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Earplugs/hearing protection

I've never tried the "custom" ear plugs, but every otc foam plug I've tried makes my ears itch like a muther! I can't ride very long without pulling over and yanking them suckers out.
 
Custom Ear plugs

Custom ear plugs past 2yrs, work great or me - never could get good consistent fit with OTC foam plugs. Keep them in their own case in the jacket I always wear!

Mike Horne
76 R90/6
93 R100R Legend
 
I think everyone will agree that wearing earplugs is an important personal safety measure when riding. However, choosing the right earplug can be a chore. The approach I took was to order a sample assortment of many different earplugs before deciding upon the ones I use now.

HERE is an assortment of up to 35 pairs of foam earplugs for you to explore the right fit for your ear canals.

BTW -- MCN just had an article about Mighty Plugs, a very unique earplug. I'm sure that they are very comfortable, but I have not found any Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) in the Mighty Plug specifications. The ones I currently use (Moldex Pura-fit) have a NRR of 33.
 
OK, I'll be the outlier here and say that if you're at all concerned about your hearing - and you should be - then only a custom molded solution will provide the best protection and the best of those is not cheap. But as I've often said before, I want hearing aids about as much as I want a diaper or a walker and at 53, I've spent most of my life assulting my ears and have started to suffer some hearing loss. I'm very motivated to save the hearing I have left because standing around at a party and not understanding what people are saying will suck.

So, I went out an evaluated a number of different choices from the foamy OTC style you get at the drug store to ear phones that go in-ear to custom. I decided that custom was light years better in every way. Then looking at the custom ear monitors (because I like music, GPS prompts, and phone calls too) I looked at everything from the low end Westone stuff to the best of the best Sensaphonics (which is what the big names use on stage at concerts to protect their hearing and hear the music). I chose the Sensaphonics 2XLs which had to be ordered by my audiologist at Johns Hopkins. Sensaphonics has a tremendous amount of motorsports experience (almost all the Indy car, F1, NASCAR etc guys use them) so they're very well sorted for using under a helmet.

I get close to 40 db of passive noise attenuation from these monitors. They'll turn the 90 - 100 db of road and wind noise in my helmet into 60 db or better which is better than a Lexus or Mercedes at 60 mph. And the added benefit is pretty amazing sound quality out of them for my music. The down side - they're $750.

That sounds expensive for ear phones and it is. But compared to the other crap we spend money on with relentless disregard for rational thought, this is one of the best value purchases I've ever made. If you're one of the guys that has ever said "if you have a $100 head, buy a $100 helmet" then here's the thing, if your hearing is only worth $19.95 at Walmart or $5 for foamies at CVS, then go buy that.
 
What shape is "bright green"? I have been walking around Walmart for an hour and can't find them!

:hungover

At our Walmart, in the section where the ear care is, near the pharmacy, there will be some generic ear protection and Fluet brand. Fluet brand has about 3 choices. One of those is lime green. They are wide at the base, then narrow then widen a little bit and the round off into the top. A little like a coca cola bottle shape.
 
OK, I'll be the outlier here and say that if you're at all concerned about your hearing - and you should be - then only a custom molded solution will provide the best protection and the best of those is not cheap.

I got my wife the Westone UM2s. She loves them. They do have great sound. I don't do music while I ride but she does. The rating is in the high 20s I think. They run about 250 I think. Not custom.

I still use the walmart OVC ones as they have a higher rating, I am comfortable with them, the ride is really quiet on the wind noise. I switched helmets and that helped a lot with the lower frequencies.

One of the important things is to wear them right. When done right you realize just how relaxed and quiet it can be. When not, you pick up a lot of hissing and buffeting sounds when actually make it feel like you are being buffeted more.

NCS
 
I use the "howard Leight" Laser Lite ones. You can find them at many home centers, such as Menards. They are packaged under the name of Stanley. Yea, the tool company. They come in a tube-type package of 80 pair, or something like that, for about $12-$15. They have a NRR of 32. They work quite well. I often use the same pair all day. I carry several pair in the sleeve pocket of my jacket. So I always have plenty.

Problem is, they cut the noise down so much, that I cannot hear my speakers in my helmet. So I'm thinking of replacing the speakers in my new Cardo Scalia G9 with earbuds. i have some Klipsch units that are noise reducing. They allow you to keep the volume down on your phone (or music), but still block out a lot of the wind noise.

Now I've just got to get the courage to cut the wires on my brand new G9 speakers and install an audio jack on the bluetooth unit to accept the earbuds plug.
 
Highly recommend The Earplug store.com http://www.earplugstore.com/ They have it all and you can try different types since you can sample a few pair at a time.

I tried using custom plugs from a local hearing aid store, but found the disposable foam better for my riding. It seemed the custom ones were louder on mid range frequencies.

Besides the obvious benefit of protecting hearing long term, they help keep me more focused and less fatigued from wind noise all day. They really improve things if you have communications such as intercom or music on board by filtering out wind noise.

My favorite are a stiffer foam style called SparkPlugs from the Moldex brand and these are the official earplug for Nascar. They have the maximum noise reduction of 33db while the popular Howard Leights Max are the same reduction as well.
The Howard Leights are a softer style, but the Spark Plugs seem to cut the noise better for me. Best way is to experiment and try different styles. Most important, make sure you know how to compress them properly before inserting.

I've never had a problem removing my plugs for a gas/meal stop and reusing. Usually I start with a fresh pair each day.
 
This thread got me curious, I looked on Youtube and found this video on how to correctly insert earplugs, best I have found yet:
http://youtu.be/v60rdMrLoW4
Funny enough, those are actually Leight's Laser-Lite ear plugs.

If the plug doesn't expand to fill your ear (you can feel it and over a few seconds you can hear a major difference, or not hear it such as it is) you're not doing it right. Personally, I also stretch them a little when rolling - makes getting them into narrow ear canals easier. Make sure to roll the length portion only, not the bigger flanged end, that part stays out of your ear canal and makes for easy removal. I once had to fish one of the yellow cylinder plugs out of Larry Fears' ear with a Leatherman (I think Jeff Dunkle was holding the flashlight), he switched over to Leight's Max plugs after that ;)
 
Well, as I said, I ordered some 3M 1100's. Will report my experience, but I think because they're pretty basic, and because I've never used any noise attenuating devices, the result is going to be an improvement. I stuck some pieces of Kleenex in my ears yesterday just as an experiment and went, "Whoa...this is a nice change from that air flow roar"...

Foam plugs gotta be an improvement over Kleenex!
 
Foam plugs from home depot, bag of 100 pairs about $15 dollars always keep a dozen or so pairs in a ziplock bag in my tank bag. As they get dirty simply dispose of the offending plugs and replace with a fresh pair
 
Most of us have at least some hearing loss attributable to exposure to loud sounds: music, gun fire, chainsaws, lawn mowers, movies (wish I thought to bring some earplugs tonight) and yes, wind noise on a motorcycle.

I have two pair of "custom" earplugs that were bought at BMW rallies. Both are excellent for any noisy situation which does not involve a motorcycle helmet. The left ear plug of both works great under the helmet; the right one is VERY prone to being slightly dislodged. Gone back to using a foam plug in my right ear.

By all means, try a pair of "custom" plugs: they are quicker to install at all temperatures and for many just as comfortable as the foam ones. (At cold temps, the foam ones can take 30 seconds or more to expand in your ear canal and if you are not patient, they then extract themself. At hot temps the foam ones tend to expand before seated.)

Everyone (at least those who care about being able to hear) agrees you need ear protection on the bike. There also seems to be agreement that we have differing ear canals (even right and left ears) and only experimentation will lead you to the product right for you.

If good hearing protection was not available, I would not ride.
 
From the horses mouth?

THIS IS NOT A SALES PITCH!!!
I've been using and selling custom molded plugs since 1998.
Most customers first question is "Why are these better than the foam plugs?"
I respond that if your foam plugs fit you comfortably and you are able to achieve a good noise seal than you won't see much benefit from a custom plug. If you have a comfort or noise issue, or want communication / music, than these will offer a benefit.

Everyone's ear canal is different in size & shape, even from right to left ear. Those with smaller or more acute bends 'may' benefit from a custom plug because they can't get a foam plug deep enough into the canal to make a noise seal. The higher the rating on a foam plug, the more dense (stiff) the material. For those with smaller or bendy canals a lower rated plug may be more comfortable and effective as you can get it deep enough to make an effective noise seal. If the plugs are sticking out of your ears like Frankenstein bolts, they are not deep enough to be doing any good.

