Loop produces earplugs with silicone ear tips, designed to help users filter out distracting noises, protect against noise-induced hearing loss, and control the volume around them. The Loop Earplugs controversy took place on social media, as some users questioned the brand’s safety and efficiency.
At Business 2 Community, we’ll explain what Loop Earplugs are, how they work, and why some users were concerned.
Loop Earplugs Controversy – Key Facts
- Loop Earplugs launched in 2016, as a stylish and comfortable hearing protection for nightlife lovers.
- During the pandemic, Loop diversified into other markets, including sleep, focus, and hearing disorders.
- The two main controversies around Loop are the quality of its earplugs and whether the company is ableist.
The Story of the Loop Earplugs Controversy
The Loop Earplugs controversy is about the quality of the earplugs, their safety, and whether the company has made ableist comments.
We’ll take a look at these controversies by answering some key questions about the company: how it started, how it works, and what its marketing strategy is. After each question, we’ll cover controversies, along with how the company dealt with them.
What are Loop Earplugs?
With a motto of “Live Life at Your Volume”, Loop Earplugs help people control loud sounds and noise around them.
Co-founders Dimitri O and Maarten Bodewes launched Loop in 2016 in Belgium. They had a lot in common; they had both studied engineering, loved nightlife, and experienced tinnitus, a ringing sound in the ears that isn’t caused by external factors.
O and Bodewes started looking for earplugs, but none of the earplugs on the market checked all the boxes at the same time: protection, comfort, and style. This is how the idea for Loop came to life — comfortable, high-quality earplugs that looked good.
In the beginning, their audience was festival-goers and nightlife enthusiasts. But during the 2020 pandemic lockdown, the startup expanded to more diverse markets, creating earplugs for sleep, focus, noise sensitivity, hearing disorders, autism, and more.
Here are its most popular products:
- Loop Engage: Engage earplugs help with background noise reduction. They’re ideal for people with sound sensitivity who want to focus on a conversation without getting distracted by background noises.
- Loop Quiet: With a high noise reduction capacity, Loop Quiet earplugs are best for sleeping, meditation, or relaxing.
- Loop Experience: Experience earplugs filter sound instead of blocking it, so you’ll have a good sound quality at a reduced volume. These work best for live music, nightclubs, and festivals.
- Loop Switch: Switch combines the features of Engage, Experience, and Quiet, so you can decide based on your needs.
In 2022, Loop made a revenue of €42 million (around $46 million) with 350% growth, selling 2 million sets of earplugs. The earplug prices range between $24.95 and $59.95.
Do Loop Earplugs Work?
Most Loop Earplugs reviews on reputable news outlets say that the earplugs work well.
A Wirecutter article particularly recommends Loop Experience as a must-have accessory for concerts, as well as other noisy environments such as clubs, fitness classes, sporting events, and public transit.
Another review by Rolling Stone notes the pros and cons of Loop Experience, praising its practicality and design. However, it also mentioned that Loop Experience tends to block lower frequencies, so it’s hard to speak to others while you wear them.
Similarly, most user-generated content on TikTok is positive. Users often mention that they like how comfortable and discreet the earplugs are.
@_becca.anne Watch this before buying @LoopEarplugs !!! #unsponsoredreviews #neurodivergent #loopearplugs #foryou #fyp #adhd #autism #soundsensitivity
That said, negative user reviews on TikTok note that the earplugs can amplify certain sounds, such as your own breathing or voice, which can be uncomfortable.
@beccsy.boo when I was looking to buy them I search high and low so any negative reviews of the loops and I could not find a single one. so here is one for anyone considering buying them #autistic #autistictiktok #autisticburnout #autisticburnoutrecovery #autismdiagnosissaveslives #disabled #loopearplugs #loopearplugsreview #loopearplugsnegativereview #review
Are Loop Earplugs Safe?
In 2022, a Reddit user raised concerns about Loop earplugs’ advertised -18 dB noise reduction, claiming they were certified at -8 dB NRR (noise reduction rating) instead.
The user noted that SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio, the European standard) ratings are typically 3 dB higher than NRR (noise reduction rating, the US standard), suggesting that a -8 dB NRR would translate to approximately -12 dB SNR, significantly lower than the claimed -18 dB. The fact that Loop did not list its SNR on its website was also called into question.
A Loop employee answered the question directly on Reddit to clarify the misconceptions about SNR and NRR:
“The difference, while stated correctly by OP, lies in the way the US (NRR) and EU (SNR) measure. Additionally, OP states that, quote: “SNR ratings are usually around 3dB higher than NRR ratings”. However, this is a misconception. There’s no set gap or formula to convert SNR to NRR, or vice versa.
When it comes to measuring the SNR and NRR values, the SNR values are evaluated on a larger scale than the NRR values (63-8000Hz vs 125-8000Hz). Hence the difference between the values and why SNR is higher,” they said.
The Loop employee also said that they chose to publish the seal of approval and the declaration of conformity instead of publishing their SNR certificate. They noted, however, that they understood the value of publishing SNR for more transparent communication.
As of 2024, you can find both SNR and NRR for all Loop earplugs on the website:
What Is Loop’s Marketing Strategy?
Focused on direct-to-consumer marketing, Loop has different strategies in place.
The main ones are:
- Digital ads: After it diversified its customer base, Loop created different online ads to drive users to its landing pages.
- Influencer marketing: Loop partners with influencers whose audience are likely to be interested in the earplugs.
- Community program: By joining Loop’s rewards community, users earn points for each dollar spent on Loop products. Other ways to earn points are referring friends, joining Loop’s Subreddit, and adding a video review.
- Affiliate program: Creators earn a commission when their followers buy Loop’s earplugs through their link.
What Are the Controversies Around Loop’s Marketing?
Not all social media users enjoy Loop’s online ads. For example, a TikTok user mentioned being triggered by one of Loop’s ads as it featured mouth noises. A neurodivergent person themselves, the poster found the ad inappropriate and criticized the way Loop marketed to the neurodivergent community.
@noodz.tattoo @LoopEarplugs Let me know where to send my free, custom, sterling silver, Loop, in ear sh!t pieces request form. Thanks. #loopearplugs #Loop #neurodivergent #misophonia
Another Loop controversy mentions the company posting ableist content and not paying a creator on time. The creator made a video talking about Loop’s behavior, but that video has since been deleted.
Below is another creator talking about the incident:
@blackinfinityking this is how to protect yourself from Bad sponsorships and also call them out @buggieboogies #AEJeansHaveFun #neurodivergent #ableist #autism
♬ Relaxing Japanese-style piano song inviting nostalgia – Akiko Akiyama
The Consequences of the Loop Earplugs Controversy
A Loop employee personally responded to the Reddit user’s concerns about the earplugs’ SNR ratings. The company also updated its website to show both the SNR and NRR values of the earplugs.
Since Loop isn’t a publicly traded company, we can’t be sure how the online criticism has affected revenue or the company’s value. In terms of public perception, Loop’s socials haven’t taken a major hit in terms of negative comments and feedback. On Trustpilot, the company has a very good 4/3 rating.
While there has been some negativity targeted towards Loop, it hasn’t affected the brand’s overall positive perceptions within its user base.
What Can We Learn From the Loop Earplugs Controversy?
Loop’s response to the controversy about its decibel levels shows the importance of genuine community engagement.
By taking the time to personally reply to a Reddit user’s concerns, Loop Earplugs showed that it cared about its audience.
Around a year after the Reddit question, Loop went the extra mile and held an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit. In this event, co-founder Marteen Bodewes answered members’ questions, building trust and reassuring customers that their ideas matter.
Here are three takeaways based on Loop’s approach, which you can apply to your business:
- Show your audience you care: Whether you’re replying to social media comments or holding AMAs, make sure your audience knows you care about their concerns.
- Be transparent: When a Reddit user raised a concern about Loop’s SNR values, the company explained what the rating stood for and transparently disclosed its results.
- Use influencer marketing and community strategically: Although Loop faced criticism for some ads, its strategic use of influencers has boosted visibility, especially among neurodivergent individuals. Partnering with relevant influencers is a powerful way to reach new audiences, but brands must ensure that marketing content is sensitive and appropriate for their target demographics.