Protect my ears!!! Ear plugs!
Discussion
Hi guys.
Through this forum I learned very early on that your hearing can get damaged even if it’s ‘just a couple months of riding’ so straight away purchased the foam earplugs and have used them to date.
They have clearly served their purpose but they are annoying to use, the main issue being having to wait so long for them to fully expand and hope they are in enough to create that seal.
Further to that I’ve noticed motorbike specific ear plugs let in the sounds we want but stop wind noise which might be a more pleasant experience.
So I’m wondering what are people using and what they would recommend.
Thanks in advance.
Through this forum I learned very early on that your hearing can get damaged even if it’s ‘just a couple months of riding’ so straight away purchased the foam earplugs and have used them to date.
They have clearly served their purpose but they are annoying to use, the main issue being having to wait so long for them to fully expand and hope they are in enough to create that seal.
Further to that I’ve noticed motorbike specific ear plugs let in the sounds we want but stop wind noise which might be a more pleasant experience.
So I’m wondering what are people using and what they would recommend.
Thanks in advance.
Do you pull your ear lobe down a bit when fitting the foam plugs?
I get the same sometimes but it’s pretty rare with the Howard Leight (rhubarb and custard) which are my go to.
They say single use but I’d guess I use mine 20x plus without issue. They are fickle to being too hot or cold before fitting but I find them easy to use.
I get the same sometimes but it’s pretty rare with the Howard Leight (rhubarb and custard) which are my go to.
They say single use but I’d guess I use mine 20x plus without issue. They are fickle to being too hot or cold before fitting but I find them easy to use.
trickywoo said:
Do you pull your ear lobe down a bit when fitting the foam plugs?
I get the same sometimes but it’s pretty rare with the Howard Leight (rhubarb and custard) which are my go to.
They say single use but I’d guess I use mine 20x plus without issue. They are fickle to being too hot or cold before fitting but I find them easy to use.
In fact I don’t. I usually pinch them as hard as I can and then insert them. Might try the ear lob pull I get the same sometimes but it’s pretty rare with the Howard Leight (rhubarb and custard) which are my go to.
They say single use but I’d guess I use mine 20x plus without issue. They are fickle to being too hot or cold before fitting but I find them easy to use.
Everyone please only read my reply above with context or it might be extremely odd! Lol
For car racing rather than biking I had some custom fit ones made by https://customfitguards.com/. Not expensive, not super quick, but work really well as I hate the foam ones that always seem to fall out of my ears! Custom fit guards also come to your house/office to make the mold, or is it a buck?
Chamon_Lee said:
In fact I don’t. I usually pinch them as hard as I can and then insert them. Might try the ear lob pull
Everyone please only read my reply above with context or it might be extremely odd! Lol
I deliberately avoided the use of insert for similar reasons.Everyone please only read my reply above with context or it might be extremely odd! Lol
Try gently rolling the plugs too. I don’t find myself waiting for them to seal unless they’re old.
The standard orange ones - one war doesn't like them and slowly I can feel it worming its way out of my ear when I'm riding.
I'm all ears, literally.
Currently I have an ear infection I think from dropping/in my pocket and reusing.
I started to feel slightly dizzy due to the resulting ear imbalance.
I'm all ears, literally.
Currently I have an ear infection I think from dropping/in my pocket and reusing.
I started to feel slightly dizzy due to the resulting ear imbalance.
I use the Howard Leight max orange foam earplugs, they have one of the highest SNR and do a good job of cutting the wind noise, as already said though their effectiveness depends entirely on being fitted correctly.
You should roll them (not creased or folded) pull your ear up with your opposite hand and push them fully in, I also wet mine in my mouth before inserting to make it easier but can understand that wouldn't suit everybody.
If you look straight on in a mirror you shouldn't be able to see the eaplugs at all, if you can they are not in correctly, mine only take about 30 secs or so to fully expand, about the time to put your helmet on.
They are technically disposable and when I had an unlimited supply from work I would throw them but now i have a bag of 50 and wash them after every use, doesn't seem to affect them adversely.
You should roll them (not creased or folded) pull your ear up with your opposite hand and push them fully in, I also wet mine in my mouth before inserting to make it easier but can understand that wouldn't suit everybody.
If you look straight on in a mirror you shouldn't be able to see the eaplugs at all, if you can they are not in correctly, mine only take about 30 secs or so to fully expand, about the time to put your helmet on.
They are technically disposable and when I had an unlimited supply from work I would throw them but now i have a bag of 50 and wash them after every use, doesn't seem to affect them adversely.
Edited by tinhead on Tuesday 22 August 09:40
I’ve ordered a set of these custom Bluetooth earbuds so will be interesting to see how they work out.
https://earfuze.com/collections/all-products/produ...
Also using howard leight ear plugs at the moment.
https://earfuze.com/collections/all-products/produ...
Also using howard leight ear plugs at the moment.
I use the rhubarb and custard ones too, bloody chewy mind.
