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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-26 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a wired in-ear earpiece that turns a two-way radio into a private, hands-free comms setup, choose Retevis RT22; if you need banded silicone earplugs that cut noise around you while staying ready around your neck, choose BBTO Banded Earplugs. One is an audio accessory for radios. The other is hearing protection you wear on a headband. They are not competitors — they solve opposite problems.
• Retevis RT22 — biggest trade-off: It only works if you already own a compatible radio with the right 2-pin jack, and it's wired, so you're tethered to the radio body.
• BBTO Banded Earplugs — biggest strength: A 16-piece set of silicone banded earplugs with a 22 dB NRR, a neck band that keeps them off dirty surfaces, and replaceable plug tips.
• BBTO Banded Earplugs — biggest trade-off: They reduce sound rather than transmit it — there's no microphone, no PTT, and no way to talk through them.
• Who each pick is for: Retevis RT22 for radio users — security, teachers, event staff, warehouse crews — who need discreet two-way audio; BBTO for shooters, construction workers, swimmers, sleepers and concert-goers who want quick on/off noise reduction.
The Retevis RT22 is an earpiece, not a radio. That distinction matters, because a lot of shoppers land on it expecting a standalone device and find out it's the accessory half of the system. What you get is a K-head 2-pin wired earpiece with an earhook-style mushroom in-ear bud, an inline microphone, and a push-to-talk button designed with the face up so you can hit it by feel. The package contains six of them, which tells you who this is built for: teams.
Compatibility is the headline spec here. The 2-pin K-head connector (3.5 mm and 2.5 mm pins) spans a long list of Retevis models — RT22, RT21, RT68, RT68H, H777, H777H, RT27, RT86S and many more — and also works with Pxton and Baofeng radios like the BF-888S and BF-T26, plus Kenwood two-way radios. If your crew is already carrying those radios, this is a straightforward way to equip everyone with private audio at once.
Who should skip it? Anyone who doesn't own a compatible radio, anyone who wants wireless freedom, and anyone shopping purely for hearing protection. There's no noise reduction rating here beyond passive sound isolation — it isolates your ear from the room so the radio audio stays private, not to protect you from loud environments. Also note the 1-year accessory warranty and 30-day return window, with ongoing maintenance service offered beyond that.
BBTO Banded Earplugs: Who It's For
The BBTO Banded Earplugs sit on the opposite side of the fence entirely. This is hearing protection: 16 silicone ear plugs on a plastic band, in orange, with a Christmas-tree design — three flanges per plug that rest partially in the ear canal. The stated NRR is 22 dB. That's the number to anchor on. It's meaningful reduction for work, sleep, concerts, racing, swimming and the shooting range, but it's not the deepest protection available on the market, and BBTO doesn't pretend otherwise.
The band is the clever part. When you're not using them, they hang around your neck instead of going into a pocket or onto a dirty surface, and because the plugs are replaceable, you can swap the tips when they wear out without replacing the whole thing. Soft silicone plus a smooth finish is what makes them comfortable enough for long wear — the spec sheet emphasizes lightweight, durable, and easy to fit with an anti-slip hold.
Where this product earns its place is in stop-start noise. On a shooting line, at a construction site, at a race track, or on a factory floor, you want to pull the plugs out for a conversation and pop them back in seconds. Banded plugs are built for that rhythm in a way that foam roll-down plugs are not. The same logic applies to lighter domestic use — sleeping, swimming, home noise — where the set of 16 means you can keep a pair in the car, a pair by the bed, and a pair in a toolbox.
Who should skip it? Anyone expecting to communicate through them. There's no mic, no PTT, no audio driver. These block sound; they don't carry it. And if you need maximum attenuation for very loud environments, understand that 22 dB is a moderate figure — check whether it matches your noise exposure before relying on it.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for noise reduction → BBTO Banded Earplugs. A 22 dB NRR versus passive isolation is not a close call.
• Best for teams → Retevis RT22. The 6-pack exists so multiple people can be equipped together.
• Best for grab-and-go convenience → BBTO Banded Earplugs. The neck band and replaceable tips make them easy to keep on you all day.
• Best for hands-free radio use → Retevis RT22. The PTT button and inline mic let you key up without lifting the radio.
• Best for loud, intermittent environments → BBTO Banded Earplugs. Shooting ranges, workshops, races and swimming all fit the banded format.
• Best for school, security and hospitality staff → Retevis RT22. Discreet in-ear audio keeps radio chatter private in front of customers and students.
• Best for sleep and shared living spaces → BBTO Banded Earplugs. Soft silicone and a comfortable band suit long, still wear.
• Best if you don't own a compatible radio → BBTO Banded Earplugs. The RT22 earpiece is useless without the right 2-pin jack on the other end.
In my opinion, these two don't really compete — so buy the one that matches the job. If you're equipping radio users who need private, hands-free voice comms and you already run Retevis, Baofeng or Kenwood 2-pin radios, I'd buy the Retevis RT22 earpiece, largely because the 6-pack and broad compatibility make it the practical choice for a crew. If your goal is simply to make the world quieter — range days, work sites, sleep, swimming — I'd buy the BBTO Banded Earplugs instead, because 22 dB of silicone protection on a neck band is a completely different tool. Don't buy one expecting the other. Decide which problem you actually have, then check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
FAQ
what is ear pieces
An earpiece is a small in-ear device that either delivers audio to your ear or blocks sound from reaching it. The Retevis RT22 is the audio type — a wired bud with a microphone and push-to-talk button for two-way radios. The BBTO Banded Earplugs are the blocking type, with a 22 dB noise reduction rating.
what are ear pieces for singers
what are ear pieces
In everyday use, "earpieces" covers two families: communication earpieces that carry audio (like the RT22, with its K-head 2-pin connector, inline mic and call-control button) and hearing protection that reduces sound (like the BBTO banded plugs, made of silicone with three flanges per plug). Which one you need depends on whether you're trying to hear your team or shut out the room.
what do the earpieces in singers ears do
They feed a controlled mix directly into the ear so the performer hears themselves over stage noise — the opposite goal of the BBTO Banded Earplugs, which block outside sound with a 22 dB NRR. The Retevis RT22 is closer in concept, since it pipes radio audio straight into your ear, but it's built for speech on a two-way radio, not music monitoring.
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