Two years of raving with the Loop Switch 2 taught me hearing protection doesn't have to suck

Two years ago, I did something stupid. I parked myself next to a giant PA speaker at a club for four hours — no earplugs, nothing — and walked out with a muffled left ear that didn’t clear up for days. My hearing thankfully came back, but the lesson stuck with me: earplugs aren’t optional. Since then, I grabbed a pair of Loop earplugs that everyone is wearing, and the Loop Switch 2 has accompanied me to every rave, concert, and music festival, including three straight nights at EDC Las Vegas. After two years and $60 spent, I can tell you these earplugs are genuinely good. Whether they’re right for you is a different question.

What two years of festivals taught me

The Switch 2’s headline feature is the switch itself: a small toggle that cycles between three levels of noise isolation. Loop pitches these modes by scenario — Engage for conversations, Experience for concerts, Quiet for commutes — but that’s not how I actually use them. Instead, I adjust each earplug independently based on where I’m standing. In the middle of a festival crowd, both plugs stay on Engage, which blocks enough noise to protect my hearing while still letting the music through. But if I drift toward the left side of the stage, I’ll bump the left earplug up a level while leaving the right one alone, since that ear is further from the speakers. It’s less about matching the mode to the environment and more about balancing protection ear by ear — and honestly, it’s the most useful thing about these earplugs.

And the protection is real. EDC stages regularly hit 100dB or more for 12 hours a night, and after two years of wearing the Switch 2 in those crowds, I can step away, pull them out, and hear normally — no ringing, no shouting “what?” at my friends. Our lab testing backs this up: the Switch 2 blocks around 67 to 73% of perceived outside noise, which beats the dollar store foam plugs it costs 600 times as much as. The compact case with its keychain loop also means they’re always in my pocket, which is half the battle when it comes to hearing protection.

The parts that drive me nuts

That said, two years is long enough to find the flaws. There’s no easy way to tell the left and right earplugs apart in the dark — the inscriptions are tiny, and festival lighting is not on your side. The case is worse: the earplugs just sit loosely in molded plastic holders, so if someone bumps you mid-crowd while the case is open, your earplugs are on the floor. This has happened to me twice. Loop, if you’re reading this: magnets. AirPods snap into their case for a reason.

The bigger gamble is fit. Loop’s circular ring design works great for my ears — they stay put even when I’m headbanging to hardstyle — but I have friends who find they either feel wrong or simply won’t stay in. You can’t try them in a store first, so if you’re unsure, buy directly from Loop and lean on the 100-day return policy. If the ring shape doesn’t work for you, earplugs from brands like Curved use a sharper ear fin that can grip some ears more securely.

Should you buy the Loop Switch 2?

Then there’s the price: an eye-watering $60 USD, and I’ve never once seen them go on sale. That’s a lot for plastic and silicone. If you only catch a concert or two a year, dollar store earplugs will do the job, and if you already own AirPods Pro 2 or Pro 3, their built-in hearing protection features may cover you for the occasional show. But if you’re like me and attend multiple festivals and concerts a year, the Switch 2 has earned its spot in my pocket. Comfortable, secure, adjustable, and effective. Just maybe practice opening the case somewhere well-lit with carpet first.