How loud is 85 decibels?
85 dB is the line that matters most. NIOSH recommends no more than 8 hours a day at 85 dB, and every 3 dB above it halves the safe time. The app marks it with a dashed "risk" line.
- Sounds like
- Heavy traffic or a food blender
- Loudness
- Very loud
- Safe per day (NIOSH)
- 8 h
- OSHA workplace limit
- Below the limit
85 dB on the decibel scale
Tap another sound to compare- Safe · under 65 dB
- Caution · 65–85 dB
- Risk · over 85 dB
What 85 dB sounds like
- Heavy traffic
- A food blender
- A noisy restaurant kitchen
- A hair dryer close to the ear
Busy road junctions, blenders and hair dryers, many workshops and factory floors. Employers in the US must offer hearing tests and protection from an 8-hour average of 85 dB.
Is 85 dB safe?
85 dB can damage hearing. NIOSH recommends no more than 8 h a day at this level. 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.
85 dB compared with other sounds
| Compared with | Difference | Sounds | Sound energy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whisper (30 dB) | +55 dB | 45× as loud | 316,228× more |
| Conversation (60 dB) | +25 dB | 5.7× as loud | 316× more |
| Concert (110 dB) | −25 dB | 5.7× quieter | 316× less |
| Threshold of pain (130 dB) | −45 dB | 23× quieter | 31,623× 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 85 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.