As someone who lives next to a nightclub in a city center and sleeps next to a partner who’s snoring seems to shake the bed, good earplugs are essential. However, I’m yet to find a pair that are both comfortable and effective at noise blocking.
While investing in one of this year’s best mattresses and maintaining excellent sleep hygiene can help you fall asleep faster, there’s little you can do when your bedroom is plagued with ambient noise. My usual foam earplugs either fall out or hurt my ears so much I eventually take them out anyway.
So, I decided to try the Loop Earplugs for sleep, more specifically, the Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs. Marketed as a reusable and soft solution that can muffle sounds enough to help you drift off, I was eager to see if they lived up to the hype. After testing them for a week, I doubt I'll go back to my old foam pair.
My first impressions of the Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs
When I first opened the Loop Earplugs, I was pleasantly surprised. My biggest worry was that they weren’t going to stay in my ears, as it seems any kind of in-ear plug or headphone falls out instantly. I knew this wasn’t going to be a problem when I saw the four different tip sizes provided — XS, S, M, and L — allowing me to pick a plug that actually fit my ear.
The packaging was sleek and clear, telling me that the medium size was already ‘loaded’ in the handy portable case. It advised me to try each ear tip size in both ears to make sure I was getting the perfect fit.
I tried the medium and they stuck out, so I opted for the small and disregarded the idea that I might need XS, assuming they were for children — my mistake.
How I slept during my first night of testing
I tested the Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs on a Sunday, when the nightclub next door blasts drum and bass until 4am. (I will never forgive the person who decided Sunday was a good night to party, and it's definitely not my method for banishing the Sunday scaries).
I have to say, I was dubious when I first put the Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs because I could still hear shouting and singing coming from the street outside my window. My usual industrial-style earplugs reduce noise up to 37dB (decibels), whereas the loop earplugs only reduce up to 24dB. I wasn’t expecting the same quality of noise-cancelling, but I was still initially disappointed.
However, I didn’t have to be. It turns out the Loop Quiet 2 muffles the sounds in my bedroom just enough for my brain to ignore them and switch off. I fell asleep quickly and comfortably, even when I slept on my side (which usually exacerbates ear pressure when wearing earplugs).
I did wake up more than once in the night to readjust them as they seemed to be falling out, and in a half-conscious moment, I took them out, presumably because they became uncomfortable.
How I slept after a week with the Loop Quiet 2
Despite waking up in the night with the same issues I’ve found with other earplugs, I was keen to persevere. I went back to the packaging to see what I was missing, and saw the reminder to try all the sizes.
I tried the XS tips and immediately they felt more natural and secure. From then on I wore the XS pair and all the previous issues I had experienced disappeared.
They stayed in my ears all night, didn’t irritate me, and muffled enough sound for me to sleep deeply, wake up less, and fall asleep faster. After a week of testing the Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs, they’re now my go-to, and I can safely say I won’t be using foam again.
What I liked about the Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs
- Extremely comfortable
- Effective at reducing noise
- Affordable and reusable
The comfort of the Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs is next level, with the flexible soft-touch silicone barely noticeable after a few minutes of wearing them — particularly once you've chosen the right tip size.
Aside from the comfort, the look and portability means I can use them for more than just sleep. I can take them to concerts, wear them shopping, and pop them in in crowded places when my anxiety starts to play up. The loop design not only looks good, but it makes them easy to hold and keeps the earplug in place perfectly.
Once I had changed to the correct size, I no longer struggled putting them in or found them falling out in the night. Occasionally, a particularly loud noise would wake me while wearing them, but I soon fell back asleep.
What I didn't like about the Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs
- Easy to lose
- Not as much noise reduction as competitor models
Like any earplugs, the Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs are easy to lose. I’m a combination sleeper and toss and turn throughout the night, eventually dislodging any earplugs I’m using.
Usually I’ll find them when I’m making my bed the next morning, but sometimes they’re lost into the ether. Luckily, this hasn’t happened with my Loop Earplugs yet, but if (when) it does, it’s a fairly pricey purchase to lose. However, Loop already offers a solution to this with their Loop Link, a small connecting wire so both earplugs stay together.
Aside from this, my only other con is the amount of noise they can reduce. To me, they would be perfect if they reduced more sound, so if I was to purchase again I’d probably opt for the Quiet 2 Plus that have doubled ear tips, increasing the noise reduction to 27 dB, instead of 24.
