#unless i am SUPER out of the loop and people have actually found concrete reason to accuse this person of these things

[akari-hope]

people's inability to talk about situations with nuance online is causing bizarre problems yet again

[wxldchxld]

Hey so this is super ooc, but I know I have a lot of autistic friends and friends with cptsd on here that might find this interesting.

I’ve become a little bit of an earplug connoisseur this past year. I was never really given an option to use them as a kid in school and such, and had no idea how much they would benefit me in my life until I tried them out. So if you’ve been looking at a few of these popular earplug brands wondering if it’s worth it, I thought I’d give you my two cents about them.

Calmer/Calmer Mini

My first thing about this is don’t be a moron like I was. I did not realize these would ship from like---Germany. They shipped fast, but the importing on the US side took a stupid amount of time. I think it was like a month before I actually got these.

The second thing about these ear plugs is that I bought them hoping they would erase small noises that drive me bananas. Specifically the sound of markers on paper. It makes me want to go outside and rake my teeth against the concrete, and it’s a pretty big issue as I work with elementary grade students that use markers. They don’t do this at all. In fact, they aren’t going to help you block out little sounds at all.

What these do seem to do, at least for me, is make noises that are painfully loud a bit less painful. For instance I have a student whose stim is to clap very loudly, then give a high pitched “woo”. I can’t tell the kid not to stim (well I could but I’m not a monster so I won’t), but after a while it would start to really hurt my head and grate my nerves. With these in I don’t really get as bothered by it. I hear it, sure, but each clap doesn’t feel like an ice pick in my ears. My dog barking doesn’t make my ears crackle and ring like a radio on its last leg.

The big reason I wear these as opposed to other ear plugs, is they are sure discrete, and when you talk in them, it doesn’t sound like you’re yelling underwater. I tend to compensate by not talking or whispering, which doesn’t work while you’re teaching, and also doesn’t work out at restaurants and such. 

Do I wish they blocked out more sound? Yes. But thus far they are the best option I’ve found for my job, which involves a lot of me talking and singing. They’re comfortable, I wear them every day, and I definitely feel like I’ve gotten my money’s worth out of them. They’re able to be sanitized and will probably last me for years. Though I am curious to try the “pro” version and see if it actually does anything else---because they look almost identical in the photos lmao.

Loops

These are the other super popular ones right now, and they were my go-to earplug before the Calmers. I don’t like to touch foam, like at all, so foam earplugs aren’t really an option for me. 

I do really like my loops. Especially for noisy places. Like I love the movies but they used to be unbearably loud to go to. They dampen a lot of sound without completely canceling all noise around you. These are also my go-to in stores. I don’t have to talk to anyone there usually until check out. While I can use these in like restaurants and hear the people at my table fairly well, I can’t really talk back to them.

I think the big draw back for loops is price point. First off the carrying case you get with them is very small, and it’s plastic with a rubbery kinda hook which breaks fairly easily. I have resorted to keeping them in my wallet’s zipper pouch. I’m not really certain these are preferable to like, two dollar ear plugs from the drug store unless you have an aversion to foam like I do. I guess you could make an argument that these can be sanitized and reused for years to come. 

I also think they’re pretty tbh. And this is small and silly, but I’ve found a shop that sells like, earrings you can attach to them. I’ve always been too scared to get my ears pierced so like... Idk I think it’s cool lol.

Walgreens Silicone Earplugs

Probably your cheapest option. These weren’t bad but as usual in my life the “one size fits all” thing fucked me over. I felt like I was constantly shoving these back in my ear. I will probably try them again this summer though. I do not wanna take my more expensive ear plugs into the pool, and the last set of waterproof ear plugs I tried were not only very much not waterproof, but they hurt like a mother fucker to get out. Seeing as I’ve had an eardrum blow out in the past year, I’m trying to be super careful getting back in the pool.

Same issue with talking in these. You sound super loud. They aren’t as aesthetically appealing. These aren’t a bad option by any means, but I do like my other 2 a lot more.

These Evil Mother Fuckers

Don’t do this to yourself. These are an actual nightmare. Maybe I was using them wrong, maybe they were too big, maybe Satan himself used these as a butt plug. Whatever the reason, these things 1) were literally never comfortable for a single second 2) very much weren’t water proof bc the seal doesn’t hold and 3) hurt a LOT when you take them out. Again, maybe I’m stupid. Maybe I was doing it wrong. These were not for me.

Literally any Bluetooth Earphones

I honestly don’t notice a difference sound blocking wise between my loops and my cheap bluetooth earbuds that also play music. I think they were like 30 bucks on amazon. If you’re someone who can tolerate playing music in public, this might be your best option bc you aren’t only blocking sound, you’re drowning it out.

The draw back is they are bulkier than my loops and way more noticeable. I’ve only had a small handful of people ever notice my loops or calmers, and they’re very light weight. If you work somewhere that people might frown upon or straight up not allow you to listen to music, this might not be great. And again, the talking issue. 

I can’t really say anything about the headphones some people wear. I’ve never tried them because a) I don’t like how they feel sensory wise on top of my head and b) I don’t really want everyone to know I’m wearing noise reducers. I’m very open about my sensory issues, especially in front of my kids or any kids at the school, I think that’s important for them to see and know it’s normal and ok to use the tools they need. My coworkers all know I wear earplugs, but I don’t need passersby to look and see and make assumptions about me blocking out my kids. I know for children and for people who have issues putting things in their ears these can be fantastic options, and I think if you need them, fuck what other people think. Take care of you first. But I grew up in the age of earbuds, and I’ve been sticking shit in my ear as long as I can remember, so these are better options for me.

If anyone knows any other really good brands of ear plugs, dm me, because I’ll probably give them a go.