Did you hear there’s a new earplug on the market? Yes, and EDM Maniac had the opportunity to try out the revolutionary new hearing protection that is Unplugs.
We were able to get our hands on the new product before heading into Coachella weekend two. When we first saw the science behind them, we found ourselves immediately intrigued. “Clickable” earplugs? We had questions. What better testing ground than the middle of the desert at one of the world’s biggest festivals?
Unplugs set out to solve what is probably most festivalgoers’ (including ourselves) biggest struggle—not just bringing earplugs to the festival, but actually keeping them in. The second someone starts trying to talk to us, we can’t hear them, end up pulling one out, and eventually abandon them altogether.
First test: Marlon Hoffstadt at Sahara Stage.
We pulled out our Unplugs and plugged in. As some friends walked up, out of habit, we immediately started reaching to take one earplug out. But then it hit us. Click.
Suddenly, the sound of voices around us came flooding in. That tiny convenience ended up mattering way more than expected.
Realistically, hearing each other is why most people stop wearing earplugs at festivals in the first place. Not because they don’t care about hearing damage, but because constantly taking them in and out gets annoying fast. At Coachella especially, where you’re bouncing between massive stages, packed crowds, random side quests, and battling the desert heat, anything inconvenient gets ditched pretty quickly.
But with Unplugs, we never really felt the need to take them out. At first glance, they already stood out from the random high-fidelity earplugs we’ve collected over the years. Their smaller profile, cleaner design, and nifty carrying case were growing on us. The more we used them throughout the weekend, the more the concept started making sense.
Unplugs was developed alongside renowned audiologist Dr. Natan Bauman, hearing instrument specialist Ralph Campagna, and Lunchbox creator Tom Worcester, so the entire design feels built by people who actually understand festival environments, not just hearing protection on paper.
The clickable switch ended up being the biggest difference maker for us. One mode is designed for stronger protection during louder sets, while the other opens things up more for conversations and lighter listening without fully removing them.
It worked like a charm. Even after standing deep in crowds for multiple sets, our hearing felt balanced when we left the festival each night.
The comfort helped too. We wore them for long stretches without constantly adjusting them or feeling pressure in our ears. At one point, we fully forgot they were still in.
And as small as it sounds, the design actually matters. Most earplugs either stick awkwardly out of your ears or disappear so easily you lose them by sunset. Unplugs’ Red Dot Award-winning design somehow managed to avoid both problems.
They’re not magic. If you’re standing all the way in the back during a quieter daytime set, the heavier protection mode can still feel slightly stronger than necessary. But having the ability to instantly switch modes made it easy to adjust depending on where we were in the crowd.
By the end of the weekend, the biggest thing we noticed was simple: we actually wore them. For an entire festival. And honestly, that might be the best review we can give.
You can check out Unplugs now at unplugshearing.com.
Featured image courtesy: Unplugs.
