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Listening at home⏱️ Estimated reading time: 11 min
On this page: Overview
Key Takeaways
If you must raise your voice to talk to someone an arm’s length away (NIOSH) or about 2 m away (RNID, HSE), it is likely too loud. Ringing or muffled hearing afterwards are the other warning signs.
The free NIOSH Sound Level Meter app for iPhone is rated to within ±2 dBA. NIOSH cannot currently verify Android apps, so Android readings are only a rough guide.
Hold the phone at ear height with the microphone uncovered and read the average (LAeq) over 30–60 seconds, not the peak.
On iPhone and Apple Watch it means headphone audio averaged above 80 dB for 40 hours in 7 days. It measures your headphones, not the room, so turn the volume down; earplugs are not the answer.
Limit your time from 80 dB and wear hearing protection when an average sits at 85 dB or more for long periods. In a 100 dB nightclub, RNID puts the risk at about 15 minutes without earplugs.
No. An app reads the room, never your hearing. If ringing or muffled hearing is regular, constant or getting worse, see a GP; the Tinnitus UK helpline is 0800 018 0527.
How to tell if it’s too loud is a question people ask halfway through a gig or a wedding speech, usually with a phone already in hand. The quickest answers need no technology at all, which is just as well, because when NIOSH researchers Kardous and Shaw screened more than 130 iPhone sound meter apps in 2014, only a handful came close to a professional meter.
At Bollsen we make reusable silicone earplugs, tested in a German laboratory, independently certified at 24 dB and trusted by 1,000,000+ people. The full decibel chart lives in a separate guide on how loud is too loud. For how passive earplugs limit everyday noise exposure, and where their limits are, see our main guide to earplugs for tinnitus.
How can you tell it is too loud without an app?
The three most reliable no-tech signs are the talk test (raising your voice to be heard by someone close by), ringing in the ears after you leave, and muffled hearing once you are somewhere quiet again. Any one of them means the noise was too much.
The talk test comes in two versions. The US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) says noise is likely hazardous if you must raise your voice to speak with someone an arm’s length away, which points to roughly 85 dBA or more, its 8-hour limit. In the UK, RNID says noise is likely dangerous if you cannot talk to someone 2 m away without shouting, and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) uses the same about 2 m test at work. So arm’s length means you are already in risky territory, and 2 m is the earlier nudge to limit your time.
The other signs come afterwards. RNID calls ringing that lasts a few hours a sign of damaging exposure; see ringing in your ears after loud noise. HSE adds muffled hearing at the end of the day, even if it feels normal by the next morning.
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The best iPhone apps are surprisingly accurate, and the free NIOSH Sound Level Meter app is rated by NIOSH to within ±2 dBA, meeting Type 2 standards (IEC 61672-3) with a calibrated external microphone. Most other apps deserve far less trust.
A 2014 NIOSH study by Kardous and Shaw screened more than 130 iOS apps and found only 10 that met its criteria, the best four within ±2 dB of a reference meter. Only 4 of 62 Android apps made it to testing. A 2016 follow-up put the same iOS apps within ±1 dB(A) once paired with external calibrated microphones.
NIOSH says it cannot currently verify Android apps, and the 2014 study saw wide variation between handsets. Read an Android figure as a rough guide that could easily be several decibels out.
How do you take a phone reading you can trust?
Use a tested app, hold the phone at ear height out of your pocket with the microphone uncovered, and take the average over 30–60 seconds rather than glancing at the biggest number.
Read the average (LAeq), not the peak. A 2025 study in Scientific Reports compared the NIOSH app with a conventional meter across 93 factory samples and found the average and 8-hour figures agreed, while the maximum (LMax) did not. Phone microphones are built for voices and many under-read very loud sound, which is why a gig can feel louder than the app claims.
An app reading is a rough guide to the room, not a measurement of your hearing. Think of it as an engine warning light that tells you when to act.
What do phone and watch noise alerts actually measure?
Phones and watches measure two different things: headphone exposure, the sound your headphones deliver across a week, and environmental noise, the level of the room picked up by a watch or phone microphone. People mix the two up all the time.
On iPhone and Apple Watch, a headphone notification appears once media audio has averaged above 80 dB for a total of 40 hours in 7 days; calls do not count. That matches WHO safe listening guidance, which sets weekly allowances of 80 dB for 40 hours or 85 dB for 12 hours 30 minutes and suggests keeping volume at or below 60 %.
Earplugs are not the answer to headphone volume. If the alert fires, turn the volume down or take breaks, and our guide to safe headphone volume covers the settings.
What should you do at 80 dB?
