HomeBuyer's GuideHow Loud is the Safe Volume for Headphones?

How Loud is the Safe Volume for Headphones?

Isn’t it great to hear music with headphones at the highest sound possible? But, what if you are surpassing the safe volume for headphones.

In this modern world, we have become more connected to technology.

For me, I pass my free hours by listening to music.

Music becomes more fun to listen to with a high volume. It makes me more relaxed as I couldn’t hear the noise around me.

But is it right to hear loud music?

Do you wonder what the safe volume for headphones is!!

If you want to know, then this article will help you get the answer.

First, let’s explore the safe volume level in the next section.

What Volume Level is Safe?

You may know that we measure volume by decibels(dB).

But do you know about the safe decibel levels for humans?

Don’t worry! I am letting you know about it right now.

According to some research, the safe decibel level for humans is below 70 dB. Experts say that you should not go over 85 dB in any way to avoid hearing problems.

60% volume for 60 minutes is safe while listening to music with headphones.

But, all headphones are not equally loud for different devices.

Let’s find out about headphone volume levels for different devices.

1. Safe Headphone Volume for iPhone

The safe volume for an iPhone is 70% or lower than 85 decibels. Don’t go over 70% to protect your hearing from damage.

However, you can increase your volume sometimes but keep it high for 15 minutes maximum.

Check the following points if you use Android.

2. Safe Volume Level for Android

Most of the android phones have a feature called media volume limit. There, you can limit your volume to 70%.

If the feature is on, every time you increase the volume by over 70%, a popup message will appear called “Volume Limit Reached.”

However, some android phones give warnings while you go over safe volume without doing any settings. Just follow the warning and keep the sound level lower.

Till now, I talked about safe volume levels for phones.

But, I love to watch movies on my PC.

Are you the same as me? Then, jump into the below point to know about the safe volume limit for laptops or computers.  

3. Safe Volume Level for Windows

In windows, you can use maximum volume without any warning. That’s why you may not know if it’s too high for your headphones.

In windows, the volume levels show the number out of 100%. Your sound level should be 60-70% maximum. If you are listening to music for a long time, then keep it under 50%.

While watching a movie, try to keep the volume under 60%.

But, I will suggest you to take a break after every 60 minutes.

The louder the music, the shorter the time you can listen to it safely.

4. Safe Volume for AirPods

AirPods are safe until you exceed the recommended volume of 85 dB.

If you don’t know how to measure dB level, you can use a sound or decibel meter.

Still, there is a chance that the sound that goes into your ears vs the sound picked up by the decibel meter can be different.

In that case, you can use the app to measure headphone decibels.

Just search for ‘Sound Meter’ or ‘Decibel Meter’ application. Install it and follow the steps.

By doing this, you can measure your headphone volume level accurately.

But there is also a simple way of knowing the safe volume for headphones. 

Are you curious to know that? Then keep reading.

Ask the Person Next to You

Wait. Are you confused by the headline?

You may be thinking, how can the person next to me know if my audio level is safe or not.

Let me share a funny story with you.

Once I was listening to music with my headphones on. After a while, my elder brother came and sat beside me. And, you know what, he was laughing at me.

I got annoyed and asked him why he was laughing. Immediately he said, you are too old to listen to baby shark song. It was embarrassing for me as I know he will spread this news like wildfire.

You might be thinking, how did he know what I was listening to?

Yes, he knew it because my volume was too loud to hear it from the outside.

So, if the volume level is not in the safe region, the person next to you can hear it easily. You can lower the sound level until they can’t listen to it.

Listening to music on headphones at a low volume doesn’t harm your ears.

All the above discussion is for grown-up people. Then what about the kids? 

In the following section I will discuss the safe volume level for kids.

Safe Headphone Volume for Kids

Kids are more sensitive to louder music than adult people. It is advised to keep the volume level under 50-60%. It is considered a safe sound level for toddlers.

Never turn off your volume safety.

You can use volume limiter headphones for them. In that way, your kids will be safe from dangerous volumes.

After knowing all about the safe volume, a question may arise in your mind. Why should we listen at a safe volume?

In that case, my next segment is all about it.

If headphones are your beloved bae, then you need to take a break from them from time to time. 

Spending way too much time with your bae has some side effects on your relationship. Just like that, wearing headphones for a long time at a high volume has some disadvantages.

Side-effects of Using Headphones at High Volume for a Long Time

Here are some problems you may face due to loud volume.

1. Feeling Dizzy

Headphones are directly connected to your ear canal, and they also block the ear passage. The pressure that comes from loud music directly hits your ear canal. 

As a result, you start feeling dizzy.

2. Bleeding from Loud Sound

What if you keep increasing the volume without knowing that it can cause ear bleeding.

When you listen to loud music with headphones, the sound puts pressure on your eardrums very seriously.

In some cases, it can be as severe to cause bleeding too.

Isn’t it horrible?

There are more side effects ahead. So, keep reading.

3. Damage to Hearing

Hearing cells of your ears are sensitive to any sudden or continuous loud music. These cells start to lose their sensitivity because of the vibration coming from your loud headphones.

As earphones sit close to the eardrums, the damage can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss.

You may not know about it until now, so keep the volume of your headphones at a safe level for your own good.

4. Ringing or Buzzing in the Ears

Did you ever experience something like ringing or buzzing in your ears?

Then, excessive sound can be the reason behind it.

Whenever you increase your volume above the safe level, it damages the hair cells in your cochlea.

And, that’s the reason why you are experiencing weird sounds like ringing in your ears.

So far, I have talked about the damage that can occur to your ears.

But did you know loud headphones have side effects on your brain too?

Relax, I will let you know about it now.

5. Headache

The electromagnetic waves that come from headphones have a direct effect on our brains.

And that’s why you might be suffering from headaches from time to time

After knowing about the effects of loud volume, you may want to know which  headphones are safe in terms of volume.

Okay, I am suggesting some of these types of headphones to you.

The Right Headphones for Safe Volume

Most of the latest headphones have features that can increase the safety of your ears.

Yet, there are some volume limited headphones available that you can choose from: 

  1. PuroGamer volume limited gaming Headset
  2. PuroPro Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Volume Limiting Headphones

For your kids, you can get the following volume-limited headphones:

  1. iClever BTH12 Wireless Kids Headphones
  2. KidMoments K13 Kids Headphones

Conclusion

Using headphones at a high volume is like riding a bike without a helmet.

There is a high risk in both situations, and you should be aware of it.

Enjoy your music, play your games, but keep the volume at a safe level.

Be careful of not using your headphones for long hours.

Lastly, thank you for reading this article.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Yes, 70 dB is considered safe for our listening even after prolonged exposure to the ear. However, repeated exposure to sound above 85 dB can cause harm to the ears.

Yes, using headphones with maximum volume can cause permanent damage to your hearing. But you can use loud volume for a short period (15 Minutes) to avoid any damage.

Usually, 185-200 dB is the range of severe injuries to organs. In some cases, it can kill you for sure.

The sonic boom is not deadly but can cause damage to your hearing, lungs, and heart. Yet many people experienced it without any injury.

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