Good earplugs

Thread from 2013:

Any advice or experience for good earplugs for motorcycling? Obviously must fit comfortably under a helmet. Any experience with reusable plugs vs simple foam jobbers?

In reply to Beer Baron:

I see an average of 100 bands a year and swear by these disposable Howard Leights. Can't find any stores that carry them anymore but Amazon has them. I will say avoid CVS label ear plugs, extremely uncomfortable.

http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-R01669-Leight-Earplugs-Cordless/dp/B005TM2066/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1363632761&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Howard+Leight+R-01669+Super+Leight

I use a set of Big Ear earplugs/ headphones and they are fantastic. I'm not sure if Big Ear is around anymore, as I bought them about 8 years ago, but there are similar companies. There was one at Sebring this weekend.

These are the type they make a mold of your inner ear, and the plugs sit flush on your ear. (perfect for motorcycle riding) My headphones (same as the plugs with speakers imbedded) were damn expensive ($230 IIRC) but they've been a Godsend over the years. They are great on the bike, and especially on airplanes. Also, all day comfortable.

I got the custom ones made for my hideously loud race car - the kind where you pour the material in your ear. It has a hole for the pit-to-car radio bud too so would be great for motorcycle 2 up riding as well.

The cost was something like $30 or $40 from Driving Impressions at NJMP.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I got the custom ones made for my hideously loud race car - the kind where you pour the material in your ear.

I wear these too. It's worth it.

Only problem is if your weight changes a lot + - 10 lbs, they won't fit as well.

I've used the silicone form-fitted ear plugs in the Lethal Locost for long trips. I'd recommend the vented ones. The solid/sealed ones make your brain explode/implode over the mountain passes.

I use Surefire EP5 for shooting and general around the airplanes goodness. They're pretty comfortable and have the pass though for earpieces. The only issue I have with them is that if you're not using an earpiece the hinge for the plug can rub.

At 15 bucks and the fact that you just wipe them down with some alcohol it was pretty well worth it, I've had a pair for close to 8 years now and work just as well as when I got them

http://www.surefire.com/ep5-sonic-defenders-max.html

I use Mack's foam plugs for the Yugo and shooting my M91/30, the mosin is loud enough you can feel the pressure wave in your sinuses.

On a related note, any favorite ear plugs for live music? I favor some no-name green ones I got from Acura at a race, but at some point I know I'm going to lose them. (Somehow I would up with several pair.)

What?

Huh?

What?

Appleseed wrote: What? Huh? What?

I am pretty sure that joke doesn't work on the interweb like it does in person

I have been using surefires lately for not so loud stuff. They don't do as good of a job as the orange 3M foams (32Db). I think the decibel difference is like 10Db. For things louder I wear earmuff types with foam plugs.

I use Hearos, they work well enough for me.

http://www.earplugsonline.com/.

You know they're good because they own that URL!

David S. Wallens wrote: On a related note, any favorite ear plugs for live music? I favor some no-name green ones I got from Acura at a race, but at some point I know I'm going to lose them. (Somehow I would up with several pair.)

I use some that look like this - http://www.amazon.com/Hearos-Earplugs-Fidelity-Series-1-Pair/dp/B000V9PKZA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1363691875&sr=8-5&keywords=earplugs+for+musicians

Beer Baron wrote: Any advice or experience for good earplugs for mitorcycling?

Yea, look at the db reduction ratings and compare a few. You certainly want to knock off the deafening wind noise and such, but I wouldn't recommend dampening sounds to the point that you can't hear an engine rev up as some dingaling decides to start pulling out.

It's a balance, and there is no one earplug that is the perfect balance. You'll really need to try several.

I bought a jar of like 100 foam plugs at Walgreens a few years ago. They were super cheap on a per plug basis. They work as well as any other foam plug, which is quite well. I put 2 in a small plastic bag and put that in my wallet. Smashed flat, they don't take up any room to speak of and that way I always have some when I need them unexpectedly, like on an airplane or the rare occasions I go to some place with music cranked up to damaging levels, etc.

DILYSI Dave wrote:

David S. Wallens wrote: On a related note, any favorite ear plugs for live music? I favor some no-name green ones I got from Acura at a race, but at some point I know I'm going to lose them. (Somehow I would up with several pair.)

I use some that look like this - http://www.amazon.com/Hearos-Earplugs-Fidelity-Series-1-Pair/dp/B000V9PKZA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1363691875&sr=8-5&keywords=earplugs+for+musicians

Thanks!

