Heartech Earplugs

Heartech Earplugs - Ear Plugs: SilentEar, QuietEar, FliteMate Earplugs

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I'm a big believer in wearing earplugs.  I lost part of my hearing as a result of what could basically be called ignorance on my part.  Plenty of rock concerts in the '60's and '70's, working in a really loud machine shop and riding motorcycles!  

But I'm more mature now, so I know better, right? (Right!).  And now that I know what it means to lose hearing AND have a constant ringing (tinnitus) in my ears, I sure wish I took better care of my hearing back then. 

Because once it's gone, it's gone.  No getting it back.  That's why I'd really like to keep what hearing I have left, so I always wear earplugs whenever I'm involved in any activity that creates harmful noise.  

If you've read any of the webBikeWorld helmet reviews, you'll notice the reminders that I always wear earplugs when wearing the helmets. 

I never ride a motorcycle without earplugs (or a helmet!) -- it's just too noisy, no matter what type of helmet you're wearing, and that's just the type of noise that can eventually cause permanent damage to your hearing .  A good set of earplugs, when worn correctly, can tame the racket inside the noisiest of helmets. 

Any helmet with good ventilation will also usually have relatively higher noise levels; increasing the vent area usually means more noise can intrude into the helmet.  But earplugs can definitely help mitigate the increased noise.

It may take a while to get used to wearing earplugs and incorporating them into your riding routine, but once you do, I'll bet you'll find that motorcycling will become a more enjoyable experience.  Because high noise levels also add stress, and who needs more of that?  

It's a fact of nature that ear canals come in all different shapes and sizes, and you've probably noticed that earplugs also vary in their size and materials.  So it pays to try different types of earplugs and find the ones that provide the best fit.  You may try a single brand and find that it is either uncomfortable or that it doesn't decrease the noise levels as well as another type. 

I've also found that some earplugs may either not fit well enough to adequately block the noise, or they may protrude from your ear just enough to touch the helmet liner.  Not only can this cause discomfort, it can also actually increase the apparent noise levels, as the earplug becomes a conduit for noise and vibration right to your inner ear.  

Which brings us to these Heartech earplugs, which have a couple of unique features.  They are available in 3 sizes: small, medium and large (photo left) to fit most any ear canal.  They are also designed so that they won't protrude from your ear, making it unlikely that they will touch the helmet liner.  

Also, I've found that the Heartech earplugs are much easier to insert than most of the disposable types and you can also insert them without touching the part that goes in your ear.  The disposables have to be rolled up prior to insertion into your ear.  

Rolling up a disposable earplug with dirty hands is not advisable, because even the smallest amount of dirt seems to get transferred to the earplugs, which then gets a one-way trip into the inner ear.  But it's hard to keep your hands clean when riding, especially if you've just completed a roadside repair!

To insert the Heartech earplugs, you grab one of the three "handles", and twist the earplug as you insert it.  As with any other type of earplug, it helps to reach around the back of your head with the other hand and pull the ear to fully open the ear canal.  You may also find that opening your mouth makes earplug insertion a bit easier also.  The Heartech plugs go in with about a half-twist.

The Heartech earplugs are available in three models.  The "SilentEar" earplugs have the highest noise reduction rating (NRR) of 34.  This is about the highest rating you'll find for any type of earplug.  I recommend the SilentEar earplugs for motorcycle riding.  

Heartech also makes the "QuietEar", which has an NRR of 22.  The QuietEar allows normal conversation to be heard, but protects from louder noise.  The QuietEar has a tiny hole in the end that allows it to "breathe", helping to make it comfortable to wear.  

In the photo (left), the QuietEar is on the left, and the SilentEar is on the right.  You can just see the tiny hole in the top of the blue QuietEar. 

Heartech also makes a version of these earplugs called the "FliteMate".  They are a patented design that helps reduce the pain sometimes felt from the variation in cabin pressure when taking off or landing, and they also reduce overall cabin noise.

The Heartech QuietEar and FliteMate earplugs are available either as single pairs, or in a "Family Pack" that includes one pair each of sizes small, medium and large.  The SilentEar model is sold in single pairs only.  

All Heartech earplugs are made from 100% silicone, so they are comfortable and long-lasting.  One of the benefits of using the Heartech earplugs is that they can be easily washed with some water and a tiny bit of soap, and they should last a long time.  I'm not too fond of throwing away a pair of foam disposables after every use or two, as they do not readily degrade and so are bad for the environment.  The Heartech earplugs also come with a handy little travel case to store them when not in use.

My wife tried the Heartech SilentEar earplugs and she really likes them; she finds that they are more comfortable and fit better than the PuraFit 6800 disposables which we both normally wear.  The SilentEar earplugs don't protrude from her ear like other earplugs she's tried, so she's happy.

However, my right ear canal is bigger than my left.  I've always had problems finding an earplug that will "fill" my right ear canal well enough to block the noise.  The only solution I've found so far is to insert a PuraFit (green earplug, photo left) earplug in reverse, and it's just big enough to work, because the big end is about 13mm (1/2") wide (think about that -- that's a BIG hole going into my head!). 

Having that big, flat end stuck in my ear isn't too comfortable though.  The largest size Heartech earplug is a bit too small for me -- they work fine in my left ear, but they don't quite seal my right ear enough to completely block all of the noise. 

You may want to purchase the family pack so that you'll have a choice of earplug sizes, because if an earplug doesn't fit correctly, the full benefit of its noise reducing capabilities will not be apparent.

The Heartech earplugs are worth a try, with the only caveat that it's hard to tell which size will fit your ear canal correctly, and the range of fit for each Heartech size is not as large as the range for a compressible disposable earplug, especially a tapered earplug like the PuraFit 6800's.  The Heartech earplugs are comfortable, will last a long time, they're washable and they fit nicely under a helmet because they're designed to fit flush with most ears.

3 Pairs Flitemate $13.50; 3 Pairs Quietear $13.50; 3 Pairs Silentear $18.75.  The shipping and handling charge is now $3.50 (up from $3.25).  For more information, contact Heartech.

Every earplug order from Heartech now includes a keychain earplug holder.  This plastic earplug holder has a screw-on cap and is perfect for storing a pair of Heartech earplugs.  Keeps them handy and clean in between uses.