How loud is 90 decibels?
90 dB is OSHA's legal limit for an 8-hour workday in the US. Under the stricter NIOSH rule, 90 dB is safe for only about 2.5 hours.
- Sounds like
- A gas lawn mower or a motorcycle at 8 m
- Loudness
- Very loud
- Safe per day (NIOSH)
- 2.5 h
- OSHA workplace limit
- 8 h
90 dB on the decibel scale
Tap another sound to compare- Safe · under 65 dB
- Caution · 65–85 dB
- Risk · over 85 dB
What 90 dB sounds like
- A gas lawn mower
- A motorcycle at 8 m
- A subway train
- A loud hair dryer
Mowing the lawn, riding the subway, power tools in a garage. Ear protection is a good idea for anything longer than a short job.
Is 90 dB safe?
90 dB can damage hearing. NIOSH recommends no more than 2.5 h a day at this level, and OSHA’s legal workplace limit is 8 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.
90 dB compared with other sounds
| Compared with | Difference | Sounds | Sound energy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whisper (30 dB) | +60 dB | 64× as loud | 1,000,000× more |
| Conversation (60 dB) | +30 dB | 8× as loud | 1,000× more |
| Heavy traffic (85 dB) | +5 dB | 1.41× as loud | 3.2× more |
| Concert (110 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 90 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.