What Are Safe Decibels?

Decibels are the unit of measurement for sound, abbreviated dB. Sounds at or below 70 dB are considered safe for our hearing. That’s the sound of a normal conversation between two people. Sounds at 80 or 85 dB will damage hearing over time. That’s the sound of heavy traffic—from inside a car.

The Decibel Scale Is Logarithmic

Like the Richter scale for measuring earthquakes, the decibel scale is logarithmic. Each 10 point increase in dB equals a tenfold increase in sound intensity (energy), and this is perceived as twice as loud by humans. If we need to shout at a friend who is an arm’s length away, or we can hear music coming out of another person’s headphones, the volume is at least 85 dB.

Headphones and earbuds can reach as loud as 100 dB or more, so a safe level is 50 to 60 percent of the maximum volume. This helps protect our hearing and allows us to listen to our favorite music for longer.

You Already Have a dB Meter in Your Pocket

Both Apple and Android phones support sound level meter apps that measure decibels. In fact, on Apple iPhones and the Apple Watch, the embedded Health app measures decibels and can send alerts when it is too loud.

Here are other sound level meter apps:

NIOSH Sound Level Meter App (iOS)

NoiSee (iOS)

SLPnFFT Noise Meter (iOS)

Sound Meter X (iOS)

Sound Meter (Android)

SoundPrint (iOS and Android)

If it sounds too loud, it is too loud.

-------This article is from Hearing Health Foundation.