Review of high noise reduction rating earplugs

[rustyshackles]

As a beginner rider I wore no hearing protection.  Education exposed my ignorance to the risk of hearing loss, and I learned how much more enjoyable (and less distracting) a ride was with earplugs.   I now wear them while using powered lawn and garden equipment.  

Later I learned the proper way to insert them.  Here’s a demonstration video https://youtu.be/xF1CjCugD_M.

The June 2019 issue of Ride magazine presents objective testing of the in-helmet noise environment.  Read this if you have any doubt about the risk of noise exposure while riding.

My reviews are based mostly on commuting and rides up to several hours.  I don’t foresee any issues with all-day use though.  Note: I suspect that my ear canals are on the small side. 

Link for purchasing the sampler pack https://www.earplugstore.com/foearpltrpa2.html.  The web site has comments on individual plugs and photos.   Single pairs can be ordered.

E-A-R Earsoft Superfit:  good sponginess and length, appropriate expansion rate.  Good foam consistency.  Looks like that gross Halloween candy corn.

E-A-R Earsoft FX:  I don’t like the shape of this one, with a bulbous base.  I had trouble rolling it without the wide part migrating to the portion of the plug that’s inserted into the ear, with resulting insertion difficulty.

E-A-R EarSoft Yellow Neons:  Shortish, with moderate sponginess and expansion rate.  It might be possible to insert these farther than one would like if plug is fully compressed end-to-end.   Comfortable.

E-A-R EarSoft Yellow Neons Large:  see regular yellow neons, larger.

E-A-R EarSoft Yellow Neons Blast:  average length, above average density and expansion rate.  Colorful design.

E-A-R Classic Plus:  this is the ubiquitous wide yellow one with squared off ends.  I wouldn’t wear these with no cost supply access.  Insertion was a pain, even rolling up took extra effort.

E-A-R Taper-Fit 2:  good length, a bit full for my liking, rebound is on the fast side 

E-A-R Taper-Fit 2 Large:  see above; larger

Elvex Blue: I would buy but these again.  Length is slightly shorter, with flared base.  Foam is slightly denser than others and a bit gummy.  Personal preference toward these characteristics dictates purchase decision.

Elvex Uni-Fit:  A bit long but decently tapered.  Firm but compression and expansion are satisfactory.  Slightly gummy but I like it.  Best of the longer length ones for me.

Got Ears? Snow White:  a bit shorter than some others.  Exhaust low notes seem more pronounced.  Easy to insert, soft and comfortable.  Possibly my favorite of all.

Got Ears? Natural:  slightly dense foam, expands quickly, blocks noise effectively.  Feels a bit full and  I wonder if would be uncomfortable during multi-hour use.

Got Ears? Back in Black:  Snow White’s dark sister.  Squeeze her and you’ll find she pushes back.  Will appeal to the rider who likes firm, dense foam and a slightly rougher ride.

Got Ears?  Red Hots!:  See Got Ears? Natural.  Red in color.

Howard Leight X-treme: less soft than the snow whites.  Short length which is okay for me.  Soft, easy to insert, quickly expand in ear canals.  Recommended.

Howard Leight Laser Lite:   Comfy.  Easy to insert and with wide base.  Foam less firm than some.  Recommended.

Howard Leight Mulimax:  too long for me.   Rapid expansion in ear canals.  I had difficulty inserting.

Howard Leight Max & Max USA (USA is red, white & blue):  are big but expansion rate and ease of compression good.  Feel full in ears but not too full.  Large base.  

Moldex Meteors:  Good quality material, no gummy feel.  Is tapered near base.  Good quality but a bit big for me and I don’t like the taper.

Moldex Camo Plugs:  a bit too long and wide 

Moldex Goin’ Green:  middle of road foam consistency/density/expansion rate but a bit big for my taste.  Those liking larger plugs may find satisfactory.

Moldex Sparkplugs: dense foam, too long & wide for my liking.  Difficult to insert and reduced pliability when cold.

Moldex Pura-Fit:  I call it a good middle of road plug with a bit of extra length and girth.  Compresses and expands at what seems to me the proper rates.

Moldex Softies:  slightly large, down the middle foam characteristic.  Should appeal to those who don’t want a smaller size.

Peltor Nitro:  good expansion rate, easy to insert.  Recommended.

