Regular ear plugs or bespoke/fitted?

[GG33]

Who uses which? If fitted, which make? how do they interfere with in helmet audio? What's the best solution? Too many question, sorry ;-)

GG33

[bogie]

Ive been using Howard Leight for about 10 years now, work find for me. On the occasion I use my helmet audio for sat nav they let normal voice through, just cut our wind and road noise.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Howard-Leight-3301105-Las...

earplugs tend to be a personal thing, when you find something that works you stick with them. You can get a selection pack off amazon and try 5 or 6 pairs for low cost and then buy a volume pack

[Krikkit]

Was just about to post exactly what you've said bogie! I don't like moulded ear plugs as it's too easy to break the seal by moving around, perhaps that's a peculiarity of my ears but I tend to find if I smile (for example) the seal breaks immediately.

Foam plugs get around this, and are both cheap and easy enough to use without bother. I bought one of those selection packs from amazon and found these were the best compromise and fit for me: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Howard-Leight-Max-Lite-Pl...

Now my 200 box probably has 160 pairs left so I've got a good few years left yet.

[RizzoTheRat]

Another vote for disposables. I bought a box of 200 3M 1100 plugs plugs years ago and am still only half way through them.
I've not tried custom moulded plugs, but I have tried those silicon reusable ones and found they poked out of the ear a bit too much and could touch the helmet liner and transmit noise to the ears.

[black-k1]

I too use 3M 1100 disposable plugs. I've not tried fitted plugs on the bike but have fitted plugs for other use. I've not noticed an improvement between fitted and disposable (having found the disposables that work best for me) and disposables are easier for me when on trips.

[gareth h]

Krikkit said:

Was just about to post exactly what you've said bogie! I don't like moulded ear plugs as it's too easy to break the seal by moving around, perhaps that's a peculiarity of my ears but I tend to find if I smile (for example) the seal breaks immediately.

Foam plugs get around this, and are both cheap and easy enough to use without bother. I bought one of those selection packs from amazon and found these were the best compromise and fit for me: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Howard-Leight-Max-Lite-Pl...

Now my 200 box probably has 160 pairs left so I've got a good few years left yet.

Me either, I had some made, sealed fine without a helmet, but as soon as I put one on it seemed to distort my ear and didn’t seal, I use some designed for shooting now that are pretty effective.

[TimmyMallett]

The Pink and Yellow ones for me. I'm sure the custom ones are nice but guaranteed I'll lose one and the HL ones are super comfy and pretty much disposable, although I do reuse them a lot as it's wasteful and they last ages.

[Biker 1]

TimmyMallett said:

The Pink and Yellow ones for me. I'm sure the custom ones are nice but guaranteed I'll lose one and the HL ones are super comfy and pretty much disposable, although I do reuse them a lot as it's wasteful and they last ages.

Exactly what I've been doing for several years, although I only use them once - secondhand earwax is a little off-putting........

[anonymous-user]

Mack’s are quite comfortable. They are lilac in colour if that poses an issue.

[archie456]

I've used moulded plugs with speakers in for years now, and they work really well with excellent quality sound and no background noise.

However it's a bit dependant on the helmet. If it's a bit tight then it will dislodge the earpieces as you put it on. Also when it's on if it puts pressure on your ear in the wrong place then it will break the seal.

Best helmet was a Schuberth S1 which had big spaces around the ear.

[Rushjob]

bogie said:

Ive been using Howard Leight for about 10 years now, work find for me. On the occasion I use my helmet audio for sat nav they let normal voice through, just cut our wind and road noise.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Howard-Leight-3301105-Las...

earplugs tend to be a personal thing, when you find something that works you stick with them. You can get a selection pack off amazon and try 5 or 6 pairs for low cost and then buy a volume pack

Another one here for the rhubarb and custard Howard Leights - another 10 plus year user - intercoms /nav/ music work fine with them.

[KTMsm]

Buy a multipack / sample pack off ebay / amazon of 10+ different ones

I had a real game stopping wind noise but two types really worked for me, with one being far more comfortable best £2 ish I've ever spent

[RemaL]

Rushjob said:

bogie said:

Ive been using Howard Leight for about 10 years now, work find for me. On the occasion I use my helmet audio for sat nav they let normal voice through, just cut our wind and road noise.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Howard-Leight-3301105-Las...

earplugs tend to be a personal thing, when you find something that works you stick with them. You can get a selection pack off amazon and try 5 or 6 pairs for low cost and then buy a volume pack

Another one here for the rhubarb and custard Howard Leights - another 10 plus year user - intercoms /nav/ music work fine with them.

+2

Had custom plugs from he bike shows. Not as good for cutting the wind noise after a few months. do disposable ones for me

[Triaguar]

Having used disposables for a while and never been able to get them to fit correctly and quite frankly always looked upon them as a pain in the bum to the point I would some times rather do without them I had some correctly moulded ones made.. they are superb.. fit deep in the ear.. never move, ever. Cut just the right amount of noise out. From my own personal experience I find it bizzare someone would prefer a random piece of foam... opinions eh!

[Bob_Defly]

Triaguar said:

Having used disposables for a while and never been able to get them to fit correctly and quite frankly always looked upon them as a pain in the bum to the point I would some times rather do without them I had some correctly moulded ones made.. they are superb.. fit deep in the ear.. never move, ever. Cut just the right amount of noise out. From my own personal experience I find it bizzare someone would prefer a random piece of foam... opinions eh!

Is it just that someone hasn't shown you how to insert them properly?

I couldn't do it properly when I first started riding, learnt fairly quickly. But I still see people walking around with 3/4 of the ear plug protruding out of their ear and them saying they don't work.

[jhoneyball]

I like the howard leight red and yellow things. But they are fiddly to get a proper insertion

as a very quick and dirty test, this is a noise source next to my GRAS IEC reference ear with and without the HL earbud (its a bit hard to tell if it is a perfect fit or not, but it looks ok)

[Das speck]

I’ve got the molded ones had them made 2 years ago and tbh never really liked them.

Made my ears hot and they don’t really seal that well, they give you some gel to use to seal them but I don’t like slimy ears feeling.

I used them again the other day first ride of the year and I wanted to take them out as my left ear hurt.

With the foam ones you need to pull the top of your ear up with the opposite arm to allow the foam ones in properly.

The only problem I have with the foam ones is I have nightmares of pushing them in too far.

[shirt]

I have custom mounded silicone plugs from here

https://thecustomart.com/shop/silicone-products/si...

I have a very loud exhaust and no fairing, these are excellent and seal very well.

[black-k1]

Triaguar said:

Having used disposables for a while and never been able to get them to fit correctly and quite frankly always looked upon them as a pain in the bum to the point I would some times rather do without them I had some correctly moulded ones made.. they are superb.. fit deep in the ear.. never move, ever. Cut just the right amount of noise out. From my own personal experience I find it bizzare someone would prefer a random piece of foam... opinions eh!

If they were a pain in the bum you were definitely fitting them incorrectly!

It is VERY important to fit any ear plug correctly. The should go right inside the ear canal. The amount left "sticking out" should be minimal and not really visible when looking at the person straight on (thus pretty easy to check in the mirror).

The technique I use is to progressively roll the earplug between the thumb and fore finger until the first two thirds of it form a point. With the opposite hand (right hand, left ear ...) put the arm over the head and pull upwards and backwards on the ear. Post the pointed end of the plug into the ear canal then put a finger o the end of the plug so that, as it expands in the ear it doesn't expand out of the ear. With a little practice both ears can be one in about 15 to 20 seconds.

[jhoneyball]

Yes, thats the technique i use too