Ear plugs

[bonio]

I have a pair of custom silicone ear plugs. They do a great job at keeping the noise out, but they're sodding uncomfortable. I always use them with some kind of ear lube, and like that they're fine for an hour, and even not too bad for a day on the bike, but after a few days of touring, my ears just can't take any more of them. 

So I read the reviews here on the Quiet Loop earplugs and bought a pair. Oh sooo soft and downy. But no good at keeping the noise out. 

Don't really know what to do... am I doing something wrong? Do I need to boil the Loops before they become properly quiet? Or should I boil the customs? Are silicone ear plugs really meant to be that uncomfortable? 

Any advice welcome.

[GojuRyu5]

I have used custom silicone ear plugs for many years and know what you mean about them being uncomfortable after a while - for example, I can’t sleep with them in to ward off my biker bud’s snoring on a trip - but they’re OK for a week long bike trip when I know I’ll be taking them out at coffee / cake stops. They don’t tend to irritate in those circumstances.

 

My main concern is losing the bl@@dy things when I take them out…

 

I was wondering how long you’ve had them, and whether it’s just a case they they’re a bad fit (or need replacing).

[Pie man]

I have some custom fit guards and IMO they are Shite. I don't like the plugs that completely fill your ear. I found the Auritech ones the most comfortable and quietest. Unfortunately I cant find them, so now use the Auritech universal.  

 

[fullscreenaging]

I have the Loop mute insert also @bonio gives you an extra 5db noise reduction. 
Have you played about with the different sizes? 
With the mute inserts in and a good seal mine are quiet. 
 

I have some custom fit earplugs at work and tried them under my lid once upon a time. Ears were hurting after 20 mins. 

[Bungleaio]

I have a couple of sets from custom fit guards (I lost one then found them after I got a new set) one pair is really comfortable and the other I can’t stand. 
 

I’d say just get another set of custom ones made by someone else and hope they are more comfortable. 
 

Ears keep growing though your life so ideal you should have new custom ones every few years. 

[Shepherd]

2 hours ago, fullscreenaging said:

I have the Loop mute insert also @bonio gives you an extra 5db noise reduction. 
Have you played about with the different sizes? 
With the mute inserts in and a good seal mine are quiet. 
 

I have some custom fit earplugs at work and tried them under my lid once upon a time. Ears were hurting after 20 mins. 

I don't think the mute insert works with the 'Quiet' range - there is no tiny hole to block up? The Quiet range are supposed to reduce by 27db against 18db for the experience range.

I found that going slightly smaller with the bud size and only inserting enough to form a seal works best. I can't find any ear plugs that are as Quiet as I would want, but the loops are the best of the bunch for me.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

I have tried a multitude of ear plugs. I have tinnitus so I'm ultra careful about my lugholes.

 

The best I've found to date are Eggz. My only gripe is they are black so if drop one in the dark you're stuffed.

 

But for noise reduction, comfort and ease of use they're the only ones I buy now. 

[bonio]

4 hours ago, GojuRyu5 said:

I was wondering how long you’ve had them, and whether it’s just a case they they’re a bad fit (or need replacing).

  

3 hours ago, Bungleaio said:

Ears keep growing though your life so ideal you should have new custom ones every few years. 

 

A couple of years. Might be a poor fit. Might have another go at customs from another company.

Edited August 8, 2023 by bonio

[bonio]

58 minutes ago, Shepherd said:

I found that going slightly smaller with the bud size and only inserting enough to form a seal works best. I can't find any ear plugs that are as Quiet as I would want, but the loops are the best of the bunch for me.

I tried the smallest bud, but I have tiny ear canals, so perhaps that the issue. I'll give them another go and put them in more gently.

[bonio]

14 minutes ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

The best I've found to date are Eggz. My only gripe is they are black so if drop one in the dark you're stuffed.

Cheers for the tip. I think I'll give them a try before going down the custom route again.

It's good to know that you lot have found the custom ones uncomfortable too. Thought it was just me.

