How To Choose The Best Motorcycle Ear Plugs

The best motorcycle ear plugs protect your hearing from potential damage caused by wind and environmental noise experienced when riding a motorcycle.

When speeding on a motorway, even a good helmet will not be able to keep out all the wind noise. At about 100 km/h, wind noise can easily surpass 95-100 decibels.

Add to it noise from your motorcycle and other cars on the road and you can experience serious hearing damage over time.

It can also be distracting and cause fatigue, both safety hazards for you and other motorists. If you have some kind of in-helmet communication system, wind and environmental noise can make it harder to communicate.

The best way to protect your hearing is using a good pair of earplugs. In this buying guide, we review and compare the top rated earplugs for motorcycle riders.

Key Considerations When Buying Motorcycle Ear Plugs

A. Type of Earplugs (Foam vs. Plastic vs. Silicone)

Silicone earplugs are the best for riders. Silicone is soft and comfortable in the ear. It is also hypoallergenic, meaning it won’t cause irritation or itchiness.

If you spend a lot of time on the road, silicone earplugs are the most comfortable to wear for hours at a time.

Another advantage of silicone earplugs is that they are reusable.

Plastic earplugs tend to be too firm and uncomfortable. We do not recommend them.

Foam earplugs are very effective at noise reduction, too effective even. You need earplugs that block out harmful noises but let in the noises you need to hear like a car honking or an ambulance’s siren.

With most silicone earplugs, you can even talk to a friend with the earplugs on. In contrast, foam earplug block out noise evenly. While you won’t go deaf, the audio feedback you receive is more of a dull bass.

Another downside of foam earplugs is that they are disposable. Most are good for just one or two uses before you need to throw them out.

But if you are on a budget and need a large pack of earplugs, you can go with foam. But for long term use, we recommend silicone.

B. Case

Because of their size, earplugs are easy to lose, so most come with a carry/storage case, usually an aluminium or plastic case.

Look for a case that comes with a key ring or key hook. You can then attach the case to your keys or belt loop for safekeeping and to ensure you don’t forget to carry them.

C. Multiple Earplugs or Filters

Some earplugs come as a set, with different types of earplugs for different uses such as music concerts, studying and sleeping.

Others consist of just one set of earplugs but with multiple filter inserts. Each set of filters provide a different level of noise reduction.

D. Discreet Design

If you don’t want people noticing that you have earplugs on, look for a pair that’s small and hard to see.

Some earplugs are made with clear silicone, so your skin is still visible through them, making it harder for someone to tell you are wearing earplugs.

Best Motorcycle Ear Plugs: Top 5 Reviews

1. EarPeace Motorcycle Earplugs

EarPeace earplugs provide protection from loud noises while letting in the ones you need to hear. This ensures your hearing is safe while you also maintain situational awareness.

The earplugs are silicone. They are soft, comfortable and hypoallergenic. You can wear them for hours without discomfort.

EarPeace earplugs come with three filter sets. Each set provides a different level of noise reduction. The medium protection set reduces noise by 17dB, the high protection set by 20dB and the max protection set by 26dB.

You can switch between the filters depending on how much noise you anticipate to encounter, both on and off the road.

The earplugs come in a beautiful aluminium case that has two chambers. One chamber is for the main earplugs and the other holds a spare earplug.

What we like about them:

Very comfortable in the ears.
Multiple level of noise protection.
Comes with case.
Includes spare earplug in case you lose one.

2. Senner MotoPro Reusable Hearing Protection Earplugs

For a slightly cheaper alternative to the EarPeace plug, we recommend this set from Senner. The Senner MotoPro earplugs are made with soft and hypoallergenic silicone, making the comfortable for hours of riding.

The manufacturer doesn’t provide details on how much noise they block, but most customers found them highly effective at reducing wind noise while also allowing through certain sounds.

The earplugs are reusable, so a pair or two should be enough for constant use. Just make sure to clean them often with a soft moist cloth.

The aluminum carry case is useful for carrying and storing the earplugs. It has a keyring at the top, but customers complain the case is too bulky to put on a key ring. You’ll find it easier to either attach them to your pants or put them in your pocket.

Another option is to attach them to a lanyard around your neck.

What we like about them:

Soft and comfortable.
Effective noise reduction.
Easy to clean.
Includes carry case.

3. EarDial HiFi Earplugs

If you are looking for earplugs that will be almost invisible to others, we recommend EarDial HiFi earplugs. They are a bit more expensive than our other picks, but they offer excellent noise reduction performance.

The EarDial earplugs, both the shell and filter, are transparent, making them virtually invisible to other people. In addition, the earplugs have a low-profile design that doesn’t stick out of the ear.

The silicone earplug feel comfortable and you can wear them for hours without any irritation or itchiness. Earwax protection keeps the filter clean and in good condition.

The EarDial earplugs can reduce noise levels by as much as 11 decibels. They only block harmful sound levels. You’ll still hear conversations, music and other environmental sounds.

In fact, many riders say they can hear important sounds like an approaching car more clearly.

An aluminum case keeps the earplugs safe. A clasp on the case allows you to attach it to your keyring, lanyard or trouser belt loop.

Though not necessary to the function of the earplugs, there’s a free companion app that measures noise levels where you are and tells you how long you can stick around with the earplugs on.

Obviously, you cannot use the app when riding, but it’s handy for concerts and other noisy areas.

What we like about them:

Soft and comfortable.
Discrete design.
Free app to help you monitor noise levels in your environment.
Comes with an aluminum case.

4. Unimi Earplugs Noise Cancelling Earplugs

If you need earplugs for more than just riding your motorcycle, we recommend this set from Unimi. It consists of three pairs of noise reduction earplugs.

The first pair consists of specialised filters that block loud noise while letting in important sounds. They are the best for riding as well as music events such as concerts.

The second pair of earplugs are ordinary silicone earplugs that provide added noise reduction. You can use these at home, in the office or wherever you need some peace and quiet. These earplugs block noise across the board, so they are not ideal for use on the road as they can prevent you from hearing certain important sounds.

The third pair consists of foam earplugs. Use these at home when you want maximum noise reduction such as when you are studying, working or sleeping.

Unimi earplugs come with two carry cases; a small metal box with a clasp and a larger case for storing all the earplugs.

What we like about them:

Three pairs of earplug for different uses.
Two carry cases.
Silicone earplugs are hypoallergenic and comfortable.

5. Mpow HP055A 055A, 34dB SNR Soft Foam Earplugs, 60 Pairs

Foam earplugs are not the best for motorcycle riders because of the muffled sound feedback. But they are cheap and very effective at reducing wind noise.

This jar of Mpow earplugs consist of 60 pairs of foam earplugs for half the cost of a pair of silicone earplugs.

These earplugs can reduce noise levels by 34 decibels, effectively blocking out loud noises. Unfortunately, they do not selectively allow some sounds in so you’ll lose some situational awareness.

If you are not on the road, you can also use the Mpow foam earplugs during sleep, when hunting or at music concerts.

The jar comes with a small aluminium case that holds a pair of earplugs. This keeps the earplugs safe and clean.

Each pair is good for several uses. Once it hardens, get another pair from the jar.