Earplugs

[bigredduke]

I have never been able to find any comfortable earplugs despite trying several makes and designs. I even had some custom-made silicone earplugs made but they are frankly no better. After about one hour, they are too painful & I have to remove them. Even after a short break, things don't really improve much. The discomfort is distracting, obviously not good for safe riding. The only thing I can use for extended periods is cotton wool which reduces some wind noise but not much. According to the custom-made earplug people I have very small ear canals.

Some time ago I bought some differently designed earplugs but due to lockdown & Winter, I just put them in a drawer & forgot about them. I rode the bike on Thursday for a couple of hours & thought I would try them out.

So far so good! The noise blocking was effective and more importantly they were very comfortable to wear. They sit flat in the ear rather than inserted in the ear canal which is why they are probably more comfortable.

https://www.happyears.co/uk/

In the photograph, the model has the stem of the plug horizontally but I found having it vertical pointing down to the bottom of the ear was more effective at reducing noise but still comfortable.
Their customer service is excellent, they have answered my emails over the weekend promptly.
So if you have had a problem finding comfortable earplugs, these could be the answer!

[Kato]

Like you I'd always have to take earplugs & even in ear headphones out after a short while as find them painfully uncomfortable

Before lockdown I'd got quite into clay shooting, and didn't like the big ear defenders started to use these foam ones

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cancelling-Sleeping-Shooting-Concerts-Studying/dp/B087SVTD8L/ref=sr_1_12?crid=2X26R11VYKYE&dchild=1&keywords=shooting+ear+plugs&qid=1621158883&sprefix=shooting+earplu%2Cindustrial%2C157&sr=8-12

Can wear them all day without a problem, don't always use when riding but they work just as well, and really easy to use under Helmet can easily forget you even have them in

[Flip]

I’ve tried quite a few types over the years either through PPE at work, motorcycling or other loud sports and have found Moldex ‘Sparks’ to work best for me.

They have the added bonus they can be bought in little storage cases to keep them clean.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172408566963

I think for most people it will be a case of trial and error to see what’s comfortable unless you go for a custom moulded pair.

[Kato]

Those look the same type as I use Flip, just a different brand.. good stuff

[bigredduke]

I guess I'm just a sensitive kinda guy :rolleyes:

[madmac]

I got a set of custom ones moulded at the NEC bike show a few years ago. I wear them every time I ride and don't find them too uncomfortable, although it is nice to take them out after a long ride. Can't be certain of the company that did them, but these guys ring a bell:

https://customfitguards.com/

I wouldn't dare ride without them now I have the Monster and Termis! :D

[bigredduke]

I got a set of custom ones moulded at the NEC bike show a few years ago. I wear them every time I ride and don't find them too uncomfortable, although it is nice to take them out after a long ride. Can't be certain of the company that did them, but these guys ring a bell:

https://customfitguards.com/

I wouldn't dare ride without them now I have the Monster and Termis! :D

I too had some custom-made ones at the NEC thinking they must be more comfortable but unfortunately, after about one hour they are unbearable.

[Jez900ie]

Aren't some brands of helmet more insulated than others which would help?

[bigredduke]

Aren't some brands of helmet more insulated than others which would help?

I'm sure that's true. I believe from anecdotal evidence, that Schuberth helmets are supposed to be very quiet. However, short of trying a myriad of helmets actually on the bike they would be difficult to test unless you had access to a wind tunnel.

Furthermore, I have found the same helmet can be noisier on one bike than another, due perhaps to the aerodynamics of a screen or absence thereof.

I am tempted to insert a line about experiencing the rush of air over one's helmet but I will resist.

I recently bought a Bell Predator helmet which was on offer from Sportsbike shop. I have only tried it once on the Monster but it's significantly quieter than my AGV is/was and more comfortable. It has channels in the side padding for glasses arms which makes wearing them much easier as well.

Until head-shape scanning is more widely available, helmet selection will continue to be trial and error and just trying one for a few minutes in a shop is no substitute for trying it out for real but of course no retailer will allow that, obviously.

[Jez900ie]

I'm sure that's true. I believe from anecdotal evidence, that Schuberth helmets are supposed to be very quiet. However, short of trying a myriad of helmets actually on the bike they would be difficult to test unless you had access to a wind tunnel.

Furthermore, I have found the same helmet can be noisier on one bike than another, due perhaps to the aerodynamics of a screen or absence thereof.

I am tempted to insert a line about experiencing the rush of air over one's helmet but I will resist.

I recently bought a Bell Predator helmet which was on offer from Sportsbike shop. I have only tried it once on the Monster but it's significantly quieter than my AGV is/was and more comfortable. It has channels in the side padding for glasses arms which makes wearing them much easier as well.

Until head-shape scanning is more widely available, helmet selection will continue to be trial and error and just trying one for a few minutes in a shop is no substitute for trying it out for real but of course no retailer will allow that, obviously.

