Loop’s new earplugs for kids have transformed homework time – here’s our review

The Loop engage earplugs are packaged in a compact, recyclable cardboard box that contains the earplugs, a small storage case and four pairs of different ear tips to try. We tested the berry blue colour, which was a hit with both our testers (one boy, one girl), who said it looked ‘fancy’. While we love the lack of excess packaging, we were slightly worried about the dinky carry case, as our testers have been known to misplace items, especially small ones. We told them to make sure the case was keep in their coat pockets while out and about, so there was no danger of it falling out of a bag. It was a relief that our testers never had a problem finding the earplugs in their pockets, and the case never once slipped out – even though the coats were thrown over chairs, put in cloakrooms and generally treated with the reckless abandon young children show towards their clothing and personal belongings. Our first outing was at a bowling alley, which has been known to overstimulate both testers in the past. Without earplugs, the noisy environment of skittles being knocked down, people in other lanes yelling and background music has left our testers frazzled and tearful after their games, and they’ve exploded over something trivial in the car on the way home. With the Loop engage earplugs in their ears, I was wondering if there would be a dramatic improvement in bowling ability, due to our testers being better able to focus. It’s safe to say we still needed the bumpers on both sides of the lane but there weren’t any tears on the way home, and there’s a strong probability the earplugs had a part to play. The earplugs come with four pairs of different-sized silicone ear tips. We started with the XS size, given that the earplugs are designed for children of up to 12 years old and our testers are at the lower end of the recommended age range. We found this size to be just right, and it’s the one we used throughout the whole testing period. We did try out the small and medium sizes but our testers said they caused irritatation in their ears. Also, the larger the tip, the greater the noise reduction will be, so, if your child isn’t used to cutting down on noise, you may want to try the smaller size first and work your way up. Read more: The best earplugs for swimming We were impressed by the fact the earplugs didn’t seem to budge or come loose while our testers were walking, running, jumping and playing. Because our testers didn’t complain of any pressure or ache in their ears, we almost forgot the kids were wearing the earplugs. On another occasion, our youngest tester wore the earplugs for afternoon tea on a London bus. All the sights of London going past our eyes combined with the noise of London traffic could have contributed to our tester becoming overstimulated, but the Loop engage earplugs helped her stay calm and enjoy the experience. We also tested the earplugs during homework time, and were amazed by how useful they were. In fact, we won’t do homework without them going forward. The first time the seven-year-old put the earplugs in his ears, he wrote a page full of sentences in his English book. Previously, he’d been so distracted by younger siblings or the noise of the TV or food cooking on the stove that getting him to write two paragraphs would take almost an hour. Even the maths-avoiding six-year-old seemed to be working harder to understand the concept of adding tens and units. We could still talk to the children to explain what they needed to do, but the earplugs really got the children into ‘work mode’. Loop’s earplugs could also come in handy during car journeys and flights, helping little ones wind down and rest, instead of having endless screen time. As the silicone tips can be easily removed, cleaning is simple, too. For less than £30, these are earplugs that will last you years and hopefully save you hours of nagging kids to finish their homework.