#loop engage earplugs

[spicy-flower]

I've used my Loop Switch pair for about a month now, and I'm happy to say that they've been working well for me. There are some things that I am less keen on, but overall it's a good product.

TL;DR: have been great for navigating overwhelming and loud scenarios, for focusing, and other tasks. Occlusion effect may bother some more than others, but overall they're pretty good. A bit pricey, but if you can afford it I think it's worth it.

(full review under the cut)

Design

I like the sleek design (the earplugs aren’t visible from the front) and the portable case. Because both the earplugs and case are small (although this is to be expected) I feel I am prone to losing them, but alas that goes for most things as well. There's a small, stretchy loop on the case which fits well on my lanyard for school.

I have seen some reviews mention that because the “switch” feature makes the earplugs bulkier they are uncomfortable for them. Personally I haven’t found this to be a problem and I think they're pretty comfortable, but I also haven’t been wearing them for very long periods of time which may make a difference.

The ear tips are really hard to put on and I really struggled with it, but I found my fit pretty easily (Small).

Function

Occlusion: The occlusion effect is noticeable and I’m weirdly self conscious about it, but I think it’s a small price to pay compared to overstimulation.

Switching feature: There is definitely a difference between the settings. I think it would be fine to order the Engage and Quiet separately as I don’t see much of a use for the Experience mode - it’s very close to the Engage setting in terms of reduction. However I understand the appeal (and agree myself) of having multiple modes in one, it’s just more convenient.

Personally I wish the Quiet mode had higher noise canceling, and the Engage mode was just a little bit lighter because in most situations it’s a bit too heavy. Then the Experience mode would fit better in the middle.

Use Scenarios

Sleep: I actually have no use for sleeping in these because it’s very quiet where I live, but I decided to try them out for the purpose of this review. I lasted maybe 30 minutes wearing them but the ringing that I hear in quiet places was amplified way too much. They seem perfectly fine in terms of comfort but I have no idea how they are for the entirety of the night.

Grocery Shopping: Grocery shopping is a nightmare for me with all of the bright sounds and repetitive and/or overlapping noises. After wearing them a few times they’ve been a great help, but I get a bit anxious because people’s voices are still difficult to discern from the background noise and I have no idea how loud I’m talking. This becomes more of an issue when shopping with family members/others, but would be fine if I’m alone.

School cafeteria: These have been such a lifesaver in the cafeteria. Although I do have to say I avoid wearing them while eating (mouth noises are way too loud), after I finish I can talk to the people around me while feeling much less overwhelmed.

School hallways: I also wear them in the school hallways sometimes, and they work well.

Focusing: I wish they blocked out more noise, but much better than nothing.

Very sorry if any of my writing is confusing!

[goldkirk]

OKAY WAIT i saw your analysis on the loop earplugs!!! i've been needing something like this! i think i'm going to get a pair of Engage plus, and would need them for when i'm out and about. what was the experience like wearing them: -in a public place? (grocery store community park) -listening to music (was it out loud?? were you wearing headphones (that one kinda stumped me lol) ) -in a quiet conversation? -in a loud conversation? when i get these, they're mostly to help me sleep/go out in places where i usually get overstimulated for long periods of time. once again, thanks so much for this! <3

MY FRIEND YOU ARE IN LUCK, just last week I got the Experience ones and some Loop Mutes to use with them (and my Engage ones), so I actually can give some useful info.

If we use a scale where 0 is no sound reduction at all, and 10 is the maximum you can get, I'd say the Engage is a 4/10, the Experience are a 5-6/10, and the Quiet are a 7-9/10 (depending on your environment).

The Engage are definitely better for hearing people in conversation, and definitely reduce the occlusion effect where you hear your voice/chewing/walking loudly somewhat (it's still there plenty, though!). They turn down the sounds around you but still make you feel like you're hearing all the things you need to hear for safety and for conversation.

The Experience are very like the Engage, but it's not as easy to hear conversation. Music sounds significantly better through the Experience compared to the Engage, but I can't put my finger on why. They seem to lower maybe a little more sound than the Engage. I haven't worn them next to something like a busy road yet, so I can't say for sure.

The Quiets are soooooooo nice for sleeping and significant focus, but the occlusion is definitely worse. These don't have any kind of accoustic filter, they're just solid silicone. They're very soft and comfortable. I would not feel safe navigating in public with these most of the time, whereas I would with the Engage or Experience.

The Loop Mute (which the Experience Pro and the Engage Pro both come with) definitely increases the sound lowering when you pop it into the Loops. It takes the sound much closer to the Loop Quiet level than the Engage and Experience normally are, although they're still going to let in sound a bit more than the Quiet. It's really handy to be able to pop in a bit of extra sound reduction--I like using it when I need to focus or when I'm mentally starting the 1-2 hour wind down for the night, but I'm not ready to put the Quiet earplugs in yet and go to bed.

In loud conversation, I found it doable with the Experience, and pretty easy with the Engage. In quiet conversation, the Engage made me a lot more likely to hear the other person clearly, but there were a few moments where I still struggled--not badly though. The Experience make it harder to hear quiet conversation.

Music-wise, things definitely sound cleaner/crisper/clearer through the Experience, but still sound acceptable through the Engage. The Quiets are obviously like listening with earplugs in, so the sounds are muffled and not as clear. I listened to music out loud via a speaker and it was fine, and live today in the city and it was fine, and I put on my over-the-ear headphones and listened, and it comes through fine too, although you have to put the volume up pretty high.

