How loud is 80 decibels?
80 dB is heavy city traffic, an alarm clock at close range or the inside of a train carriage. It is annoying over time, and daily exposure of many hours begins to approach the limit where hearing health is at risk.
Loud
Noisy, like busy traffic or a vacuum cleaner. Tiring over time.
Sounds around 80 dB
- Inside a train or subway car80 dB
- Alarm clock (close)80 dB
- Heavy city traffic80 dB
- Piano (1 m)80 dB
- Hair dryer85 dB
Is 80 dB safe?
NIOSH recommends a maximum of 25 hr per day at 80 dB(A). The more lenient US OSHA workplace limit is No limit.
- NIOSH
- 25 hr
- OSHA
- No limit
Where you hear 80 dB
80 dB is heavy traffic at a busy junction, a noisy factory floor, a subway platform as a train arrives or a loud alarm clock next to your ear. Under the EU Noise at Work Directive, 80 dB(A) over an 8-hour day is the lower exposure action value, where employers must inform workers and make hearing protection available.
Practical tips at 80 dB
Several hours a day at 80 dB adds up. NIOSH counts 80 dB(A) toward your daily noise dose, even though the full dose takes about 25 hours at this level. If a commute or workplace regularly measures 80 dB, keep earplugs handy and avoid stacking loud headphone music on top of it.
The physics of 80 dB
- Sound pressure
- 0.2 Pa
- Sound intensity
- 10⁻⁴ W/m²
- Energy vs. threshold of hearing
- 10⁸×
How does 80 dB compare?
Measure 80 dB yourself
Open the free sound meter, press Start and see whether your environment is above or below 80 dB.
Frequently asked questions
Is 80 dB safe?
NIOSH recommends a maximum of 25 hr per day at 80 dB(A). The more lenient US OSHA workplace limit is No limit.
Sounds around 80 dB
Inside a train or subway car (80 dB), Alarm clock (close) (80 dB), Heavy city traffic (80 dB), Piano (1 m) (80 dB), Hair dryer (85 dB)
How does 80 dB compare?
80 dB sounds about 4× as loud as 60 dB, with 100× the sound energy. 80 dB sounds about 2× as loud as 70 dB, with 10× the sound energy. 80 dB sounds about 2× quieter than 90 dB. 80 dB sounds about 4× quieter than 100 dB.
Sources
Exposure limits follow the NIOSH REL (85 dB(A), 3 dB exchange rate) and the OSHA PEL (90 dB(A), 5 dB exchange rate). Example levels are typical values; real sources vary with distance and conditions.
- Noise and hearing loss basics (NIOSH recommended exposure limit), CDC / NIOSH
- 29 CFR 1910.95: Occupational noise exposure, US OSHA
- Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region (2018), World Health Organization
- Safe listening devices and systems: a WHO-ITU standard (H.870), World Health Organization
- Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, NIH / NIDCD
Measure the noise around you now
100% private. Audio is analysed on your device and is never recorded or uploaded.
Open the sound meter