Designer earplugs are becoming the hottest accessory of the summer, as Generation Z are shelling out up to £60 for a pair to protect their hearing at gigs and festivals.
While for years earplugs have been made of foam, come in unflattering colors and sold in packs of 100 for around £5, fancier silicone models have taken social media by storm as earplug fans music promise to prioritize hearing well-being and say they help. everyday life.
TikTok and Instagram are full of people showing off their Loop earplugs, which could be mistaken for jewelry, with some people revealing they own multiple pairs.
While for years they were mainly worn by couples of snorers, sound technicians and roadies, in stylish silicone mode, now people wear them at concerts, raves and festivals; people share that they have several pairs for different activities.
Others on TikTok, who describe themselves as “neurospicy,” meaning they may live with ADHD or autism, say it helps them with anxiety from everyday noise.
Designer earplugs are becoming the hottest accessory of the summer, as Generation Z are shelling out up to £60 for a pair to protect their hearing at gigs and festivals.
TikTok and Instagram are full of people showing off their Loop earplugs, which could be mistaken for jewelry, with some people revealing they own multiple pairs.
People have shared examples of having multiple pairs of earplugs.
Loop, the market leader in upgraded headphones, has four models. The Quiet – best for sleeping – the Engage – best for conversations, social gatherings, parenting and noise sensitivities.
There’s also the Experience 2, ideal for concerts and festivals, and the Switch, which is “3 in 1” and controlled by a switch that allows customers to switch between engagement, experience and mute modes.
The main difference between each earbuds is the amount of noise they block. The silent model reduces sound by a signal-to-noise ratio of 24 decibels, which effectively means that in a 100-decibel environment, you will only hear 86 decibels.
The average noise volume at a concert or festival is around 100 decibels, while a normal conversation is around 55 decibels.
Sounds above 70 decibels will damage hearing if listened to for a long period of time, according to the Heading Health Foundation.
The Loop Engage product is said to “filter out background noise” by blocking up to 16 dB, while allowing users to still hear others speak. The Experience Plus is said to filter out noise by 17 dB, meaning you can listen to music at concerts but it filters out some of the crowd noise.
They block much less than typical foam earplugs, which leak about 37 dB; However, many have complained that this can make you feel like you are underwater and muffle the sound of a live concert.
With Loops, each pair comes in a stylish Airpod-style case, with different sizes to allow customers to change the ear tip to find the perfect fit.
Some users are even shelling out an extra £20 for a ‘Loop link’, a lanyard that helps them avoid getting lost.
Others have shared that they have several pairs in different colors, and Loop has even collaborated with the Tomorrowland festival to offer special edition colors for festival goers.
Loop, the market leader in upgraded headphones, has four models. Two of which are Quiet (best for sleeping) and Engage (best for conversations, social gatherings, parenting, and noise sensitivities).
People have shown off their earplugs, and many say they are a jewelry-like accessory.
Others have listed Loops as an ‘Eras Tour essential’, prompting thousands of Taylor Swift fans to purchase them before attending her record-breaking $1 billion world tour.
A rival brand to Loop is Eargasm, whose earplugs cost £63.45 a pair and have similar marketing. Their products offer around 21 dB of noise reduction.
There’s also Set NZ, which costs £17.00 a pair and comes in a stylish metal box among dozens of other brands.
The move towards ear health comes as the World Health Organization warned that one billion people under the age of 36 are at risk of hearing loss due to live music and other activities.
The move towards the so-called “experience economy” after the pandemic is also partly due to the increase in the earplug business.
Loop Earplugs co-founder Maarten Bodewes said the success is undoubtedly due to this.
One fan shared a photo of her wearing Loops while watching a race car drive.
Others have been shared wearing earplugs at clubs and festivals.
Loop says they are the ‘holy grail’ of festivals
Pictured: how noisy different objects are.
“Think about it: when you ask older people what is most important in life, it is always the moments they have shared and the bonds they have formed that illuminate their memories, not the things they have bought,” he told Entrepeneur magazine. . .
Bodewes and his co-founder Dimitri O, who have been friends since childhood, founded the company after they both suffered from tinnitus after a lifetime of going to see live music.
They said they tried “every earplug on the market” and couldn’t find any that could offer “protection, comfort and style.”
The gamble clearly paid off. The company generated $100 million in sales in 2023 and was named No. 18 on Fast Company’s list of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies in 2024.
Others have listed Loops as an ‘Eras Tour essential’, prompting thousands of Taylor Swift fans to purchase them before attending her record-breaking $1 billion world tour.
Women’s Health named them “Eras Tour essentials,” while hundreds of reviews say they were able to “still enjoy the concert” without damaging their ears.
One TikToker called KC Davis, a US podcaster, said she uses them “with her kids,” while others say they use them to sleep. Another American mother, Shannon Noelle, said she wears them while she drives, which helps protect her ears when her children scream.
Another, called Zoe, from Singapore, says she wears them to cafes because the noise is “overwhelming” and recommends buying a pair for concerts.