A more comfortable earmuff for side sleepers

Makers of hugely popular general-purpose and concert headphones, Loop has created a new pair, the Loop Dream.

They are meant to be even more comfortable throughout the night as you sleep.

I first took a look at the Loop earmuffs in my group test of earmuffs made for concerts. The Loop came out on top for overall comfort, but not for sound quality.

Loop Dreams are made for next-level comfort. And while they’re not as technically interesting as an earmuff meant to maintain audio fidelity for lower volume gigs, they’re just as cleverly constructed as some of these pairs. Let’s take a look.

Loop Dream Design

However, one question matters above all: are they actually more comfortable than other earplugs? For overnight use, for side sleepers, I’d say it is.

The neighbors I share a wall/apartment with just have a baby, so I use earplugs a lot more often. I’m also a side sleeper and find that most non-pure foam earplugs end up causing cartilage discomfort.

This happens occasionally with the otherwise great and extremely comfortable Loop Quiet, but the Dream largely fixes this with a new main body design. They still have the round part that nestles next to your goatee. But instead of using the company’s signature loop, it’s an ultra-soft silicone-like sponge with a lightweight one-ring skeleton deep inside.

It allows the Loop Dream to have some added structure while maintaining that all-important smoothness. If you’re a side sleeper who, like me, finds earmuffs to be a pain in the ear after a while – but don’t want to resort to disposable foam plugs – these are for listening.

There is more to the design. Loop has taken special care to ensure that the Dream doesn’t fall out of your ears in the middle of the night. It’s another issue I have with some earplugs.

How; The actual nosepieces are nothing like what I’ve seen in 15 years of reviewing headphones. While the outside of the tip is silicone, there is an inner foam section that prevents the tip from collapsing under pressure. And that foam is held in place because the outer silicone actually snakes around the end of it, tightening at the end of the “bulb” end.

Look closely and you’ll also notice that the edges aren’t the typical round shape, but are longer on one side.

Paying that much attention to a pair of headphones is a little wild. Well, until you look at the cost and realize that’s no small investment for something that, in the end, just clogs your ear canal.

Do I still occasionally wake up passed out? Sure, but less often than with most other couples.

Loop Dream Performance and Features

Loop says the Dream provides 27dB of noise reduction, up from the 24dB of the Loop Quiet 2 I used previously. But is it something you’ll clearly notice when you put them on? Not really.

Both pairs completely block your ear canal and the basic foam tips can only offer so much noise reduction. That’s not really what Loop Dream is about.

As part of the package you also get a small carrying case and four pairs of extra tips. The Loop Dream comes in peach and lilac colors as well as the plain black seen here.

Verdict

The Loop proves once again that it is a master of comfort. This seemed like a side benefit to his earmuffs that were designed, in part, for use during concerts. But with the $50 Loop Dream? It’s the whole premise.

However, they may not be worth twice the price of the very good Loop Quiet 2 for everyone. These earmuffs are best suited to side sleepers, who are very likely to find their ears start to hurt with anything more substantial than a pure foam design.