Loop Earplugs Engage

Loop Engage is the third product family of Loop Earplugs’ reusable hearing protection: earplugs for people suffering from noise oversensitivity, which can affect their mental health. Engage is designed for conversation and counteracts the occlusion effect: the sound of your own voice reverberating in your head. By combining an acoustic channel and a filter, the earplugs reduce the volume of noise without distorting it. The stylish, interchangeable earbuds are available in various sizes.

The jury on Loop Earplugs Engage:

A product like earplugs, in which little development has happened in recent years, has been transformed by Loop Earplugs into a very attractive and fashionable but also superbly functioning product, which is being embraced by various target groups. This will also boost their use in a social environment. The design is based on years of acoustic research.

What does this award mean to you?

Our aim with Loop Earplugs is to give people control over how they experience the world around them. Our ambition is to finally do away with the idea that earplugs are boring and unattractive. According to the World Health Organization, noise pollution is one of the biggest causes of health problems today. We are determined to raise awareness about how sound affects our quality of life. Just as sunglasses are a statement of personal style today, we want to achieve the same with earplugs. This Henry van de Velde Award is a great support for us, as it’s a design prize that shows that earplugs can be real fashion accessories. 

How did the idea for this project come about?

This concept was born out of our vibrant community. Because we are a D2C (direct to consumer) company, we have a direct line with our customers. They shared with us that when using our earplugs, they often suffered from the occlusion effect, the sound of your own voice reverberating. Many of them also commented that they wanted to use our Experience earplugs in social settings as well, but that they muted too much and limited the ability to have a conversation. So it was our community that alerted us to an additional use case, another application, which called for a customised product. Earplugs that are suitable for use in a social environment: ideal for conversations, while still filtering out ambient noise. 

How does it contribute to a better world?

Noise reduction goes beyond just protecting your ears from harsh sounds. For some people, earplugs are a valuable tool for reducing environmental noise, especially if they have conditions such as misophonia, ADHD or autism, which make them particularly sensitive to sound stimuli. Loop wants to raise awareness about the impact of sound. What we hear or don’t hear determines our experiences. Loop wants to give everyone the freedom to choose how they want to hear the world and give them the power to rise above the noise.