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Loop Earplugs have gone seriously viral in recent months, taking over many a TikTok feed.
The brand retails in more than 150 countries and has sold over 15 million products since it launched in 2016. And, with rumours the earplugs are worn by superstars spanning Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and Ariana Grande, and McLaren athletes Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, you can see why.
A firm Gen Z favourite, the minimalistic, in-ear designs promise to seamlessly filter out background noise at concerts, on the tube, or in any loud or overstimulating situation. They’re an easy-to-use, wearable solution that’s practical, calming, and useful for all-important ear health, too.
Sure, ear health might not be the sexiest of topics, but Loop are really reshaping the space in that regard. Traditionally, earplugs have been either bulky or uncomfortable, with the best reserved for those playing or working at gigs. But Loop, one design at a time, is changing this. Case in point: tens of thousands of Swifties donned the earplugs for her Eras tour last year, taking to TikTok to share their positive experiences.
I was intrigued after seeing a fellow journalist review the in-ear plugs at Glastonbury last summer. Being honest, I’d never considered trying earplugs before that, Loop’s or otherwise, despite the brand’s clever marketing and clear success. I just couldn’t imagine myself using them, and was sure they’d remain at the bottom of my trusty Uniqlo festival crossover bag.
But something in me switched when, shortly after my 30th birthday, a friend asked me if I’d like to go to a festival with her over the summer. It wasn’t my usual type of music; rather, lots of DJ sets and drum and bass. Now slightly older, wiser, and more in tune with my body, I knew I’d find it a little overstimulating and also didn’t want to be hitting the hay with deafening ringing in my ears.
So I invested in a pair of Loop earplugs, packing them with my other festival-essentials-of-a-30-year-old (read: copious amounts of hand sanitiser, tissues, electrolyte satchets, and blister plasters).
For my honest review of the viral new wellness must-have, keep scrolling. And to shop the best Loop earplugs, don’t miss our dedicated buying guide.
I tried Loop earplugs for a festival this summer – and they haven’t left my bag since
What are the Loop experience earplugs?
While there are plenty of different Loop designs, I tried the Loop Experience 2, earplugs specifically designed for nightlife and live events. As Loop co-founder Maarten Bodewes explains, “they reduce noise up to 17dB without distorting sound quality and help to protect your ears in loud environments, while still allowing you to hear music and conversations clearly.”
This has been scientifically proven to prevent long-term hearing damage. “Exposure to 100 dB of sound for longer than fifteen minutes can cause hearing damage,” Bodewes goes on. “Festivals are usually around 97 decibels, meaning it could take just 30 minutes before you sustain hearing damage. Nightclubs are usually at 100 decibels, and rock concerts can be the loudest at roughly 104 decibels, proving the need for proper hearing protection when attending events such as these.”
Other designs from the brand span the Experience 2 Plus, offering Experience 2’s signature noise reduction with an added “Loop Mute” – a removable, flexible silicone insert that can be added to provide an extra 3dB of noise reduction.
(Image credit: Loop)
How do the Loop earplugs work?
Bodewes continues: “With Experience 2 earplugs, users can benefit from safer sounds, whilst still enjoying the music. Most earplugs block sound, but Loop Experience 2 earplugs filter sound rather than block it. This way, music and speech remain clear, just less loud and at a safer level to protect your hearing. It helps prevent ringing in your ears the day after and reduces the risk of hearing damage.”
To achieve a clear and balanced sound, Loop designers combine a couple of key factors: an advanced filter and personalisable ear tips that close your ear canal.
What’s the Loop earplugs USP?
Loop earplugs are pretty unique in that there aren’t many competitors that both work well and look good, too. They’re stylish and effective – something that’s actually quite rare in the world of earplugs.
Wondering where the idea came from and when the company first launched? “I co-founded Loop in 2016 with my childhood friend and fellow engineer Dimitri O. We’d developed tinnitus after a night out and felt frustrated by the lack of earplugs that looked, felt, and sounded good.”
