If you spend a lot of time scrolling through TikTok or watching Instagram Reels, you may have seen the term “Loop earplugs” pop up in ads or in videos. They’ve gone viral recently, and everyone I know seems to own a pair — or they know someone who owns a pair. “What’s so great about them? They’re just earplugs,” is what I thought to myself — and then I tried a pair and it changed my life.
Loop earplugs are designed to be used at concerts and music festivals as they block out noise, so you can still enjoy your favorite tunes without potentially harming your hearing. My partner and I have spent the last month using the Loop Experience 2 Plus earplugs.
We go to many gigs and festivals, so it didn’t take long for them to become a must-have accessory for us. “So are they just useless and sit around collecting dust when you aren’t at a gig?” I hear you ask. True, no matter how much I wish for it, I can’t realistically go to a concert every night. The thing is, the Experience 2 Plus aren’t good for just music festivals. Because they filter out noise, we’ve found other uses for them. Hacks, if you will, and maybe you should try them too.
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The science behind it
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
There are many types of Loop earplugs, with each model offering varying levels of protection. Loop’s earplugs are divided into three primary categories: Engage (16dB reduction), Experience (18dB reduction), and Quiet (26dB reduction). Instead of blocking out sound completely, these earplugs filter it so that music and speech remain clear, just not as loud, in turn protecting your hearing.
Loop earplugs, such as the Experience 2 Plus which I use, utilize a small opening through which sound waves enter, and they travel through a hollow channel on the earplug’s inside. The acoustic resonator mimics how human ears function and it makes sound, well, sound natural, while an acoustic filter at the end of the sound tube lowers all frequencies equally.
The Experience 2 Plus also seal your ear canal comfortably, depending on the eartips you’re using. In the box, you get a four pairs of silicone tips, three pairs of foam tips, and two pairs of Loop Mutes. The Mutes are what I usually use as they reduce sound by a further 3dB — so sound is reduced by a total of 20dB.
But does it ACTUALLY work?
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
All of this sounds great in theory, but do the Loop Experience 2 Plus actually work? I was skeptical at first, but I was quickly proven wrong, so I’m here to tell you that yes, they do work! They’re primarily designed for music festivals and concerts, so of course I wore them to a punk rock concert at a small, packed, sold out venue.
We were in the second row, so very close to the stage, and we were stood next to a gigantic speaker. It was very loud but I was unfazed because I was wearing the Experience 2 Plus earplugs. This isn’t to say that I couldn’t hear the artist properly. I still could, but the artist didn’t sound nearly as loud as the earplugs reduced the loudness by nearly 20dB.
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
This meant that I was able to enjoy myself, dance, headbang and everything else you do at a concert, without worrying about the detrimental impact on my hearing. After the concert, my ears didn’t ring and I didn’t have a headache which I would have had if I wasn’t using the Experience 2 Plus — and my partner felt the same way.
Sleeping like a baby
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
Over here in the U.K., where I’m based, there’s a saying: snug as a bug in a rug. What it basically means is that you’re extremely comfortable, so comfortable that you feel like you’re tucked safely in a cocoon. I’ve tried sleeping with the Loop Experience 2 Plus in my ears and that’s exactly what it feels like.
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My partner and I live in an apartment on a busy road, so you can usually hear cars and buses zooming past in the morning, and even ambulances in the night when we’re trying to fall asleep. That’s why I’m very thankful to the Experience 2 Plus’. First of all, they’re extremely comfortable and they don’t dig into my ear canal if I’m lying on my side.
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
Secondly, they help me get a good night’s rest. I’m a deep sleeper but even I’m prone to being woken up by buses occasionally honking in the early hours. Ever since I’ve started wearing the Experience 2 Plus earplugs to sleep, I’ve noticed a spring in my step in the morning (and I am not a morning person).
In fact, I did a mini experiment where I went to sleep wearing the earplugs for a week, then ditched them for a week, and then wore them again for another week. And what did I notice? I definitely slept better, because the earplugs filtered out unwanted noises. My smartwatch also noted that I spent more time in REM when I had the earplugs in. Of course, they aren’t as good as, say, the Soundcore Sleep A30 sleep earbuds, but it goes to show how versatile the Experience 2 Plus are.
So versatile
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
The Loop Experience 2 Plus aren’t just good for sleeping — they also help filter out other sounds that may disturb you. I’ve started wearing them on walks when I don’t necessarily want to listen to music and just want to be in the moment. They filter out noise while letting me enjoy being with myself.
When I went to the Paris Audio Video Show in the French capital last weekend and stayed at a hotel, I had difficulty concentrating on my writing because I could hear a baby crying next door — and my noise cancelling headphones were out of charge. I popped the Experience 2 Plus earplugs into my ears and that did the trick.
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
I’m sure there are many other scenarios where the Experience 2 Plus would come in handy, and I can’t wait to discover them. For now, I’ve been extremely impressed by them, and I understand the hype, and I can see why they went viral. I’ve ended up recommending the earplugs to a few friends and my family, because they’ve had such a positive impact on my life and ear health.
Do you use Loop earplugs? Are there any “hacks” you’ve discovered? Let me know in the comments below!
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