I’m about to start a new job working in an arcade and diner and want to wear some earplugs for when I’m working in the noisiest parts on-site, partly to protect my hearing but also to make it easier to hear customers and colleagues over the noise.

Do you guys have any recommendations for brands or particular earplugs types that would be good for this purpose?

  • 667@lemmy.radioEnglish
    17·
    11 days ago

    The best ones are the ones you use. After that, focus on the NRR, and if you need to be able to clearly hear what people are saying to you, there are Earasers; they are a passive ear plug with a bypass membrane which lets speech through.

    I use them on airplanes (I fly a lot), and I’ve used them at concerts and they really do greatly reduce excessive noise while still being able to have regular conversations.

    • EtherWhack@lemmy.world
      2·
      11 days ago

      Those are my preferred ones. I see them as halfway between generic and custom-molded, with different sizes and sound filter options to fit your needs.

      I’ve been right next to one of the loudspeaker during a Meshuggah show (got a nice full-body massage from the bass) and could still hear a pin drop when I got home because of them.

      Another time, at an Eagles show, I could pick out two of three people starting a encore chant from 40-50ft (~12-15m) away, despite all the cheering and applause.

      • Mobiuthuselah@lemm.ee
        1·
        11 days ago

        I’ve been wanting to try these. I’ve used Ear Peace for a while, but one side tends to loosen up and sometimes work itself out. Maybe due to the round shape.

        Have you experienced this with other brands? Do Earasers stay put when talking or chewing?

        What dB/NRR level do you use?

        • EtherWhack@lemmy.world
          2·
          11 days ago

          Yeah, I’ve had the same issue with with a couple different brands similar to the Earpeace ones. They also felt like they were more plugging rather than filtering when fully inserted.

          With Earasers, their shape helps them latch into place pretty well, even while eating or talking. If I go into a quieter area and want to hear better I can even pull them slightly out and they’ll stay in place.

          I don’t remember how the versions are different from each other but I have the -26dB and -31dB ones in their music category. The -26dB ones work for most things and I can use the higher one when I expect it to be really loud. Their ‘starter kit’ in is a good idea if you are unsure of what size you need, you can get the ‘pro kit’ later if you want to try a third size and the other two NRR levels.