Audiologist-designed mechanical earplugs that click between protection & connection. Instant sound control for any situation.
Check on Kickstarter
Every day, millions of people face an impossible choice: protect their hearing or stay connected to the world around them. Meet Unplugs—the first hearing protection that allows users to click between protection and transparency mode. No electronics, no batteries, no removing anything from your ears. Just total sound control at your finger tips activated by the simple click of a button.
The Problem We’re Solving
The world is louder than ever—concerts regularly exceed 130dB, cities buzz with constant noise pollution, and your ears are paying the price! But here’s the real problem: traditional earplugs force you to choose between protecting your hearing and staying connected to life’s most important moments.
Unplugs solve this problem with their revolutionary click mechanism by allowing the wearer to instantly switch between reliable sound protection, and crystal-clear transparency mode. Never choose between your ears and your experiences again.
How Loud Is Too Loud?
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, prolonged exposure to sounds above 85 decibels (which is comparable to heavy traffic or a standard lawn mower), can cause permanent hearing damage with prolonged exposure.
We understand that a lot of life’s most thrilling moments are LOUD, but trust us, hearing damage is one souvenir you really don’t want to keep.
Scientists have discovered that when your ears struggle, your brain works overtime just to understand basic conversations, leaving less mental energy for memories, connections, and all the good stuff that makes life rich.
The wild part? Every moment of unsafe sound exposure is stealing from your future self—but with one simple click, you can protect decades of laughter, whispered secrets, and spontaneous dance parties.
Sure, there are other earplugs out there – the cheap foam ones that turn every conversation into charades, the “high-fidelity” ones you still have to yank out to hear the world around you, and expensive electronic ones that you’re terrified to lose in a mosh pit. They all force the same impossible choice: protect your hearing or stay connected to the world around you.
It’s a simple path to your own sound world. One click switches you to connection mode for crystal-clear conversations and full sound experience. Another click activates protection mode when things get too loud. It’s the first hearing solution that adapts to your life instead of forcing you to adapt to it—giving you complete control over your audio environment without any of the usual compromises.
Why a Triangle Shape?
While traditional circular earplugs fight against your ear’s natural contours, our triangle shape works with your anatomy for a perfect fit that feels like it was made just for you. Think about it: every ear is as unique as a fingerprint, with its own curves, angles, and dimensions. The triangle’s three contact points naturally adapt to these individual variations, creating a secure seal without the pressure or discomfort of forcing a round peg into an irregularly-shaped hole.
This means you can wear them all day—from morning commute to evening concert—without that nagging ear fatigue that makes you want to rip out traditional plugs. The geometry isn’t just smart; it’s the difference between protection you “have to” endure and protection you forget you’re wearing.
Colorway Overview
Unique Case Design
Your Unplugs deserve a home as revolutionary as they are—meet the case that’s turning heads and protecting your sound sovereignty. With its modern, mirror-finish design that catches light like a disco ball in your pocket, this isn’t your typical earplug case.
Engineered to be featherlight yet fortress-strong, it slips into any pocket while keeping your Unplugs safer than a whispered secret at a metal concert. Hook it to your backpack, belt loop, or gear with the integrated carabiner clip—because your Unplugs should travel as adventurously as you do. Let’s face it: when you’re carrying the future of hearing protection, shouldn’t the case be just as delightful as that satisfying click?
Accessories for the Perfect Unplugs Experience
Every single pair of unplugs ordered during the Kickstarter come with a full set of accessories, designed to make your sound experience even better. Fitwings for a secure fit that allow you to move and dance without worry, a magnetic lanyard that keeps your unplugs safe in case one somehow pops out, and multiple eartip sizes to ensure a perfect, comfortable fit in every size of ear canal.
The Minds Behind Unplugs
When two legendary audiologists who invented the world’s most commonly used hearing aid teamed up with a festival-savvy entrepreneur who’s been wearing hearing aids since age 4, something magical clicked. Dr. Natan Bauman and Ralph Campagna brought 30+ years of revolutionary hearing technology expertise, while Tom Worcester (founder of KS favorite: lunchbox) brought the real-world understanding of what happens when protection meets experience. Together, this audiology dream team isn’t just protecting ears—they’re liberating how the world experiences sound, one satisfying click at a time.
Thanks to backers like you, they are able to turn their obsession with improving the world of hearing into products that actually make a real difference.
See it for Yourself – The “Aha Moment”
That first feeling of trying Unplugs is magical. One second you’re protecting your ears, the next you’re hearing every word crystal clear.
It’s the moment you realize you don’t have to choose anymore. No more shouting over music, no more missing conversations, no more ringing ears. Once you experience that control, there’s no going back.
The Journey Of Unplugs
What started as a simple idea between friends & working partners Natan and Ralph in 2013 has evolved into a revolutionary audio experience over a decade in the making. After filing our patents in 2015 and creating early prototypes in 2016, we knew we had something special, but it wasn’t until Tom joined our dream team in 2023 that Unplugs truly came to life. Throughout 2024, we refined our design through rigorous testing at Burning Man, Tomorrowland, and even tested by Navy Seals on shooting ranges, which helped to perfect our signature triangular shape and iconic click button mechanism. Now, as we prepare for production and finalize our colorways, we’re ready to share Unplugs with the world – delivering the ultimate no-electronics audio experience to all our backers by the end of 2025.
