"Nobody is healthy in London, nobody can be,” wrote Jane Austen in her 1816 novel Emma. Over 200 years later, there appears to be a concerted effort to render Jane's verdict obsolete. Londoners' lungs are being protected by the recently expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone, and now an innovative product is hoping to do the same for Londoners' ears.
Tinnitus
As a London resident and tinnitus sufferer, I’ve always been acutely aware of the noise that my ears have to tolerate on a daily basis. Roadworks, constant traffic, planes roaring overhead and the screeching of tube trains are things that my ears have had to endure for over twenty years of London living. Now that I have children, I have started to become aware of the damage this constant noise may perhaps do to their own hearing.
The earplugs
Enter loop earplugs in an array of different colours and styles to help protect the delicate organs we all possess and to drown out some of the unnecessary everyday noise. I was intrigued by them initially as at first glance, they reminded me of the economy-class headphones you get on most budget flights, but this is where the comparison ends. Two loops attached to the earplugs ensure they can be inserted and extracted with ease and also provide maximum comfort. As my seven-year-old son can be my own harshest critic, I thought who better to take them for a test drive in one of the loudest conurbations on the planet and give his honest opinion.
We opted for the berry blue engage kids set, which allows kids to ‘improve focus and keep them engaged’. This admittedly is one of my biggest parenting challenges; getting my seven-year-old to stay focused. He initially loved playing with them and trying out the different sizes of earplugs to make sure they were a good fit. The little loop link is also a must as things this small normally disappear within two seconds of purchasing with kids of this age.
Travelling and the underground
Armed with his set of loops, we took off across the sprawling London transport network. At first, he was expecting the volume to be significantly lowered, but I had to mention that it only reduced noise slightly so that you could concentrate, not block out sound entirely (although these are available for adults). He decided to wear them on the overground and underground trains and did attest that the screeching of the rails as we entered Piccadilly Circus was reduced. One significant thumbs-up from my boy.
Bowling and lunch
We made our way to All-Star Lanes, Holborn where the music was already loud and the cacophony of other bowlers instantly made us raise our voices. In went his earplugs almost instantaneously, which were now proudly dangling around his neck on his loop link. Not having totally mastered the art of the great game, the crashes of the bowling ball as they careered down the lanes almost made my ears bleed, so I was grateful he was wearing his loops. After a while, however, he did find them a little frustrating as they kept falling out as he was bowling; after about thirty minutes they were out entirely. However, I can imagine in a more relaxed setting such as doing homework, this wouldn’t be the case.
Next, we entered the forever bustling Inamo in Covent Garden, where sushi and interactive arcade tables greeted a very pleased young man. It was becoming a habit that his earplugs were inserted every time the volume got a little loud and to me that spoke volumes of their effectiveness. A wailing newborn next to us and the general atmosphere of the restaurant did encourage those earplugs to go in and he nodded when I enquired whether he felt things were quieter. We could also speak to one another without me having to raise my voice but after the main course arrived, he got bored and duly removed them. So much for helping concentration; perhaps in a classroom setting he would be more enamoured to leave them be.
Back home and final thoughts
The train journey home via tube and overground meant that he had the opportunity to put them in again and this he did, especially as he knew when the excessively loud section of screeching tracks approached on the tube. When we got home, I asked him what his opinion was and he offered up his one-word review of ‘good’. To me, that is a glowing report although when asked if he needed them to do his schoolwork at home I was also offered a ‘Nah, it’s okay’. To be fair to him, he can knuckle-down when he’s asked to so this didn’t perplex me.
DISCOVER: I took my family on a train tour around Switzerland and it pushed us out of our comfort zone
Overall, from a parental standpoint, I can absolutely see the use of these, especially when travelling, at festivals or in other loud environments for both children and adults. As we live in an era of ubiquitous headphone use, wearing a pair of Loops also wouldn’t feel out of place socially. I wouldn’t say that these are fixing a problem which doesn’t exist, but if your child does get distracted easily or has sensitive hearing then these could be useful for your armoury. Just ensure they don’t put them in as an excuse to ignore you when you ask them to help around the house.