Flare Calmer – Ear Plugs Alternative – Reduce Annoying Noises Without Blocking Sound – Soft Reusable Silicone - Grey

Product Information

It can be challenging to navigate sounds throughout the day if you have auditory sensitivity, especially in an environment you can’t control, like an open-plan office or a busy train. Confusingly, some brands refer to a Single Number Rating (SNR), which tells you how much hearing protection you'll get at certain frequencies.

It’s difficult to put into words how it makes me feel when I can’t get away from a sound that I hate.You’ll also want earplugs that are comfortable, with ear tips made from soft silicone, like Loop Engage, and a choice of sizes so you can get the right fit for you. Other sounds, particularly repetitive sounds, can also be highly distressing for people with Misophonia.

Look out for earplugs that offer good levels of noise reduction to decrease the intensity of sounds. I was also impressed that they reduced some of the shock of hearing my loud neighbours marching about upstairs – a huge source of stress for me.

The repeated claim that Calmer removes distortion isn’t a sensible way of summarising what the product does. From anxiety and irritation to disgust and anger, people with misophonia may experience a range of negative reactions in response to their particular trigger sounds. If you need to block trigger sounds for prolonged periods of time, use noise cancelling headphones and play music or noise so you provide continual stimulation for your auditory system. Davies tells me these earplugs are examples of passive acoustic filter design – passive means there's no active electronics on board.

I didn’t have a chance to try the Loop Experience at a concert – they’re sensory overload minefields for me – but I can imagine these would be firm winners for festivals and gigs. I didn’t notice any immediate effects, but certainly found myself jumping less at surprising sounds. And the tips are made from super soft silicone so you’ll find them comfortable to wear all day long, taking you from your morning commute to the office, to evening drinks. Getting plenty of sleep and minimizing and controlling your daily stress can be incredibly important for people with Misophonia. The Flare Calmer buds aren't suitable for round-the-clock usage; we still don’t know how much, if at all, they might affect our ears long-term.Wearing Calmer® lets you relax and makes everything sound natural while remaining engaged with your surroundings. Both hearing experts didn’t have a chance to test any of the earplugs in a lab – the gold standard for determining their efficacy. By this, we mean that you can look to identify the cause of misophonia in your life, or you can look for ways to reduce your symptoms. However, like foam earplugs, they will make your ear canal feel full and offer high noise reduction.