Get custom earbuds. Plug them into your intercom. Unlikely to lose them as they have the cables attached. Just a suggestion - best of both worlds then.

 

I use No Noise Motorsports plugs. Desighned to mainly block out the higher frequencies. Wind noise. I wear the disposable ones at work and can only handle a couple of hours using them as they are always pushing out, expanding. Starts to hurt after a while.

 

I also used NoNoise motorsports earplugs for short trips.

For long slab rides, I used the Howard Leight Max 33 NRR foam orange earplugs.

Can hear my Sena 20S just fine with both.

 

I have used Howard Leight low pressure disposable. 20 pair for $5 on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-Lite-Plugs-Uncorded/dp/B0036231TG/ref=sr_1_15_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1517961020&sr=8-15&keywords=howard+leight+low+pressure+ear+plugs

I have small ear canals and these are the only ones that don't hurt after an hour. I believe the NR is 30. They cut the wind noise but still let me hear the directions from the GPS. Can be kept in an old 35mm film canister (for those of us old enough to remember those) or any other small closable container and reused. When they get dirty or used too much toss them and grab a new pair.

 

Westone 47 custom plugs. Pricey. Lose a lot of weight and you'll need to buy a new set. Not sure about gaining weight. No pain with them, ever. I can wear them as long as I want. And they don't come out on their own.

I can generally hold normal conversations with them in. Plenty quiet for me into triple digits in a Nolan N104 Evo. And at full volume I hear my Sena 20S fine until I'm risking an interstate performance certificate. I can still hear it then, but just not as clearly.

When I bought them I was thinking I might wear them to church - loud CCM - and chose clear ones. I never did wear them to church. But when I accidentally dropped one on a group ride, no one noticed. Get bright colors so if you drop them you or your friends will notice and point them out.

 

Also went with these - had too many issues with foam plugs seeming to work their way out of my ears to the point that I'd be riding along, then wondering if I'd forgotten to put them back in after a stop (weird shaped canals, I guess)... and sometimes even stopping again to check. Not a cheap option, but they've worked well for me, and with hearing issues that pre-date my riding days I figured I'd best reduce as much noise as I safely can.

Also, speaking to Ludwig's experience: I went with hi-viz yellow and it has paid off a couple of times when I've dropped them!

 

I started with the Howard Leight foam orange ones too. I liked them but they were not comfortable for me when riding all day.
Found the low pressure (green) ones and they have been great

 

So you only "feel" the plugs a little bit?

 

I take my hearing aids out and use Hearos ear plugs..

 

I tried them all, these are less expensive and work very well. Soft and flexible. The stem is soft so it does not press on you when the helmet contacts here and there.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009DXASM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The silicone cleans well and slides right in to seal well. I really like them compared the foam ones. They go right in and don't continue to expand like foam, seat then well and comfy leave em there.

 

Costco use to sell formed ear plugs. I picked up two pair 15 years ago and still working good. No sure if you can still get them in there hearing department. Just a suggestion.

 

I bought some of the EarPeace M earplugs. Very happy with them. About 20 bucks and you get 3 ear plugs in case you lose one. They also have 3 different filters depending on how quiet/loud you want them. I believe they are similar to what you're looking at. They are fairly short so they don't rub on the helmet but have a tab for easy removal.

They allow me to hear my music and intercom fairly well. I have a large VStream windscreen so things are fairly quiet on my bike.

I always felt very isolated with the 33 NRR plugs. I like to be able to hear sounds but just don't like it too loud.

Also, this type of plug is much quicker to "install" as you don't have to wait for them to plump up to determine if they're in good.

 

I found an interesting assortment of foam earplugs in the pharmacy at Walmart. A $2 box of 5 pairs of purple -33 dBA have been very satisfactory. Sena needs max volume and the louder option selected in preferences for usable hearing through these things.

Previously used orange foam plugs from the shooting department at Walmart. These were -29 or -30 dBA. Definite difference compared to the above -33. Problem I had with these was not getting left ear and right ear seated the same resulting in overly loud Sena and wind noise in one ear. Problem worse after plugs had been used a few times. The purple plugs last dozens of uses.

 

I've used a lot including personally molded earbuds.
I find these exceptionally good.

 

I use moldex. More than enough protection, always a fresh pair handy, and I can still hear a car near me. I’ve used a lot of the flanged ones (though not the linked ones), and they work great. They just cost a lot more for no more functionality than be foam ones. I have and love sure 215k monitors, but never use them anymore, just using my helmet comms (B5) over foam plugs.

 

Currently I tend to use the Howard Leight highlighter green/yellow foam plugs. I was initially given a pair when I had an MRI done and was impressed with them then. I find them comfortable and pretty effective, so I bought a huge box of them. They do seem to wear out after a while, so I keep a few extra pair at all times. Each pair is individually packaged. They also work well at the range.

FWIW, I've tried a bunch of different plugs. I really wanted to be able to use some custom molded ones and bought a couple of kits (don't remember the names at the moment). One had some monitors that could be molded into it. But all of the molded ones just don't seem to be overly comfortable for me, particularly when either removing or putting on my helmet. I'd really like to be able to use some in ear monitors to plug into my Sena, but to date, only the foam plugs have given me the ambient noise reduction and comfort that I'm looking for (even if that does mean the the Sena needs to runs at 100% volume). My threshold of pain for experiments is about $50, which is why I've never tried the high dollar custom molded options. Maybe those would be better, but I'm not not ready to spend a couple of hundred to find out.