Take 80 dB as the point to limit your time and step away from speakers, then wear hearing protection once an average sits at 85 dB or more for long periods. At 100 dB, RNID’s nightclub level, the window without earplugs shrinks to about 15 minutes.
UK workplace law follows the same steps. Under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, HSE sets action values of 80 dB(A) (assess the risk) and 85 dB(A) (hearing protection must be worn), with an exposure limit of 87 dB(A) at the ear. NIOSH uses a 3 dB exchange rate, so every 3 dBA rise halves the safe time.
The SNR you need depends on how far past 85 dB the noise goes, and our guide to how much hearing protection do I need matches ratings to noise levels. For most loud evenings, our Life+ earplugs (SNR 24 dB, £29.95) do the job. They are passive, two-lamella hypoallergenic silicone rated SNR 24 dB (H 24 / M 21 / L 19), attenuation rising with frequency, and reusable up to 100 times.
A two-pair pack costs £44.95 and clears the £35 minimum for free UK delivery, with a 40-day money-back guarantee. Unsure of your size? Life+ with AI ear measurement from two photos (£44.95) picks the fit for you.
How loud are everyday situations, and what should you do in each?
Most everyday situations sit either well under 80 dB or far above it, so one typical reading is enough to decide. The figures come from RNID and the US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).
| Situation | Typical reading | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Normal conversation | About 60 dB (RNID) | Nothing; this is your quiet baseline. |
| Food blender | About 85 dB (RNID) | Fine for a minute or two. |
| Pubs, restaurants and weddings | Varies; often fails the 2 m talk test | Sit away from speakers and take breaks outside. |
| Headphones at maximum volume | 94–110 dBA (NIDCD) | Turn it down; earplugs are not the fix. |
| Stadiums and cinemas | Sporting events 94–110 dBA (NIDCD); films vary | Earplugs for a full match; check the average at a loud film. |
| Nightclub | About 100 dB (RNID) | Earplugs from the start. |
| Gig or live concert | About 110 dB (RNID) | Earplugs before the first song; see whether concerts can cause tinnitus. |
| Fireworks display | 140–160 dBA (NIDCD) | Distance plus earplugs; see how loud fireworks are. |
| Plane taking off, heard from 100 m | About 130 dB (RNID) | Protection near aircraft; the plane cabin is far quieter. |
| Night-time noise (snoring, traffic) | Varies; compare the app average with 80 dB | Usually a comfort question; see earplugs for tinnitus at night. |
Venue levels change nightly, so a fresh reading beats any chart. Separate guides on the plane cabin, stadiums and cinemas, and pubs, restaurants and weddings go further.
When should you see a GP about ringing or muffled hearing?
See a GP if ringing in the ears or muffled hearing is regular or constant, getting worse, or affecting sleep or concentration, as the NHS tinnitus page advises, and ask for an urgent appointment if the sound beats in time with your pulse. Sudden hearing loss needs urgent help through NHS 111, and the NHS says go to A&E or call 999 if it arrives together with the ringing.
Only a proper hearing check can tell you whether your hearing has changed, and a separate guide on what happens at a hearing test explains the appointment. The Tinnitus UK helpline is free on 0800 018 0527, and RNID has guidance on hearing checks.
The quickest way to tell if it’s too loud is still the oldest: if you must raise your voice to someone 1–2 m away, or your ears ring or feel muffled afterwards, the noise was too much. For a number, the NIOSH iPhone app reads within about ±2 dBA.
Keep a pair of earplugs in your bag for nights past 85 dB, turn headphones down, and let a GP check anything that lingers.
His connection to hearing protection stems from personal experience with sound sensitivity during live events and work in noisy environments, an issue that made him more aware of the long-term risks of unmanaged noise exposure. Today, as both a communicator and a user of BOLLSEN products, he is passionate about raising awareness around the importance of proactive hearing care.
At BOLLSEN, he develops data-driven marketing campaigns, writes SEO-focused articles, and manages communication channels that connect customers with practical knowledge about hearing protection. His work ensures that BOLLSEN’s message—prioritizing health, performance, and sustainability reaches a global audience in an engaging and trustworthy way.
Passionate about writing since childhood, Timotej combines creativity with a strong analytical approach, continuously testing new ideas in digital marketing, performance advertising, and social media. He believes in learning through innovation and collaboration, balancing leadership with openness to new perspectives.
Beyond his professional role, Timotej is committed to a healthy lifestyle and finds inspiration in fitness, sports, and quality time with friends. His personal passion for well-being aligns with BOLLSEN’s core values, making his work not only a career but also a cause he deeply believes in.