Sound bites

Shop: Loop Switch 2

GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Object

Earplugs are among the least sexy accessories, and as someone who’s never been an avid concert-goer, I’ve never had much use for them. That is until I started commuting on Amtrak, where the soundtrack of loud, rickety tracks and coughing and kids negotiating more iPad time turned what I’d always imagined would be a productive two-hour ride into the city into distracted, lost time. When I received a pair of Loop earplugs, that all changed.

I can confidently say Loops are the sleekest earplugs on the market. They come in a tiny AirPod-esque case that perfectly fits the smartly shaped ear pieces. Each pair comes with a variety of sized silicone tips, which attach to a round base. They actually stay in your ears. The design also looks more akin to a pair of earbuds than the nerdish earplugs of yesteryear, so I have no shame wearing them in public.

The version I have, the Loop Switch 2, is designed to keep out just the right amount of noise, with three different settings that block out more noise progressively. Never one to work in complete silence — and as I’ve always appreciated the hum of a coffee shop — the Engage mode blocks out the mumble of the train and other passengers without being completely disorienting. It’s the type of wellness trick you might not see the obvious effects of until you feel the difference (or have better hearing than everyone else in ten years). –Sylvie Florman

→ Shop: Loop Switch 2, $59.95.