Ear Defenders

Hi SpaceOctopus,

I'm afraid I have no suggestions. When I'd purchased my earplugs it was a step into the unknown. I had wanted something to muffle background sound, whilst also allowing me to hear and have conversations with my son, and also hear if someone was approaching me from behind if I was out on my own.

Everything I've read on the internet about earplugs, ear defenders, etc, seems to suggest it is all very much a case of trial and error. That what works for one person, doesn't work for all. Sounds that might be an issue for one person, might not necessarily be a problem for someone else. 

Hi SparklingAutistic,

Yes, the ones that you purchased are rather similar. I do also have some larger ear defenders - the type that you would see in use by people using heavy machinery. I would like to look into active noise cancelling headphones but they are quite expensive and I worry that my expectations are too high. What do you think?

Hi SpaceOctopus,

Your earplugs sound similar to some I had purchased a few months ago (Vibes Hi-Fidelity Earplugs), for around the same price I think. I had been after something that would help to muffle background noise when I was outdoors. I remain undecided as to what I think of them.

Hi there,

I recently purchased the Loop Earplugs "Experience Pro" and I'm quite impressed with them. They are basically the same size as those in-ear earphones and the "Experience Pro" package provides a little carry case which you can attach to things. They are approx. £30 so much less expensive than some of the high tech alternatives. That being said, they only block low frequency sounds such as background noises and don't really block out voices, only dampen them slightly. Usually this is sufficient for my purposes but I don't think that they will work for everyone. 

- Sp. Oc.

Hi, I am really sorry to hear that your daughter is struggling with the loud noises and it’s preventing her joining in the holiday activities. I can highly relate and understand how difficult and frustrating this must be for her. I have been in many situations where I have forgotten ear defenders and had to result in permanently covering my ears and hiding or buying uncomfortable, tight, not good, not noise cancelling enough industrial ear defenders. 

As Roy suggested below, I highly recommend noise cancelling headphones. I have the Sony Rose Gold writing WH-1000XM3 wireless noise cancelling headphones. They were £179.99 from Curry’s PC World. There is a more updated version for about £279.99, but these ones are, in my opinion, even better than the updated version I tried on in the shop. I love these because ear defenders hurt, too tight and I rarely could tolerate wearing them, especially because I wear glasses permanently. In addition, I don’t feel self conscious wearing these and the noise cancelling features are amazing. I have heard Bose and a few other brands make noise cancelling headphones too, but I have no experience of these. @Soundoftheforest on TikTok and actor on Atypical uses Bose noise cancelling headphones.

Some alternatives could be ear plugs, earbuds, wired earphones, although these may not be particularly comfortable, or noise cancelling and may fall out. You could try white noise, or playing normal or relaxing music to block out uncomfortable loud sounds. I am not sure what other objects might be useful or what else to suggest. It’s a difficult situation. 

I hope you manage to find something that helps, your daughter can continue to join in and you all have a lovely holiday. If you’re in the UK on holiday, I recommend Curry’s PC World, or Argos. 
Take Care, Star

Do you know a good brand. I heard Edz Kidz or something like that is good but don't know if they will fit her. Has anyone had this brand, if so, were they good? 

Thank you 

Hi, noise cancelling earphones are really good, They do exactly as the name suggests but you can still hear. On noise cancelling mode they will obviously just reduce noise. They can link to a device to listen to music or anything else on a phone. I got mine from Amazon, I went for “cans” but some people prefer the ear bud type. you won’t regret getting a pair, I often use grinders in the workshop and normal ear defenders are too tight as they are trying to blank out industrial noise, I connect my earphones to the radio. If you are out in public you also don’t look out of place. I used mine on a flight and sat over the engine area, after switching them on, it was like someone had turned the engines off.  If you are on holiday abroad I found that chemists keep ear plugs, but obviously you daughter needs to be able to tolerate them.  If in the UK Argos keep earphones. Good luck.