alpine SleepDeep Multi-Size here.
4. Vibes Earplugs
One demographic that have been particularly drawn to Loop earplugs are the neurodiverse community, particularly Autistic folk. It makes sense. The ear plugs are attractive and make what can sometimes be perceived as an inward condition something they can wear loudly and proudly. But for a group of people already facing many barriers in society, the cost of Loop ear plugs these days can be extra prohibitive.
Long before Loop ever existed, Vibes Ear Plugs, based out of the US, made a name for themselves as an effective tool for combating the noise sensitivity issues many neurodiverse folks struggle with. When something like the Flare Calmer won’t do, and actual sound reduction is essential (for example, in very loud environments), Vibes are a cost-effective solution we think will impress. What makes them so popular with Autistic and other neurodiverse people? They’re one of the softest ear plugs around, making them comfortable even for those with sensitive ears.
Learn more about Vibes Earplugs here.
1. Earlove Earplugs
Last but not least on our list of Loop lesser known alternatives are the recently launched Earlove Earplugs. As we’ve mentioned a couple of times already, Loop earplugs have a certain aesthetic charm. They pretty much invented the ‘ear plugs as accessory’ concept after all. But after a few full years now of exposure on dance floors and social media we can’t help but feel the circle design is a little… played out.
Earlove flips the script on what an ‘ear plug as accessory’ can be. If being on trend is important to you, you’re guaranteed to impress with these cute little heart shaped plugs that come in four different colours. Ideal for outfit matching and impressing people when out and about or cutting shapes in the dance floor, they’re made from famously soft silicone, with four different tip sizes to guarantee a good fit. Continuing with the theme of this article, they’re also a lot lighter on the wallet than comparable earplug out there.
Learn more about the Earlove here.