Earplugs: Difference between revisions
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<h3> My recommendations </h3> | <h3> My recommendations </h3> | ||
Any of the high-scoring plugs in this comparison seem like a fine | Any of the high-scoring plugs in this comparison seem like a fine | ||
choice. I really like the Howard Leight packaging, which makes it easy | choice. I really like the Howard Leight packaging, which makes it easy | ||
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<hr> | <hr> | ||
Copyright 2005-2006 by Ian Johnston. | Copyright 2005-2006 by Ian Johnston. | ||
====SilentEar silicone earplugs==== | |||
[[Image:IJ 14.jpg]] | |||
As part of my quest for good earplugs, I also gave the silicone [http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/silnatrubear.html SilentEar] | |||
plugs a try. The same site which sold me the assortment of foam plugs | |||
recommends the silicone plugs highly. Plus, they're reuseable, so | |||
they're more of a one-time investment. For less than $20 for the size | |||
assortment, I figured it'd be worth a try. | |||
As I'd expected, I needed the medium size in my left ear, and the | |||
large in my right. They were a little strange to insert, since they | |||
have a slick surface compared to foam plugs, and they need to slide | |||
into place. | |||
A quick test fitting at home seemed to show promise, so I left them | |||
in and got my helmet on to go for a test ride. I had brought my old | |||
trusty 3M 1100s with me, just in case. Almost as soon as I got my | |||
helmet on, the right plug developed a "leak" and I could hear at full | |||
volume again from that ear. I pulled off my helmet, and seated the | |||
plug again. I got the helmet on without incident, but before I'd even | |||
started moving, the plug was "leaking" again. I stopped 500 yards down | |||
the road and swapped to the 1100s. | |||
It seemed that even the slightest jaw movement would dislodge one | |||
or both of the plugs. When they were seated and sealed, they seemed | |||
promising. Unfortunately, they unseated again so quickly that there | |||
was really no point in pursuing them. | |||
Based on my own experience, I do not recommend these plugs. They | |||
might be worth a try, but it seems like the chance that they'll happen | |||
to fit you exactly right probably isn't worth the price of admission: | |||
for about the same price, you can get a box of 200 pairs of good foam | |||
earplugs which are much more likely to fit and seal every time. | |||