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Howard Leight Laser Lite earplugs – Bob Pickett looks after his hearing, and finds some other, unexpected benefits

Howard Leight Laser Lite earplugs - very effective... and so brightly coloured you should never lose them! The UK Health & Safety Executive demands that workers who have to bear noise levels of 85db must wear ear protection. Translate this to riding a motorcycle – just 40mph generates noise levels of as much as 88db, a level that would have an employer facing legal action.

Seabrook Audiology publish a worrying set of statistics. Over 40mph, the amount of time our ears can cope without damage is scarily low. At 40, we should be good for 4 hours. Up that just 10mph to 50 and it drops to an hour. At 60, you have barely 20 minutes, 70mph and we are good for less than 10 minutes and at 80, just 3 minutes is all we can cope with before damaging our hearing.

You might not notice it at first, but hearing loss is cumulative... and permanent.

This got me thinking about the type of riding I do. Even during my daily commute (around an hour and a quarter) two-thirds of the ride will be made at 50mph or more. So I'm pushing that single hour safety margin. If I'm performing a road test, I could be in the saddle for three or more hours - and a lot of that will be above 50mph, up to (around!) legal limits.

All of that is a recipe for ear damage. So I decided the time had come to try out earplugs when riding. And the type I chose are Howard Leight Laser Lite, as they are non-allergenic and contoured to fit even the smallest ear canals.

To insert, they need just 20 or so seconds rubbing between the palms to make them pliable. Then slip into the ear and allow them to expand. I find the ends sit out of the ear canal, but the ear itself is ‘plugged’ (for lack of a better word) and this helps with getting them back out again. Also, your helmet still slips on comfortably.

I find the Laser Lite plugs cut out a lot of the peripheral noise (especially wind), but still allow you to hear what is around you, like other road users. Removing all that additional, unnecessary noise makes for a more relaxing ride – being more relaxed, my riding is smoother. A lot of the time it feels like I’ve slowed down my top speed, but because I am relaxed and smoother, my average speed hasn’t dropped at all.

I am arriving at my destination feeling much less tired and stressed – a welcome and totally unexpected bonus. But is wearing the Laser Lite earplugs making a difference to my hearing? A few weeks in, it seems so. During my lunch-break, I slip on the headphones and listen to my MP3 player – and it all seems clearer. I’ve even been turning down the volume from the level I needed before (which is also beneficial in the long run).

Verdict: I am a complete convert. OK, if you’re just pottering around locally, not upping speeds for any real period of time, then they’re not worth it. But if you are going to be riding at as little as 50mph, then there is real benefit in wearing earplugs. And the Howard Leight Laser Lite plugs are a very cheap (I’ve picked them up for just a couple of quid for 15 pairs), but very effective set of earplugs.

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