Flare Calmer – Ear Plugs Alternative – Reduce Annoying Noises Without Blocking Sound – Soft Reusable Silicone - Translucent

*Reason for buying*I had read about Calmers as a potential accommodation tool for people with autism and general sensory/perceptual sensitivities (which I have).*Outer Design Pros*They fit well, they are very discreet (in clear), their bag keeps them dry and clean. The bag is easy to recognize by touch if you have it in a laptop bag with other stuff.*Technical Design Pros*Some people have said that, after the 24h test, they took the Calmers out in noisy environments and immediately noticed the Calmers had been making a difference, because they became more anxious and irritable. I do not notice such a shift (which is a plus because it seems that wearing the Calmers a lot doesn't further lower your tolerance to sound). On whether it works for me- I can easily notice that mid to high pitched sounds are, indeed, muffled. Low pitch sound is unaffected, and I can still hear mids to highs pretty well. There is seemingly no decibel difference, just pitch. So, Flare is legit on those claims. Again, I haven't felt a distinct shift when I put them in or take them out. However, I have been far less anxious, irritable, and overwhelmed since I started to wear them (real result, placebo, or other cause- I don't know, but I'm sticking with it). Also, I can tolerate close proximity to very harsh noises like vacuuming (never could achieve this before). I feel as though I am able to function better in my noisy home, whereas before I was knowingly and frequently running away from noise. Noise can still be annoying sometimes, but it just seems more tolerable/manageable.*How/When I Wear Them*I place the Calmers in my ear as directed (logo/projection side facing the back of your head, not super far into your ear). They really don't work otherwise, so be sure to do that. I just put them in before any louder noises I expect to occur and/or that I suspect or know stress me out. So, for example, I will put them in when my family is settling down to watch TV. I haven't tried the Calmers at a noisy restaurant or public space yet. I so far didn't feel I needed them at those places, but I'm sure they will help there. I also reach for them if there is a louder noise in my environment and I notice that I am irritated or have a headache in the back of my head/neck (I learned recently that these headaches are often from overstimulation). The noise may not be the cause, but who knows? I grab my Calmers anyway.*Technical Design "Cons"*Nothing is a real con for me. I do notice some weirdness to my voice when I wear the Calmers. People call it "echoing" but it just sounds a bit muffled and low to me. Nothing bothersome over time, though. It can also be a bit harder to hear people. This was all expected, especially due to the range at which I and other people speak (mids I guess). You also can't wear earbuds for music with them, so headphones are good, or I just take them out. I originally wanted colored Calmers for fun (I don't actually like boring and discreet items), but I found the available colors to be ugly, and I see that the clear ones are actually a great choice. So, Flare could make nicer colors, but it's not that important. I am guessing that I can't wear my tragus piercing without affecting the Calmers' performance (haven't tried, they are bendy but it might still affect things). That's fine, as I'd rather wear the Calmers most of the time. It's not a problem existing for most potential buyers anyway, but I wanted to note that.*Overall*I love the Calmers, and I think the price is fair for the materials used and how they have helped and will help me. I would definitely suggest splurging on accommodating yourself (I know Calmers are not that expensive, but I was still dragging my feet to buy them). Accommodating yourself in health is not shameful (you aren't being overly dramatic), it definitely helps you to live a little and be more productive, it is needed, it is worth the price, and it opens up space to be happier. 10/10 great tool for sensory sensitivity.

I wanted to allow myself time to get used to these before reviewing it. I have sudden hearing loss on one side, which has been mostly a nightmare. People think it's not a big deal, but we were born with two ears because we need both of them to function properly. Since losing half my hearing, I have no more balance, no center. Unless you're half deaf, you just don't realize how much you lose when you only hear on one side. I can't tell which direction the noise comes from or how far away. Everything is just noise, at the same level, all the time. If someone is talking on my left, I can't hear it over whatever is happening on my right. When someone calls my name from a distance, I have no idea of knowing where they are unless I see them. This is dangerous in some situations because sometimes the sounds I don't hear are cars, and thankfully I have a dog who warns me before something like that can happen. At some point, it's just stimulation overload and I get migraines, dizziness, vertigo, etc, and I just stay home. What I'm trying to say is I have been looking for something to make sounds more bearable, and I think I finally found it in Flare Audio's Calmer. So with all that in mind, here's what I think of it:- It does what it claims. When in place, sounds no longer sound like one big sheet of noise. It's like the difference between using your TV's stereo and upgrading to a home theater. Sounds sound more layered, like I'm finally hearing them as I should before only being able to hear on one side. I still hear on one side, but the sounds seem more organized.- I don't know how much it helps with tinnitus, but I have tinnitus, and if there is an improvement, it's subtle. But I'll give that more time. After all, some ongoing problems won't go away instantly, so expectations have to be realistic.- Sounds seem crisper. I feel like I'm hearing things I missed previously.- I have a bone-anchored hearing aid on my deaf side, though it doesn't work very well. A bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) is one of the ways the deaf can hear again, using bone conduction to allow sound to travel from the deaf side to the hearing side. The idea is to allow your brain to feel like you're hearing on both ears, but really all the sound is just traveling to the hearing side, and when in harmony, it works just well enough to make life bearable. In reality, it's far from ideal, and the device was almost useless to me. But with Calmer in my hearing ear, it helps the sound from my hearing aid become more focused because it eliminated a lot of white noise and just lets me hear more efficiently. It's truly wonderful, and I almost cried because it's been a few years since being able to hear with that much quality. It's not perfect, but it's the best I can hope for with one functioning ear. That's my honest testament to this device.- Lastly, the bummer of this device: it doesn't stay in place. I bought the standard size, not the mini. If you're not sure which size to get, get the standard. Unless you know you have smaller ear canals (you will have known that by now because any doctor would have mentioned it), it's best to get the standard. But it is easily dislodged. I don't have a very active lifestyle anymore, so I don't do things that would cause it to be dislodged, but it always happens. A regular activity like having a conversation or walking can dislodge this thing because it needs to be redesigned to fit better. It won't fall completely out. Between your tragus and antitragus, you'll feel something different and touch your ear and realize the device is resting there, instead of in its place. I don't have super waxy ears and that's the only thing I can think of that could cause the device to keep dislodging. I just think it's a design flaw.So, when the device is in place, it's wonderful. The design needs to be reconfigured to not fall out so easily, but otherwise, what a great idea. It's a game-changer and I'm so glad I got it. As with anything you put in your ear, be careful, educate yourself, and even talk to your audiologist. But this is a great product. If it was on Shark Tank, I think the panel would go for it. The company's website has more products as well, and it's worth looking into. Good luck!