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EAR PLUGS........what's the best / easiest to use ..??

Used to wear the yellow foamies. Most people don't fit them properly, it takes a few minutes to do so. They must be ROLLED into a very small cylinder that does not have any creases in it. They can't simply be squashed down, as that will create creases that will allow sound to enter the ear.

Here's a video on it.



I've never enjoyed them as they tend to muffle all noises, not just the wind, but including those from the engine, my passenger, and cars pulling alongside. Then I found NoNoise plugs. Very happy with them. http://www.revzilla.com/nonoise-earplugs

I have no affiliation with either company.
 
At the Billings Rally I asked several people and they all agreed with me, they had had the same issue with the NoNoise earplugs going in too far. I thought maybe it was just me, but most people I ask (not all, but most) have had issues. The stem is too short to pull out and we've had to use tweezers, Leathermans, knives, etc to get them out once in. I'd recommend somehow trying them first because once you fit them, you've contaminated them. Not sure if any seller keeps a pair that is disinfected for sizing.
 
As it's been said, everyone has different size ear canals and different sensitivity. Mine are fairly small and I get pain and pressure with most all earplugs (especially those flanged ones). I've done the custom molded ones and can wear them for a couple hours before I start to get sore, however the way the helmet presses against your head can cause the shape of your ear canal to change, allowing sound through.

I always wear earplugs when I ride and have been relying on the Howard Leight LPF-1 Max Lite ear plugs (the green ones). These are their smaller, softer t-shape plugs. I can wear them as long as I want and I have zero discomfort along with consistant hearing protection. I even play music through the speakers of my Sena over them on my bike and it sounds fantastic (turned almost all the way up though). These earplugs are the only reason I can get 8 hours of sleep as well as I have a damn rooster now. I buy them in 200 packs from Amazon at about $19. Always have a bunch with me in my top case (though I make a pair last for several days).
 
At the Billings Rally I asked several people and they all agreed with me, they had had the same issue with the NoNoise earplugs going in too far.

I did this also but not so badly that I had to use tweezers etc. However, for some reason, one time I took them out using my left hand to right ear and right hand to left ear. It actually made it much easier to get the plugs out. I suspect that the plugs never go in straight so the stem is offside, resting against the ear and hard to grip. By using the opposite hand it somehow makes it easier to grip the stem and remove them.

I don't know if this is a real solution to the problem or not but it may help some users.
 
At the Billings Rally I asked several people and they all agreed with me, they had had the same issue with the NoNoise earplugs going in too far. I thought maybe it was just me, but most people I ask (not all, but most) have had issues. The stem is too short to pull out and we've had to use tweezers, Leathermans, knives, etc to get them out once in. I'd recommend somehow trying them first because once you fit them, you've contaminated them. Not sure if any seller keeps a pair that is disinfected for sizing.

I understand the issue. I had it myself. I fixed it by practicing at home, in front of a mirror until I got the hang of it. This issue is even mentioned in the instructions that come with the ear plugs. It's simply a matter of not inserting them so far that the stem can't be reached. If the stem was longer, putting a helmet on would dislodge them. They don't need to be inserted very deeply into the ear canal, just deep enough to make a seal. When inserting them, hold onto the stem. If you can grasp it when you're inserting them, you can grasp it to remove them. The problem comes when people use the tip of their finger to press them deeper into the ear canal, thinking that it will improve the seal. This occurs because there's no feeling of having one's hearing reduced, as there is with other types of hearing protection. The ceramic filter only reduces the level of the wind noise. Other noises sound natural and are not affected. Pressing them deeper does not improve their filtering ability, it only makes them difficult to remove.

I found them so comfortable that I forgot I had them on and went into a restaurant to get something to eat. When I went to remount, the aluminum "pill holder" they come in was empty and I could not remember where I'd put them. Another rider asked what I was looking for on the ground and when I told him, the look on his face was priceless. He almost fell off his bike, laughing. And yes, I've also "lost" my glasses when they were on top of my head! Not the sharpest knife in the drawer here.

Here's the Twisted Throttle video on them. Like this announcer, I'll never go back to foam ear plugs.

 
I did this also but not so badly that I had to use tweezers etc. However, for some reason, one time I took them out using my left hand to right ear and right hand to left ear. It actually made it much easier to get the plugs out. I suspect that the plugs never go in straight so the stem is offside, resting against the ear and hard to grip. By using the opposite hand it somehow makes it easier to grip the stem and remove them.

