Ear Loops

[purpleme12]

My child (11) wants some ear defenders
To help her when she needs to with loud noises and whatever

I found these ear loops?

Has anyone got these? Would these be any good?

www.amazon.co.uk/Deciboo-Quiet-Ear-Plug-Sensitivity/dp/B0DKCG5GPS

Would these be as effective as ear defenders?

Bump

I have some Loops to block out my DH's snoring. They are very effective at keeping the sound out.

However, they fit right inside your ear, and you can really feel them in there. Also, they are a little bit fiddly to put in, and easy to drop and lose. Fine in your own bedroom, not ideal if you're out and about.

For an 11yo I would go for ear defenders rather than plugs, as long as they're happy to wear them. Easier to put on and off, harder to lose.

Thank you

My adult dd bought some and tried the at West End Live at the weekend so big crowds loud music and said they worked well.

I wear loops and they’re fantastic - they certainly don’t fall out easily.

Oh I don't know Which to get now!

Sorry I don't think I was very clear - @tumblingdowntherabbithole is absolutely right, they don't fall out once they're in! It's just the process of putting them in that can be fiddly and lead you to drop them. So if your DC wants something they can easily put in and take out in crowded areas (like at school), ear defenders may be easier.

My daughter has a pair of loops - they work well as she gets overwhelmed sometimes with outside noise and wants a bit of calm

She takes them to school as well - think she mainly uses it on the bus to/from I haven’t heard an issue from teachers

Teen DD has both loops and ear defenders, we have only lost one pair of loops so far (yes they can be a bit fiddly). Loops block a fair bit of noise, I have a pair myself for gigs, and they are less conspicuous in school than ear defenders. DD saves the ear defenders for when she's really overwhelmed, usually the loops are enough.

We've tried both. Whilst loops are good, I found the sound/feel of my hair touching the loops horrendous.

So we've stuck to ear defenders. How does she get on with in ear ear buds for music?

I think i actually have a pair of loops that I would happily post for your daughter if I can find them?

I struggle with noise sensitivity. I occasionally wear them in the house if the kids are being exceptionally noisy. They are enough to take the edge off but you can apparently still have conversations with them in. However I'm hard of hearing so I have to take them out for conversations.

Mmm that's a fair point

Thanks

I think at the minute it's for situations outside of school

I really didn't get on well with loops and bought noise cancelling headphones instead. For me I was too aware of them being in my ears and it was too uncomfortable. You also have to figure out putting them in correctly so I can see how a child might struggle.

Thanks

She's never actually tried any ear buds before

That is so lovely of you to do that
Are you sure you can spare them

Ear defenders are cheap to buy at hardware stores and she could try them out in store, but they look quite obvious to people which she might feel self conscious about.

The in-ear things which are designed more like earbuds which don't play music are more discreet and less obvious to others although they do vary in how obvious they are to see - some are sold in skin-matching tones or clear to blend in. At 11 I am not sure if she would need child sized ones. I would probably want to check with the company because you don't want her to damage her ears. For that reason, I probably would avoid the amazon random brand ones as well.

For me personally I am planning to order some of the Flare (Calmer) type ones because when I do wear earbud type headphones, the occlusion effect (where your own body sounds are amplified and you feel "underwater") is really strong for me. Apparently that's not a thing which everyone experiences, so might not be a problem for her. These are the only ones which don't fully block the ear, so I'm hoping it will help.

(BTW - does anyone know if Flare do referral discounts and if so, can you PM me with a code if you have one?)

Thanks
Ok, hadn't thought of some of your points.

I'm not sure she's bothered about how conspicuous the ear defenders are though because she says she wants them. I also think you see people out and about with them now or in school so I don't think children are that bothered.
Although may change when she's older of course, who knows

I would ask her which kind she is thinking of - I think they are quite different things really, even though they do a similar job.

I noticed that on the Flare website and I'm sure Loops sell these too - they have a string so you can wear them around your neck like wired headphones which would be handy if one fell out or she wanted to take them out temporarily and not lose one.

She's saying about ear defenders

It was me who thought about ear loops cos I just didn't know which was best. And I didn't know which one she would go for. I'm not sure she's as aware of the ear loops you see.

Whereas ear defenders are more familiar. You see people with them.

But will have a think

My dd has both. The most effective for really loud situations or when she’s particularly struggling are actually from screwfix same ear defenders you use with power tools, cheap too. Looks scare for when she wants to be more subtle or when she’s playing in the orchestra so needs to hear better

I have a very snorey DH. I've tried every type of ear plug known to humanity.

The only ones that actually block out the snoring are Happy Ears but I wouldn't recommend them for a child as there's quite a knack to putting them in and they go well into the ear. That said, once they are in I can't feel them.

I've tried Loops and, by chance, used some again recently. They do go into the ear and fall out less than most (although I do wake up with them on the pillow sometimes) and they probably block sound slightly better than some, but they are very uncomfortable and wake me up with discomfort several times a night.

I'd say the pink and yellow Howard Leight type foam ear plugs are the most comfortable and block a certain amount of noise, but they fall out.

IME, all the other foam and wax ones are useless, uncomfortable, make my ears itch and fall out.