Earplugs

Why earplugs?

There is absolutely no doubt that exposure to noise levels in excess of 100 db 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 tinnitus, a constant 'singing' or 'whistling' in your ears that overlays everything you hear. No fun.

The best solution is a pair of custom fitted earplugs made by an audiologist. These are cast out of space age polymers 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. You can still hear sirens, horns, and so forth, but the wind noise is pretty much gone. (And that constant wind noise really tires you out. Try it and see.) Most riders use disposable store-bought plugs and are quite content with them. They can be found in the pharmacy section of many stores, or in larger quantities inexpensively online (see below).

Earplug survey

Copyright 2005-2006 by Ian Johnston

Several years ago I bought a box of 200 pairs of 3M 1100 earplugs online. When these ran out, I bought a box of 200 pairs of Moldex Pura-Fit plugs, but discovered that they didn't seal in my right ear very well, leaving me feeling like my head was on sideways.

The 1100s had served me well, but when they ran out and the Moldexes didn't live up to my expectations, I thought I'd take advantage of a "sampler pack" offered by The Ear Plug Store. (Yes, they have everything on the Internet!)

They shipped me, for the princely sum of $11.95 plus shipping, two pairs each of 13 different brands and models of disposable, uncorded foam earplugs. There are a couple different samplers available:

• Try 'Em All: two pairs each of 28 different plugs (56 pairs in all)

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

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

I sat down and tried each one in turn, and took notes on what I thought. Omitting my singular problem of having a right ear canal one size larger than the left one, the notes I took seemed useful. So, I decided to more formally rate the different plugs based on my first-hand observations.

For these ratings, I took the following factors into account:

Packaging: how hard to open? how bulky/wasteful? how likely to make me drop an earplug on the dirty, gritty ground, destroying it for my use?

Expansion speed: do the plugs expand too fast or slow to be useful?

Pressure: how much pressure do I feel on my ear canals once they're fully expanded? (ie, how much will they suck 2 hours from now?)

Comfort: how comfortable are they to put in? to take out? to have in, aside from pressure?

I dig numbers, so I've given each plug a potential ten in each category, for a possible total of 40. Points are deducted depending on how much each plug sucks in that category. I've also included a size assessment, which is my personal opinion on whether the plug is small, average, or large in size. (This will affect your comfort rating.)

Note that these ratings do not take NRR into account. All these plugs range from 29 to 33 NRR, which are all great for motorcycling, so I don't consider NRR to be a rating-worthy factor until you've found the one or two you like. Then, higher NRR makes a difference.

Picture	Plug	Size	Packaging	Expansion speed	Pressure	Comfort	Total
	Moldex Pura-Fit	Average	9	9	8	8	34
	Paper package is nearly perfect, just a bit large. Very long plugs inspire me to insert them deeper than other plugs, which can be uncomfortable or painful, but very comfortable when properly inserted.
	Howard Leight LaserLite	Average	9	8	8	8	33
	Howard Leight plugs all have excellent packaging, except it's a touch too big. Very easy to open, very unlikely to dump plugs on the ground. These are very good, but the outer end is shaped a bit strangely, squashed flat. The only difference between MaxLite and LaserLite plugs is the NRR, as far as I can tell. (LaserLites are NRR 32, MaxLites are NRR 30.)
	Howard Leight MaxLite	Average	9	8	8	8	33
	Good plugs, but the weird pinched end detracts from their comfort for me.
	Howard Leight MAX	Large	9	9	6	8	32
	The MAX plugs are comfortable, but big and flared at the end.
Picture	Plug	Size	Packaging	Expansion speed	Pressure	Comfort	Total
	3M 1100	Large	9	8	7	8	31
	Packaging is almost as good as the Howard Leight bags, but I know from experience these plugs can pop out and end up on the ground occasionally. Firm material results in relatively high pressure, but I've comfortably worn them for 4-5 hours at a stretch. (Comfort will vary considerably between people.)
	Aearo/E-A-R Soft Blast	Small	6	8	8	9	31
	Packaging makes it too easy to dump the plugs on the ground, otherwise good. Ridiculous flame graphic.
	Hearos Super Soft	Small	5?	7	9	9	30?
	Plugs came in "aftermarket" resealable bags, probably not how you'd buy them in a multipack, so packaging gets a 5 with a questionmark. 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.
Picture	Plug	Size	Packaging	Expansion speed	Pressure	Comfort	Total
	Moldex Spark Plugs	Large	7	8	7	7	29
	The packaging on these plugs gives me the "dump on ground" vibe, otherwise good. Comfort suffers a bit because the base of the cone has a harder edge than surrounding foam, although it's mostly noticeable when rolling them. Could be an issue after several hours, though.
	Hearing Technologies	Large*	7	3	6	7	23
	* Although these are large diameter, they're very short in length, making them hard to remove. Very slow to expand, so if you get it wrong and have to reseat them, you're going to be standing there with a look of concentration on your face for a while.
	Aearo/E-A-R Classic SuperFit	Large	4	8	7	1	20
	These plugs are cylindrical, and the flat faces have a hard edge to them which is incredibly uncomfortable. Cylinder surfaces are rough against the skin. If your ear canals are surfaced in teflon these might be comfortable. The packaging is huge and cardboard. Who thought that was a good idea?
Picture	Plug	Size	Packaging	Expansion speed	Pressure	Comfort	Total
	Flents Quiet Please (Hexagonal)	Average	2	7	5	2	16
	Packaging is of the "pull, pull, pull, pull, explode!" variety that potato chip manufacturers seem to love. Hexagonal plug? Hello? That means 12 sharp points to dig in. Abysmal comfort, and I couldn't get them to seal well. Terrible design.
	Howard Leight Matrix	Average	8	0	4	2	14
	Maybe I misunderstand how to use these things, but they hurt to put in, hurt to have in, and hurt to take out. Hard edge on the cylinder's flat face. They expand almost instantly, making them impossible to position. In my original notes, I wrote "ow!" not once, but twice. Between the material and the too-short length, I nearly had to grab pliers to get them out. Ick!
	Aearo/E-A-R Classic	Average	4	2	4	0	10
	See my comments above about the Super Classic, but moreso. These are among the worst earplugs I've ever tried.

