After countless Instagram & Tiktok ads, we finally caved in (We mean Taylor) and bought a pair of earplugs that enhance or block off the sound. Welcome back to another We Tried It series, and just in time, too, For the concert season.

We are aware of the damaging effects loud music and sounds, in general, can do on your eardrums. After a season of cheer and rest, many rested ears will feel once again that pumping audio vibrates through their eardrums. No matter where you are in the crowd, the next day, your ears are going to remember it. So, we figured it would be best to try on a new type of earplugs.

There are a few basic ones: the traditional foam and the silicone tree type, and if you are lucky like Taylor, you might get past a putty type. All are going to help in the efforts to decrease the sound, but all come with some issues. The foam and putty ones are a typical use, and the silicone ones are easy to lose (Even if you have the ones with a shoelace to keep them tethered) and can also hurt your ears after long-term wear of them.

However, the professional ones you see artists use are too expensive for average wearers, and if you lose them, you are basically throwing your money away. We stumbled upon Loop Earplugs after being targeted by countless ads on Instagram and Youtube. Their page says, “Backed by years of continuous R&D, our certified hearing protection is the perfect balance between noise reduction and clarity – on any occasion.”.

One of the reasons to try them was their product design for those with noise sensitivity, ADHD, and Misophonia:

We've received lots of positive reactions from users saying that our Engage earplugs have helped with all sorts of conditions related to sound sensitivities. They're designed to reduce noise while keeping speech clear, making them ideal for neurodivergent users, those with ADHD and anyone with misophonia or noise sensitivity.

We should also note that their Engage Earplugs are CE (Europe) and ANSI (USA) certified hearing protection. The pair we have are not, but we wanted to let you know that there are options for those who need that. We also want to say that the Engage pair is not recommended for concert wear.

We got the Experience Plus (Pro) pair (39.95 USD). This is what they say about the pair.

Live in the moment care-free with Loop Experience Plus. Thanks to a patented acoustic channel and mesh, Loop Experience Plus filters sound equally across all frequencies, keeping every lyric, chord and beat pitch-perfect but at a reduced volume. With up to 23 dB of noise reduction and four bold colors to choose from, these stylish earplugs are the perfect companion for live events, music and festivals.

From in the mail to in our hands, we first noticed that it was filled with many optional size nibs, which was a plus for someone like us who have two different size ear canals. Because we got the Pro pair, we got the option of foam nibs, with makes it 23 dB (The non-pro version is 18 dB). Why not have the option to go big on the protection? With this, the best thing we need to do is to try them out. We took them on the road to various concerts and festivals to get a better feeling of them. This test took a year in the making as we wanted to feel the long-term effect of their wear. We will mention the setting of the shows, which nib part we use, and the overall feel.

Phoebe Bridgers & Muna - Outdoor/Intimate venue - Standard Nibs

• We had the chance to catch Phoebe Bridgers at an outdoor arena in the most unusual setting. During the first hour, we had little to no issues hearing the music from where we were standing, which was middle of the arena near the sound booth. The second hour was the fourth row due to a massive thunderstorm that added extra spice to the show. The sound was not altered in any way, nor did we feel like it ruined the moment of conversation and panic of the night.

Silverstein - Indoor / Intimate venue - Foam Nibs

• Heavy rock show felt perfect for a test with the foam tips. We did use the wrong size tips as they fell out twice in the process of wearing them. The plus side to the pro pack was the variety of sizes. As a reviewer with two different size ear canals, it was great to see the variety for both silicones and foam. The foam, however, does have a better option of a custom fit, still had to make sure you picked the correct size. Because of the few times it had fallen out, we heard the difference in the sound quality of both life and with them on. The foam is said to add an extra negative decibel to help soften the sound. You can quickly tell that once they are formed into the ear. 

Madeon - Indoor/Intimate Venue -Foam Nibs

• We figured while not taking the experience from one side of the music industry into the opposite side of the industry. We took the earplugs to an EDM show we were most excited to see. Madeon's show was loud and thrilling to see, and none of the bass or the drops made any long-term after-effects on our ears. This was one of the few times we used foam inserts, just in case. They were easy to insert but took a minute to adjust. Once the foam relaxed into the new mold of our eardrums. A few times while we were dancing, we thought the plugs escaped from the ear, but luckily it didn’t happen, especially with the foam inserts. The sound was still as crisp as it was without it, but without the volume being cranked out to 90%. 

Smashing Pumpkins -Indoor/Arena -Standard nibs

• We had the opportunity to catch Smashing Pumpkins at Little Ceasar Arena. Wearing the earplugs throughout the show, we felt no different from that in a smaller venue.  From up in the stands to in the pit, the earplugs made the experience feel like we were at home. 

Mopop music festival - Outdoor/Festival Venue - Standard Nibs

• With indoor shows, you are dealing with the sound all in one place. With an outdoor music festival, you deal with the sounds all around you throughout the day. We decided to test the longevity of wearing the earplugs for an extended period. From the roaring and cheering of the fans to the music pumping through the speakers, it was no match to the damping effect of the earplugs. After the first two hours of the music festival, we did take them off for a bit of a reset. There was a little discomfort but nothing too crazy at the first check-in. As the day progressed, we noticed minimal pain around the six-hour mark. By the time the headliners ended the set, we couldn’t wait to get them out of our ears. At this point, the discomfort was finally starting to take effect after nine hours of wear time. We should note that the discomfort was mainly around the size of the earplug nib. The next morning we woke up without the typical headache that usually comes from a day of loud energy. We repeated the same test on the second day with the same effects. 

Here is the TDLR section of some of the earplugs' pros and cons:

• Pros

• They are easy to insert and allow better customization.

• Choice of colors, we had picked rose gold, but there were silver, black, and gold options as well.

• These can be purchased on Amazon as well as their site.

• The pro pack does allow more nibs for replacement.

• Comfortable for concert-length performances

• Con

• The foam nibs cannot fit in the case if you decide to bring those with you to an event.

• The case is small and can be misplaced, there is a loop for easy attachment to any bag, but it is a silicone tie (It could break after a way of wear and tear.)

• Minor irritation after over a long period.

We thoroughly recommend bringing ear protection to any show, no matter the size of the venue or setting. Protecting your ears need always to be a number one priority; how else will you be able to enjoy the music you love? Research has shown an increase in ear damage/loss amongst concertgoers has risen over the years, so whatever you use for protection will at least help you from being part of a statistic. 

Our opinion on this is it’s a nice quality pair of earplugs, but you do need to keep an eye on where you keep them after a show. Over the year-long test of wearing these earplugs, we noticed an overall positive effect. We haven’t had a headache from a show in quite some time, and when we forget to pack them, you better believe it was sheer panic on our end to find a backup. They also don’t look like earplugs, making some day-to-day activities were wearing them seem fitting and making the setting feel comfortable. We should also note that the pro versions do not make great earplugs for sleeping. Luckily, they do have a pair just for that. The Loop Earplugs are small but mighty, and if you want to keep going to shows, these wouldn’t be a bad choice to have in your gear. 

Where can you get a pair of Loop Earplugs? Here. Want our pair? Here have you tried a pair of these? We love to hear what you think about them in the comments or on our socials.

As mentioned in all of our reviews, unless noted in the beginning, all review products are purchased by Taylor. If they suck, we want to be able to return them. Unless it’s food items, we can’t return those (Foreshadow).