With another round of lockdown, it’s likely you’re looking for opportunities to use that WFH tax write-off to upgrade your work set-up. In this guide, we’re going to outline a few important hearing accessories that can help make your home office more productive.
Upgrade your Zoom Calls
($174.99)
For every conference call, zoom meeting or google hangouts, it’s important to allocate five to ten minutes for your colleagues to troubleshoot their audio, figure out why their speakers aren’t working, and set a groovy background. Save yourself some time with a premium set of bluetooth ear phones like the IsoTunes Pro 2.0.
A few quick advantages:
- A noise isolating microphone identifies and filters solid state noises. Stuff like fans or traffic noise will be less audible for the person listening to you when you’re speaking through these.
- The ear tips provide industrial-grade hearing protection, allowing you to listen to music or calls on a lower volume and prevent hearing fatigue. Particularly when you spend long periods of the day in calls, minimising the amount of stress placed on your ears is a key strategy to maintaining your hearing health. Some users report being able to hear their calls at 20% volume and less with these set.
- They’re a hardy set, sweat, water and dust resistant for those once a day exercise adventures. Optimised for industrial use, they’ll stay well set in your ears while you’re running, making them a great audio accessory in all situations.
It comes in two colours, with multiple sized tips (foam and silicone) allowing you to find the most suitable fit for your ear. A carry case keeps them safe and secure when not in use, with a high performing battery that lasts up to 12 hours on a single charge.
For confidential conversations and maintaining privacy
The LectroFan Digital Fan and White Noise Machine
($89.99)
For many of us, working from home has meant taking a lot of sensitive phone calls in the home. With many Australians participating in telehealth psychology conversations or otherwise dealing with confidential material as part of work, it’s impossible not to feel a little vulnerable with your nosy neighbours only a few inches through the wall.
A white noise machine is an excellent solution here. White noise is a special kind of noise that covers the entire available audio spectrum. This means that it’s able to effectively ‘cover’ or ‘dampen’ all noises. Played at a low volume, it inhibits a person’s ability to listen in to phone calls or conversations as their ears instead pick up the white noise.
Pre-COVID, many of our customers used the Lectrofan to create a confidential environment, particularly in dense office settings. On a low volume, the white noise creates an atmosphere that prevents eavesdropping, allowing you to take care of work or your health confidently, without having to worry about what the neighbours might think.
Like all white noise, it has more applications beyond work confidentiality. It’s an excellent sleep aid or for meditation and yoga. The white noise works to dampen disruptive external noises, allowing you to sleep more restfully.
For locking in to your important work and study obligations
($29.99)
Earlier we talked about ear fatigue, the way listening to music or podcasts all day can leave you feeling tired and irritated, with the risk of causing hearing damage if you have the volume too high. While we’re all used to working with our headphones in, there’s a growing consensus around alternating headphones with ear plugs when focusing, to give your ears a rest and also to improve your attention and memory.
We recommend a medium strength musician’s plug. They block enough sound to dampen all external distractions (conversation, traffic, appliances) without totally depriving you of your awareness. You’ll still be able to hear alarms or someone calling you with these in, just at a lower, less intrusive volume. They’re a transparent plug, almost invisible when worn, with a newly designed tip and base to fit the widest variety of ear shapes.
Unlike an ordinary off the shelf set of plugs they are:
- Reusable, allowing you to minimise your ecological footprint. (They can be cleaned with a damp cloth).
- Comfortable and hypoallergenic, made with a silicone tip that’s soft and avoids irritating the sensitive ear canal.
- Able to block about 23 decibels across all frequencies.
Not only are they a great study plug, they are multi-use. When we finally get out of lockdown they’re a concert-goer’s best friend, ensuring clear listening without having to suffer the dreaded ringing ear. Comes with a hardbody carry case for portability.
For all that handiwork you’ve been ignoring
3M Peltor X Series X4A Premium Headband Earmuff
($76.99)
A big part of remaining happy and healthy during COVID is signing in to work in the morning and then proceeding to mow the lawn, trim the hedges, and handle all of the minor chores and handiwork that you’ve been promising to do since Christmas. If you’re using power tools or even just a regular lawnmower, you should be wearing hearing protection.