#loop experience

[goldkirk]

If anyone’s been looking to get some Loop earplugs, there’s a huge sale on them on Woot today (I’m guessing it’s a stock clear out before the new seasonal editions drop soon):

Loop Earplug Blowout

Curse that real estate agent who convinced you to live on a busy street.

It doesn’t have their newer models or the more sleek/improved Switch 2, but these are all solid models despite being a little outdated. I still wear mine all the time.

[buckley-diaz-rules]

Noise Sensitivity and Neurodivergence

Hey everyone,

*Not an ad* Just thought I'd put this post up as I know a lot of the people in my circle are neurodivergent like me.

I've been using Loop earplugs for over a year now and they've honestly been life changing. After social events or going outside, I would end up with terrible headaches and stress. I tried multiple expensive earplug brands that unfortunately were either uncomfortable or did nothing for me. I then came across Loop on Facebook.

I now have a Loop Experience for loud parties, events, and focus at work. I have Loop Quiets to wear at home to block out loud neighbours and I put them in at night. I also have Loop Engage on the way, which are ideal for hearing conversations but reducing background noise. They have adaptable sizes and lots of wonderful colours to pick from.

I know cost can be a big barrier for some people when getting earplugs, so thought I'd give everyone a link to my referral. If you've been considering them or like the sound of it, take a look. Through this link, you'll get 15% off, and the earplugs really are worth it!

Weewoo show fans, DBD fans, and other friends, go forth and enjoy!

Your Life, Your Volume | Loop Earplugs

Discover stylish Loop earplugs: experience life at your volume. Loved by 2M+ customers for concerts, sleep, focus & more. Shop now!

[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]

I am so so glad I did end up buying this pair of Loops, because they keep making me feel a tiny bit cheered each time I go to put them in during this gloomy winter period

[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: