All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn how we test.
As the saying goes, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone; and sometimes a risk of losing something is enough to make you take action. Hearing is something we never really take that seriously.
Sure, we’d wear sunglasses to protect our eyes from the sun, and SPF to protect our skin, but what about our ears? The British Medical Journal has reported that 1.1 billion young people worldwide are at risk of hearing loss from unsafe listening practices, and if you regularly go to gigs and festivals where the sound can reach 120 decibels or higher, you’re at risk of irreversible hearing loss and tinnitus. As someone who loves to go out clubbing, I started taking my hearing seriously when I had a constant high-pitched ringing in my ears for 3 days straight – for no apparent reason. After self-diagnosing myself with potential tinnitus and after watching a few YouTube videos about how to cope with it, the ringing started to disappear, and I felt relieved and quite fortunate. It was quite a wake up call for someone who loves music so much…
I remember when I first started to go clubbing and seeing some fellow dancers put in the not-very-attractive fluoro coloured foam ear plugs. You’d see people point them out and comment on them, and in all honesty I had a lot of respect for them using the earplugs, but I rarely used them myself as I didn’t want to attract attention and for anyone to think anything less of me – as silly as that sounds. I attached a very ‘uncool’ geeky image to these earplugs, and I now realise that that was a big mistake.
Within the last few years, I’ve found myself amongst fellow raving friends and I’ve noticed a few of them wearing better-looking ear plugs. I asked what they were wearing, did some research, and eventually came across Loop Earplugs.
These babies are designed to reduce sound without affecting sound quality – by mimicking your ears’ acoustical function. This patented technology combines an acoustic channel with mesh, to reduce ambient sounds by 18 dB while keeping sound crisp and clear. Plus, those fluoro colours only add to any rave or festival 'fit.
They're stylish, jewellery-like earplugs – and very easy to put in. I gave them a go on a night out, and haven’t looked back since. They're definitely on my Glastonbury packing list.
There are plenty of different options that vary in the amount of sound they take out, meaning you can choose how much of the world you want to let in. Once you've decided, I'd recommend you attach a set to your keys, or buy the Loop Link to put them around your neck – as you'll actually find yourself using them more than you think.
The best thing about using these earplugs on a night out is that you can literally have a normal conversation with a mate whilst the music carries on in the same space. If someone is shouting down your ear in conversation, it no longer hurts – and when you do take the earplugs out as you leave, you really do notice how much sound you are blocking out. Plus you won't have any of that ringing in your ear the next day.
Don't get me wrong, there has been a couple of times where I've wanted to take them out mid-rave – as I either felt too conscious in what people would think of me, or I noticed a difference in volume (because I've become so accustom to the loudness!). But if you're off to a festival this summer, I urge you to give it a try. So much so, you might just end up trying them out in different scenarios (if your partner snores like mine, then the Loop Quiet 2 earplugs will be a godsend).
It's the protection and comfort I didn't know I needed. I really wish I had started using earplugs properly in my early 20's – hopefully this is a trend that doesn't go quiet.
Loop earplugs start from £19.95 and are available from loopearplugs.com.