Style

Loop and Swarovski team up to bring fashion sparkle to hearing protection

Loop, the Belgian brand known for turning earplugs into a design accessory, has announced a collaboration with Swarovski to mark the crystal house’s 130th anniversary. The result is the limited-edition Loop x Swarovski Experience 2, a pair of chrome-finished earplugs hand-set with eight Millennia cut Swarovski Crystals.

Loop has been steadily building a reputation for innovative hearing protection, and has found favour with festival-goers, clubbers and office workers alike.

This new edition, created in partnership with Swarovski Creators Lab, is the brand’s first collaboration with a fashion house, overtly positioning the humble earplug as a piece of wearable jewellery, as much as a piece of audio tech.

This new edition, created in partnership with Swarovski Creators Lab, is the brand’s first collaboration with a fashion house…

Swarovski x Loop earplugs and case

Crystal detailing and noise filtering tech

Finished in glossy chrome and fitted with 3D-printed crystal bezels, the earplugs cut a fashion-forward profile, but beneath the glitter they’re still the Experience 2 model, able to deliver 17 dB sound reduction without dulling audio quality. 

Loop is clearly keen to move beyond pure noise control into lifestyle design, with recent partnerships spanning Puma, Off-White, Coachella and McLaren Racing.

The Loop range comprises models tailored to different needs – Quiet for sleep, Engage for conversation-friendly noise control, and Experience for live music and events. All versions use acoustic filtering rather than full noise blocking, making them a reusable, tech-led alternative to disposable foam plugs.

The Loop x Swarovski Edition are priced £119. They launch October 24 on Swarovski.com and select Swarovski stores, followed by general availability from October 30.   

New Philips monitors mean business with USB‑C docking, daisy‑chaining and facial recognition

Philips is expanding its business display line-up with a new wave of B‑line monitors designed to modernise hybrid workspaces. The refreshed range introduces multiple 24‑ and 27‑inch models with integrated Windows Hello webcams, enhanced USB‑C docking and streamlined multi‑monitor support. A central feature of the line-up is the integrated 5‑megapixel pop‑up webcam. It includes an…

Taiwan’s next-generation bullet trains begin their journey from Japan

The first of Taiwan’s new generation of high-speed trains has left Japan, marking the latest chapter in a rail partnership inspired by the world’s original bullet train. Built by the Hitachi Toshiba Supreme Consortium, the first 12-car trainset has been shipped from Hitachi’s Kasado Works to Taiwan ahead of testing and eventual passenger service. It’s…

Unknown's avatar

About Steve May

Creator of Home Cinema Choice magazine, and Editor of The Luxe Review, Steve muses and reviews for Trusted Reviews, T3, Home Cinema Choice, Games Radar, Good Housekeeping, Louder Sounds, StereoNet and Boat International. He’s also the editor of professional home cinema website Inside CI. He's on Twitter/X, Tiktok and Instagram as @SteveMay_UK