I’m about to start a new job working in an arcade and diner and want to wear some earplugs for when I’m working in the noisiest parts on-site, partly to protect my hearing but also to make it easier to hear customers and colleagues over the noise.
Do you guys have any recommendations for brands or particular earplugs types that would be good for this purpose?
You might want to have a look at musician ear plugs? They cost more than your generic drug store foam ones, but they have a filter in them that allows you to still hear vocals and what not when you’re on stage. I’ve used them in a variety of contexts outside of performing or attending a concert and they are nice to have. Mine came with a keychain holder, so I always have them on me.
Yup. First, check with your health insurance to see if you’re covered for audiologists. They’ll make the mould of your ear that you’ll be mailing to the earplug fabrication company. If the audiologist is covered, you’ll still be looking at ~$200 for the earplugs.
I’ve had a pair of flat response earplugs for years. They reduce sound evenly, so all sound is just quieter rather than being muffled. They’re comfortable enough to sleep in, and neutral enough to use in a musical performance.
I wear a pair of Loops Experience most days in the office https://www.loopearplugs.com/products/experience
Go to your local ENT and have yourself custom fitted for plugs. They will be shaped to your ear, and come with inserts for different levels of cancelling. Can cost up to $200 but better than going deaf or getting tinnitus. Source: am a musician and audio engineer and this has saved my hearing.
Just check the NRR (noise reduction rating) and trial and error some. Everyone has different ears. I personally like Howard Leight Max earplugs as they are soft and block a lot of noise.
-33 dB foam inserts, plus - 33 earmuffs as long as you don’t need to hear
If you do, get some quality electronic muffs from Honeywell/Howard Leight or Walker.
I frequently move between very loud and quiet environments at work while needing to communicate with people. I highly recommend a comfortable pair of electronic ear muffs. Both Walker and Howard Leight make good pairs that won’t break the bank. If the battery dies, you just don’t get the “passthrough” effect and they’re just traditional ear muffs.
Yep, I have pairs of both and they work well. There’s also a headphone jack pass through and accessories like radios if you need to communicate on local bands.
+1 on Howard Leights - popular in the shooting sports (USPSA/IPSC, IDPA, ICORE, etc.) for their effectiveness and ability to adjust sensitivity. Comfortable for long periods and last forever even when lightly abused in outdoor environments.
You want earplugs that dampen above a certain threshold. That rules out most earplugs because they always dampen all sound.
Surefire EP3s have a removable plug that allows for dampening below 85db, but will take them up to 24NRR with the plug in. I don’t know if they actually rate the unplugged NRR, from what I remember it was 16-18 when I got mine. Don’t think you can swap protection levels easily, you practically have to take them out to plug them. You do also need to replace them once or twice a year. Surefire has others of a similar design that you may want to look into as well, I am only personally familiar with the EP3s.
Loops has caught my eye as a possible option to go to instead of EP3s, but I haven’t bit the bullet on them.
You want earplugs that dampen above a certain threshold. That rules out most earplugs because they always dampen all sound.
Wait, how does that work? Surely a dynamic limiter like that would require some electronics
There are many analogue ways to dampen sound that work purely off of the shape and material properties of the plugs. Loop earbuds are basically the width of human speech soundwaves and not much else, so it lets you hear people while cutting down on the background noise.
I’m not an audiologist but I go to a lot of shows and bars and I care about my hearing. I swear by Flare Earshades and I recommend them all the time.
I’ve tried Etymotics, Loops, Vibes, Earasers, and a couple other brands, and none of them have the clarity and quality of the Flares. I’ve worn them comfortably for 8 hours, and music sounds so good I forget I’m wearing them.
This is just my experience, and you’ll find lots of positive reviews for other brands, but I wanted to share mine.
Vibes are great. You can still hear people talk, appreciate music, and have awareness of things around you, but it is all down by a sizable number of decibels. They are also comfortable and don’t make the blocked ear feeling.
https://www.discovervibes.com/
I also like using TWS headphones with foam tips. I have SoundLiberty 79s and they are great, put some good foam tips on them and they act at earplugs as well. Maybe not as useful for your situation but maybe good for other times. The SoundLiberty 79s are not sold any more, not sure about a good replacement.
dbBlocker makes good molded plugs and they last forever. I have a pair that’s almost ten years old that I use all the time.
You’ll likely want ones that reduce SPL, not just foam that squeezes in your ears, you won’t be able to hear anything.
https://noisyworld.org/earplugs-for-noise-sensitivity-sensory-overload/
It’s not like the foam ones eliminate all sounds. I work in a noisy environment and can hear people perfectly fine with earplugs in. They just reduce all sound and your brain kind of compensates.
3m quiet blue if you have smaller ear canals, 3m 1100 or moldex purafit if you wanna go cheap, but they kinda hurt if you use a fresh pair
I have another vote for loops, I now have the loop switch which I really like.