Would buying online would give you more opportunity to try a prospective helmet?

[mickj]

Sportsbikeshop will accept helmets back for a full refund after several months as long as it's not been used on the road. So you buy the helmet and wear it around the house for a few days to see if it's the correct fit. I did this with an Arai a coupe of years ago, after watching a long film in it I found it was starting to get uncomfortable with a couple of pressure points above my forehead, I sent it back and replaced it with another model which didn't hurt after wearing it most of the day. I couldn't test it for noise out on my bike but I know that Arai's are not exactly quiet anyway.

[Pedro]

3M foam disposable ear plugs for me, good noise reduction and comfortable

I’ve got custom moulded for shooting and despite being told they will work under a crash hat they’re hideously uncomfortable

[hh93]

Aren't some brands of helmet more insulated than others which would help?

I had an Arai that the foam pushed the Targus into my ear canal closing it off. I dunno if it was designed like that but I found I didn't need ear plugs when wearing that one.

I have an opening face type now but use "ISOLATE Pro – revolutionary solid titanium ear-ear plugs" as there were recommended to me and work very well.

[Mr Gazza]

Well you got me there, I'd never heard of a targus, so I googled it and found it is a make of laptop. I thought it would be rather unusual to shove a laptop in each lughole, so I kept going and found a lughole skin flapper called a tragus. That makes more sense.
I never even knew I had a tragus and when I looked I actually have two!!

I'm inspired to launch a range of scented candles called " My Tragus smells like this". I'd shove a banger in each one just for laughs.. :chuckle:

If you guys think earplugs are uncomfortable, try getting used to wearing hearing aids! The first year is the hardest. :worried:
I've never worn earplugs as I want to be sure I will hear any blues and twos. One advantage of hearing aids is that they have a threshold of volume that they deliver to the ear. I definitely find noisy things much noisier without them.
So wind noise is tolerable and in theory won't damage my hearing further, and I can hear all I need to.
The big plus about wearing a hearing aid in a helmet is that some helmets squash my large upper cartilaginous lug flapper (scientific name unknown!) against my skull and add to the pleasure of a painful lughole full of plastic... What joy! Pardon?

[bigredduke]

I thought 'Targus' was an album by Wishbone Ash on sale in Yorkshire

[bigredduke]

3M foam disposable ear plugs for me, good noise reduction and comfortable

I’ve got custom moulded for shooting and despite being told they will work under a crash hat they’re hideously uncomfortable

I've tried several foam earplugs, even ones supposedly for children but I find when the foam expands, it puts too much pressure on the ear canals & causes pain

[crawsue]

My son is an oil field related safety officer, he was given a tip by “an old hand” some years ago.....before inserting foam expandible put a small coating of hand cream in ear and roll the plug tight between creamy fingers, plug slips in much more easily and expands in the canal....who knew?!!!

[Flip]

For what it’s worth, in tests Arai helmets never do particularly well in noise tests due mostly to their visor side pod design (compared to the more flush fitting Shoei and AGV’s) and the number of vents most of them incorporate.

I do love Arai’s though so a fair trade off in my eyes (ears?).

With that in mind, I’ve just received another bunch of Moldex Spark ear plugs- notice they come in different colours per pair meaning you don’t get any cross contamination from left to right ear if you use the same colours for each.

https://i.postimg.cc/Fz6cpjZV/8445-AEB4-ECE7-43-B5-BAE7-8-FFCE7-FEB091.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2L4V8Lg1)

I've tried several foam earplugs, even ones supposedly for children but I find when the foam expands, it puts too much pressure on the ear canals & causes pain

If other ear plugs are too firm these might be worth a try as the ‘7800’ are their ‘soft’ version.

[hh93]

I thought 'Targus' was an album by Wishbone Ash on sale in Yorkshire

or ELP :-)

[hh93]

Well you got me there, I'd never heard of a targus, so I googled it and found it is a make of laptop. I thought it would be rather unusual to shove a laptop in each lughole, so I kept going and found a lughole skin flapper called a tragus.

I googled it too cos I was trying to be clever, then obviously spelt it wrong or it was autocorrected. So loose - loose in this case !! :dizzy:

I agree about ear protection 100% - I have worked around Gas Turbines all my life and managed to keep my hearing so far. Full on Motorcycle gear inc. ear plugs every time - if it's not worth wearing all the gear then I leave the bike at home and find another way to get there.

Just getting clumsy instead and dropping things everywhere !!

Oh, and crap spelling

[hh93]

My son is an oil field related safety officer, he was given a tip by “an old hand” some years ago.....before inserting foam expandible put a small coating of hand cream in ear and roll the plug tight between creamy fingers, plug slips in much more easily and expands in the canal....who knew?!!!

There's a real problem with ear plugs and oil fields (I work on an oil production platform) is that you end up transferring anything on your fingers into your ear canal - ear infections are a massive problem where I used to work.