How loud is 110 decibels?
110 dB can damage hearing in under 2 minutes. Ringing ears after a concert is the usual sign that you have been at this level for too long.
- Sounds like
- A rock concert or a chainsaw
- Loudness
- Extremely loud
- Safe per day (NIOSH)
- 1.5 min
- OSHA workplace limit
- 30 min
110 dB on the decibel scale
Tap another sound to compare- Safe · under 65 dB
- Caution · 65–85 dB
- Risk · over 85 dB
What 110 dB sounds like
- A rock concert near the speakers
- A chainsaw
- A car horn at 1 m
- A baby crying right next to your ear
Concerts and festivals near the stage, chainsaws and leaf blowers up close, car horns.
Is 110 dB safe?
110 dB can damage hearing. NIOSH recommends no more than 1.5 min a day at this level, and OSHA’s legal workplace limit is 30 min. Ear plugs or earmuffs typically cut 15–30 dB.
Hearing damage from noise adds up over time and does not heal. If your ears ring or sounds seem muffled after being somewhere this loud, that is a sign the exposure was too long. How loud is too loud? explains the limits in detail.
110 dB compared with other sounds
| Compared with | Difference | Sounds | Sound energy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whisper (30 dB) | +80 dB | 256× as loud | 100,000,000× more |
| Conversation (60 dB) | +50 dB | 32× as loud | 100,000× more |
| Heavy traffic (85 dB) | +25 dB | 5.7× as loud | 316× more |
| Threshold of pain (130 dB) | −20 dB | 4× quieter | 100× less |
Rule of thumb: +10 dB sounds about twice as loud and carries ten times the energy. See what is a decibel.
How to check if a sound is 110 dB
Open the free online decibel meter on this site and allow the microphone. Hold your phone or laptop where your ears would be, wait a few seconds, and read the average rather than the momentary number. For a reliable, calibrated reading you can save or show to someone else, use the Decibel Meter app on iPhone.