I don't know if this is a real solution to the problem or not but it may help some users.

The instructions call for using the left hand to lift up the right ear to straighten out the ear canal to insert the plug. When you let go of that ear, the ear canal goes back to it's natural curved orientation, 'tipping' the ear plug slightly.

I like your suggestion if someone has problems with removal.
 
Said it before, but worth repeating.

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.

I can get foam earplugs to work very well. Sometimes I have to try again if one wasn't inserted properly and folded while being inserted.

That isn't the problem with foam earplugs, pain is. On a very long tour, the foam earplugs invariably cause pain after the second day. This pain becomes a real problem. Taking my helmet off hurts like hell.

So I will try these wax earplugs. I may try some others as well.

Foam earplugs are fine for day trips of several hours. I just can't stand them on multi-day trips. The pain is just too much.

I have also made a list of some other possible candidates:

https://www.amazon.com/Earplugs-Red...-Motorcycles/dp/B01I5DUD8W/ref=cm_wl_huc_item
https://www.alpinehearingprotection.com/motorcycle/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GJ6BER...&colid=BJV2VG4LKDUX&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1
https://pinlock.com/products/earplugs/
https://www.earpeace.com/pages/motorcycle-ear-plugs

Like I said, the problem is finding earplugs that won't cause pain on multi-day trips.

Comments welcome.
 
I should mention that I have a set of molded earplugs. They don't stay put while riding and let in too much noise.
 
I should mention that I have a set of molded earplugs. They don't stay put while riding and let in too much noise.

Probably a poor job by the maker. I have two sets of molded plugs. One set is painful after a an hour or so. I have been wearing the other set for ten years and they are superb. The Army issued wax ear plugs at one point. They worked well, but I prefer a well fitting set of molded ear plugs.
 
Probably a poor job by the maker. I have two sets of molded plugs. One set is painful after a an hour or so. I have been wearing the other set for ten years and they are superb. The Army issued wax ear plugs at one point. They worked well, but I prefer a well fitting set of molded ear plugs.

Mother Nature also makes some really effective wax ear plugs. It may take a while but THEY WORK REALLY WELL. :dunno I like the soft plugs Heros (sp) for my ear shape, comfort and effectiveness. Your ears may vary.

Friedle
 
Probably a poor job by the maker. I have two sets of molded plugs. One set is painful after a an hour or so. I have been wearing the other set for ten years and they are superb. The Army issued wax ear plugs at one point. They worked well, but I prefer a well fitting set of molded ear plugs.

That's another possibility: I may have a local ear specialist do another set of molded earplugs and see if that works out for me.
 
I tried several types of foam earplugs. None worked in my ears. After a few minutes they would loosen and leak noise. I have used custom molded ear plugs for several years now and they work well in my ears. YEMV
 
Letters of the Alphabet...

Most people think hearing loss is a problem of volume level, but the reality is that letters of the alphabet drop out on you and you just can't figure out what that sound was supposed to be.

In my case, I'm down 56db in my left ear at 1500 cycles (Hz for you modern folks). The loss is only a half octave wide, but this just happens to be the frequency band that gives you intelligibility. Result? I can't use my left ear on the phone ...

Tom's apt description of losing "letters of the alphabet" touches upon something kinda' important re: hearing "loss". What I did not learn until too late in life: as we lose frequency interval(s) discrimination, it often becomes permanent because no matter the volume, the brain has "forgotten" how to process the stimulation in that frequency, i.e. the "letters of the alphabet." Once this occurs, it is often not recoverable, even with hearing aids.
 
Here's a video on it..

Thanks for posting that. I read the package insert that came w/ the orange 29dB 3M plugs which I've used religiously for 4 years now and I fully knew the value of getting them well inserted, in fact it is often necessary for me to take a set of forceps which I keep on a magnet in the lid of my 28L trunk to extract them with if I can't quite get a finger to them. In any case, what was not apparent to me was that you should literally compress the plug absolutely as tight as you possibly can before inserting, of course keeping the creases out by using strict rotation and uniform application of pressure to a very tight cylinder. Without doing quite this I had limited time to get them fully inserted and so on occasion one might leak because they got a little bent or what have you. Worse still, on occasion they would migrate to the point of being pushed out enough during brisk ascents in elevation to have wind noise return. Anyway, since viewing the video I've had perfect results and find I can actually reuse them 3 or 4x whereas before they would sometimes get deformed enough from poor insertion technique that I couldn't reuse them as well.