Using them in public--definitely they help a lot. It's not like they muffle the sound around you (the Quiets do, but I mean the Engage and Experience), it's that they just turn it down and somewhat filter it so it's much more in order of importance. When I popped in the Engage earplugs in the grocery store, the overhead music and background clatter went down to very low awareness levels, and the shrillness of a kid's voice several aisles over was still clear but somehow less grating? And I could hear everything I needed to hear but only what was more relevant. When I'm on the sidewalk, I hear the cars and people and other noises, but the overall background NOISE is way reduced. It's much easier to think my thoughts and be in my head with my attention not being pulled around by all the sounds all the time. (It's also helped my PTSD hypervigilance and reactivity too because of that.)

If you're a front or side sleeper, you won't be comfortable in the Engage or Experience ones at night. The Quiet ones that are soft silicone are more comfortable.

Hope this is helpful! If you have more specific questions let me know, I'm happy to answer. :)

EDIT:

Got frustrated trying to find a discount code for more than 3% so I signed up for their Loop Community thing and got a referral link for 15% off if any of you want it. Since it’s a link and not a coupon code it shouldn’t expire.

For transparency purposes:

[trafficpan-ic]

Loop earplugs are the life saver i didnt know I need

Is this how other people hear?

[elvencantation]

did not realize how awesome these were until i wore them at work! sharp sounds don’t make me flinch anymore it’s amazing. it is a bit hard to hear stuff when im talking since it amplifies my voice in my head but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ the relaxation is worth it

not sure how much they’ll help with general overstimulation since my most notable episode was triggered by children in the store being all stinky and sticky and loud and up in my personal space… but i guess we’ll see! i’ve been trying to keep an eye out so it won’t get to that level again 🤞

[jay-is-here2]

For people thinking about buying the loop earplugs, here's a 15% discount! (I'm doing the referral challenge thing so I can get points on my account 😭)

[jay8934]

Got loop engage earplugs because I hate noise when I'm trying to focus on stuff and omg they're so damn good they literally block the sound but not all the sound and I love them totally planning on asking for the expensive switch ones for my birthday

[stal3bread]

Do the Flare Calmers actually do anything? I have Loop Engages but I don't wear them that much because they make my voice sound so weird in my head, and regulating my volume is already something I struggle with. I like the amount they reduce noise by though. I'm thinking of getting the Flare Calmer because I've heard they don't cause that issue of your voice sounding super loud in your head with them in, but do they actually help? Do you find yourself less overstimulated when you wear them out? I don't want to spend 25 Euros on something that won't do anything.

[visdiefje]

Always so sad when a product that changes other people's daily lives doesn't do the same for you... I know everyone's different but can I be the same here please

[uhhisthisthingon]

does anyone have a pair of these???? I don’t want to spend $40 and realize I can’t wear them because I can’t hear at all !! I just think they’d help me significantly with sensory overload at work

[boomerang109]

spent my birthday money on replacing my loops cause somehow i lost them and this world is too loud

[cripplecryptid]

Had to sell my festival ticket so now I've bought myself a pair of nice earplugs for social settings as a treat instead <3

[glitchdecay]

good news: i watched the haikyuu!! movie. it was great!!

bad news: there is no bad news i might have missed a few posts in the dashboard is all

[marylynbirds]

My birthday is next Wednesday and I celebrated with my family today bc of scheduling. I got a few books and also loop engage earplugs! I'm so excited to try them soon! I expect they will be very nice when we have to work individually in class but people are chatting. Or when I'm trying to study/work in common areas at uni or my internship!

[panuccispizza]

this is an accessibility aid post for neurodivergent people, because I feel bad keeping this information to myself.

https://us.loopearplugs.com/

^ these are loop earplugs and they help you manage sound, these work great for migraines and people with sound sensitivity bc of autism/trauma/anxiety, etc. they come with multiple sized ear tips and the sound muffler silicone ring. I bought the loop engage plus, I'm a very burnt out + overwhelmed person. these make my annoying clock go away without me having to take out the batteries.

https://www.flareaudio.com/en-us/collections/calmer

^ flare earplugs, but I consider them more ear funnels? they allow more airflow into your ears for clearer sound. these work great for tinnitus, anxiety and autistic people. I haven't tried these yet and they have a lot less reviews on tiktok compared to loop.

if you need to search out cheaper brands I've only seen alternatives similar to loop on Amazon, look into decibels and your daily life needs, especially if you work. I feel my engage pro is great for daily home life with older children, pets, natural noises in your day, school, or work. but in a louder work setting like a factory, construction, daycare, or a theme park, I'm afraid these wouldn't work as good as experience might. I recommend checking out tiktok + reddit reviews if you're unsure.

[elibeeline]

The Christmas present i ordered early November finally arrived!!

[cleolinda]

Yeah, I’ll reblog things here and there, I have things in the queue. But I am pretty numb right now. And angry. And then numb again to save myself from my blood pressure. I feel like the next step is to just feel numb and angry and betrayed and helpless, just live on through it until I reach a different set of emotions. I don’t feel capable of feeling or doing anything else right now, and that’s okay. It’s okay to say, I will feel something more productive later. It just can’t be today.

I’m gonna remove a paragraph here that included the words “turns to ashes in their mouths.”

I misplaced my Loop earplugs several months ago, and though the budget is kind of tight, I have “splurged” on a pair of Engage 2 Plus (extra muting), so that I don’t have to hear ambient Fox News bullshit while trying to live my life. Like, that’s the kind of Productive Action I am taking today. Now I’m gonna go drink some water and take some more Tylenol for the fever I’m currently running. Take care of yourselves.