My recommendations

Any of the high-scoring plugs in this comparison seem like a fine choice. I really like the Howard Leight packaging, which makes it easy to get to the plugs without much risk of accidentally tossing them across the road.

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! avoid! 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.

Price may inspire you to choose bad plugs, but I put it to you that your hearing is literally beyond monetary value -- once it's gone, there is no science or magic which will bring it back. It's gone forever. Riding a motorcycle for more than 15 or 20 minutes, or at speeds higher than 40-50 MPH, will damage your hearing, permanently.

So, I guess my recommendation is order up a pair of each of the likely looking plugs from the list (The Ear Plug Store will sell you an individual pair of each type to test) and try them out. I can guarantee you that the low-rated plugs aren't even worth trying, so buying the sampler pack is something of a waste, although one of the samplers may be right for you.

Ride with each plug in, ideally back to back and in similar conditions. Figure out which one works well for you, then buy a bunch of them so you never worry about "wasting" them. These plugs 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 cannister, or any other small plastic container, to keep them from getting dirty. Even a ziploc bag works great.

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SilentEar silicone earplugs

Opinion one

As part of my quest for good earplugs, I gave the silicone SilentEar 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 large in my right. They were a little strange to insert, since they have a slick surface compared to foam plugs, and they need to slide into place.

A quick test fitting at home seemed to show promise, so I left them in and got ready to go for a test ride. Almost as soon as I got my 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 plug again. I got the helmet on without incident, but before I'd even started moving, the plug was "leaking" again. I stopped 500 yards down the road and swapped to standard foam ones.

It seemed that even the slightest jaw movement would dislodge one or both of the plugs. When they were seated and sealed, they seemed promising. Unfortunately, they unseated again so quickly that there 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.

SilentEar opinion 2

I tried several dozen different plugs from the Earplug Store. 90% were immediately dismissed as of the first insertion. After trying everything I could find on that site and at Wal-Mart (including custom molded plugs) I found the SilentEar plugs sealed the canal best and seemed to be the most effective.

I prefer plugs that go deep into the canal to get a good seal. In a side impact (like falling to the side and banging the side of my helmet on the pavement) I can envision the little grab handle extension on some plugs driving the earplug in too far and rupturing the eardrum. Not good. The SilentEar plugs have a different way for you to grab them. The system works pretty well; I find them easy to grab and extract, but nothing hard sticking out of your ear to cause problems.

These are fairly quiet, but like many plugs are dependent on a tight seal. A NRR33 plug without a tight seal would be pretty much useless. The SilentEars come in 3 sizes. The medium is too loose for me, but the largest is tight and stretches my canal a little (giving a good seal).

I found them a little uncomfortable at first when inserting, though actually wearing them is not uncomfortable, like some other plugs I have tried. I am used to them now and don't even think about it. I also moisten them before inserting; this makes them go in easier and seals better.

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 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.

Other options

The webBikeWorld Hearing Protection page has reviews and links to many pages of information on this topic.

Some club members have had good luck with the Custom-Molded Earplugs from Cabela's. A type of these are also available from The Earplug Store. Wal-Mart has been known to carry them also, although whether or not they'll have them next week is anybody's guess. Look in the hunting section. Make sure you read the reviews on the Cabela's site. Some people like these; some don't.