Pinlock Motorcycle Ear Plugs - New Generation Earing Protection

Product Information

Finally, I love that they are re-mouldable. So if you find they’re letting sound in (or becoming uncomfortable), you can pop them in hot water and remould them until they’re right. So in an attempt to preserve my hearing health, I pledged to look after my ears from now into the future. Foam Motorcycle Earplugs When we consider hearing loss, we need to keep two things in mind. First, noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is preventable. Second, NIHL is permanent. Once that hearing is gone, it’s gone forever.

There is another sound though, which some may find distracting – you hear a faint echo of the rushing wind. It’s like a gentle swishing in your ears and I find it quite soothing. However, others may react differently. These plugs are rubberised – either silicon rubber or TPE (which is a plastic-based elastic polymer) – and have two or three lobes running along them. The lobes are designed to fit the ear canal and stop sound getting into your ear while the sound management is carried out by the central hollow section which has a noise-attenuating central filter. The Loop Experience has a filter built in to allow some frequencies through more easily, while the Loop Quiet is just solid silicone You don’t have the howling noise in your ear on windy days with these plugs, but the growling of the engine is also less noticeable. Emergency sirens are just as audible but you do have to step a bit closer to people wanting to talk to you. Music quality through an intercom is almost as good as the Experience, although some of the mid-range goes missing at higher speeds. Considering the other performance advantages though, I can live with that. I also found some of the other soft polyurethane foam plugs worked well, especially if I reversed the fitting so the fat end was pushed in first. For me, they generally needed a bit more fiddling around with to get the fit just right, though having said that the Max Lites I’ve been using for about 20 years worked well and usually take me about 10 or so seconds to fit so they can’t be too much of a nuisance! How to fit your ear plugsBesides liking the build and the interesting look once they sit in the ear, I am, on the whole, quite pleased with the performance of the Quiet Loop plugs, but not so much with the Experience model. At low speeds, they work great. But for riding at higher speeds, I feel better options are available. There’s also the issue of fatigue, as being subjected to continuous loud sounds can be unduly tiring and lead to a drop in concentration. Thankfully, wearing ear protection can significantly reduce those dangers and there are different solutions available. What types of motorcycle ear plugs are there?

The Experience Case is nicer than the one supplied with the Quiets, but the little tether for a keyring isn’t particularly tough As a rider, you’ll know how loud your engine can be when you open the throttle. And if you’ve slapped on a sexy after-market can, you can add a few more decibels into the mix. So I’d recommend both of the above plugs. If you try both, I’m convinced you’ll find one or the other works great for you too. However, if I want more protection (which I do most of the time) I’ve also taken to rolling them up and fitting them with the big end first. I found this gives masses of noise protection – probably double the standard amount. The plugs seal my ear perfectly and hardly any noise gets in – to the point that, with my helmet on, I can barely hear anyone speak.In terms of absolute riding noise reduction, no earplug can cut out as much noise as something like the disposable 3M EAR Soft FX, but they come at the cost of not being able to hear music, speech or engine sound anywhere near as well. I don’t feel comfortable riding in near silence –it feels like I’m a bit too far removed from my surroundings. But if (like me) you find foam plugs uncomfortable and silicon plugs unsuitable, then these re-mouldable plugs from Decibullz are a fantastic alternative.

Patricia and Jon have done an excellent job of covering everything in this Loop earplugs review, but I thought I’d add my experience… Since hearing usually plays second fiddle to vision when riding motorcycles, people sometimes forget how vulnerable their ears are out there on the road. The sound of your helmet traveling through the air at highway speeds is more than enough to damage your hearing over the long term – or even the short term if you’re wearing an open face or half-helmet. While it may go counter to your initial thoughts, wearing earplugs can actually help you hear better. When your ears aren’t completely overwhelmed, you have the ability to hear more sounds. The moulding process is simple enough, although (as mentioned) watch the YouTube video before you start. I just wear disposable earplugs, but for the guys who don’t use anything; I genuinely have hearing damage caused by wind noise from bikes.

6. Pinlock Earplugs

The best helmets are developed in a wind tunnel to reduce drag and noise levels as much as possible, but as ISVR Consulting found, the design of the motorcycle has a huge impact on the noise levels a rider is subjected to; the wake from a screen contributes a lot, as anyone who’s stood up into the ‘clean’ airflow while riding will know. These are another set of polyurethane foam plugs. The foam on these Laser Lite’s is nice and soft and pliable, making them easy to roll up to insert in your ears and soft when they expand. I found them best if they’re reversed for my ears (see ear plug fitting below) and plugs like this with a T-shaped bottom end rather than flat-cut plugs like the rest on this test are best for a comfortable reverse fit. When they were in, they were really comfortable and cut out loads of noise. Your helmet might be quiet in a lab environment, but having tested Schuberths, Arais, Shoeis and many more on a variety of bikes over the years, I’ve never worn anything that eliminated the need for earplugs.