Happy Ears earplugs a silent confidant in a loud world With more than a billion single-use earplugs thrown away each year, it’s only fair to say the planet is in dire need of change. Good thing then, Happy Ears exists to show the world how a product, broadly known as an ugly, throw-away bit of plastic, can be successfully re-designed, re-used and re-appreciated for its health benefits. By Emma Rodin
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Photos: Happy Ears
The team behind Happy Ears is on a mission, a mission to change the preconception of earplugs being synonymous with foam, a terrible fit and loud, shrieky col48
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Issue 160
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November 2023
ours. Why? Well, the idea was sparked after founder Karl Berglund suffered temporary hearing loss as the result of a surfing accident.
“After his injury, Karl was forced to wear these really bright-looking earplugs for a full year to protect his hearing, and let’s just say he grew tired of it,” explains CEO Michael Smith. “He was stood in the pharmacy and just couldn’t work out why the selection was so one-sided, and that spurred him on to create an alternative, which allowed him to hear while still being protected from excessive noise”.