For music fans, summer means one thing: the return of festivals and open-air concerts. I am no exception. For the last few months, I’d been impatiently counting the days until I could finally attend one of the most hyped shows of 2024: Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
While I was doing the requisite research to make sure I had everything I needed for what was sure to be an evening of glitter and joy, I noticed something that gave me pause: numerous posts on TikTok describing how loud and unpleasant the sound at the concert was. Apparently the decibels are so high that people are complaining about ear discomfort after the show. Yikes!
Turns out this is not just a problem regulated to Swift’s show; according to a recent report from the World Health Organization, ear issues affect a ton of concert-goers. “More than a billion young adults are at risk of permanent, preventable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices,” the report states. It also estimates “that one in four people will live with some degree of hearing loss by 2050.” Double yikes!
Eager to spare my ears, I quickly began looking for an effective solution to keep my hearing intact. Luckily, there’s a whole new generation of hearing protection made for just that. After a ton of research, I decided to test out earplugs from the brand Loop. Here’s what I found out when I wore the earplugs at the concert.
Sound protection
When you think about earplugs, you probably think of those foamy, multicolored cylinders that look like chewing gum. However, earplugs have actually come a long way and are now actually—dare I say it?— pretty cool.
Case in point: Loop Earplugs, which offer hearing protection that is as beautiful as it is effective. Co-founded in 2016 by Dimitri O and Maarten Bodewesa, this Belgian brand’s earplugs work for everything from dinner in a loud restaurant to noisy bedrooms to lively concerts. For the latter, Loop Earplugs are designed to reduce decibels without preventing you from actually hearing the music. They are also known to reduce the sound of the audience singing so that you can hear the artist on stage more clearly.
Earplugs at a concert
These were the promises I hoped would be kept as I made my way to the show with the Loop earplugs in my bag. And, I can attest: the earplugs delivered: I was situated in a pit very close to the stage—and therefore right in the line of fire for those extra decibels. However, I was able to enjoy perfect sound quality with unparalleled hearing comfort. No ringing ears at the end of the concert; no feeling like my head was stuck in a vice the next day.