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Long term review of motorcycle earplugs

· Motorcycles · 2 min read

Long term review of motorcycle earplugs

I've been using earplugs for more than 8 years now, mainly because I used to attend a lot of concerts and developed some tinnitus from them. Here are some of the products I've used over the years and what I recommend.

  1. Bananaz concert earplugs (1st from left): Silicone flanged plugs that come with a filter. I haven't used them much for motorcycling. They're okay for city use when there isn't a lot of wind hitting your face. They do a decent job of cutting out harsh noises like horns and sirens. Not recommended for highways or long touring. My ears start aching after a while. Cost me around ₹1500.

  2. Pinlock moto plugs (middle left): Similar to Bananaz. I bought them because they're marketed for motorcycles. The keychain storage is very convenient. However, they're pretty much useless on the highway — you can still hear wind noise above 80 km/h. Good enough for city rides, but not recommended for touring. Their NRR isn't very high either. Slightly louder than Bananaz. I only use them for city commutes. My ears start aching after about an hour.

  3. 3M disposable earplugs (middle right): The cheapest ear protection you can get. Better than Pinlock, in my opinion. Buy a bunch and stash them in your riding jacket. I don't use these anymore since I've found better options, but they're comfortable for long hours. Not reusable.

  4. Mack's Ultra Soft (rightmost): The BEST earplugs for any situation. Extremely quiet while still allowing you to hear traffic at a much lower volume. They cut down wind noise significantly and are very comfortable to wear. A box comes with 100 plugs, and each pair can be reused a few times. It costs around ₹2500 for the box, and I've only used half of mine in two years. I 100% recommend these.

  5. Loop earplugs (not in picture): Similar to Pinlock, but worse. Heavily marketed, but not a great product for motorcycling. Skip them.

  6. Pacato musician earplugs (not in picture): Recommended by a drummer. Really good if you can find them. I used them a lot but sadly lost my pair. Similar design to Pinlock, with filters. I wore these to a MotoGP race and my ears were perfectly fine. For context, MotoGP bikes are insanely loud, easily crossing 130 dB. These were also relatively cheap, around ₹1200 for the pair.

My observation:

Foam plugs are miles better than any silicon based plugs.