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85 Decibels — How Loud Is It?

Very loud

85 dB is about as loud as heavy city traffic, curbside. 85 dB is a genuine threshold, not just another point on the chart: it's NIOSH's Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) for an 8-hour workday, the level above which occupational hearing-loss risk begins climbing measurably with cumulative exposure. Heavy city traffic and a gas-powered lawn mower both commonly reach this level.

What does 85 dB sound like?

  • 85 dB — Heavy city traffic, curbside
  • 87 dB — Gas-powered lawn mower
  • 84 dB — Kitchen blender

Safe exposure time at 85 dB

Under NIOSH's Recommended Exposure Limit (85 dB, 3 dB exchange rate), safe unprotected exposure at 85 dB is about 8.0 hours per day. Under OSHA's legal Permissible Exposure Limit (90 dB, 5 dB exchange rate), it is about 16.0 hours per day.

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    Frequently asked questions

    Why is 85 dB the hearing-safety threshold?
    NIOSH sets its Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) at 85 dB LAeq for an 8-hour workday — the level above which occupational hearing-loss risk begins climbing measurably with cumulative exposure.
    How long can I be exposed to 85 dB safely?
    Up to 8 hours per NIOSH's REL, roughly halving for every 3 dB increase above it — about 4 hours at 88 dB, 2 hours at 91 dB, and so on.

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