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How Loud Is Too Loud? A Practical Guide to Everyday Noise

The line is 85 decibels. Here is where ordinary sounds fall, and what to do when you are on the wrong side of it.

By Ruth Callahan · Health editor · September 2026 · 4 min read

Noise-induced hearing loss is the one kind of hearing loss that is almost entirely avoidable. The NIDCD's threshold is specific: long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss, while sounds at or below 70 decibels are unlikely to cause damage even after long exposure.¹

Where common sounds fall

Normal conversation sits around 60 decibels and a quiet office lower still. A busy restaurant can reach the high 70s or 80s. Lawn mowers, leaf blowers and many power tools are in the 85 to 100 range, motorcycles and concerts above that, and sirens and fireworks higher again. The scale is logarithmic, so 95 decibels carries far more energy than 85, and the safe exposure time shrinks quickly as the level rises.

Three habits that cover most situations

1. Know which noises can cause damage, and be alert to hazardous noise in your environment.¹ If you have to raise your voice to be heard at arm's length, the level is high enough to matter.
2. Wear earplugs or other protective devices during loud activities.¹ Foam plugs cost very little; musician-style plugs reduce volume without muffling speech.
3. If you cannot reduce the noise or protect yourself from it, move away from it.¹ Distance is protection.

Headphones and earbuds

The same threshold applies inside your ears. Keep the volume at a level where you can still hear someone speaking to you, and take breaks during long sessions. Noise-cancelling models help because they let you hear the music at a lower volume rather than turning it up over the background.