As for noise reduction, foam plugs offer a higher NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) than any custom mold. Foamies come in up to 33-34 db NRR while custom molds are in the 26 db NRR. Please note that the NRR is measured at low frequency where wind noise is. Earplugs have an attenuation curve. As frequency increases, so does attenuation. A 26 db rated plug will knock out 32-36 db at mid range, where the speaking voice is. A 33 db rated plug will be up to 38-42 at mid range. This is why it is harder to hear someone talking to you when your plugs are in. When considering a noise protection device always look for the NRR to ascertain the level of protection, anyone can pull a number from the attenuation curve, but that is not a number that is apropos to the protection you are seeking.

A few have mentioned discomfort under the helmet. First, the custom mold should be fairly flush with the outside of your ear. If there is contact with your helmet that causes discomfort, then your helmet needs to be modified. Helmet manufacturers make a recess for the ear, unfortunately it isn't always where your ear is. The recess is formed from foam rubber under the liner. Ascertain where the contact is and remove some of the foam rubber forming the recess. DO NOT MODIFY THE HARD FOAM PROTECTIVE MATERIAL!
A helmet liner does wonders for keeping plugs from being dislodged while putting the helmet on.
 
Used foam for years, always got the best I could, but NOTHING works as well as these http://www.earplugsonline.com/

They call them the worlds best ear plugs and I agree. They are a putty like material that you soften by kneading it and press into the ear, they seal EXCELLENT.

No matter what I did, the foam seal seemed inconsistent, and even loosened during a ride. requiring stopping and reinsertion which is a PITA. I have had these loosen just a couple times, and I can reach inside the helmet and just press it back in on the fly.
 
Washing Foam Plugs --

IMHO, you CANNOT "wash" foam plugs successfully, as this makes them VERY "spongy" and very soft, such that they don't stay rolled into a small diameter for insertion.

Whenever possible, I wash my (seemingly always) grubby hands before re-insertion -- sometimes I just use my water bottle, if necessary. This way, one pair lasts all day, and maybe two, without a problem. Otherwise, they get dirty very quickly. At least for me, this is mostly a matter of aesthetics, versus concern over ear infections.

If you ride with a group, no doubt that the molded plugs are much faster to insert, so your buddies won't be waiting for your #$%@ foamies to be rolled, inserted, and (when cold) awaiting inflation. In hot weather, you really do have to be FAST getting them in before they expand, as previously mentioned.

GOOD COMMENT about preserving what hearing you have left. MCN has run several sets of articles over the years about hearing loss and the importance of using hearing protection. Anyone ignoring this sound (heh-heh) advice WILL LOSE HEARING OVER TIME. It's all about intensity and duration.

Walking Eagle
 
We started stuffing bits of kleenex in our ears when going to rock concerts. This was a result of seeing New Orleans band "Better Than Ezra" in a small club with massive volume. Did some damage to me. Wish I'd had foam plugs back then, but it helped to stuff SOMETHING into the ear.

Re: Foam and temperature. When cold, why not keep some in your pants pocket, to warm up a bit?
 
I used foam earplugs for years when riding, but found after repeated long days of riding, my ears would get sore from them. I switched to custom made ones about ten years ago and am much happier with them. I too have a narrow ear canal which I think is why the foam plugs did not suit me best. I always had a difficult time getting them in. I'm on my third set of molded one now which should last a couple more years. I also had a set of custom molded earphones made since none of the regular earbuds I've tried ever fit me.
 
Yes, my ears are "tired of them" after a day riding, foam plugs, that is.

Oh, always take your earplugs to a car race.
 
Used foam for years, always got the best I could, but NOTHING works as well as these http://www.earplugsonline.com/

You recommended these plugs the last time this topic came up (two or 3 weeks ago?) and I ordered a set to test as my custom plugs are getting old. My results:

  • They are more comfortable for me in all day rides. My custom plugs start to bother me after 4-6 hours. Foam plugs bother me after 2-3 hours.
  • They are equal or better in attenuation to my custom plugs. The "better" part is that I can yawn or otherwise move my jaw without breaking the "seal". That is not always the case with my custom plugs.
  • They take longer to insert. That's not a big deal on trips, but for quick commutes and running errands where plugs are constantly going in and out of my ears I still use my old custom plugs.
One question: how long do you use a pair before tossing them for a new pair? They seem to last a long time.
 
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