Loop Dream Earplugs review: A peaceful night’s sleep, at a cost

recommended

1 / 10

When it comes to earplugs, there aren’t many brand names that spring to mind. I’m more familiar with the cheap earplugs you might buy from Boots if you’re going on holiday, or the flimsy foam things you sometimes get at gig venues or on planes. 

However, in the past couple of years, I’ve noticed more frequent advertising from Loop: a brand that, since 2016, has attempted to “revolutionize the way the world experiences sound”. 

The brand manufactures a number of different types of earplugs tailored to different purposes and environments, whether that be focussing at work or going to a noisy concert. I reviewed the Loop Dreams, which – as the name suggests – are designed for sleeping. They’re a comfortable and effective pair of earplugs, but revolutionary sound experience isn’t cheap.

What do you get for the money?

A pair of Dream earplugs cost £45, making them the brand’s second most expensive model at just £10 shy of the adjustable Loop Switch 2. They’re made primarily from silicone, while the inside of the removable ear tips is memory foam: this is designed to help form a secure seal for noise reduction (Loop claims a 27dB noise reduction). 

2 / 10

The earplugs are available in three colours – Black, Lilac and Peach – and come with a hardshell case as well as four pairs of tips, a pair for each size (extra small to large). You also get a 100-day “risk free” trial during which you can return them for a refund (see the brand’s shipping policy page for more details on this).

What do they do well?

I tested the Loop Dreams intermittently over a couple weeks in my London flat. For context, I have a bedroom that backs out onto a car park that can get very noisy at night, especially during the warmer months when people congregate there. I found the earplugs successfully muffled noises from outside, allowing me to get to sleep quicker and more easily while keeping the window open throughout the night. It’s very difficult to judge just how accurate Loop’s claim of 27dB noise reduction is, but this is helpfully contextualised on the brand’s website: soft sounds (such as breathing) should become inaudible, while medium sounds (such as distant traffic or the sounds of a TV in another room) “will be reduced to faint murmurs” and loud sounds (sirens or fireworks) will remain audible, but at a lower volume. 

7 / 10

My own experiences with the Loop Dreams were consistent with this illustration. For instance, I couldn’t detect the sounds of my flatmates moving about in other rooms, and while I could still hear the sounds of revving cars directly outside my window, these were reduced to much less of a disturbance. 

One of my favourite things about the Loop Dreams earplugs is the way they are designed with a “tab” that allows you to take them out easily. I have a fear that earplugs will become stuck in my ears, constituting some sort of medical emergency when I can’t get them out. The design of the Loop Dreams does away with that fear, however irrational it might have been in the first place, and sets them apart from cheap, lumpy foam options. 

8 / 10

And as for comfort, the Dreams are largely a success. I determined my ideal tip size (Loop suggests you try all sizes to begin with) was a medium, which sat comfortably in my ears without feeling too loose. On a few instances, I did wake up and remove them in the middle of the night, but this was less due to feelings of discomfort and more because I’m not necessarily accustomed to having earplugs in throughout a whole night. Loop’s claim that they’re well-suited for side sleepers is not unfounded either: they don’t stick out of your ears awkwardly and I found them just as comfortable for side- as well as back-sleeping.

What could be improved? 

After several nights of testing, I got a spot on the inside of my earlobe, which was quite sore and meant I didn’t wear the earplugs for a little while afterwards. I’ll admit that I have quite sensitive skin that is prone to occasional outbreaks, but as a result of this I am hesitant to recommend the use of the Loop Dreams night after night for a prolonged period of time. Perhaps, in my case at least, they are best saved for particularly noisy nights or for travel and shorter stints on planes or trains. 

The main reservation I have about the Loop Dream Earplugs, however, is the price. In addition to the upfront cost of £45 – already a substantial investment for a pair of silicone and foam earplugs – Loop recommends replacing the ear tips every 100 nights, and a set of four replacement tips will cost you £15. Assuming you’re using them every night for a year, which you may well not be, that equates to almost a new set every year – not a huge cost, but it adds up. 

9 / 10

Despite my previously mentioned unfamiliarity of the market, other earplug brands do exist. Alpine, for instance, sells a range of earplugs for sleep, including the SleepDeep earplugs that will cost you £13 and claim to offer 27dB noise attenuation and the Alpine Silence (£22, up to 25dB noise reduction). On the “techier” end of the market, you’ve got sleep headphones such as Philips Sleep Headphones with Kokoon (around £250) or the Ozlo Sleepbuds (£299). In short, the Loop Dreams aren’t the most expensive options around but, for what they offer as relatively basic silicone earplugs, they’re still quite the investment.

Should you buy the Loop Dream Earplugs?

Of course, this investment will be well worth it if you’re someone who is in desperate need of a pair of quality earplugs in order to get a good night’s sleep. Whichever way you look at it, there is simply no doubt that the Loop Dreams are much nicer than a pair of cheap disposable earplugs. 

However, if you’re someone who just needs a pair of earplugs in the event that you find yourself on a flight two rows across from a screaming child, then they won’t be the most economical choice. Ultimately, I think the Dreams are very good, but whether or not you get your money’s worth from them (and it’s a fair bit of money in today’s economy) entirely depends on how much, and how often, you need them.

Written By

Gareth Thomas

Alongside his role as commissioning editor, Gareth manages Expert Reviews’ mattress and bedding content: a section of the website he’s worked within since joining in 2020. With a Master's degree in Magazine Journalism, Gareth has also written about a range of product categories, such as coffee and office chairs.

More about