I have hearing damage already, so I need to protect what diminishing hearing I have left.
As I mentioned at the time, I had been using 3M yellow foam disposable ear plugs for many years. They work well - but have quite a few disadvantages. They create their seal by exerting pressure against your ear canal. They are single use (although you can sometimes get 2-3 uses out of them if you are careful). They get dirty. And after some time, they get uncomfortable. Sometimes they can also work their way out.
The Fit-Ear plugs are different. They are molded from silicone to the exact shape and size of your ear canal. Instead of using constant expanding pressure to seal against your ear canal like foam earplugs, they seal your ear canal perfectly because they are shaped exactly like your ear canal. And because they are shaped like your canal, not only are the comfortable, they can't work their way out.
Quite simply, I have never had an earplug that was as comfortable to wear, and as effective as my Fit Ear plugs.
However, six years of hard use had gone by, and my Fit Ear plugs were starting to show their age. The end was getting a little floppy from years of insertion and extraction, and they weren't sealing perfectly like they always had. When the Cleveland Motorcycle Show came around, it was time for a new set.
Like the poster in the booth says, they are great for use on the motorcycle, and exceptional for shooting. However...sleeping? Not so much. As long as you lay on your back, they're fantastic. But roll over onto your side, and I find the pressure of the earplug being pushed into your ear is very uncomfortable. Not mentioned on here: racing. Most racing drivers I know use these as well, the wired type.
Many options are available, including units with wired headsets or now even Bluetooth capability.
Several bluetooth options were available, allowing hookup to your phone to play music or hear GPS instructions.
Wired options are also available, to plug into your bike's intercom system.
The units with speakers inside them were molded using clear silicone, to show how the wires connect to the speakers, and how the speakers send sound out into your ear.
Many different colors of silicone are available - I used neutral again. There were a line of people waiting to get theirs made, and the motorcyclist in front of me got bright blue. To each his own!
The Bluetooth units are a bit more expensive, but they have the capability of taking a mold of your ear, and using that mold later to build you a Bluetooth headset.
To start the process, your ear canals are inspected to ensure they are clean and that you have no medical issues that would prevent the process from being performed successfully. A small wad of soft cotton attached to a thread is inserted into your ear canal to prevent the silicone from going too far into your ear.
Next, the silicone is injected into each ear canal. It overflows out and is smoothed manually.
A dot is impressed into the earplug on your right ear. This indicates later which one is for which ear. You can see the small thread holding the cotton in place.
You then sit and wait for five minutes for the silicone to cure. Afterwards, it and the cotton is pulled quickly and painlessly from your ear. The whole process is simple and with no discomfort.
The earplugs are left to fully cure, and then expertly trimmed into their finished form. You return to the booth after one hour, and are handed your new earplugs in a special protective case.
Here are my new set of earplugs!
The price for these earplugs is $60. Considering my last pair lasted me six years, that's only $10/year. The new pair fit perfectly, and I'm ready for many more years of quiet riding while saving my dwindling hearing!
More information, and a calendar of when they will be at a show near you is available on their web site: https://www.fit-ear.com/
