Big Ear Custom Reusable Hearing Protectors Review

[MotoNews]

Published in: Gear

We tend to talk a lot about the latest helmets, body armor and gadgetry, but one of the easiest and most overlooked upgrades not only helps extend saddle time, but also preserves our hearing for years to come. Everything about motorcycling, from tires to the air box, wind, engine, and exhaust create noise, and plenty of it. By itself it may not seem like much, but at highway speeds for hours at a time it’s not just our arms and backs taking the beating.

New riders often don’t realize it, but protecting their ear drums from the 105–110db of road and wind noise is a serious concern that compounds over time. Hearing damage can’t be easily repaired, if it’s reparable at all, so taking care of what you’ve got is paramount.

We tend to think of hearing protection as some form of disposable foam or malleable plastic ear plugs, which vary in quality and comfort. While they generally work okay, there are several other factors to consider. And at the top of that list is that they can be difficult to install or uncomfortable for extended periods of time.

Big Ear custom-molded hearing protectors are reusable ear plugs, handmade to fit ONLY your ears, and have a host of benefits. First is comfort, since they’re individually custom molded to your ear shapes. Unlike foam plugs that pick up dirt when pinched or rolled during insertion, Big Ears easily rotate into the ear with a little practice. Once in place, there’s little or no protruding and this makes them handy for all kinds of applications. For example, double plugging under shooting hearing protectors, at concerts, or when using machinery for yard or fabrication work.

They’re customizable in solid or swirling colors, too, making them easy to spot when not being worn or color coded so that prevent mix-ups with other users. But more importantly you can have molded in sound filters or audio speakers to work with helmet comms like Sena. Standard noise reduction is between 27–32dB and filtered units allow dialing in 9, 15, 20, 25 or 30dB of reduction.

While not cheap, Big Ears are custom-molded from your ears, and will last years with just a little care. For a basic pair, you can have someone come to your place to mold a set for around $100, and if you want high-tech extras, they’ll take the impressions and have them fabricated off site and sent to you.

Ear protection isn’t really an option, and there’s nothing like a custom-fitted set of plugs for both protection and comfort.

BigEarInc.com

MSRP: Starting at $95

PROS:

• Comfortable custom-molded fit
• Washable and reusable for years
• Works well and has many different tech options

CONS:

• More expensive than disposable versions
• Not “universal” but custom molded for each person

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