Best Motorcycle Earplugs- Motorcycle News

Motorcycle News - Best Motorcycle Earplugs

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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.  

Motorcycles And Hearing Loss

Until recently, your primary choice for protecting your ears was the faithful foam earplug. The good news is that, when properly inserted, they work better than just about anything else at lessening the intensity of the sound reaching your ears. However, they have some shortcomings. First, if improperly inserted, their effectiveness is radically lessened. Second, many riders feel that the uneven damping of frequencies make sounds muffled and unclear.

Currently, we’re experiencing a Gold Rush of new earplugs directed towards powersports and other noisy activities. These new generation earplugs have actually been tuned for the frequencies they attenuate, making it possible for riders to protect their ears and still be able to carry on a conversation at a stoplight. 

Read on to find what earplugs are available for riders.

Pinlock Earplugs

Many riders are familiar with the Pinlock anti-fog visor inserts, but few know about the company’s earplugs. Constructed out of medical grade silicone-free materials the flanged earplugs are inserted into the ear canal to form a seal. Pinlock claims the earplugs are all-day comfortable thanks, in part, to the two sizes included in the product box. The protection comes from an “advanced precision filter” that limits the wind noise that can damage hearing while still allowing the frequencies that deliver important information – like sirens, horns, or other road users. Riders should also be able to hear conversations with these plugs in place. Even with those capabilities, the filters are rated at a CE certified 24 decibels of suppression. 

Pinlock earplugs retail for $26.95. Learn more about them at the Pinlock website.

Eargasm Earplugs

Eargasm earplugs have been around since 2015. As with many of the earplugs that utilize attenuation filters, the big selling point for Eargasm plugs is their flat frequency response that leads to the sound not being muffled despite the 20 decibel drop in volume. The packaging and the included aluminum carrying case add to the premium feel of these earplugs.

Eargasm earplugs retail for $29.88 and are also available in small sizes. Visit the Eargasm website for more information.

Hearos Earplugs

Welcome to Old School hearing protection. Just because Hearos foam earplugs don’t use fancy filters to damp the sound intensity doesn’t mean that time has marched on, leaving them behind. If you’re looking for the highest amount of noise-reduction you can buy, Hearos claims a rating of NRR 33, the highest attenuation in this buyer’s guide.  A word of caution, though: The protection offered by foam earplugs is highly dependent on proper insertion in the ear canal.

Hearos are available in a wide variety of color and softness options. The package shown features 56 pair of earplugs for $14.99. Learn more at the Hearos website. 

NoNoise Motorsport Earplugs

NoNoise earplugs claim that their filters are “precisely tuned for optimum attenuation at the frequencies required by motorsport enthusiasts, particularly motorcyclists.” The ceramic filters are directed at the frequencies where motorcyclists can potentially suffer the most damage from wind and road noise, while still making important things like conversations and sirens unmuffled. According to NoNoise, the earplugs feature an “independently measured mean sound attenuation (EN352-2:2002) is 29.6dB at the higher (most damaging) frequencies.”

The silicone-free flanged NoNoise earplugs retail for $29.95. The NoNoise website has more information. 

Alpine MotoSafe Race Earplugs

Alpine MotoSafe Race Earplugs allow riders to hear important information, such as traffic, intercom systems, and the motorcycle’s engine, while still providing high attenuation of potentially damaging sounds. The earplugs themselves are constructed of silicone-free AlpineThermoShape material that molds to the ear canal as it warms under use, delivering a comfortable fit. Alpine claims that MotoSafe earplugs are the only ones on the market with soft filters for better fit in ears and under a helmet.

The Alpine MotoSafe Race Earplugs offer approximately 20-dB of noise reduction for a $19.95 retail price and ship with a zippered storage case. Learn about the MotoSafe line of earplugs at the Alpine website. 

Etymotic ER-20XS High-Fidelity Earplugs

Etymotic is widely known within the music industry for making high-fidelity earplugs, earbuds, and ear monitors for much longer than many of the other filtered earplugs now on the market. (I have been riding with them for years since I was never happy with how foam plugs fit in my ear canals.) The Etymotic ER-20XS High-Fidelity Earplugs are a new form-factor that sit closer to the ear and work much better with helmets than the previous model. Each earplug reduces the sound intensity by 20-dB across the spectrum of frequencies that the ear can detect. Essentially, you hear everything the same – only quieter. The flanged earplugs are available in standard and large fit to accommodate different ear canal sizes.

Etymotic ER-20XS High-Fidelity Earplugs are priced at $19.95. Learn more about their products at the Etymotic website.

Custom Molded Earplugs

At many motorcycle events, you may have seen people getting brightly colored goo injected into their auditory canal. Custom earplugs will only fit the unique ear shape of their owner, giving them easier insertion and a perfect fit for maximum attenuation of noise. Like with foam plugs, some people feel that these solid custom plugs mute the sound too much, making it hard to hear things that riders want to hear, such as approaching traffic or conversation at a stop. Still, it’s hard to argue with earplugs made specifically to fit your unique ear canals.

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May 17, 2018 at 10:14PM