Ear Plugs - Hearing Protection 

Everything you need to know about ear plugs, earplugs, hearing protection, wearing earplugs, sources for earplugs, or earplugs and motorcycling!

Riding a motorcycle creates a lot of noise, even when wearing a full-face helmet.  Depending upon circumstances and the helmet's design, wearing a helmet may actually increase the noise level!  I have lost hearing in my left ear and I have a very annoying and constant ringing in that ear and some ringing in the right ear. 

Granted, it's not all due to riding a motorcycle -- some of it is due to working as a machinist in a very loud shop and some of it is due to a misspent youth in the '60's and early '70's...but let's not go there!  

The fact is that earplugs, when worn properly, can greatly reduce the noise level of riding.  They can help save your hearing and also reduce some of the stresses of long-distance riding.  Remember, once your hearing is lost, it is lost forever. 

Wearing earplugs whilst riding motorcycles can make your ride much more enjoyable; if you've never worn them, you won't believe how much less stressful it is to ride without wind noise drumming in your brain!  And earplugs can make a noisy helmet much quieter.

Helmet Noise:  See the wBW Motorcycle Helmet Noise reference page to learn how to attenuate helmet noise

wBW Recommended Ear Plug Brands:  See the right-hand column on this page for links to our earplug reviews; EAR E-A-Rsoft Grippers are our current favorites!  |  Many motorcyclists recommend earplugs by either E.A.R., Howard Leight or Moldex (see descriptions and photos below).  Of the many styles of disposable earplugs made by Howard Leight, there are three that are recommended: the Max, the Max-Lite, and the Laser Lite.  Moldex makes a disposable called the Moldex Pura-fit 6800.  This is the earplug I have been using.  Remember that every ear canal is different, so try several types until you find the one that works best for you.  wBW recommends earplugs that you purchase earplugs with at least a 30 dB noise attenuation (see the Howard Leight link above).  Make sure your earplugs are tested in accordance with ANSI S3.19-1974. 

Latest wBW Ear Plug Reviews:  Noise Reduction Earphones  |  Mack's silicone ear plugs and disposables reviewed  |  Six new disposable ear plugs reviewed  |  Lucy Dell's sample pack of earplugs

Disposable Ear Plug Fitting Instructions:  It is important to make sure your earplugs are inserted and fit properly, or you won't get the full benefit of their noise attenuation.  Here's a nice .pdf poster from 3M that illustrates how to wear earplugs.

Before fitting any ear plugs, make sure your hands are clean!  Hold the ear plug between your thumb and forefinger.  Roll and compress the entire ear plug to a small, crease-free cylinder. 

While still rolling, use your other hand to reach over your head and pull up and back on your outer ear.  This is important!  This straightens the ear canal, making way for a snug fit.  Sometimes it helps to hold your mouth and throat open whilst inserting the earplugs.

Insert the ear plug and hold for a few seconds. This allows the ear plug to expand and fill the ear canal.  When properly inserted, the ambient sound level should drop way down as the earplugs expand.  You'll feel like the "world's closing in on you" as some have mentioned.  If you can cup your hands over your ears and the noise seems to decrease, your ear plugs are probably not fitted properly. Remove and refit following instructions. 

Always remove ear plugs slowly, twisting them to break the seal. If you remove them too quickly, you could damage your ear drum!  Foam ear plugs are disposable and are not supposed to be re-used, but I usually can wear the same pair anywhere from two to four or so times without problems.

Noise Levels, Hearing and Motorcycles:  John Allen's interesting page "A Bicyclist's Sense of Hearing" has some good information on hearing, headphone types and headphone laws  |  A summary of a study that describes the sources of motorcycle helmet noise 

Hearing Protection and Earplug Resources:  U.S. Department of Labor information on the effects of hearing loss and prevention  |  The Tinnitus and Hyperacusis site has information about tinnitus (and hyperacusis) and an interesting retraining therapy that can be used in some cases (Thanks to JS!)   |  The Mayo Clinic on Tinnitus  |  This study comparing laboratory NRR ratings of commercially available disposable earplugs vs. field testing NRR results doesn't always load correctly, but may be useful  |  "The Naked Truth About NRR's" is a .pdf file from EAR Inc.

Custom Made Ear Plugs:  wBW Visitor "P.L." writes:  "I've been a professional recording engineer and live soundman and (the EAR Inc. Sonic Valve earplugs) are the best earplugs! A great number of 'roadies' swear by them also."; the Sonic Valves come in standard or custom-fit varieties  |  DIY Custom Plugs are apparently no longer in business, but you can still "do it yourself" custom molded ear plugs at a very reasonable price with this kit  |  DIY Earplugs has custom molded ear plugs and disposable ear plugs in the UK

Earplugs and Speakers for Music:  PodFitKit is a silicone mold that fits around the speakers for an iPod or MP3 player and is claimed to help block background noise  |  Comply in the Ear makes noise reduction earphones that claim 42dB (NR-1) or 48dB (NR-10) noise reduction and a signal boost for listening to music  |  wBW Visitor B.Y. developed an interesting solution which combines hearing protection with the ability to listen to music  |  Rock 'n Roll Hearos or Hi-Fi Hearos are designed to be worn at concerts, but may also work with helmet speakers

Earplugs in the News:  California at one time was going to pass a law banning earplug use while riding.  See the California Earplug page for more information  |  Recently, there have been reports of California police officers ticketing motorcyclists for wearing earplugs.  It was assumed that this was a new law that had recently been passed.  But sources have now informed us that this law has been on the books in California since January of 1986!  The California law prohibits motorcyclists from wearing earplugs.  This wBW information page has a copy of the law as it is written; can you decipher it?

Moldex:  We have found the Moldex Pura-fit 6800 to be very soft and comfortable.  These are the earplugs we use almost all of the time when riding.  According to the box, they have a noise  attenuation of 32.8 to 43.9 dB, depending upon frequency.  They are very comfortable and barely noticeable when inserted properly. 

Rick says: "The only problem is that they may be a bit too small in diameter for some ear canals.  I have solved this problem by inserting them 'backwards', that is, I insert the larger end of the tapered plug first.  This works well for me, although the blunt end can sometimes be felt.  I can tell when they are properly inserted, as I can really hear the ambient noise level decrease dramatically when they expand in my ear."  Information about Moldex earplugs can be found on the Moldex website. 

Sources for Earplugs: U.K. -  All Earplugs carries Mack's brand earplugs and they ship world wide  |  Lucy Dell Earplugs sells many types of earplugs, including Howard Leight, Moldex Purafit 6800, down filled eaplugs and more; they also are a supplier of earplugs to the U.K. police; see the wBW Review of Lucy Dell's sample pack of earplugs  |  Earplugs.gb.com carries many different brands of earplugs and other products  |   Carbtune in the U.K. has Howard Leight and EAR  |  Snorestore carries Mack's brand of earplugs  |  Worldwide -  Hear-Tech earplugs are sold in many countries; inexpensive shipping to anywhere in the world; see the wBW review of Heartech Earplugs