Crinkling ASMR Sounds: Plastic, Paper, Foam and Slime
Plastic, paper and foam, crumpled close to the mic. Some people get strong tingles from it and others feel nothing. Four to try below.
Samples
Tap a sound to play it on a loop, and tap it again to stop. Headphones help, especially for close-mic triggers.
These are 4 of the 18 sounds in this group. Tingles ASMR has 255 in all. See what else is in the app.
What crinkling is
Crinkling is a material being crumpled, squeezed, pressed or stretched near the microphone. The only way to know whether it works for you is to listen to a few.
The library covers three families:
- Plastic and wrappers: Wrapping Plastic, Plastic Bag, Plastic Gloves, Candy Wrap, Light Crinkle, Straw, Padded Envelope, Bubble
- Paper and leaves: Paper Bag, Leaves
- Soft and wet textures: Foam Cutting, Iron on Foam, Foam Block, Slime, Gel, Sludge, Multi Objects
The soft and wet sounds are a different experience from the dry, sharp crackle of plastic. If plastic crinkles are too harsh for you, try Slime or Foam Block before writing off the whole category.
Why it divides people
Crinkling divides people in a milder way than chewing sounds, which some people can’t stand (Mednicoff and colleagues, 2024, linked this kind of strong reaction to other everyday sensory experiences). With crinkling the usual split is between listeners who respond strongly and listeners who feel nothing, rather than outright dislike. Because the category runs from dry plastic to soft foam, one texture leaving you cold says little about the rest.
How to use crinkling
- Layered, not alone: crinkling is usually best as one part of a mix. The app’s Crinkling Embrace mix combines Light Crinkle, Multi Objects and Wrapping Plastic at different volumes, and Crafting Workshop layers Iron on Foam and Wrapping Plastic with soft music.
- For sleep: keep crinkles quiet, and put something steady underneath, like brown noise or rain.
- If you like it: object sounds such as Bubble Wrap and Coffee Beans have a similar texture.
Sources
- Mednicoff, S. D., Barashy, S., Vollweiler, D. J., Benning, S. D., Snyder, J. S., & Hannon, E. E. (2024). Misophonia reactions in the general population are correlated with strong emotional reactions to other everyday sensory–emotional experiences. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 379(1908), 20230253. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0253
In the app
Every sample on this page comes from Tingles ASMR, free on iOS and Android. In the app you can layer up to 10 sounds into a mix (no limit with Premium), set each volume, play ready-made mixes, and set a timer. With Premium, Sleep Mode fades the sound out gently instead.
More crinkling sounds in the app: Foam Cutting · Iron on Foam · Multi Objects · Plastic Gloves · Light Crinkle · Plastic Bag · Straw · Slime · Foam Block · Bubble · Gel · Leaves · Sludge · Slushy
Ready-made mixes with these sounds: Crinkling Embrace · Bean Rustle · Deep Ear Cleaning · Crime Scene · Forest Walk · Orbital Sensation · Crafting Workshop · Layered Bristle Strokes
Got a trigger you'd love to hear in the app? Suggest it from the app menu under Send Feedback.
