\n<\/p>\n
Loop’s website shows images of people wearing their devices in casual, fun settings, and the brand has also collaborated with festivals such as Coachella and Tomorrowland.<\/p>\n
Alpine CEO Arthur van Keeken says their ear-plugs have been popular with “younger, urban people” – exactly the audience for these types of events.<\/p>\n
He believes they are more conscious of looking after their hearing, and wants a future where music fans view ear protection in the same way skiers see helmets.<\/p>\n
The British Association of Audiologists – healthcare experts who specialise in diagnosing and treating ear problems – say hearing loss is one of the most common disabilities.<\/p>\n
According to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), it affects about one in three UK adults.<\/p>\n
The charity’s audiology manager Franki Oliver says that, under a microscope, the sound-sensing cells in our ears and the tiny hairs growing out of them resemble a patch of grass at a festival.<\/p>\n
“The first day, the grass looks absolutely beautiful,” she says. “Nice and green.” <\/p>\n
“After the first couple of days, it’s OK. But at the end of the weekend it’s looking pretty dead and it’s probably not coming back.<\/p>\n
“The same thing is happening with our ears when we expose them to loud noises”.<\/p>\n
Oliver says it’s a good thing that ear-plugs are increasingly seen as an “accessory to a night out, rather than something you have to use”.<\/p>\n
But, like our ears, they are not all created equal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n