I have ADHD and struggle to focus, but these Loop earplugs are a game-changer—and they’ll help anyone who’s sensitive to noise

I got my ADHD diagnosis a year ago and, since then, have been looking for tools to help me to “hack” my productivity. As anyone with ADHD will tell you, you need to work with your brain, not against it, if you want to get anything done.

Many of the productivity recommendations that work for neurotypical people (people without ADHD) can feel like pulling teeth for someone with an ADHD neurotype. Making lists, setting alarms or giving myself small rewards for completed tasks have always been wholly ineffective techniques for me.

My levels of distractibility mean that I need to remove all potential pitfalls, whether that’s open tabs on my browser, an empty water bottle or sources of invasive sound.

So I work in bursts of focus time, when I shut down everything but the task I’m working on. No notifications, no checking emails, no wandering around my house looking for something to eat. This has boosted my ability to work for a sustained period, but sometimes I’m still yanked out of it by unpredictable noises.

When I was offered some Loop earplugs to test, I was curious to see how they could help me enhance my working day. Rather than trying to avoid the source of noise, I could use them to be less affected by it.

Loop earplugs don’t block out sound completely, rather they filter certain frequencies meaning that you can still hear what’s going on around you, but excessively loud or high-pitched noises are dampened.

They sit in the ear canal like earphones and are easy to insert and remove once you have the hang of it. While they’re in, you can switch between settings on the side of each bud.

My experience wearing the Loop Switch earplugs

It helped me focus

The earplugs I tested, the Loop Switch, have three levels of sound filtration and the Quiet mode was a lifesaver.

I live by a primary school (the UK equivalent of an elementary school) and opposite a building supply yard, so my street tends to be a busy, bustling place during the week. My dog—a greyhound mix—is also a master of communication, and her high-pitched whining can be very distracting when I’m trying to lock in and finish an article.

The quiet mode eliminated all of this distracting noise, allowing me to focus completely on my work.

It’s versatile

The three sound-dampening settings on the Switch make it incredibly useful in a variety of situations.

While the Quiet setting was a game-changer for work, I found the other two modes—Experience and Engage—helpful in other settings, too.

I tend to feel overwhelmed by background noise and struggle to understand if someone is speaking to me in a crowded room. My brain treats all sound as equally important, so focusing on a conversation can be hard.

The Engage mode helped to drown out the hum of the pub and enabled me to engage properly with friends. The earbuds allowed me to feel more comfortable navigating a busy sports bar with music, chatter and live rugby on the screens, which would usually be a setting I would avoid.

Experience is a mode I need to experiment with more, having only tested it at an open mic night so far. I’m excited to see how they work in a fully sound-engineered environment like a gig.

I forgot I was wearing them

Unlike with my bulky noise-cancelling headphones, which get sore after a few hours, I completely forgot the Loop earplugs were in.

I use expanding foam earplugs to sleep and these can get uncomfortable after a few hours, so I expected to have the same experience with the Loop plugs, but was pleasantly surprised.

Once you’ve got your size right (I’m an XS), the silicone tips sit in the ear canal but don’t go very deep, meaning they aren’t pressing against the delicate parts of the inner ear and causing discomfort. If you can comfortably wear earbuds, you won’t have an issue with these.

I did notice they got a little less comfortable when I sweated, but after taking them out and drying my ears I was good to go again.

Is the Loop Switch worth it?

For me, Loop earplugs are definitely worth the money. It’s become an integral part of my routine, particularly on days when I don’t want to listen to music, and offer an extra degree of protection between me and the overwhelming noise of the world around me.

The Switch combines three earplugs in one, so adapt well to whatever situation you’re in. Feeling overwhelmed? You don’t need to swap them for a different pair, just flick them to a higher setting.

Not having to carry multiple pairs of earplugs and headphones and having to swap between them keeps me feeling safe and comfortable even in louder settings.