If you’re a creative who struggles with things like focus, noise sensitivity, sensory overload, and controlling your attention span, then you might benefit from this small but game-changing invention – Loop earplugs. A lot of people wonder if these silicone earbuds really work, and the short answer is yes. At least, I find them to be tranquil, comforting, and great for helping me concentrate on creative tasks.
I came across an advert for Loop earplugs a few months back while mindlessly scrolling through social media, and I impulsively bought a set thinking that for the low price of £15, it couldn’t hurt to give them a try. The reason I was so intrigued by these earplugs initially was not only their proposed cure for overstimulation, but I’ve often found that I’ll put my Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 earphones in, not for listening to music, but purely to enjoy the silence from noise-cancellation.
The idea behind Loop earplugs is that they keep you in the loop, so you can block out distracting sounds in the same way as traditional foam earplugs, but without missing too much. They work by filtering out sounds via an acoustic channel and engineered filter, but without blocking sound out entirely for situations when you want to remain engaged.
This is ideal for times when you’re socialising but can still feel a little anxious or overstimulated, and Loop earplugs are said to be great for people with ADHD for this reason. Depending on the levels of noise reduction that you want (between 7 – 27 decibels), Loop offers different noise relief earplugs for varying situations. There’s Loop Engage, Loop Experience, Loop Dream (for sleep), and Loop Quiet to name a handful.
(Image credit: Future)
I bought a pair of the Loop Quiet 2 earplugs in Mint colour, as these offer a high amount of noise reduction (up to 24 decibels) for when you really want to turn down the volume. I mostly wear my loops during my commutes to and from the office, and I sometimes worry that I might miss an important train announcement – which is when the Loop Engage earplugs or Loop Switch 2 earplugs would probably be the better choice.
What I like about the Loop Quiet 2 earplugs however is that they’re very multi-purpose. They’re great for blocking out background noise on public transport, including trains and planes, reducing volume from my very noisy Shark hairdryer, tuning out football commentators when my fiancé is playing FC24, and I love wearing my Loops both when working from home and in the office, as my workspace becomes virtually silent, it’s bliss.
(Image credit: Future)
As a music photographer in my spare time, I’m a disaster at remembering to wear earplugs when I’m shooting a show (and I always tend to stand way too close to the speakers) so I also use my loops for this reason and the keychain carry case is super tiny and convenient for clipping onto my camera bag so I don’t forget them. I found that for this kind of noise reduction, the Loops work well, but I need to switch out for a different ear tip size for a more secure fit.
I haven’t quite figured out the best methods to keep me focused as a creative yet. Sometimes I like to listen to Spotify while I work, and I’ve realised that background music, particularly LoFi and instrumental tracks, helps me to think clearly and establish a better sense of how much time has passed.
The verdict: from my experience, Loop earplugs do offer benefits for productivity and a boost in creativity, and have genuinely helped me in a lot of areas from focusing on tasks to feeling less overwhelmed. My social battery does not last long at all, and it can be such a wave of relief to escape to silence when needed. I did occasionally wonder if the act of simply putting in the Loop earplugs was a sort of placebo effect of entering a calmer headspace, but either way, it works.
