Do you have anything that doesn’t run on batteries or electricity? Anything you use a lot, that is? From our phones to our coffee makers, there isn’t much left that doesn’t require being wired or charged. But with its ingenious earbud/earplug, Knops has created something you’ll be tempted to use everywhere you go — not just at music festivals, in the subway, or when the neighbor is trying to drive you to weekend madness with his leaf blower. Knops turns down the volume, no batteries required.
The brainchild of Amsterdam engineers and entrepreneurs, the Knops earplugs had a successful Kickstarter campaign thanks to a huge need and some great video (see below). The adjustable “volume button for your ears” is part humanitarian project too, with hearing loss a common affliction due to noise — and also being an irreversible condition. There are four settings — or steps, in the Knops vernacular. Step 3 and 4 are our favorites: Step 3 is volume control for the ideal concert experience (we think of it as the Townshend) and Step 4 creates utter silence (we privately call this one the Buddha).