Earplugs: Difference between revisions

There is absolutely no doubt that exposure to noise levels in excess of 100 db (common in motorcycling) causes cumulative hearing damage. Worse yet, this is hearing loss that you can never recover. Once it goes away, it's gone forever. Eventually you are likely to develop {{wikipedia|tinnitus}}, a constant 'singing' or 'whistling' in your ears that overlays everything you hear. No fun.  

 

People who have never worn earplugs are concerned that they won't be able to hear things they need to hear while wearing them. What plugs do is remove a lot of noise (wind, exhaust blat) that you don't need to hear, but still let in sirens, horns, engine noise, and so forth.

 

 

You can also get a pair of custom fitted earplugs made by an {{wikipedia|audiologist}}. These are cast from molds made in your own ears and contain a tiny valve that allows low level sounds to be heard, while at the same time cutting out everything that's above a given sound pressure. People have had differing luck with the custom-made ones. If you decide to go this route, make sure you wear your helmet when getting the mold made. Another thing some people do is coat them in something (Duke uses Neosporin, others use Vaseline) which helps with sealing. All this makes a lot of people just stick with regular foam plugs.

 

 

Earplugs should fit snugly in the ear canal. There should be nothing sticking out of your ear for the helmet to be able to knock out....

 

 

The plugs must also seal well in your ears. You can easily tell when this happens. If you find a pair of plugs that seal well in your ear canals but stick out too far, you can always cut them off. Sometimes cutting some off the inside helps them seal as well. You could also get a [http://www.newenough.com/helmets_eyewear/head_wraps_helmet_liners_other_accessories/do_wrap/coolmax_skull_cap.html "skull cap"] and pull it down over your ears. It should hold the plugs in place while putting on a helmet (and have the additional benefit of making your head drip in sweat).

 

Just like people, ears come in all sizes and shapes. You can't really tell what size you need until you try some out, as large people can have small ears and vice-versa. That's one reason why getting a trial pack of many different kinds and finding the best one for you is a good idea. Shown below is the difference in size between the Mack's SafeSound Jr (left) and Howard Leight Max (right).

 

Copyright by [http://www.ninja250.org/IanJ Ian Johnston]

*Just The Highest NRR: two pairs each of 15 different plugs (30 pairs in all)

*Just The Softest/Smallest: two pairs each of 15 different plugs (30 pairs in all)

the one or two you like.  Then, higher NRR makes a difference. This also does not show all the earplugs currently available at The Earplug Store.  

<td colspan=7> Plugs came in "aftermarket" resealable bags, probably not how you'd buy them in a multipack, so packaging gets a 5 with a question mark.  True to their name, very soft and comfortable, but on the small side, both in diameter and length.  I had trouble removing them, they were so short. </td>

choice. Plug fit is incredibly important and will determine comfort, noise reduction, pressure, and how cranky you are at the end of that 500 mile day.  NRR is important, but merely having an earplug is such a huge improvement over not having an earplug that I recommend you choose comfort over NRR.  It's vital that you put in the earplugs, and if they're uncomfortable, you're less likely to do that.

Avoid the plugs rated 20 and under in the list. They ranged from really uncomfortable to downright painful.  They're also among the least effective plugs in the range, so there's really nothing to recommend them.

or at speeds higher than 40-50 MPH, will damage your hearing -

My recommendation is to either order up a pair of each of the

likely looking plugs from the list ([http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/ The Ear Plug Store] will sell you an individual pair of each type to test) or get one of the sampler packs. Try them all out. You'll end up wasting some of them, but given the fact that you won't really know what fits until you try them on, this is the best way to figure out which ones will work.

can all be worn multiple times, but by the time they're visibly dirty, toss them and use a new pair.  In between uses you can use a plastic film canister (do they still make those?), or any other small plastic container, to keep them from getting dirty. Even a ziploc bag works great. People worried about ear infections may not want to use plugs more than once.

[[Image:IJ 14.jpg|110px]]

plugs a try. These are reuseable, so they're more of a one-time investment.  For less than $20 for the size assortment, I figured it'd be worth a try.

As I'd expected, I needed the medium size in my left ear and the

helmet on the right plug developed a "leak", and I could hear at full

volume again from that ear.  I pulled off my helmet and seated the

or both of the plugs.  When they were seated and sealed they seemed

was really no point in pursuing them. Based on my own experience, I do not recommend these plugs.  They might be worth a try, but it seems like the chance that they'll happen to fit you exactly right probably isn't worth the price of admission; for about the same price you can get a box of 200 pairs of good foam earplugs, which are much more likely to fit and seal every time.

Since fit is such a personal thing, and most of the plugs are inexpensive, I have no regrets about the waste associated with buying several trial assortments. What did I spend, maybe $50 or so? I am cheap about a lot of things, but scrimping on hearing protection (a very real issue) seems penny wise and pound foolish.

Some club members have had good luck with the [http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0037460227874a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=earplugs&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=earplugs&noImage=0 Custom-Molded Earplugs] from Cabela's. A type of these are also available from [http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/ The Earplug Store]. Wal-Mart has been known to carry them also. Look in the hunting section. Make sure you read the reviews on the Cabela's site. Some people like these; some don't.

The [http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Helmet_Hints_%26_Tips#Decreasing_noise_.26_cold_air_flow Windjammer II] inserts around the bottom of your helmet. It can keep unwanted noise and airflow out.