Which Loop Earplugs should you buy? We tested them to find out.

Loop Earplugs are perhaps the most popular earplugs on the market right now. I can’t go through Instagram without seeing one of their ads. But to Loop’s credit, they are nice earplugs. They look good, they feel good in my ears, and they have a bunch of different models to suit different use cases.

But therein lies the problem. If you go on Loop’s website, you’ll see that there are nine different earplugs to choose from, and they all look pretty much the same. Which ones are you supposed to get, and how good are they from model to model? Consider this article your ultimate Loop earplugs buying guide.

The Loop Dream block out the most noise

If you’re looking for Loop earplugs that block out the most noise, you’ll want to grab a pair of the Loop Dream. As its name suggests, these earplugs are primarily designed for use while sleeping, and they even feature hybrid foam-silicone ear tips, which Loop claims are their most comfortable pair.

When it comes to blocking out noise, the Loop Dream have a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of 21dB and a Single Number Rating of 27 dB. In theory, this makes the Loop Dream the best choice if you’re looking to block out the most amount of noise possible—at least compared to the rest of the Loop earplug lineup.

But we’ve got two problems. One, the Loop Dream ($49.95 at Manufacturer site) is pricey for a pair of earplugs. Second, they’re not very versatile. Because they’re designed to block out as much noise as possible, it doesn’t make them a good pair of earplugs for concerts, or when you need to be somewhat aware of surroundings—such as when you have kids around the house.

The Loop Experience 2 Plus are ideal for concerts

The Loop Experience 2 are designed to be worn at concerts. But if you spend a little extra for the Experience 2 Plus, you’ll get additional accessories that make these earplugs even more versatile—especially if you need as much peace and quiet as possible.

For example, our lab tests show us that if you use the Experience 2 Plus with Foam Eartips and Mute Accessory, the earplugs can reduce the loudness of outside noise by an average of about 78.9%, or 22.5 dB, which is close to the Loop Dream’s advertised 21 dB NRR rating.

This makes the Experience 2 Plus a great option for those who work in a loud office space, or for those who live in an apartment near a construction site. However, when it’s time to headbang at your next concert or rave, all you have to do is remove the mute accessory and use either the silicone or foam ear tips; whichever is more comfortable for you.

For reference, here’s a graph showing how the different earplug configurations affect the isolation performance.

You can see that using the foam ear tips and mute accessory offers the most reduction in loudness, while just using the silicone ear tips offers the least, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

You want to protect your hearing at a concert, but you probably don’t want your live music experience to sound muffled; like you’re underwater. In this case, using the silicone tips may be your best bet. But when you need to lock in to write that essay due at 11:59, then the mute accessory and foam tips may come in handy.

In terms of pricing, the Loop Experience 2 Plus, with all the additional accessories, is $44.95 at Amazon. They’re more versatile than the Loop Dream, and they’re cheaper, though not by much.

If you don’t need all the accessories, you can get the Experience 2 with just the silicone ear tips for $44.95 at Amazon. It’s a great option if you’re primarily looking for concert earplugs, though your use cases with the earplugs may be limited since the Experience 2 isn’t designed to provide maximum noise attenuation. However, if you’re looking for a pair of earplugs to wear while you work, and you don’t want to spend more than $35, then Loop’s got another option for you.

The Loop Quiet 2 are versatile earplugs

The Loop Quiet 2 are earplugs that are designed mainly for people looking to muffle unwanted noise when working, traveling, or even just napping. Our lab tests show that the Loop Quiet 2 can reduce the loudness of outside noise by an average of 72.8%. It doesn’t block outside noise as much as the Experience 2 Plus with all the bells and whistles, but it should be enough to significantly quiet sounds like airplane engine noise and loud office environments.

If you want to block out even more noise, you could opt for the Quiet 2 Plus, which comes with double ear tips that Loop claims should help block more outside noise. Our testing did find this to be true, though not by much. Our testing shows that using the double tips helped reduce the loudness of outside noise by an average of 73.5%, which isn’t significantly better than the performance of the earplugs with a single tip.

Based on these results, we think it’s likely that you may not hear a big difference in performance between the single and double ear tips depending on the shape of your ear. Neither are bad, just not guaranteed to be a huge improvement over one another. Everyone’s ears are different, and so your experience may differ from ours, and that’s okay. So if you think the Loop Quiet 2 will suit your needs, I’d honestly recommend just getting the single-tip ($34.95 at Amazon). If you want the option to use double-tips, then you can snag the Quiet 2 Plus ($34.95 at Amazon).

The Loop Quiet 2 is a good option if you want to block outside noise and stay focused. But let’s say you’re someone who needs to be social, but you’re sensitive to loud noises, or maybe you get overstimulated in large group settings. Well, Loop has a pair of earplugs specifically tailored for that scenario.

The Loop Engage 2 are great for social settings

The Loop Engage 2 isn’t designed to block all the noise around you. Instead, these earplugs are made to help you better hone in on your conversations. Essentially, these earplugs are made to provide you with some relief when socializing in loud environments. According to Loop, the Engage 2 has a noise reduction rating of 16dB. This rating means that the earplugs are capable of blocking loud sources like big crowds, though the design attempts to let some sound you actually want to hear, through.

Since these earplugs are designed for social situations, Loop claims that the Engage 2 is specifically made to minimize that “blocked ear” sensation while you’re speaking with the earplugs on. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, try plugging your ears with your finger and start talking. This is a bit of an exaggerated example, but you’ll get the idea.

If you want the option to block out even more noise, Loop also sells the Engage 2 Plus, which comes with the Mute Accessory also used by the Experience 2 Plus. According to Loop, the Mute Accessory should help reduce the loudness of outside noise by a further 9 dB.

If you think you can benefit from the Engage 2, they’re currently available for $35.95 at Amazon, while the Engage 2 Plus with the Mute Accessory is available for $44.95 at Amazon. Additionally, there’s also a version of the Engage 2 for kids available for $34.95, though the only difference between the kids and non-kids models that we can see is the available colorways.

The Loop Switch 2 are the jack of all trades

So far, all the earplugs I’ve talked about are mainly designed to suit a given scenario. The Experience 2 is made for concerts, the Quiet 2 is made for, you know, silence and the Engage 2 is made for socializing. But is there a pair of earplugs that can work in all those situations? Is there one earplug to rule them all? Well, maybe.

Introducing the Loop Switch 2. As the name suggests, the Switch 2 are earplugs that let you choose how much outside noise you want to block. There are different modes to choose from: Quiet, which provides the most noise attenuation, Experience, which is meant for concerts and other loud environments, and Engage, which allows you to hear the people you’re talking to in the middle of big crowds. Here’s a chart that shows how the Switch 2 reduces the loudness of outside noise in each of its three modes.

For even more context, here’s another chart that shows how the Switch 2 performs compared to the other Loop earplugs.

We found that the Switch 2 in Quiet mode reduces the loudness of outside noise similar to the Quiet 2 with the double tips. We even noticed that the Switch 2 in Experience Mode slightly outperforms the Experience 2 while using the silicone ear tips. However, if you want to block out as much noise as possible, then you’re still better off getting the Experience 2 Plus and using the foam ear tips and mute accessory.

Still, if versatility is your main concern, then the Loop Switch 2 is a very good option. However, that versatility does come at a cost. Priced under just under $60, the Loop Switch 2 isn’t cheap—especially for a pair of earplugs. At that price, you could buy 360 pairs of those disposable foam earplugs, or you could even get a pair of decent true wireless earbuds.