The best motorcycle earplugs to protect your hearing on the bike and keep tinnitus at bay

Riding motorbikes is a noisy business and so motorcycle earplugs are generally considered to be a good idea. According to data from charity Tinnitus UK, the combination of engine noise, road noise and wind turbulence are generally around 85-95dB at speeds up to 35mph, climbing to 110-116dB at 65mph. At these upper levels, hearing damage can occur in less than one minute.

Sustained exposure to a continuous loud noise can seriously damage your hearing and cause conditions like tinnitus that can blight the lives of sufferers.

The problem isn’t so much the sound of an internal combustion engine doing its thing (unless it’s constantly at full chat, such as riding your bike on a track or firing through an obnoxiously loud exhaust) but the turbulent roar of wind ripping around a helmet.

Thankfully a decent pair of motorcycle earplugs can make all the difference.

Tests have shown that the interior of a motorcycle helmet can experience Sound Pressure Levels (SPL) well in excess of 100dB, and this can quickly end up causing permanent hearing damage. There is also the potential for increased fatigue, which can lead to a dangerous drop in concentration on long journeys.

The best motorcycle earplugs at a glance:

• Best cheap ones: Howard Leight Laser Lite – View on Amazon UK
• Best compact ones: Oxford FilterBuds – View on SportsBikeShop
• Best moulded ones: CF Motoblock – View on Custom Fit Guards
• Best value ones: Pinlock Ear Plugs – View on SportsBikeShop

A common argument from riders who don’t wear earplugs is that they want to hear their bike and the traffic around them, but many plugs these days use a filter system to attenuate noise while also letting a safe amount through.

There are lots of different motorcycle earplugs available, from incredibly cheap disposable off-the-shelf ones to custom-made items costing significant money. We’ve listed a broad selection of what’s available, along with real-world reviews and an overview of key points.

Top motorcycle earplugs

Things to consider before you buy earplugs:

There are several things to consider when purchasing earplugs. In order to compare their effectiveness, look for the SNR or Single Number Rating.

This indicates by how much they reduce noise in decibels (dB) as per ISO certification. The bigger the number, the greater the noise reduction. There’s also CE approval to EN 352-2, the certification for hearing PPE.

Noise reduction is, of course, the goal, but cut out too much sound, and you may lose some that’s helpful, such as engine, traffic, sat nav and emergency vehicles.

This is where filters come in, as they will still allow certain frequencies to be heard. With the right filter, wind noise can be reduced without losing the ability to hold a conversation, for instance.

How MCN tests earplugs

At MCN, our team of expert journalists have decades of experience gained over hundreds of thousands of miles. We don’t test our kit to destruction; we use it exactly how you do, in the real world and in all conditions. That means we can deliver impartial buying advice you can rely on.

When it comes to testing earplugs, we evaluate them based on several criteria: it’s not enough that they simply attenuate the noise that enters your ear, but they must also allow enough of the right frequencies through for us to be able to hear people talking. 

Manufacturers often quote attenuation levels in decibels (dB), so this gives us a starting point, but often this doesn’t include how well various frequencies are filtered out, and that’s important because ultimately, it’s the high-frequency noise from wind that will damage your hearing over an extended period. 

And don’t forget, it’s a one-way street once your hearing does start to suffer… MCN would always advocate prevention being far better than cure. Wear the earplugs. 

With that in mind, they’ll ideally block wind and engine roar at motorway speeds too, and they need to fit well, remaining in place as we pull our lids on and off, and furthermore they must be easy to use.

We also award points for a clever carrying case, a range of attenuation options and in some cases, cool-looking colours and/or designs. 
To find out more, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.

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When we review a product, we award it a score out of five. In the ratings tab of a given product, you may also find more specific scores for the different aspects of a product’s performance to help you make an informed decision. Here’s a guide to what each number score means:

• 1 star – Poor performance in this category or overall. A product with a single star rating has fallen below the expected standard and should be avoided.
• 2 stars – Basic performance in this area or overall. A product with a two-star rating has managed to perform to a barely acceptable level and there is room for improvement.
• 3 stars – An average performance in this area or overall. A product with a three-star rating has achieved a basic level of performance and is deemed adequate.
• 4 stars – A product has performed over and above the accepted averaged in this category or overall. A product with a four-star rating has surpassed expectation and delivered in a particularly impressive way.
• 5 stars – A product has performed at the highest possible level in a particular category or overall. A product with a five-star rating has delivered to the highest possible level, impressing the tester with its performance. We would happily spend our own money on it.

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