WHO weekly limits
The World Health Organization’s safe listening guidance gives these weekly limits by sound level.
| Level | Safe time per week |
|---|---|
| 80 dB | Up to 40 hours |
| 85 dB | 12 hours 30 minutes |
| 90 dB | 4 hours |
| 95 dB | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| 100 dB | 20 minutes |
| 105 dB | 8 minutes |
Every 5 dB step cuts the allowance sharply. Eight hours a day, five days a week is 40 hours, so for all-day listeners 80 dB is the ceiling.
Everyday rules
- WHO suggests keeping your device at no more than 60% of maximum volume.
- Well-fitted, noise-cancelling earphones mean less turning up to drown out the room.
- In loud places, rest your ears somewhere quiet for 10 minutes every hour.
- WHO also points to the safe listening features built into smartphones for tracking exposure.
Log your hearing
High frequencies are the first to be affected by noise and age. Test them regularly under the same conditions and, while it isn’t a medical test, you can see which way things are going. In the Android app SonicKit:
Calibrate once and save
In Volume calibration, set your media volume with the 1 kHz tone and tap Save this volume. The saved percentage is shown on screen, so set the same volume next time. Different volumes can’t be compared.
Same earphones, same time of day
Use the same earphones each time, and test in the morning after your ears have rested rather than straight after a day of listening. Use Precise mode.
Watch the trend
Once you have two results, a trend chart appears on the Hearing tab. It keeps 30 results; one ad keeps 500 and lets you export CSV for 24 hours.
The same goes for the app itself. SonicKit plays loud tones on purpose, so on first launch it tells you to start at a low volume and raise it slowly.
FAQ
How many dB is 60% volume?
It depends on the phone and earphones, which is why WHO gives a percentage. Turn on your phone’s headphone exposure feature as well.
My ears are ringing.
If ringing continues after loud sound, or one ear feels blocked, see a doctor promptly.
SonicKit - Speaker Water Eject
No sign-up, and it works without an internet connection. Free on Android.