Loop Earplugs vs dollar-store earplugs - which one wins?

You’ve probably heard of Loop Earplugs. Their marketing is all over social media, to the extent that I now hear earplugs in general commonly referred to as “Loops” at music festivals. Seriously, Loop Earplugs are everywhere now, and with collaborations with Coachella and McLaren, chances are that your favorite influencer has talked about these things.

That said, Loop Earplugs are very expensive, typically ranging in price from $30-$50. For comparison, we bought a container of 60 pairs of foam earplugs for $10 from Amazon. That works out to about $0.17 per set of foam earplugs, or about 294x cheaper than a pair Loop Earplugs.

To test and compare the earplugs, we used our SoundGuys testing lab, and a Bruel & Kjaer 5128 testing head, which simulates an actual human ear canal. We then measured the exact amount of noise that each set of earplugs blocks out across all the frequencies of sound that humans can hear.

So, are Loop Earplugs worth the money?

How much noise do the $0.17 foam earplugs block out?

Let’s start by looking at how much noise the dollar-store earplugs block out, as a baseline for performance. In the chart below, you can see the amount of noise reduction that we measured. The higher the line, the more noise is reduced.

When it comes to low-frequency sounds below 500Hz, such as the rumble of an airplane engine, the foam earplugs only block out about 5dB of sound. On the other hand, when it comes to high-frequency sounds, such as pots and pans clanging, the foam earplugs block out up to 40dB of sound. This matches up with the 38dB SNR High rating that these foam earplugs advertise — as the literature specifies which range of sound (in this case, high frequency noise) a product is best at.

Across all frequencies, we calculated an average reduction in the loudness of noise (per sample) of 63% for the cheap foam earplugs. However, this was with our test head, and may not be what you experience based on fit, and other factors that could affect the earplugs’ efficacy.

How much noise do Loop Earplugs block out?

We’ve tested almost all of the different models of Loop Earplugs. Below is a summary of our results, but if you’d like a more detailed analysis of each of the Loop models, check out our Loop Earplugs buying guide article.

As you can see in the chart above, the average reduction in noise we measured for Loop Earplugs ranges from 66.3% to 78.9%. We achieved the most noise attenuation with the Loop Experience 2 Plus with both the foam tips and mute accessory attached, which costs $44.95 at Amazon.

All of these Loop Earplugs outperform the 63% noise reduction we measured with the budget foam earplugs, but in very specific ways. You can see our detailed measurements below.

Loop Experience 2 Earplugs with foam tips and mute ring accessory

With the foam tips and mute ring accessory attached, the Loop Experience 2 earplugs reduce low-frequency noise by up to 13dB and high-frequency noise by up to 53dB.

Loop Experience 2 Earplugs with silicone tips

With the standard silicone tips, the Loop Experience 2 earplugs reduce low-frequency noise by up to 10dB and high-frequency noise by up to 31dB. In this case, the cheap foam earplugs are superior at blocking out high-frequency noise, but the Loop Earplugs still hold the edge when it comes to blocking out low-frequency noise.

Loop Quiet 2 Plus Earplugs with single tip

With the single tip attachment, the Loop Quiet 2 Plus reduce low-frequency noise by up to 11dB and high-frequency noise by up to 37dB.

Loop Switch 2 Earplugs in Engage Mode

You can adjust the noise reduction of the Loop Switch 2 with a mechanical switch on the earplugs. The Engage mode has the least amount of noise attenuation, which we found blocks up to 8dB of low-frequency noise and up to 38dB of high-frequency noise. This is similar performance to the cheap foam earplugs.

Loop Switch 2 Earplugs in Quiet Mode

The Quiet mode of the Loop Switch 2 blocks out the most noise, which we measured at up to 11dB of low-frequency noise and up to 49dB of high-frequency noise.

Should you buy $50 Loop Earplugs or $0.17 foam earplugs?

According to our test results, the Loop Earplugs offer slightly better hearing protection than the $0.17 foam earplugs. They also offer more balanced isolation across the low and high frequencies, leading to a better music listening experience at concerts. In comparison, the foam earplugs almost exclusively block out higher frequencies, leading to a “muffled” listening experience. While neither are perfect, the Loop Earplugs are more effective at their task.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you how much you want to invest in hearing protection. If you only go to the occasional loud event, then cheap foam earplugs will do the trick. But the higher price of Loop Earplugs doesn’t all go straight to the marketing department — the product does perform its task well. It’s easy to wash the silicone ear tips found on Loop Earplugs, and they will last a lot longer than the disposable, cheap foam earplugs. If you need hearing protection every day for work, I’d recommend an even higher-quality product, such as custom molded earplugs or proper over-ear hearing protection.

Personally, I find Loop earplugs great for concerts and music festivals. In particular, I enjoy using the Loop Switch, since you can adjust the amount of noise attenuation. When I am right by the stage, I put the earplugs in Quiet mode to protect my ears. On the other hand, when I’m talking with my friends further away from the stage (or when the artist starts playing my favorite song), I switch into Engage mode. That flexibility is something you won’t find with standard foam earplugs. Does that convenience make them worth $50, though? That’s for you to decide.

While Loop Earplugs work great, they certainly aren’t your only option, and you can find better value in similar products from less popular brands. To check out other options, take a look at our list of the best earplugs for concerts, live music and events. Additionally, for how much Loop Earplugs cost, you can get proper wireless earbuds with active noise canceling (ANC) technology. Below, we’ve highlighted our top budget earbud picks that you can use for both protecting your hearing and listening to music.

A different alternative: Active noise canceling (ANC) wireless earbuds

If you are going to spend $50 on little plastic bits to jam into your ears, you might as well buy something that you can also use for listening to music. One of our favorites is the Moodrop Space Travel ($24.99 at Amazon). Despite their budget price, the Moondrop Space Travel actually have good sound quality that we think most people will enjoy. When it comes to blocking out noise, the Moondrop Space Travel perform well thanks to the inclusion of ANC technology. The earbuds alone only block out 49% of noise, but with ANC enabled, the earbuds reduce the loudness of external noise by an average of 68%. While you shouldn’t rely on ANC technology for hearing protection, and there’s no official protection rating, this technology is suitable for those with hearing sensitivities or people who want to casually block out noise, such as the chatter of office coworkers.

Another great option is the Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 ($49.99 at Amazon). The earbuds alone block out 40% of external noise, while with ANC enabled, these earbuds reduce the loudness of external noise by an average of 76%. You also get good sound quality with these earbuds, and even a companion app where you can customize the earbuds to your liking. For more great alternative options, take a look at our list of the best cheap noise canceling earbuds.