A helmet protects your head but what do you do to protect your hearing? Pardon?
DID you know that according to research, your ears can be subject to 115db at 70mph, a level which can cause permanent hearing damage?
Pardon?
Okay, crap jokes aside, disposable earplugs are effective at reducing wind noise and cheap, at £7 for a pack of 100, but I’m probably not alone in finding them uncomfortable after a while.
Which is why I’ve been trying these custom earplugs, which are admittedly much more expensive but hopefully stand to last several years.
Actually I’ve been testing two pairs, one from Ultimate Hearing, which costs £65 plus fitting (another £20), and one from Auritech, which costs from £119 inclusive.
Ultimate Hearing offer the option of having a name etched into them, which as you may notice I have done, for an extra £10.
The Ultimate Hearing ones are made from silicone. They’re called ‘Squidgy’ and feel, well, squidgy. They come with a gel intended to keep them moisturised and easy to get in. A small drop on the tip did make them easy to insert but left a residue in my ear which I needed to wipe away.
They’re very effective at reducing wind noise and don’t work their way out of your ear, as I’ve sometimes found disposable ones can. I did find the wind noise increased momentarily as I turned my head, causing them to move slightly in my ear canal.
The Auritech ones stick out of your ear canal a bit less and are less prone to move as a result of contact with your helmet lining. This means they don’t cause that momentary increase in sound when I look over my shoulder.
They’re made from a combination of materials, with a smooth and comfortable thermoplastic outer. You can choose between different filters to go inside. I went for a ‘high-density’ one. If you ride in town and want the option of being able to hear your communication system, you can opt for a lower-density one allowing more noise.
They come with a cleaning kit and a maintenance regime I didn’t quite expect. There’s cleaning fluid, soaking tablets, a blow-dry device and a stick to pick any dirt from the entrance of the filter canal. That’s my Sunday afternoons taken care of.
Being custom earplugs, you have to get them custom fitted, which involves an impression being taken of your ear. In the case of Ultimate Hearing, it costs £20 if you go to them in Orpington, south east London, or from £25 to have it done locally. With Auritech, based in Guildford, Surrey, the price of the plugs includes the ear impression – although they charge up to £30 extra to come to you, depending on where you’re based.
Both pairs are easy to fit, comfortable and effective at reducing wind noise, and I would recommend them over disposable plugs. I think the long-term benefit outweighs the greater initial investment.
Of the two I’d recommend Auritech because they fill your ear canal just as well but are smaller, so don’t catch your helmet lining and move, allowing that momentary increase in noise.
Product tested: Ultimate Hearing Squidgy custom earplugs
Price: £65,99 plus minimum £20 fitting
Product tested: Auritech Custom Fit earplugs
Price: £119 inclusive
