I thought motorcycle earplugs were pointless… until I actually tried them.
After clocking almost 8,000 kms in the past 8 months, I was still delaying buying earplugs. Never tried them before, so I always thought, “kitna hi difference hoga?”
Recently, I got one of those Amazon notifications saying these 3M earplugs were on discount. Pretty sure it was their usual price, but I placed the order anyway. That’s how I finally ended up trying them.
I’m currently using the basic 3M foam earplugs (uncorded) with my MT Thunder 3 Pro. No Bluetooth speakers or intercom setup.
First impressions?
The moment I put them on, I could instantly feel the noise isolation. Took the bike out for a quick city ride and the silence felt weirdly satisfying because I wasn’t used to it.
Later that same day, I hit the highway for around an hour on my usual route, and that’s where I actually witnessed the magic. The difference was dramatic. Almost on a completely different level.
Pros
• You can still hear traffic around you easily, including horns.
• Wind noise becomes almost non-existent till around 60–70 kmph. Above that, you can still hear wind, but not at the level where it becomes annoying or harmful to your ears.
• Highway riding feels WAY more relaxed and less tiring.
• They fit perfectly if you use the right insertion technique. Since the foam expands according to your ear canal shape, almost everyone gets a proper seal.
• Honestly feels like a must-have upgrade for highway rides.
Cons
• In bumper-to-bumper traffic, you might miss the sound of smaller car engines behind you while filtering through gaps. Keep checking your mirrors properly before squeezing through traffic.
• You’ll have to speak noticeably louder if you want to talk to your pillion while riding. A basic intercom setup would help a lot here.
Not really cons, but things I noticed
• I didn’t feel sleepy, but I feel if someone rides for 3+ hours continuously with earplugs on, the reduced noise and calmer environment might make them feel a bit sleepy.
• After around 1.5 hours of continuous riding, I felt a tiny bit of discomfort in my ears. Could also be because it was literally my first ride ever using earplugs.
Final verdict
Definitely get earplugs if you ride regularly, especially on highways. Once you use them, there’s honestly no going back.
And more importantly, your ears will thank you in the long run.
I’ll continue using these and probably post an update in the comments after using them for a few more rides.
For anyone who still hasn’t tried earplugs yet, just buy a pair and test them once. You get like 20 pairs for under ₹250, which honestly feels ridiculously cheap for the value they provide.
Also, normal cotton balls don’t even come remotely close to proper earplugs.
I know there are better and more expensive motorcycle-specific earplugs out there, but I haven’t tried those, yet.