dbud - volume adjustable earplugs 

Let sound in. Keep noise out.

 Noise pollution is a global and rapidly growing issue. Consistent elevated sound levels, whether at work or in your free time, can cause problems like hearing impairment, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, annoyance and sleep disturbance. Add to that constant headphone listening, often at levels set to exceed the noises around you. It's no wonder as many as 1 billion young people worldwide are at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices.

 

Challenge
From the start the goal was to create an earplug that you would be proud to wear, oneboth functional, adjustable and beautiful.

A design that was not sticking out of your ear, but despite its small size still be iconic and somewhat fashionable. At the same time we were intrigued by the challenge of disrupting the status quo on the earplug market and change the perception of what an ear plug could be.

Approach
All ears are not created equal, even the two on your head. They come in all shapes and sizes. This posed a great challenge specifically for a comfortable and secure fit, throughout the day.

We went trough numerous iterations of  concepting, prototyping, testing, evaluation and further improvements. We tried our ideas and prototypes on countless ears until we finally hit the sweet spot. 

Result
Featuring an advanced acoustic filter and volume slider, dBud is an ear plug designed to protect your ears from harmful noise while giving you a crisper, clearer listening experience. With the slide of a button you can adjust the amount of decibels you want to filter out, allowing you to set the appropriate sound level for your environment. dBud simply brings you clear, safe sound!

Volume slider
The two stage volume slider enables you set the appropriate attenuation of your environment. In open position noise reduction is about -15dB and in closed position about -30dB. Just give the volume slider a push and fill your ears with clear, safe sound throughout your day. 

dBud_slider_gif-v7.gif

Magnetic earplugs
The best earplugs are the once you carry with you, therefore we made sure that you can easily take dBud with you wherever you go. Just hang them securely around your neck with the magnet snap feature. Necklace wearing style!

This product has literally changed my life. Finally I can fully enjoy my work.
— Mike Stellar, world famous DJ

About EarLabs
EarLabs was founded within Above Agency’s core team, and still lives under our roof. The first product, SurfEars, was launched in 2013. Today, it has fans and ambassadors all over the globe; hundreds of thousands of earplugs have been sold in over 40 countries. The original SurfEars product has been followed by SurfEars 2.0 as well as SwimEars, Junior and dBuds. Above has been closely involved in the development of all products, as well as their brand identities, in a tight collaboration with the EarLabs team. 

https://earlabs.co/dbud/

Capabilities

  • Portfolio planning

  • Product design

  • CMF