[billy sugger]

I'm like @bonio, in having small ear canals so I use the smallest silicone plugs I could get online. Can't wear them for long periods though else my inner ear becomes very sore

[Shepherd]

1 hour ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

The best I've found to date are Eggz. My only gripe is they are black so if drop one in the dark you're stuffed.

 

But for noise reduction, comfort and ease of use they're the only ones I buy now. 

  I liked the all day comfort of Eggz, I just couldn't get hold of the tabs to remove them. Other than that I'd wear them instead of Loops.

[JRH]

I find my custom made ones irritating after a couple of hours, but only the one. Using a different helmet made no difference.

[Stu]

The only irritating thing I have in my ear is the wife  

 

I have mercury custom ear plugs and they are fine 

[Joe85]

I really need to do this.

[keith1200rs]

All custom earplugs are not the same. Around 2001 I got some Starkey ones which were fine. When I went for some new ones around 5 years ago the audiologist said standard ones were harder nowadays so he got some more expensive ones made for me which were softer than the new "normal". They are also fine.

[bonio]

10 hours ago, keith1200rs said:

All custom earplugs are not the same. Around 2001 I got some Starkey ones which were fine. When I went for some new ones around 5 years ago the audiologist said standard ones were harder nowadays so he got some more expensive ones made for me which were softer than the new "normal". They are also fine.

Any idea who did them for you?

[keith1200rs]

They are also Starkey. They are a different material to the old ones but still soft, and have a green plug for the attenuation which can be changed. You can choose the plug depending on use. 

 

Cost around £140 instead of £100 for the standard, harder ones.

Edited August 10, 2023 by keith1200rs
Added price

[Fish]

I've got the Ultimate Ears molded and have no real issues with allday wearing, I was working on a site that had the foam ones and grabbed a couple. All done in the name of testing I hope you understand.

 

I didn't find they worked as well in my ears as the molded, but we're all different so it's whatever works best for you.

[S-Westerly]

I've got moulded Ultimate Ears and they work quite well unless they dislodge themselves. Also find disposables used on military ranges work quite well. Don't ask.

[geofferz]

Go nuts people but please try these first, they work 100% for me and cost less than chips. 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225299220834

 

 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

9 hours ago, geofferz said:

Go nuts people but please try these first, they work 100% for me and cost less than chips. 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225299220834

 

 

I know a few guys who use them and find them fine. I tried some but they just fall out of my ears. I do have large ears though, plus the little tab is tricky to get hold of with my trunk.

 

The thing is we all get fixated on ear plugs but they are only a part of the solution when it comes to noise. In my experience the bike itself makes the biggest difference. Then the combination of helmet and what sort of neck gear you wear. Wind noise is mostly coming up from your neck area. I always wear a skull cap to help keep the helmet lining clean, then I wear a buff with the back edge of it pulled up over my ears so it overlaps the cap. That makes a massive difference as it creates a continous layer from my neck over my ears so there's nothing to create turbulence. 

[Fiddlesticks]

Agree with that. I don't tend to go for a neck buff unless it's freezing cold, but find the skullcap helps as much as the earplugs. Just taken the Tiger in to get the throttle bodies adjusted. They lent me a Scrambler 1200 while the job was being done. That was a noisy ride home.

Edited August 11, 2023 by Fiddlesticks

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

3 hours ago, Fiddlesticks said:

Agree with that. I don't tend to go for a neck buff unless it's freezing cold, but find the skullcap helps as much as the earplugs. Just taken the Tiger in to get the throttle bodies adjusted. They lent me a Scrambler 1200 while the job was being done. That was a noisy ride home.

Same engine as the Bobber ..... but the Bobber's exhaust is a tad bit louder! 

[RideWithStyles]

Ive tried many others.

you cant just boil the custom silicone plugs that not how they work. Thouse one you buy with no form to start with and had to boil to mould in the first place and incert to set for some memory for the first time to mould like gum guards for contact sports you can but not for the proper custom versions.
If you have small canals (and dry) like i do but want to stick with foam try  Howard Leight by Honeywell ones, yellow and plug coloured plugs aare small and soft. They are the best ive found and really cheap for boxes.