Your life, your volume!
Why Loops?
In my last blog I went into detail about how having ADHD and Sound Sensitivities negatively impact my everyday life (see here) and what helps me. Whilst medicating my ADHD does help reduce the volume of the world, I have found that my Loop earplugs are invaluable. Every ADHD page, group, TikTok and Instagram reel seemed to mention how amazing Loops were. I was initially dubious to buy them believing that this was the way content creators earned their money via ingenuine sponsored ads. It wasn't until my ADHD coach and trusted content creators Rich and Rox at ADHD_Love and Gereldine Kostrewa and cherry.adhd recommended them that I bit the bullet and bought myself a pair.
What are Loops?
Loop Earplugs are the things millions of people worldwide swear by, particularly neurodiverse individuals who experience sound sensitivities. Advertised as high-fidelity earplugs designed to protect ears from harmful noise levels while still preserving sound clarity. They claim to reduce noise by up to 20 decibels, making them ideal for concerts, travel, and daily use in noisy environments. They come in a sleek, discreet design with a variety of colours, have a comfortable fit and can be worn for extended periods without discomfort. There are a range of categories to suit festival goers, children, light sleepers, parents and people who just want to make the world that little bit quieter so they can focus. There is a questionnaire on the website here that you can answer to find out which Loops are best for you. I went with the Engage 2 Plus pair because they offered to provide relief from everyday noise and increase focus. They claimed to be ideal for socializing, parenting and because I have a very loud ADHDer child and also work in a busy deli, this pair appealed to me. They also come with Loop Mute for extra noise reduction when needed, i,e, trying to sleep as an ADHDer who can hear electricity!
They arrived well packaged in a cute little case and a QR code to scan to give you information on how to use and clean them. I was unsure as to how these earplugs with holes in was going to magically filter the sounds of the outside world and briefly grieved for what I thought was a waste of £40. They do however, offer a 100 day money back guarantee, no questions asked even if you've used the earplugs.
Do They Work?
Short answer, amazingly so. I don't know how but yes, they work and I highly recommend them to anyone who who struggles with sound sensitivities. There are a number of areas in my day to day life were I've seen a significant improvement when wearing my Loops. Here's some examples:
I am out of the bedroom more! In my last blog I talked about how I struggled with the overstimulation and loudness of my home and would stay in the bedroom to escape it all. Put my Loops in and I am able to actually sit in my lounge with family, watch TV or cross stitch without getting overwhelmed, anxious and snappy. The TV sounds clearer despite being on the same volume.
Socialising is a lot easier. We recently went for Sunday lunch at a carvery, on a Sunday, in the afternoon, it was packed with people young and old. I was more relaxed and able to just chat away with my family and follow the conversations. As we were ready to leave I took my Loops out and the second the sound hit me I retreated like a turtle into its shell. It was so overwhelmingly loud I was surprised I'd actually survived this in the past. Similar thing happened when me and OAM were at a café. 2 babies were screaming, plates clinking, there were 3 different songs playing along with a busker down the street and the general hustle and bustle of a busy town centre was deafening. I hated it and immediately wanted to leave. Put my Loops in and whilst I was still aware of the sounds, I wasn't focused on them nor was I getting distracted or agitated by them. In the end I didn't want to leave, I just wanted to bask in the joy of being able to just enjoy some tea and cake.
I can focus more. I work in a deli, there's a lot of noise and when lunch time hits there's a load of customers all ordering at the same time. I would get confused and have to double check orders 2 or 3 times and I'd still make mistakes. If I have my Loops in I'm able to take an order and make it. Just like that. Earlier today I was in the library and a young man entered. He sat on the computer opposite me and proceeded to sing loudly, talk to himself, and engage in conversation with every person who entered the library even when they were at the opposite end of the room. Again, I was aware of the noise but it didn't distract me and I was able to focus on my work.
Another positive is they are discreet and comfortable. This is me with them in at the café and I am pleasantly surprised at how little they're noticeable.
Drawbacks
There aren't many but one thing is that even with the Loop Mute addition they still don't completely block out the sound. So when I am trying to sleep I can still hear, albeit a lot less loudly, OAM snore and bounce about when he gets up for his middle of the night piddle. Another thing is that they can't be worn all the time. If I've had them in all day, I can't wear them at night as my ears become sore. Lastly, I can't really focus on 2 things at once. For example, I usually cross stitch or write and dip in and out of a tv show at the same time. I can't do this when I'm wearing Loops so it does get a bit too quiet but that is a big reach in terms of drawbacks.
Thoughts?
Do you have experience with any noise reduction products? What do you recommend and why? Let us know in the comments or the Contact Us section.
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