In my experience, most people who have lost all their hearing in one ear become vigilant about retaining their remaining hearing. Understandably, going through something traumatic like becoming deaf in one ear can shine a spotlight on how fragile hearing truly is. It also highlights how much one relies on that remaining ear.

I have used a variety of ear plugs to protect my hearing ear since becoming single sided deaf. I like many of them, and Loop ear plugs are consistently a top contender. I always travel with at least one ear plug in my purse or attached to my keys. I find it really alleviates anxiety to know I have protection with me. I also struggle with pain with some loud noises and I love having a way to alleviate that discomfort.

About a year and a half ago I purchased AirPods Pro 2 for their hearing aid feature. I frequently use them for situations where I want to reduce background noise or sharpen speech. As I researched and experimented with my AirPods, I found out that they have hearing protection as well as these other hearing aid features. I have frequently used them to protect my ears this last year and a half.

I wanted to share pros and cons using ear plugs and AirPods for hearing protection. For reference, I am comparing Loop Experience Plus ear plugs and AirPods Pro 2 (I have not tested the 3 and I hear it doesn’t perform as well).

• Sound Reduction. Airpods have three different modes with differing amounts of sound reduction. Transparency Mode (which is where the hearing aid functions are used) has 11-15 dB of sound reduction, Adaptive Mode has 25-29 dB of sound reduction, and Noise Canceling has 25-30 dB of sound reduction. My Loop Experience Plus ear plugs I commonly use have a 17dB sound reduction and a mute that adds an additional 3dB of sound reduction. Both have a very useful amount of sound reduction, but I like that I have three differing sound reduction options with the AirPods Pro 2.
• Comfort. To get the benefit of the hearing aid mode features of the AirPods Pro 2 I have to wear both ear buds, even though I only have one hearing ear. I have trouble at times keeping them in, especially in my deaf ear. I know I have tiny ear canals, and I think that even the smallest ear tip is a stretch for me. I also wonder if my anatomy has shifted post surgery in the deaf ear, or if perhaps the lack of auditory input means I don’t notice if the device starts to wiggle out. I do also find my ears getting sore after extended wearing. My Loop ear plug I find very comfortable for extended wear. I also like that I need to only wear one and can turn my deaf ear into an ear plug holder for moments where I don’t need the hearing protection. The Loops fit snugly without hurting and never fall out (the small size is actually small enough for me).
• Sound Quality. AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid function has fantastic sound quality. I am sure this is in part because a hearing test is required to program them to your specific hearing needs. I feel it lessens the noise but doesn’t muffle or compress the sound. AirPods Pro 2 are by far my favorite choice for music events where I need hearing protection as I feel it gives me the most crisp sound quality. My Loop Experience Plus ear plugs are my favorite ear plugs I have found for sound quality, but they aren’t as excellent as the AirPods Pro 2.
• Price. The AirPods Pro 2 are quite inexpensive by hearing aid standards, but they are very expensive by ear plug standards. For me, the cost feels very worthwhile as I use them for hearing assistance, as ear buds for streaming, and for hearing protection. At the moment of writing this, they are about $200. Meanwhile, a quality ear plug is more in the range of $30-$50. Also, if like me, you only need one ear plug, if you buy a brand like Loop that isn’t made for specific sides you really get double the ear plugs and have a back up.

As you can see, there are pros and cons for each model. I find that I use both and like having both with me. Prior to having the AirPods Pro 2, I used my Loops extensively. These days, I probably do 80% of my sound reduction with AirPods. The combination of background noise cancelation and the ability to bring forward speech means that loud restaurants become both more comfortable and more intelligible. Loops make noisy environments more comfortable, but they don’t increase the speech recognition the way AirPods do. I honestly did not anticipate how often I would end up utilizing my AirPods Pro 2, but I am so grateful for how the technology continues to advance.