Peltor Next:  Similar to the Nitro.  Rolls up easily.  Almost put one too far in.

Radians Deflector:  size, ease of insertion and expansion rate all okay.  Slightly gummy feel.  Recommended.

Radians Deviator:  a bit large. Comfortable enough.  I would buy but not in quantity.

Radians Detour:  soft foam, easy to compress, good expansion rate not too fast or slow.  Looks like a rocket with squared base.  Comfortable.  Nice.

Radians Resistor:  a longer length plug that I’d buy.  Hits the sweet spot of compression and expansion.  Unpretentious except for the orange color.

Tasco Soft-Seal:  fine but tend to expand too quickly.  Noise reduction okay.

For the others in the pack they were lost by me, not shipped, or I forgot to review.  Safe riding.

 

 

 

[Duke]

Great review. This is what I use. 

Ear Plugs | Earplugs | Mighty Plugs

EARPLUGSONLINE.COM

They’re available on Amazon too. Really comfortable. One “wad” makes two ear plugs and will last for weeks.

[countersteer]

Quite an assortment,  I have one ear canal that seems small and the EARsoft Grippers seem to be a tad easier to get in for a good seal.  I also use Ear Oil for lubrication sometimes

[R.C.]

I had some custom silicone plugs made for me at a MOA rally several years ago.  

SOLID EARPLUGS

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custom made ear plugs for motorcycle sports, sleeping, surfing...

 

 

[knyte]

Vibes.

I find they're great at reducing wind/road noise, but they allow the speakers from my intercom to be very audible even at highway speeds.

It seems counterintuitive to hear a phone call BETTER  with earplugs in, but hey...they do work well

Edited August 14, 2019 by knyte

[Bimbim18]

Great testing, Lots of detail.

I personally prefer earplugs with sound filters that filter out highs and lows. When it comes to hearing protection there are so many variables to take into consideration, and one thing many forget is that 1 db is more of an exponential growth as opposed to a linear growth. For the few db lower protection in the mids and much higher protection in low (ie wind and engine noises) and high frequencies (mostly whistling and turbulance) it just seems more practical than one that blocks (or muffles) all frequencies as in the midrange I can still hear even the sound of the tires of car around me, have conversation with people, and listen to my radio.

  There is also a phenomenon where after exposed noise (or blockage of) your ears acclimatize and adjust to make you hear noises easier, especially if all ranges are dampened.

Try out some of the attenuating noise filters like eargasms, no-noise, or alpine MotoSafe noise filters. I use them any time I am going over 45 mph more than 5 mins or ANY time I hit the intersate. and yes I hear my music great even with them in (Cardo Packtalk)

 

10 years Industrial Hygiene (including conducting lots of noise dosimetry surveys and testing) in the US Army.

a nice read if you have the patience to read it. It seems most of the data was collected for other reasons but the background and results of the baseline data are still interesting to read as a biker (noise effects us all):

 

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/91f0/6142613382bfccd6adb7c5dfc67279b2440e.pdf

edit: NRR are not a good way to measure effectiveness. It's like vehicle manufacturers saying something has 500 hp but leaves out the disclaimer that the 500 hp only happens in a 200 rpm range and the rest of the range is unusable. all earplugs filter different amount of frequencies at different volumes. but at the end of the day, it comes down to try out a bunch and use what works for you

 

Edited August 19, 2019 by Bimbim18

[Guest]

I 've been using these for about 6 months and I love them You can barely hear anything. A slight pain in the ass pushing them all the way but then no noise. Cheap and they hold up well. They're really designed for shooting. i don't use the string but the case is cool to carry a few advil a few prilosec,.and cheap.

 

https://www.amazon.com/SmartFit-Howard-Leight-Earplugs-Reusable/dp/B00LH0UI54

[suncoaster]

Great list of reviews.

I've used 2 sets of Alpine MotoSafe so far, and found the noise reduction was good; however, on rides over about 4 hours I developed a headache. I think it was from the modulated air pressure that did get through.

I currently use  Howard Leights, and am considering trying some Plugfones for the integrated bluetooth, even though I have Sena speakers adequate for GPS and phone. 

Curious about the new Sony wf-1000xm3 noise cancelling earbuds, but not quite enough to conduct a $300 experiment..

Edited August 24, 2019 by suncoaster