The world has gotten louder, and it’s ruining people’s ears. If you’re looking for hearing protection for the occasional concert, club, or sporting event, affordable universal-fit earplugs like the Loop Earplugs are an improvement over foam plugs. But if you’re a professional musician or a frequent concert-goer, we suggest that you go to an audiologist and get best earplugs for musicians.

Compared with cheap foam earplugs, which are designed to block all sounds, a good pair of universal-fit (aka musician-style) earplugs like the Loop Earplugs will provide a light-years-better listening experience, allowing you to hear music and voices at a safer level. We tested nine pairs of universal-fit earplugs (and considered 23 more), and the Loop set was the only pair that every one of our testers said they would be happy to use regularly. These earplugs are comfortable to wear for an extended time and come with enough tips (six pairs) to fit nearly every ear shape. Although some other competitors offered higher levels of noise protection, they either fit uncomfortably or sounded too muffled—so no one on our panel wanted to wear them. The Loop earplugs provide solid protection, will stay in place through dance moves and workouts, and have a discreet design that doesn’t protrude from your ear. The zippered carrying pouch is tiny enough to fit in the smallest jeans pocket, but we wish it included a keychain attachment so it would be harder to lose.


The Best Earplugs for Concerts