Do earplugs work, and who needs them?

We put two earplugs to the test to figure out if you should invest in a pair

- Tushar Kanwar

Silence is a luxury, and if it were a streaming service, most of us would happily pony up for the premium plan. Ergo earplugs—purpose-built solutions like those on offer from Loop and Sennheiser—matter, whether you're looking to block out ambient noise (or snores) at night or cut out harmful frequencies while maintaining as much fidelity as possible at a concert.

Constant exposure to noise, even at moderate levels, keeps the brain in a state of alertness, triggering the release of stress hormones and impacting concentration, sleep quality, mood and even heart health. Exposure to higher levels exceeding 85dB (heavy traffic) or clubs/concert venues (100+ dB) over prolonged exposure fast-tracks your ears towards permanent hearing loss.