Hello all,

I am back for another blog post. Sorry I have been away, again, I have been thinking about stuff to write and then I got a few ideas. So here is one of them.

A while ago I was looking around for something which could help me to reduce the amount of noise I have to contend with when on public transport or just out and about. Scrolling through twitter and intstagram I came across a brand called Loop. I remember a few friends mentioning it to me and I decided I would give them a go.

They have quite a few different options on their website and I was struggling to choose an option. They have ones for blocking out noise at concerts, for sleeping, or just everyday background noise. Eventually I settled on the Experience ones. These are designed to block out background noise and still allow you to hear conversations which are happening around you.

They have a few options for colours, I decided on the purple ones. I don’t normally go for purple so I thought I would be a bit different. It is a nice deep purple which is lovely.

Once I got them and had opened them up I was struggling to put the tips on the ends of the loops. This is because having Dysrpaxia I struggle to do tasks which are quite fiddly. I eventually got them on by just forcing it, but it was difficult to get the two pieces to align. But anyway, we got there.

Getting the train to work is an exhausting experience because of all the noise. So I pulled out the little plastic case they come in and I put them in my ears. I noticed that I could still hear the sounds of people talking and the keyboard clicks from phones around me. I was irritated and I was not happy. I took them out and then noticed the whooshing sound of the train came back into my ears. I put the Loops back in and couldn’t hear it anymore.

Another day I had to get the bus. Which again I wasn’t happy about because it is longer than the train journey. I also have to deal with floating bus stops- click here if you want to know more about how they impact Visually Impaired and Blind People. The bus journey was long and I knew I would get irritated, then frustrated quite quickly so I put the Loops in. Once again I could still hear the noise of people chattering away on their phones, but I couldn’t hear the noise of the bus speeding along. I decided to take one out. Yes, the noise of the traffic and the speeding bus returned. Putting it back in, it disappeared. 

They are pretty good at blocking out background noise but still enabling you to hear conversations happening around you.

They cost about £30 which at first I thought would be expensive, but if they work then great. They are not entirely what I set out for, but I can have a use for them when in busy environments without a lot of background noise. I have decided to try another pair of the loop earplugs to see if a different version blocks out all the noise- or as much as possible for when I am on the train.

I would recommend giving them ago as they re quite comfy and can be worn for long periods of time. The tips have different sizes and they are washable. I am just going to use alcohol wipes or soap and water to clean them.

Anyway, that’s that and I hope you have a good day. 

And no this is not an endorsement.