Anyway, roll it tight, slight moisten in the mouth and I reach over my head and pull my ear up/back when fitting mine.
I got custom made plugs last year. I don’t think they were made properly because they’re genuinely f
king crap. Mine lasted 7 miles on an NSL road before I took them out and went back to the disposables. The custom ones have been demoted to when I’m mowing the lawn.
Anyway, roll it tight, slight moisten in the mouth and I reach over my head and pull my ear up/back when fitting mine.
I got custom made plugs last year. I don’t think they were made properly because they’re genuinely f
king crap. Mine lasted 7 miles on an NSL road before I took them out and went back to the disposables. The custom ones have been demoted to when I’m mowing the lawn. Morning all!
I have been using the Howard Leight (rhubarb and custard) plugs for years and they are great, but this year after wanting to listen to music whilst riding I've been using these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06Y25SM97?ref=nb_sb_s...
Alpine Safe something something. Red ones are for high speed, black are for normal. Twin pack for £20. They have a little adaptor for putting them in.
Recommended by someone on Reddit (r/motouk)
They are brilliant if you don't want to spend a fortune, and have not come loose light the HW ones yet.
They basically filter all the really high and low pitch sounds out. I use them whether I listen to music/satnav or not now.
I have been using the Howard Leight (rhubarb and custard) plugs for years and they are great, but this year after wanting to listen to music whilst riding I've been using these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06Y25SM97?ref=nb_sb_s...
Alpine Safe something something. Red ones are for high speed, black are for normal. Twin pack for £20. They have a little adaptor for putting them in.
Recommended by someone on Reddit (r/motouk)
They are brilliant if you don't want to spend a fortune, and have not come loose light the HW ones yet.
They basically filter all the really high and low pitch sounds out. I use them whether I listen to music/satnav or not now.
It sounds like there are a number of people who don't fit their disposable earplugs correctly. When I fit mine, the slight concern is not that they've not gone in far enough and will fall out but that they've gone in so far that I can't get a hold of them with my fingers to pull them out. (Occasionally I need to borrow the Mrs' tweezers to remove them.)
Roll them gently to a point. Use the hand on the opposite side to the ear being plugged to go over the head and lift the ear up and back. Insert the plug well into the ear. You'll know when it's gone in properly, and thus when it hasn't. If you're not sure, it's not gone in properly.
When they're in you should be able to look straight on at a mirror and not see the plugs.
Roll them gently to a point. Use the hand on the opposite side to the ear being plugged to go over the head and lift the ear up and back. Insert the plug well into the ear. You'll know when it's gone in properly, and thus when it hasn't. If you're not sure, it's not gone in properly.
When they're in you should be able to look straight on at a mirror and not see the plugs.
At the motorcycle show a few years back, there was a company promoting custom made earplugs.
Previously I'd used the disposable versions, with various success, so thought I'd take a punt and see if the fitted ones were better.
Yes they are, no faff, always stay in place, and do the job well.
About 45 quid at the time. Seem a lot more now.
Previously I'd used the disposable versions, with various success, so thought I'd take a punt and see if the fitted ones were better.
Yes they are, no faff, always stay in place, and do the job well.
About 45 quid at the time. Seem a lot more now.
sounds like old plugs to me
old plugs will break down, take longer to seal and do so less effectively.
I bought a bulk variety pack to try various plugs and aside from being better for my hearing i found I concentrate and ride better the lower the noise.
I'm in the Oxford 39db disposables as when i looked at reusable stuff i struggled to find anything above 30db.
Other things to try...ensure the hinge fastenings on your helmet are not loose, if the helmet inner is pre-moulded for speakers then try adding some some dense foam into this gap
old plugs will break down, take longer to seal and do so less effectively.
I bought a bulk variety pack to try various plugs and aside from being better for my hearing i found I concentrate and ride better the lower the noise.
I'm in the Oxford 39db disposables as when i looked at reusable stuff i struggled to find anything above 30db.
Other things to try...ensure the hinge fastenings on your helmet are not loose, if the helmet inner is pre-moulded for speakers then try adding some some dense foam into this gap
I've just gone the opposite way myself - I've used motorcycle specific plugs for the last 3 or so years with the small hollow hole down the middle to aid with hearing intercom etc. they only seem to last about 1 year before the little lugs drop off to help you pull them out of your ears so when it came time for replacement I figured I'd just try some foam ones.
I'm finding the foam plugs much nicer to use. Yes they take a little while to expand in your ear but if you put them in right they block so much more wind noise then the motorcycle specific plugs, and I can still hear my intercom without issue.
The only thing I think I'd swap for now would be some proper bespoke moulded in ear plugs. I can't stand the wind noise when riding, it can be so deafening.
I'm finding the foam plugs much nicer to use. Yes they take a little while to expand in your ear but if you put them in right they block so much more wind noise then the motorcycle specific plugs, and I can still hear my intercom without issue.
The only thing I think I'd swap for now would be some proper bespoke moulded in ear plugs. I can't stand the wind noise when riding, it can be so deafening.
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