While I love the cocoon effect I list to music always and am intrigued what the Sena will sound like thru those ceramic filters in the NoNoise plugs you mention. Once I'm out of my current inventory of 3M plugs I will definitely order a set. Thanks!
 
Thanks for posting that. I read the package insert that came w/ the orange 29dB 3M plugs which I've used religiously for 4 years now and I fully knew the value of getting them well inserted, in fact it is often necessary for me to take a set of forceps which I keep on a magnet in the lid of my 28L trunk to extract them with if I can't quite get a finger to them. In any case, what was not apparent to me was that you should literally compress the plug absolutely as tight as you possibly can before inserting, of course keeping the creases out by using strict rotation and uniform application of pressure to a very tight cylinder. Without doing quite this I had limited time to get them fully inserted and so on occasion one might leak because they got a little bent or what have you. Worse still, on occasion they would migrate to the point of being pushed out enough during brisk ascents in elevation to have wind noise return. Anyway, since viewing the video I've had perfect results and find I can actually reuse them 3 or 4x whereas before they would sometimes get deformed enough from poor insertion technique that I couldn't reuse them as well.

I teach firearms and it's very rare to come across someone who knows how to properly insert the foam ear plugs. People are always amazed at how much protection they give when it's done right.

While I love the cocoon effect I list to music always and am intrigued what the Sena will sound like thru those ceramic filters in the NoNoise plugs you mention. Once I'm out of my current inventory of 3M plugs I will definitely order a set. Thanks!

I listen to music with a Sena 20S on the freeway and on roads that have wide sweeping curves. When it gets more technical, I shut it off. I've found that there's very little difference in the sound between wearing the NoNoise plugs and not wearing them.
 
Have seen way too many foks rush the method on foamies and they either are sticking out, falling out, or the guys ears are hurting. Seems the slowest to gear up guy in the group is the one struggling with plugs.

We had a demo at work years back and everyone in the room,including me let out a collective " oh" after the slow methodical roll to a cylinder, not a twisted cone as was the norm for most was shown and tried.
He also said older fellas with a lot of ear follicles may want to trim up as they can pull and get infected in short time.Heck, that happens overnight!

We use the tri-tip design of Etymotics, they have earplug only versions along with earbuds. Years back we bought some aftermarket replacement tips and within days on a trip both our ears said no more. My thoughts was uncured or non allergenic type rubber was used...lesson learned.
 
I had a set of molded ones made at a rally a few years ago. They still fit well, and that's what I use when I'm riding. They're no good for sleeping, though, too hard, so I use foamies for sleeping when needed.
 
I've inserted them adequately most of the time and get the full dB reduction, but it was a case of trying to do this blind procedure and only having a very short time to get them in before they re-expanded to the point they couldn't be fully inserted, so maybe 20%-25% of the time they have not been really inserted correctly, or would fold over then I would just jam them in and try to save the seal that way. That goes to 0% now and that's great! I guess I was thinking it would damage the open cell foam to really squeeze them out fully so never even tried it! I would imagine one can dial the SENA volume down a bit w/ the ceramic port, compared to having to penetrate well inserted foam plugs. That would be good because often times I'm needing to have the volume on max depending on the type of music playing. I find music has no deleterious effect on my riding in technically challenging situations, but I don't dare listen to podcasts or talk radio while riding that I find can distract me.
 
I find music has no deleterious effect on my riding in technically challenging situations, but I don't dare listen to podcasts or talk radio while riding that I find can distract me.

I believe talk radio causes distraction and road rage having ridden in work trucks between jobs when music was a choice and being in the passenger seat with relatives.:laugh The tempo always amps up:fight

Wish I had though to use those dang earplugs back in the day that hung on the back of my hardhat!

Forgetting to de-plug always has folks staring at you funny when you start chatting...Why are you yelling?
 
Ear plugs

Another ++ for custom made big ears, I can't get the foam ones inserted so they work
Not wearing helmet Any bose quiet comfort noise canceling headphones
 
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