Ear Plugs

Can you shout a little louder? We can't hear you!


Using Sena SMH10 communicators with in-helmet speakers, most any foam earplugs seem to work fine. Currently my wife and I are working our way through a box of North Deci4200 plugs, NRR31dB. Foam plugs are pretty cheap, try a few different ones to find out which are comfortable. Most any of them will be better than none at all.

Go to Northern Safety http://www.northernsafety.com/ and type earplugs into the search window...
Yes there are a lot, but the specs are there and they're a whole lot cheaper than buying from any dealer - as in, 200 Individually Packed PAIRS for about $35.

My favorites are the "Sparkplugs" (NRR = 33 dB), and the Howard Leight brand is good too; I actually trim about 1/8" off of the big end to reduce the physical interference with a helmet - or my pillow.

I've found the tapered ones to be a bit more comfortable than the straight cylinders, and don't jam them right up against your eardrum.

I use nonoise ear plugs http://www.revzilla.com/nonoise-earplugs

I can actually hear my music and comm better with them in than without. They filter all the wind noise and high end racket out while stilll allowing you to hear the bike, music, nav etc. I never ride without them.

rajackson said:

I use nonoise ear plugs http://www.revzilla.com/nonoise-earplugs

I can actually hear my music and comm better with them in than without. They filter all the wind noise and high end racket out while stilll allowing you to hear the bike, music, nav etc. I never ride without them.

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September's ON issue has a review of these plugs. If you wish more information, check that article, page 118.

Personally I do custom. Check out www.earinc.com. You may find something there

Regular, inexpensive foam earplugs work great for me. The sound quality of my Sena SMH10 helmet speakers is much better with earplugs than without. My current favorites are Howard Leight Laser Lite Foam Earplugs p/n 9R-GY18-E6A6.

+1 on the NoNoise Ear Plugs. They work great. I have the specific pair for shooting as well - simple but effective design.

Dennis, I use these:

http://www.earinc.com/p2-iplugz.php


Judy and I have custom molded in-ear speaker earplugs that work great. Noise is attenuated greatly, we can carry on normal conversations and listen to the RT radio and cellphone calls. The intercom system is the Sena 20 which conveniently comes with a jack we can plug the earphones into. The helmet (Schuberth modular) speakers are disabled when the earphones are in use, but available if you do not want the earplugs in.

Different earplugs work differently for different folks. What is perfect for some (comfort, effectiveness, etc.) may not be good for another. I found it to be worthwhile to get a sampler set of earplugs and try different types and brands. Eventually I settled on a couple of earplug types that work for me and some others that my wife prefers. Some links are provided below for places where sampler packages are available -

http://www.tasco-safety.com/earplugs/samplepack.html?gdftrk=gdfV2195_a_7c235_a_7c9196_a_7cdp00_d_C

http://www.earplugstore.com/unfoamtrialp.html

http://www.whitehorsegear.com/earplugs-sampler-set-16-pairs

http://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-disposable-earplug-sample-kit.html

MarkM said:

Regular, inexpensive foam earplugs work great for me. The sound quality of my Sena SMH10 helmet speakers is much better with earplugs than without. My current favorites are Howard Leight Laser Lite Foam Earplugs p/n 9R-GY18-E6A6.

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Laser lites are my favorite plugs..

I've tried the mold them yourself plugs and they really didn't seem to muffle wind noise and made me have to turn our Scala TeamSet WAY up to hear anything. They seemed to muffle the intercom real good.

What I used before the mold yourself ones and went back to are the ETY plugs at http://www.etymotic.com/consumer/hearing-protection/er20.html

It was after I was wearing them I noticed a pamphlet for them in the audiologist's office. They muffle wind noise, allow for "gas station" conversations and I have to raise the volume on the intercom minimally. The NoNoise ones look about the same and look to perform about the same but look to be more durable. If you get ETY plugs just be prepared for what they pull out of your ears no matter how clean they are.

36654 said:

Laser lites are my favorite plugs..

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FWIW, the lite ones didn't work for me. I use the full-size Howard Leight MAX or the E-A-RSoft Yellow Neons. My helmet size is XL, so I have a big head and the larger plugs work much better for me.

Harry

AKsuited said:

FWIW, the lite ones didn't work for me. I use the full-size Howard Leight MAX or the E-A-RSoft Yellow Neons. My helmet size is XL, so I have a big head and the larger plugs work much better for me.

Harry

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While I also wear an XL, the Lites are a better fit for my ear canal. The MAX models create too much pressure and pain for me.

Thank you all for the information. I will take everybody's information and come up with a conclusion. Obviously, there are a lot of choices out there.

Thank you all again! Very much appreciated.

Dennis

So many choices

After having tried a few different brands I settled on the Hearos ----> http://www.amazon.com/Hearos-Ear-Plugs-Xtreme-Protection/dp/B000NP79YM
Like robsryder said it's all personal preference.

