These 6 products may offer the tinnitus relief you seek
Put ringing in your ears to rest for good
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Tinnitus is a condition that differs greatly from person to person. Some hear a buzzing, while others endure constant whooshing. Some experience ear discomfort, or they may be haunted by the lack of silence they hear on the daily. As many chronically ill folk can attest to, there’s a general frustration that finds us when we’re unable to get some desperately needed relief—especially from something as ever-present and obnoxious as an unexpected change in hearing conditions.
I’ve tried a handful of tinnitus maskers and stretches designed to ease the effects of my condition, but, thus far, my comfort has been found in lessening silence. As medical understanding of the condition advances, increasing options have become available—some products even aim to train tinnitus away.
“Tinnitus is unique to each individual,” AudioCardio Founder Chris Ellis tells Reviewed. “Everyone experiences tinnitus differently, in different frequency ranges and degrees of loudness. Due to this, no one solution can treat them all. Solutions would need to adjust their targets based on each person’s unique situation.”
Because of the vast differences in tinnitus, we’ve rounded up some very different tinnitus maskers worth considering. These products may offer flexibility, comfort, and relief depending on the extent of your condition. Here are six tinnitus maskers and tinnitus relief products that I, and shoppers, swear by.
The best tinnitus relief products worth considering
1. AudioCardio
There may be a way for you to train your tinnitus away. AudioCardio is a subscription-based app that offers inner-ear aerobics intended to increase the quality of your hearing. The app starts with a hearing test that allows the user to respond on a sliding scale, all leading to personalized training sessions intended to strengthen your hearing.
“We are providing an innovative option, to provide hope to people suffering in silence,” Ellis says. “AudioCardio aims to help millions of people by providing an option in the palm of their hands. In the future, we hope to incorporate additional solutions to help more people relieve their tinnitus and restore their hearing.”
AudioCardio offers new users a two-week free trial, which means you can go through your initial hearing test and subsequent training sessions at no cost before committing to a paid subscription.
This app hopes to reduce tinnitus symptoms by training your brain.
2. High-quality earplugs
The founders of Loop suffer from tinnitus and strove to make earplugs that can stop the condition at its source.
At Reviewed, we’ve spent lots of time testing premium earplugs from the likes of Loop, Curvd, Vibes, Flare Audio, and more. If your tinnitus is triggered or made worse by loud noises in particular, these products may be the tinnitus masker you're looking for. Others say that, while initially the muffle effect of earplugs can make tinnitus worse in the short term, the brain eventually adjusts to what becomes a more steady, predictable hearing experience.
Slightly different in style and design, all of these products can limit noise in such a way that loud stimuli are less grating on the ears. Though noise is softened, wearers are still able to engage in casual conversation. The founders of Loop in particular both suffer from tinnitus and wanted to create a product that possibly mitigates those symptoms without disruption to one’s daily life.
Earplugs may be most helpful in preventing tinnitus before it becomes a problem, but a portion of current tinnitus sufferers still swear by them as a tinnitus masker.
Loop Experience Plus earplugs offer additional accessories for comfort, which may make them the best overall pair of Loops you can buy.
Curvd earplugs offer a blend of sustainable fashion and function.
3. SoundBe World’s Smallest Sound Machine
This tiny sound machine from Sound Oasis has 150 soundscapes from white noise to natural tones.
Some of the best tinnitus relief products distract as much as possible from the annoying noise that seems impossible to dodge. The World’s Smallest Sound Machine makes noise pollution possible wherever you go, hopefully lessening troublesome internal sounds.
This pocket-sized device from Sound Oasis is designed with tinnitus and high-quality sleep in mind, offering 150 different sounds to choose from, including white noise, natural sounds, and much more. Using headphones, the device is portable and silent to others, so you can enrich your inner world without distracting those around you.
This small sound machine blocks out distracting, harmful noise.
4. Tinnitus Relief Magnetic Device
This Tinnitus Relief Magnetic Device aims to ease symptoms by providing pressure points in all the right places.
For some, relief from tinnitus symptoms is all about applying the proper pressure. What better way is there to respond to pressure than activating pressure points? This tiny Tinnitus Relief Magnetic Device can be worn to alleviate internal noise. The product promises to be non-irritating and uses only light pressure to target natural pressure points.
There are no medications, oils, or herbs associated with the tool (unlike some patches that also target the ear topically.) Instead, this clear clip-on acts almost like a temporary piercing to target the points of the ear that may lead you toward relief. Portable and affordable, this non-invasive tool may provide a quick fix when you’re in a pinch (no pun intended.)
For just a few dollars, these little magnetic devices may provide pressure points in all the right places to soothe tinnitus.
5. Loftie Clock
The Loftie Clock has a peaceful-sounding alarm and a wide array of soundscapes designed to drown out the unpleasant whooshing, buzzing, or ringing of tinnitus.
In my day-to-day life, my tinnitus whooshing gets loudest when I have quiet moments at home. Sometimes it feels impossible to relax, but Loftie has changed that for me. When the noise inside my ear is too loud, I’ll choose a soundscape from the clock—anything from brown noise to cicadas. It helps me focus my hearing on something other than the whooshing.
The best part about Loftie, though, is that it’s designed to wake you up with a two-tone, incredibly peaceful alarm. This new routine has allowed me to relax as I wake, rather than being stressed out by a threatening alarm tone. Starting my day with quiet and calm has made a huge difference in my general stress levels and, in turn, the frequency and duration of my tinnitus.
This alarm clock makes a series of soothing sounds that may help drown out the whoosh of tinnitus.
6. Beats Noise Canceling Headphones
The right pair of noise canceling earbuds or headphones may be all you need to mask troublesome tinnitus. We've been fans of the Beats Fit Pro for years.
If you’re looking to splurge on a noise canceling pair of headphones to bring with you everywhere you go, Beats Studio3 does the trick with a lightweight feel and total noise canceling power. For some, this may amplify tinnitus, while others may find peace in the lack of outside noise pollution. Bluetooth can be enabled on the headset to bring podcasts, music, or other audio with you as you commute.
Or try the pocket-sized Beats Fit Pro wireless earbuds for a more compact and discreet way to control your environment at the touch of a button. While these buds are starting to show their age, they’re still among the best wireless earbuds for iOS users.
Tinnitus is not a one-size-fits-all ailment, so there’s no one-size-fits-all cure. In our quest for the best tinnitus relief products, I hope we all find something that reinstates consistent peace and quiet in our heads, no matter how long it takes to find that solution.
These headphones may not be among the top for best overall sound quality, but they have helped our tester fight tinnitus.
These earbuds have been around for a while, but we love them and they may be effective for those battling against tinnitus spurred by loud stimuli.