clothing and helmet » Ear Protection

Not sure if this is the right section? Are earplugs clothing....

Anyway, was just wondering what sort of earplugs people use. I used to use Laser Lite (the pink and yellow ones) earplugs for years, which are great but would sometimes slip out of position.
So tail end of last year I got some moulded earplugs from Custom Fir Guards which fit perfectly and never slip out. But this weekend I went back to the Laser Lites, and found them to be better (provided they don't move). Though when off the bike the Custom Fit Guards are better if getting some petrol and you need to talk to the attendant.

What do folks use, what have you found works best....

I normally use earbuds. Always get the kind that seal well in channel under the helmet. Not as good as foam, but it protects against the bad frequencies and lets me listen to music. If I have a short ride and will have to rely on helmet speakers only, I bought EarPeace plugs. You get 3 sets of inserts that block different levels of db. Let’s you hear well enough when stopped while protecting your hearing. Not as good as foam, but you don’t have to keep taking them out.

Hi, I use Alpine Hearing Protection ear plugs https://www.alpinehearingprotection.co.uk, which last me several months per pair. They fit well and are very comfortable and I find them better for sound dampening than my custom fit plugs ( which are also less comfortable). Alpine offer a range of plugs for touring, track days etc. They also make plugs for sleeping , festivals and air travel etc, so quite a comprehensive offering.

Zitat von Boxerboy im Beitrag #3

---

Hi, I use Alpine Hearing Protection ear plugs https://www.alpinehearingprotection.co.uk, which last me several months per pair. They fit well and are very comfortable and I find them better for sound dampening than my custom fit plugs ( which are also less comfortable). Alpine offer a range of plugs for touring, track days etc. They also make plugs for sleeping , festivals and air travel etc, so quite a comprehensive offering.

---

A few weeks ago I was on the last day of a trip and homeward bound so I thought I’d give foam plugs a try. I now know that my problem wasn’t the helmet it was the plugs!

I’m now finding that the foam plugs aren’t hurting which I assume is due to my latest helmet having more “ear space” than the older ones so for now I’m trying different foam plugs. I haven’t bought a mixed bag yet as I have a bit of selection but I have complied a list so I can understand the differences. The SNR number refers to how many decibels are theoretically blocked:

SNR
Foam
22 Moldex Mellows
29 Howard Leight MATRIX
29 EAR Classic
33 Moldex Softies
34 Howard Leight MAX Lite
35 Howard Leight Laser Lite (rhubarb & custard)
35 Moldex Spark Plugs
35 Moldex Contours
36 Moldex Pura-Fit
37 Howard Leight MAX
37 3M 1100
39 EAR Soft FX

Moulded
30 Ultimate Ear Squidgy
30 Custom Fit Guards MotoBlock

Other
17,20,26 Earpeace
25 EGGZ
25 Happy Ears
32 Flare Isolate


I’m currently using the Howard Leight Laser Lite and they’re great on the bike but, as mentioned by others, they block out a bit too much when buying petrol etc. I’ve found that the Moldex Mellows at 22 don’t block enough when on the bike so I think the happy medium will be something around the 30 mark. This is what the moulded plugs state but I think conditions have to be perfect for them.

Yes, my Howard Leight Laser Lite (corded) plugs do, on occasion, get dislodged when I'm pulling on my helmet. However, a skull cap/helmet liner that covers the ears seems to prevent this.

In my experience, several companies offer a foam plug similar in function to the Laser Lites. The Howard Leight (now Honeywell) plugs are somewhat unique since they offer large (MAXX or Super) and small (Laser Lites) plugs to accommodate different size ear canals. Even though I have an XL size head, the large size plugs will cause pain after an hour or so of wear. But, that reduction does come at a price........the larger (higher pressure plugs) have an NRR of 33 (EU SNR 37) while the lower pressure laser lites only achieve an NRR of 32 (EU SNR 35). For comparison, rolling up (i.e., closing your car windows) is probably equivalent to an NRR of 37 to 47.

Having been raised by a hearing-impaired father (Tool & Die Maker and competitive shooter) and struggled to teach motorcycle safety classes to hearing-impaired students (male and female), I always look for the plugs with the highest noise reduction rating (NRR or SNR). Hearing damage is the result of cumulative exposure and we're traveling at speeds where in-helmet noise levels will exceed the ability of the best plugs to prevent hearing damage.

Relative to the plugs that claim to only filter the bad noise and allow conversation or music, just compare the noise reduction ratings. In my experience, they're just mediocre plugs.

Who are you guys talking to when you buy gas (petrol)? In the US, me, my credit card and the gas pump handle this without speaking.

Good list Trudd, going back to the Laser Lites now. I think I made a mistake going custom fit, as have had a bit of tinnitus of late. I may give those 3Ms a go.

After many years working in the noise of an aircraft assembly hanger and having to use foam plugs combined with ear phones for acceptable performance when riveting let me give this warning.

A foam plug of the type you roll between your fingers then push deep in to ear will also have the effect of pushing ear wax well in to the ear where it will build up and set rock hard over time and be painful combined with very very difficult to remove, many of us suffered this way. The effect of dirt from the fingers while rolling or the action of licking in order to lubricate foam can lead to an inner ear infection and does this ever hurt and make you feel rotten. I am always surprised when watching Moto GP at the guys using spit on plugs.

I’ve opted for Ultimate moulded plugs that I found provide good protection without going too deep and pushing wax in deep combined with easy wash and hygiene using supplied lube with no dirty fingers ever involved.
On a long ride at speed an extra neck roll tucked around base of helmet will help reduce wind noise

For those of us in North America, the noise reduction rating (NRR) is approximately equal to the EU Single Number Rating (SNR) minus 3~4. In terms of dBA sound level which is used for occupational exposure limits, NRR minus 7 is an approximation of the sound level reduction.

Zitat von Ady im Beitrag #11

---

After many years working in the noise of an aircraft assembly hanger and having to use foam plugs combined with ear phones for acceptable performance when riveting let me give this warning.

A foam plug of the type you roll between your fingers then push deep in to ear will also have the effect of pushing ear wax well in to the ear where it will build up and set rock hard over time and be painful combined with very very difficult to remove, many of us suffered this way. The effect of dirt from the fingers while rolling or the action of licking in order to lubricate foam can lead to an inner ear infection and does this ever hurt and make you feel rotten. I am always surprised when watching Moto GP at the guys using spit on plugs.

I’ve opted for Ultimate moulded plugs that I found provide good protection without going too deep and pushing wax in deep combined with easy wash and hygiene using supplied lube with no dirty fingers ever involved.
On a long ride at speed an extra neck roll tucked around base of helmet will help reduce wind noise

---

For many years I have been using cheap EAR Classic foam plugs. But recently I have found that Howard Leight MAX ear plugs also work well for me and are easier to insert into my ear than the EAR plugs.

On the bike, I wear the typical 3M yellow, cylindrical foam plugs and they work well for me. I can hear the Cardo well and noise levels don't get to me.

When I'm mowing, I wear Airpod Pros with noise cancelling and Peltor muffs on top of those. The combination means I can listen to podcasts or whatever at reasonable volume levels.

I have tried the Airpod Pros under my helmet with the NC turned on and they actually worked very well. The issue is when I take the helmet off, they're guaranteed to get pulled out of my ears and fall on the ground.