It took a few days to get used to them and to actually notice the difference that they make but once you notice you really feel it. However, when I took them out, the fan I was working next to sounded extremely loud, as did the muffled stamping from my neighbours in the flat above. Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH).

The Flare Calmer buds aren't suitable for round-the-clock usage; we still don’t know how much, if at all, they might affect our ears long-term. Read more about the condition New with tags: A brand-new, unused, unworn and undamaged item in the original packaging (such as the original box or bag) and/or with the original tags attached.However, from the past few weeks testing these buds, I can say that they’ve certainly helped me take a step towards living comfortably. My go-to will always be headphones; however, I found traveling with others a lot more enjoyable when I could quickly pop in my earbuds and speak freely.

Reusable silicone earplugs, which you wash in cold water between uses, are lighter and more comfortable. Every pair of Calmer includes 1x Flare carry pouch, a handy user guide and is supplied in 100% recyclable packaging. And because adults aren’t the only ones who struggle with sensory overload, the company also carries Calmer Kids, which fit easily into smaller ears. We also find the flanged design of the Musicmate Pro much comfier and more suitable for longer listening sessions.

After scanning a stream of robustly positive comments on Facebook from the autistic community, I became curious about how Calmer technology might work for me. I found the Calmer Pro buds significantly less comfortable, though, suitable only for about 2-3 hours max in my experience. I wore them on the tube into central London and really liked being able to adjust the settings as I moved around – mostly switching between settings 2 and 3. I soon noticed I could keep the car’s windows down—the sound of a truck passing usually floods and befuddles my brain, but it now felt like a harmless rumble. The benefits are that they can be shaped to fit and, being quite dense, block out a considerable amount of noise.

The result isn’t silence but a kind of cloud-like calm where you can clearly hear voices and high-pitched sounds such as ice cubes tinkling in a glass, but low-frequency sounds like snoring are tuned out. In fact, it’s pretty difficult to notice any difference at all if you’re already in a relatively quiet environment. Regularly getting a good night’s slumber will improve mental and physical health, boost productivity at work, help creativity, benefit the immune system and encourage your brain and heart to function properly. Rather than muffle or remove volume entirely, the Flare Calmer earbuds create a tiny waveguide within the shell shape of the ear that smooths out only mid-frequency sounds—those between 2 kHz and 8 kHz. Most didn’t give me that ‘blocked ear’ feeling, which muffles most sounds and isn’t ideal for all-day wear.It’s possible that people who are wearing earplugs all the time can increase avoidance behaviours or make sensitivities worse.