Dr. Hess wrote: I bought a jar of like 100 foam plugs at Walgreens a few years ago. They were super cheap on a per plug basis. They work as well as any other foam plug, which is quite well. I put 2 in a small plastic bag and put that in my wallet. Smashed flat, they don't take up any room to speak of and that way I always have some when I need them unexpectedly, like on an airplane or the rare occasions I go to some place with music cranked up to damaging levels, etc.

Ooh.. plastic bag in wallet. I like that idea. Where do you pick up those tiny plastic baggies? Drug stores? Hardware stores? Craft stores?

Disposables also kind of appeals to me with the tendency I'm sure I will have to lose or forget something small like a pair of earplugs. Disposables, I can stash a handful in small baggies places they'll be handy when I need them (glove compartment, motorcycle bag, wallet, by the front door).

Whatever you do, don't use the wax ones. They trap moisture, creating middle ear infections that are realllly nasty. Unfortunately, I know this for a fact.

I wear ear protection when I'm shooting, but for little else, well, when I owned a chipper, that was loud and ear protection was a necessity. But riding a motorcycle? Really? Maybe your bike is louder than mine.

I've used the disposable Howard Leights and they work well. They can also be reused multiple times if you store them in a ziplock baggie or similar. I also have custom molded Big Ear stuff. I have their custom headphones and also a pair of earplugs. I really like the Big Ear stuff, but it is $$. My headphones were about $300, but the dealer did the earplugs for free. He was a member on another forum I participated on at the time and we met at a diner where he made molds for the headphones and then made the plain earplugs after we had breakfast. My SO also got both types made, so it was an expensive breakfast...

1988RedT2 wrote: I wear ear protection when I'm shooting, but for little else, well, when I owned a chipper, that was loud and ear protection was a necessity. But riding a motorcycle? Really? Maybe your bike is louder than mine.

The motorcycle isn't the loud thing. It's the wind noise, particularly with my current helmet. It is the Snell M rated helmet I got a while back for auto-x. I got the least expensive Snell rated bucket I could find because I didn't need to wear it for more than 30 minutes at a time and wasn't being subjected to serious wind. Although it will provide as good of crash protection as anything, it lacks features and is really noisy.

I'm planning to replace it in a couple weeks when I have the opportunity to drive into a big city and try a variety of helmets on.

Beer Baron wrote: Ooh.. plastic bag in wallet. I like that idea. Where do you pick up those tiny plastic baggies? Drug stores? Hardware stores? Craft stores? Disposables also kind of appeals to me with the tendency I'm sure I will have to lose or forget something small like a pair of earplugs. Disposables, I can stash a handful in small baggies places they'll be handy when I need them (glove compartment, motorcycle bag, wallet, by the front door).

Little plastic bags come with crap you buy. Just keep a small one, stuff a couple of ear plugs in it and fold the top over. Or, you can take a regular baggie, put the plugs in it and cut it down to whatever size you want. It doesn't have to be water tight, you just want to keep some funk off them from your wallet, or keep funk off your wallet from them, whatever. Or put them in a cut down baggie, fold the top over, put some package tape on it, done.

You can even buy them by the case quantity, each pair in their own little bag, if that's what you want. Cost a little more than 8 cents each that way, but still not very expensive.

In my experience, the cheap foam ones work as well as the expensive foam ones, and about as well as ear muffs. For the ultimate in hearing protection, I use foam ear plugs and ear muffs over that. I have a hand gun that I need to do that with. I still have ringing in my ears after shooting that thing. I think it's from bone conduction, and you can't stop that. My wife calls it "The cannon."

I use earplugs whenever I ride and tend to use either these:

http://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-Lite-Plugs-Uncorded/dp/B0036231TG/ref=sr_1_4?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1363804230&sr=1-4&keywords=howard+leight+ear+plugs

or these:

http://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-Laser-Earplugs-Cords/dp/B00362CNMM/ref=pd_bxgy_hpc_img_z

I tend to buy either of the above in large 200+ pair boxes which really keeps the cost down.

You really have to find a type that fits well and that very much depends on the shape of your ear.

I've worked in loud factories for the last 30 years, and work night shifts, so it's not out of the ordinary for me to wear ear plugs 20 hours out of a day. Those Leight ones do not work for me. They cut the sound down a little bit, but not enough. The only ones I've had consistent success with (for both noise reduction and comfort) are the E.A.R classic plugs.

For sleeping, I cut them in half, then they don't hit on the pillow, and try to go too far into your ear. That can hurt.