How loud is 105 decibels?
105 dB is safe for only about 5 minutes a day under NIOSH guidance. Crowds at football and basketball games regularly hit this level.
- Sounds like
- A stadium crowd or a helicopter overhead
- Loudness
- Extremely loud
- Safe per day (NIOSH)
- 4.5 min
- OSHA workplace limit
- 1 h
105 dB on the decibel scale
Tap another sound to compare- Safe · under 65 dB
- Caution · 65–85 dB
- Risk · over 85 dB
What 105 dB sounds like
- A stadium crowd after a goal
- A helicopter at 30 m
- A nightclub dance floor
Sports crowds, nightclubs, a helicopter flying low overhead.
Is 105 dB safe?
105 dB can damage hearing. NIOSH recommends no more than 4.5 min a day at this level, and OSHA’s legal workplace limit is 1 h. 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.
105 dB compared with other sounds
| Compared with | Difference | Sounds | Sound energy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whisper (30 dB) | +75 dB | 181× as loud | 31,622,777× more |
| Conversation (60 dB) | +45 dB | 23× as loud | 31,623× more |
| Heavy traffic (85 dB) | +20 dB | 4× as loud | 100× more |
| Concert (110 dB) | −5 dB | 1.41× quieter | 3.2× 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 105 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.