Joey.

 

I have hearing damage with Tinnitus and the wind noise is extremely uncomfortable to me. I've tried different ear plugs, molded and over the shelf. I tried differnt helmets also without going the high dollar route on helmets. I generally had a $200-$300 helmet trying to get a quiet one. I did mods on my helmets attempting to quiet the wind noise. I finally found the combination that works for me. I tried a Schuberth C-3 with my 30db rated foam ear plugs.......heaven! The helmet is expensive, but the difference in noise is significant. You may want to find out if your helmet is not helping you in your quest for quieter riding. Behind my large windshield I have a very quiet environment now, but still get some noise from a side wind...a staple of the weather here in Oklahoma!

 

Thanks for giving myself some insight on what you all are using. Hearing protection is one of those subjective things such as tires, oil brands, screens, helmets, etc... I think I’ll give those Eargasm plugs a shot to see how I like them since the price isn’t awful, but old habits die hard and I can see myself probably going back to the bright green disposable Moldex plugs that I have been using for years just because they are easy and work well, almost too well.

 

These are currently my favorites:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Flents-Quiet-Time-Foam-Ear-Plugs-10-count/10318441

 

I use the howard leight max lite green plugs. I recently switched from the 3m ultra soft. Both are great plugs and can be bought in quantity for pretty cheep.
More important than the plug you use is that they are properly installed.
Roll into a tube with strongside hand.
Reach over top of head with off hand and pull up on top of ear.
Insert plug deep into ear canal. The end of plug should be at or below the tip of the tragus.
It can not rub or be pulled out by rubbing on the helmet when inserted properly.

 

I am using 3M 1100 foam earplugs. They work much better than other foam earplugs, even if the others have a supposedly higher dB rating. There are no molded earplugs that do not hurt in my ears after twenty minutes, and molded earplugs do not reduce sound as well for me as the 1100 foamies. Amazon has them, 10 pairs in a ziplock bag, ~US$5.20 with each pair sealed in a small plastic bag.

 

There are no molded earplugs that do not hurt in my ears after twenty minutes, and molded earplugs do not reduce sound as well for me as the 1100 foamies.

Exact same for me, except I just use the Howard Leight soft disposables.

At a weak moment, I paid $69 for custom made ones at a track day (cute girl selling them), and I think they just didn't make them right. They didn't even quiet the wind noise. The rubber ones feel like they're rupturing my head after a while.

 

I get these Howard Leight earplugs on Amazon, 3 pairs at a time for $5-$6 or so. I remove the string when I use them, that way I can tell which ones are new and which are used if someone needs earplugs.

During a ride where I forgot my earplugs, I bought a couple dozen of these in a plastic bag and keep them in the trunk in case someone else needs some- they work well enough but the blue ones above are the ones I use regularly.

 

For shorter rides I use Flent's "Quiet please" foam plugs (29 dB rating) very comfortable and quick and easy to put in/out, cheap, disposable.
For longer rides the "Mighty plugs" made with beeswax are frankly the best, they are (as the name implies) made with beeswax, fully moldable (like putty) and they SEAL the ear canal (made for swimmers and other occupations that require a seal) but they also block sound far better than any foam ear plug I have ever tried and they conform and mold to your ear once warmed up by kneading them with your fingers.
They do not mention the dB rating, but subjectively, at least to me, they are (as they claim to be) the highest rated sound dampeners out there, very comfortable for long hours on the saddle.
Pricing is "moderate" at 25 dollars for six pairs of plugs with a carrying case.

 

Have never been able to get a foam pair to work for me. Ended up getting the Radians custom molded earplug kit. Actually needed to buy 2 kits as I goofed up on the first kit. The Radians kits is $11.18 on Amazon so not much money to experiment with. Those mighty plugs made with beeswax do sound intriguing.


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Like so many things, it’s about what works for you. I can wear foam all day long and they seal like nobody’s business. Roll it, insert it, and let expand in the canal. I wear foam when I’m mowing the yard and many times at the range. I use Howard Leight powered ear pro when instructing, but that’s just so I can hear other folks. I really thought about buying custom stuff a while back, but, for me, I can wear moldex or shure all day long without any discomfort.

Whatever you wear, change it (disposables) or clean it with an alcohol swab regularly. Sealing, or nearly sealing, the ear canal does not make it more resistant to infection. While I never had a problem riding, I had to stop wearing plugs as much when sleeping due to infection. First thing doc asked was if I wore earplugs at work or to sleep. Word to the wise.

 

like so many things, it's about what works for you.

amen!

 

I've had very little luck over the past 30 yrs with foam and flange style earplugs. Comfort and fit never seemed to be right. Then I found 3M pod earplugs, been using them for about 10 yrs now.

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company...-Pillow-Pack-400-Pair-Case/?N=5002385+8709322+8711405+8740424+3294755275&rt=rud

 

https://www.earpeace.com/

I usualy wear ones that I can get at the local NAPA. They have a rigid piece that sits in the dish part of your ear and they are comfortable but tend to fall out when you put your helmet on.

 

I invested in a pair of the sensaphonic in ear monitors. I can only wear them for 6-8 hours before they become a tad bothersome. If I'm chewing gum or singing along, my jaw movement impacts my ear canal and my left side ends up feeling tight. Not a big deal for most days, but on an iron butt ride I had to put them in my pocket and listen to the Cardo Scala helmet speakers...without plugs in ears.