Unplugs are the first-of-their-kind mechanical earplugs designed to let you control how you hear the world—instantly. With a patented toggle mechanism, users can switch between 20 dB of hearing protection and full ambient sound with a single click. No batteries. No apps. No interruptions.
Unplugs in the Hearing Industry
Millions face an impossible compromise: protect their ears or stay connected. Traditional earplugs or electronic options often isolate users from their environment. Unplugs disrupts this norm by offering seamless transition between 20 dB protection and full awareness, filling a major void in the oral health/wellness and consumer audio landscape.
Vision & Why Now?
Vision: Empower people to fully experience life without sacrificing ear health or social connection.
Why now? Society faces rising noise exposure—from concerts, workplaces, and daily life. Yet no product allowed for dynamic control—until now. With a successful Kickstarter ($185K raised from >2,700 backers - 400%+ of the goal funded) and demand validated, Unplugs is poised for mainstream impact.
Founding Story
Founder Story
Tom Worcester has worn hearing aids since age four. His lifelong journey with hearing challenges—and later as a festival entrepreneur through Lunchbox—shaped his vision. After witnessing widespread hearing damage among live-event attendees, he reconnected with his childhood audiologist, Dr. Natan Baumann, and engineer Ralph Campagna, innovators behind the world's most-used hearing-aid technology. Together, they engineered a mechanical earplug that toggles between protection and transparency with a single click—no electronics, batteries, or app required.
Tom has navigated hearing loss since childhood and later built Lunchbox, a live-event company. Reconnecting with his childhood audiologist, Dr. Natan Baumann, and engineer Ralph Campagna, Tom spent two years designing Unplugs—the first mechanical earplug that instantaneously switches between protection and transparency. Rooted in personal experience and clinical expertise, Unplugs started its Kickstarter in June 2025, earning $185,000 in funding and building anticipation for a public launch in August 2025.
Dr. Natan Baumann is a globally respected audiologist whose innovations have shaped modern hearing aid technology used by millions. With a career spanning decades at the intersection of auditory science and real-world hearing care, Dr. Baumann is a pioneer in sound processing, venting systems, and auditory ergonomics. His patient-first ethos and clinical precision shaped the functional core of Unplugs—particularly its analog toggle system, which allows users to switch between natural hearing and noise reduction in a single motion. Having served as a childhood audiologist to Unplugs co-founder Tom Worcester, Dr. Baumann’s partnership represents a full-circle moment: turning personal care into public good.
Ralph Campagna is a highly accomplished engineer whose innovations have powered some of the most widely adopted hearing aids in the world. With a mechanical precision and auditory engineering background, Ralph has dedicated his career to building technologies that restore, preserve, and enhance hearing. As the co-inventor of Unplugs, he developed the breakthrough analog switch system that lets users toggle between ambient transparency and 20 dB sound reduction without electronics or delay. His commitment to simplicity, resilience, and performance—paired with decades of collaboration with audiologists like Dr. Baumann—has ensured that Unplugs delivers both innovation and reliability in one click.