I bought some custom molded E.A.R. plugs many years ago at the 49er Rally in California. I got the earphone model to use with my iPod. I used them ONCE and never again. The cord was too heavy and transmitted way to much noise AND the foam earplugs did a much better job of noise attenuation. A total waste of over $100+ dollars.

I now use the highest noise reduction foam plugs I can find. For a while I used Etymotic ER-6 earphones. They attenuate better than the E.A.R. did with better fidelity. Now it's just foam and turn up the Bluetooth (Sena 20S).

DO NOT spend the money for the earphone E.A.R. untill you try plain molded plugs to see if they'll work for you. Of course YMMV.

I have the typical style expanding foam plugs available to me at work for free so that's what I have always used. I'd spring for a pair of custom made plugs, tho. I guess you can get them so they allow a certain level of DB in, but filter out harmful levels. Folks have told me to check with an audiologist, or ear doctor.
But, like this thread shows there are a great many solutions there as well.

FWIW- sometimes the foam plugs either don't seem to work so well or they work so well it creates what feels like a vacuum in my head- and that's uncomfortable. I most often use the E.A.R. Yellow cylindrical plugs.

I don't have any experience trying to use any communication device on the bike. I suspect the advice of using good ear plugs and then turning up the volume for helmet speakers is sound.

I have two sets of "custom" earplugs that I bought at BMW rallies. The great thing about them (aside from the noise reduction which is equal to the best foam earplugs) is the speed of inserting them. No waiting for that foam to expand in cold weather or having them expand too fast in the heat. With my left ear, both work great on the bike with a full-face helmet. The right ear is another story. Both right plugs work great for shooting, chain sawing, etc. but have the nasty habit of coming a bit out when I put on that helmet oh so carefully. Think it is a matter of my right ear canal being too straight. Now, on the bike, I use a foam plug in my right ear, the "custom" one in the left. Custom ear plugs are definitely worth a try.

No one on this thread has mentioned the right way to insert foam earplugs - and this info is important; NO foam earplug is going to do its job if you just shove it in, as I've seen many riders do. Here is the drill: 1. moisten the earplug with your mouth to help it slide in, 2. roll up the earplug to make it as narrow as possible, 3. reach over the top of your head with your right hand (for the left earplug, vice versa for the right earplug) and pull up on the top of your ear. This opens up the ear canal. 4. slide the earplug deeply into you ear and hold it in place with your index finger until it has fully expanded and NOT pushed itself partly out. 5. Very carefully put on your helmet so you don't dislodge either ear plug. 6. Perform the "stomp test." If heavy steps sound a lot like a bass drum in your head, the earplugs are doing their job and you are good to go. If not, remove the helmet and start over.

Is all this a big PIA? For sure, but not as big as getting up to speed and realizing your earplugs aren't working, and where can I pull over.

There is no consensus on the "best ear plugs" for the simple reason we all have different ear canals, and even on the same person the left ear canal may be very different from the right. I think the only answer is to experiment until you find what works for you. No question though that good earplugs properly inserted will save what hearing you have left and make for a much more enjoyable ride.

BCKRider said:

... Here is the drill: 1. moisten the earplug with your mouth to help it slide in, 2. roll up the earplug to make it as narrow as possible, 3. reach over the top of your head with your right hand (for the left earplug, vice versa for the right earplug) and pull up on the top of your ear. This opens up the ear canal. 4. slide the earplug deeply into you ear and hold it in place with your index finger until it has fully expanded and NOT pushed itself partly out. 5. Very carefully put on your helmet so you don't dislodge either ear plug. 6. Perform the "stomp test." If heavy steps sound a lot like a bass drum in your head, the earplugs are doing their job and you are good to go. If not, remove the helmet and start over.
...

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For step 2, don't just mash it flat then start rolling. If you do that, you could fold it over as you make it round which would result in a lengthwise crease that admits sound, significantly reducing the effectiveness of the earplug. Instead, start rolling gently then increase pressure until you get it down to about 1/8" diameter. Makes it easy to insert although you have to hold it in place until it expands enough to stay put on its own (step 4). I never knew about step 1.

I had a set of custom plugs molded at a bike show and they were about as effective as the disposable foam ones as long as I didn't move my facial muscles at all. If I turned my head (like for a head check before passing) or swallowed (to unblock my ears in the mountains) or tilted it (to get rid of a crick) they no longer matched my ear canal and the sound level went up. I didn't like that so I quit using them.

At first the reduction in earphone sound level bothered me but then I remembered that "kids these days" are said to be ruining their ears by cranking up their earbud volume. So I decided that the ability to have high levels of earphone sound while using earplugs would be defeating the purpose of using earplugs to protect my hearing, and embraced the volume I could get.