While the product was originally designed to be used in nightclubs and at concerts and festivals, it soared in popularity during the pandemic for other uses. “Customers began using them for focus, sleep, and managing noise sensitivity, which led to the 2020 launch of Loop Quiet, sparking a revenue jump to €12.2M in 2021,” Bodewes goes on.
My honest Loop earplug review
I first heard of Loop earplugs earlier this year, after seeing a fellow journalist rave about them after wearing them to Glastonbury festival. Their review was straightforward and succinct – the earplugs had been a game-changer for them at the festival, allowing them to enjoy the music without the distraction of chatter from the surrounding crowd or ringing in their ears as they tried to fall asleep.
So, come August, as I headed to my first festival of the summer, I decided to give them a go. I opted for the Loop Experience 2, which is specifically designed for live music events. The festival had a lot of DJs playing, and I knew that I’d need some tools (read: earplugs, hand sanitiser, and my emotional support water bottle) on hand to stop me from feeling overwhelmed.
When the Loops arrived, I was instantly impressed by the design. They’re sleek, shiny and actually quite stylish, and come in a range of colourways (I opted for the gold, to match my jewellery). They also come with a handy carry case to make it easier not to lose them.
Day one of the festival rolled around, and I popped the Loops in as we headed towards the main stage. I hadn’t had the chance to read the instruction manual, but usage was pretty intuitive – they pop straight into your ear and are impressively subtle, meaning you can’t actually notice you’re wearing them most of the time. I also liked that they come with a handy loop, which makes putting them in and taking them out pretty seamless.
They couldn’t be more different to the more traditional foam earplugs I’ve tried in the past, which never seem to fit my ear shape and always end up popping out mid-use. The closest parallel I can draw is to some of the in-ear running earbuds I’ve tried in the past, but these are far better suited to environments like a festival, as you can still hear pretty much everything that’s going on around you without the sound being overwhelmingly loud.
Wearing the Loop earplugs for the festival changed my whole experience – I could hear the music without distractions and went to sleep easily most nights without ringing in my ears. They made live music softer without compromising on sound quality, ensuring that the bass sounds less invasive.
I have to be quite careful with which headphones I use, as I have sensitive ears. Many are quite painful or leave a dull ache. But not my Loops – they’re super comfortable, easy to use, and surprisingly effective at blocking out surrounding noise.
The biggest surprise of my four-day test, though, was how much less overwhelmed I felt in large crowds or noisy spaces. As someone who’s suffered with anxiety for most of their life, I don’t think I realised how much loud noises can impact my mood. Popping in the plugs when passing through particularly busy stretches or packed parts of the crowd put me at ease and impacted my entire mood – so much so, I’ve been using them on the tube to and from work ever since.
The only con I can note is that they do impact how loudly you talk. As you can largely only hear the musician on stage and yourself talking, the sound of your own voice is almost amplified when you have the earplugs in. Both of the friends that I spent the weekend with at the festival kept joking about how quiet I was, and it was only when I popped them in on the tube with my husband a few days later and saw his reaction (he literally couldn’t hear a word I was saying because I was speaking so quietly) did I realise that it hadn’t been the volume of the music at the festival drowning me out – rather, the earplugs were, as my friends had said, making me talk more quietely.
For anyone who’s on the fence about investing in a pair of Loop earplugs or worries they won’t use them, know this: looking after your ears should be as important as wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes. Only earlier this year, the World Health Organisation warned of a looming crisis: by 2050, a staggering 2.5 billion people face hearing impairment, costing the global economy $980 billion annually if left unaddressed. “Sounds shape everyone’s life – no matter your age, background, job or lifestyle. Whether it’s for focus, better sleep, or enjoying loud events without ringing in your ears the next day, Loop earplugs are designed to fit seamlessly into your routine and take control of the sound around you,” concludes Bodewes.
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