Alpine Motosafe earplugs

[RandyShields]

I was just reading an article on ADVRider's list service about earplugs, and the author highly touted these Alpine Motosafe earplugs over many other brands.  Anyone ever tried them or have any experience with them?

 

https://www.alpinehearingprotection.com/motorcycle/

 

[RTinNC]

Having pretty sensitive ears with relatively small ear canals I have found earplugs in this shape to not work well for me..   There are only 2 brands I find comfortable for long days on the bike. 

 

Moldex 6800  (30 db)

Howard Leight Max Lite (33db)

 

The Alpines look like they are not throw away like the foamy plugs I use.  Also,  both models I have noted above have a bit higher DB protection. 

 

But honestly for me it is comfort that is the key factor.  

 

If the Alpines were not so expensive I would give them a try. 

[BamaJohn]

10 hours ago, RTinNC said:

Having pretty sensitive ears with relatively small ear canals I have found earplugs in this shape to not work well for me..   There are only 2 brands I find comfortable for long days on the bike. 

 

Moldex 6800  (30 db)

Howard Leight Max Lite (33db)

 

The Alpines look like they are not throw away like the foamy plugs I use.  Also,  both models I have noted above have a bit higher DB protection. 

 

But honestly for me it is comfort that is the key factor.  

 

If the Alpines were not so expensive I would give them a try. 

My ear canals are sensitive too, and after trying about 6 different brands, the one that works for me is Moldex "pure-fit" # 6800.  I can wear them all day long without ears hurting.   These are throw-aways.

[RandyShields]

Thanks guys.  Like you, I have sensitive ear canals and have tried all the brands, including professionally molded ones from an audiologist.  I like the Moldex 6800s the best for their softness and all day comfort.  But, I was intrigued by this report on the Alpine earplugs so was trying to get some first-hand experiences with that brand.

 

 

[realshelby]

I would agree with Ed that these type have never been comfortable for me after a few hours in my ear. I use a similar pair in the shop,  but only because they go in so easy and can be hand washed easily. But  they are rarely in for more than a couple hours at a time. 

[MikeB60]

I wear the Nonoise earplugs also mentioned in the same article.  They work great but I also keep a few pairs of foam plugs as they begin to bother me on a long ride.   I've also had issues with getting them out and have a pair of tweezers I keep in my riding jacket just for that purpose.    

 

Ready for something different, I bought a set of the Alpines after reading the article yesterday, $17 on Amazon.  They make different types, I bought the ones listed for motorcycles.  I'll post something once they arrive.    

[marcopolo]

I tried them, but I have small ear canals, and they didn't work for me.  I ended up going to an audiologist to get molds made, and then sent those off to an online retailer to have two sets of plug made.  They are the most comfortable, and unobtrusive ones I've used.

 

[RTinNC]

4 hours ago, MikeB60 said:

I wear the Nonoise earplugs also mentioned in the same article.  They work great but I also keep a few pairs of foam plugs as they begin to bother me on a long ride.   I've also had issues with getting them out and have a pair of tweezers I keep in my riding jacket just for that purpose.    

 

Ready for something different, I bought a set of the Alpines after reading the article yesterday, $17 on Amazon.  They make different types, I bought the ones listed for motorcycles.  I'll post something once they arrive.    

 

Excellent !!   Looking forward to hearing your thoughts once you try them. 

[Oldironken]

I've been using similar ones from EarPeace for about a year, they have different "filters" that can be changed for different reductions.  Very comfortable

[Sonor]

I always trust the people at webbikeworld.com.  Here is their review page for earplugs.

https://www.webbikeworld.com/earplugsearplugs/

 

[BobW03]

I am curious if any who have responded also have hearing aids.  Wondering what the comfort level of ear plugs is compared to day to day hearing aids? I have behind the ear with small tip that goes into my ears.

[Oldironken]

14 hours ago, BobW03 said:

I am curious if any who have responded also have hearing aids.  Wondering what the comfort level of ear plugs is compared to day to day hearing aids? I have behind the ear with small tip that goes into my ears.

 

I wear the same type of hearing aids you have, when riding i take them out and put in my plugs.  The ear peace plugs i use are very comfortable, i can wear them for hours and hours and forget they are in there.

 

 

[RandyShields]

Well, I finally pulled the trigger and ordered a set of the Alpine MotoSafe Tour earplugs to try.  My first mistake was not buying them from Amazon.  Ordering them from the company directly took about 4 weeks to get them from overseas.

 

After a 3-day motorcycle trip, my final verdict is that, while well made, these just don't block enough sound.  Unlike the very comfortable and effective Moldex 6800s which are rated at 33 dB, these allow some notable air noise and a lot of engine noise to get through.  Also, the intercom quality from other riders was not very good.  I guess this is not surprising since they are rated at 27 dB, but there was actually more noise than what I expected.  

 

So, experiment over, these are going into the drawer.  Glad I only spent $17.99.

 

Randy

[Rougarou]

On 6/2/2020 at 5:46 PM, BobW03 said:

I am curious if any who have responded also have hearing aids.  Wondering what the comfort level of ear plugs is compared to day to day hearing aids? I have behind the ear with small tip that goes into my ears.

 

Those of us with hearing aids, likely won't complain about the minor discomfort of earplugs that protect what little hearing we have left.

 

 

[Skywagon]

Randy thanks for the update....I use the moldex plugs too...have for years and years.  I like them

[realshelby]

1 hour ago, Rougarou said:

 

Those of us with hearing aids, likely won't complain about the minor discomfort of earplugs that protect what little hearing we have left.

 

 

True that! While I don't wear hearing aids, I started wearing ear plugs at age 17 on my first real job. Pneumatic hammer rock drills! Then on to heavy equipment, some with straight pipes out of the exhaust early on. I wouldn't run the new stuff even at the end of the career without ear plugs. Supposedly the cabs were quiet enough to protect hearing. Maybe when they were first assembled! I had seen enough old time operators and veterans with hearing loss to convince me to take care of mine. 

 

I can say for a fact that the journey to find earplugs that work for you is worth the time and money. I have a set of FitEar custom molded plugs that I can wear all day long with no soreness or irritation. I have found a couple of the disposable foam ones that work very well too. The Howard Leight "super leight for Women" is the best of those...for my ears.  

[BobW03]

I did end up buying the earpeace brand plugs and they are comfortable and greatly reduce road noise. I like that there are 2 or 3 different interchangeable levels of decibel reduction. I can only assume my hearing loss is mostly from the days of installing computers in large data centers. There was never any discussion of the noise level from the a/c and fans. I am sure there are other contributing factors but living with constant tinnitus is not a pleasant reward.