Sometimes we buy gear a bit blind, when the online product page doesn't show us everything. That’s the case here, but it turns out these earplugs are really good and worth a more thorough review. This isn't sponsored content; I spent money on these.
Protect All Your Parts:
You may have read my recent article all about earplugs, and why you should wear them. I convinced myself to try some reusable plugs after writing that, since I’ve been plowing through my Hearos foam earplugs like crazy lately. Note that foam earplugs do age out, so if you’re noticing that yours aren’t seating like they used to, it might be because the foam is old and less resilient than it used to be.
A friend of mine recommended these “EarPeace” earplugs which are made specifically for motorcycling. They come in two sizes, standard and small, and they also include three different filters for your listening enjoyment.
I have had a lot of trouble in the past finding earplugs that did not cause me extreme pain. My ear canals are apparently quite small, so lots of foam earplugs, while comfortable for a short ride, cause pressure-related pain in my ear canals after an hour or two.
I love motorcycling, so to have something as stupid as pain from an earplug that makes me pull over and stop riding got annoying. Without earplugs, my ears would ring something fierce at the end of the day. With them, I was in some pretty major pain.
I finally found and settled on a maddeningly gendered product, Hearos “Sleep Pretty In Pink” earplugs, since they were the only ear plugs I’d ever found that didn’t cause me extreme pain. Being able to ride all day, while protecting my hearing and staying comfortable, is a win.
Turns out the small size EarPeace earplugs are just as comfortable, and as a bonus, reusable, too! They come in a set of three, I guess in case you lose one. They are short, to fit into your ears without making any helmet contact. They also include three different, swappable filters, with three different Noise Reduction Ratings (NRR). The filters are different colors so that you can tell them apart, and they pop in and out very easily. “Medium” is clear and has a NRR of 11, “High” is red (this is what comes as a default in the plugs) and has a NRR of 14, and “Max” is black and has a NRR of 19. Note, if you’re unsure, you can wear one with one filter and one with another, briefly, to see which you like better.
Note, these ratings are all lower than most foam earplugs, which tend to hover on either side of a NRR of 30. Anything is better than nothing, friends, especially when you need to also hear directions from your GPS bluetooth’d into your helmet with your Sena.
These plugs retail on Amazon for around $15, (you can find them right here). You can spend $25 for them and get a fancy case as well. I chose to stick with the cheaper option. It turns out that one came with a small plastic box, which is just fine for my needs and maybe yours too.