If you haven’t already heard about Loop earplugs and its many good reviews, which corner of the internet have you been lurking in? They are not your ordinary ear plugs; made of silicone, each variant has been carefully designed and moulded to contain certain decibels of noise, depending on your needs.
There are five variants: Quiet 2, Engage 2, Experience 2, Switch 2, and the newest one, Dream. The Quiet, Engage, and Experience variants also come in “Plus” options, which are boosted versions of each variant—just in case you needed more ear protection. Quiet was one of the OGs, designed to block out most noise and allow you better focus. Engage offers relief from everyday noise but allows you to have clear and focused conversations, while Experience is for people who are often in loud environments such as night clubs and concerts, as it offers hearing protection while still allowing you to experience the music. The Switch, as its name suggests, is a three-in-one that allows you to switch between Quiet, Engage, and Experience—so you don’t have to carry all three around. The Dream is Loop’s latest release, designed specifically for sleepy time with the most powerful noise reduction and soft silicone loops for more comfort, especially for side-sleepers.
In this review, I will be focusing on the Quiet 2, Engage 2, and Experience 2 earplugs after wearing them for more than two months. Each set of earplugs come with four ear tip sizes (XS, S, M, and L), but the real fun in these Loops are the different colours they come in. They also have distinct colour finishes on the loops so you can quickly identify them, which is especially useful if you own a few: the opaque matte ones are the Quiet, the transparent ones are Engage, and the Experience comes in a metallic finish.
On the Quiet 2
The Loop Quiet 2 earplugs, according to the website, is “made for deeper focus, calmer travel, and napping” and also muffles unwanted noise. It provides 24 dB (SNR) of noise reduction, which is supposedly great for getting into your own bubble to focus. To me, these are direct replacements of your traditional disposable foam earplugs but better; because you can reuse them, and they’re made of high quality silicone.
What I use it for
I was particularly excited about putting the Quiet 2 earplugs to use, as I live next to a major highway and often get disrupted sleep from zooming vehicles in the middle of the night. I would say that it worked for the most part, but I realise that I don’t actually enjoy sleeping with earplugs nightly. I have also tried using it to improve focus while at work, but the love to yap while in the office makes the Quiet 2s just ever slightly redundant.
However, after two months, I’ve found several perfect occasions to use the Quiet 2 earplugs. One is fairly niche: when I’m walking on the tarmac to my airplane, especially if I’m at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport. Others include sleeping in a new place, such as a hotel room; or when I’m trying to nap during the day and there’s major construction happening outside (true story).
On the Engage 2
Call it growing old, TikTok-diagnosed autism, or ADHD, but I can’t take noises like I used to. In my daily edition of What’s Wrong With Me Today?, I recently found out that noise triggers vertigo, an ailment I started experiencing two years ago. Walking through a shopping mall–an activity that any Malaysian wouldn’t bat an eye on–suddenly became more difficult. Visual and auditory triggers are aplenty, which made my vision spin. It’s not a fun experience. While most people remedy this by wearing headphones, I personally do not go down that route as I still want to be aware of my surroundings—just without the jarring sounds that come with it. The Loop Engage 2 claims to filter background noise by 16 dB (SNR) for more present socialising.
What I use it for
Any place that has a cacophony of sounds–shopping malls, buzzy restaurants and cafes, flea markets, touristy streets–will have me taking out my Loop Engage 2s in preparation mode. The first few times I used it, I honestly did not feel a difference; or rather, I did not know what the difference was. I could still hear the surrounding sounds and I could still hold a conversation. 16dB, in theory, is not very loud. For comparison, regular breathing is 10dB and the rustling of leaves is 20dB.
However, the real difference was when I didn’t have it on. I began realising that I have been pretty sensitive to all these additional noises overlapping against each other in the outside world, which are guilty of making my vision spin. By then, it’s too late to have the earplugs do its magic. It’s a little like taking seasickness medication—you need to have it before the motion sickness sets in, or it won’t work.
To me, having the Engage 2s in is like encasing myself in a little bubble of noise protection. It’s not as potent as noise cancelling earphones–where you totally cannot hear anything–but offers a dampener while allowing you to still be aware of your surroundings and have regular conversation with the people around you. Although, I do have to say that when I wear the Engage 2s, I find myself needing to speak louder; which is a little strange because it’s the opposite of what happens when you have headphones on.
On the Experience 2
The Loop Experience 2 earplugs are made to enjoy safer, crisper sound, offering hearing protection when at live music and events. How this works is that the earplugs are designed to filter noise by 17dB (SNR) so the music stays clear, but at a safer volume for the ear drums. After all, tinnitus can damage your quality of life. The people at Loop also went to great lengths to ensure that you stay looking stylish while clubbing with ear protection by making these Loops metallic coloured. They are supposedly great for concerts, blocking out the screams while allowing you to properly enjoy the music.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of my introverted and homebody personality, the Experience 2s are the only earplugs that I have not been able to properly review. But I’m sure they work great—the 2,596 five-star reviews on the Experience 2 earplugs must account for something.
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