Backed by WHO-ITU child guidance

Noise-induced hearing loss is permanent — and it can start earlier than most parents realize.

Children's inner ears are still developing: the same sound level that feels merely loud to an adult can do more damage over time. Restaurants, school cafeterias, parties, transit, toys, and headphones regularly reach levels where safe exposure time drops to minutes, not hours.

Damage adds up.

Hearing risk is cumulative. A moderately loud afternoon, a loud dinner, and headphones at high volume can all draw from the same weekly sound allowance — even when each moment feels manageable on its own.

Every 3 dB cuts safe time in half.

Under the widely used 3 dB exchange rate cited by CDC NIOSH and WHO-ITU safe-listening guidance, each 3 dBA increase halves the maximum safe exposure time. Small level changes make a big difference.

Prevention works.

NIH NIDCD notes that noise-induced hearing loss is preventable. Lowering volume, increasing distance, taking quiet breaks, and using hearing protection when appropriate can protect hearing for life.

Safe Exposure Levels

How long is too long?

The table below shows approximate maximum safe exposure times at common sound levels, using the 3 dB exchange rate. Example sources are illustrative — actual levels vary by distance, room acoustics, and environment.

Sound level Time Typical source
80 dBA 8 hours Family restaurant
83 dBA 4 hours School cafeteria
86 dBA 2 hours Vacuum cleaner
89 dBA 1 hour Yelling nearby
92 dBA 30 min Subway platform
95 dBA 15 min Movie theater
98 dBA 7 min 30 sec Arcade
101 dBA 3 min 45 sec Kids party with music
104 dBA 1 min 53 sec Sporting event
107 dBA 56 sec Siren nearby
110 dBA 28 sec Headphones at maximum volume

Example sound sources are approximate and vary by distance and environment.

What You Can Do

Awareness is the first step.

Most parents cannot guess dBA levels by ear. SoundSafe Kids turns your iPhone into a practical hearing-safety tool — live metering, weekly sound allowance tracking with WHO-ITU child guidance, and guided checks that end with clear next steps.

See how it works · Try a quick check · Explore features

Research

Grounded in established guidance.

SoundSafe Kids is built around internationally recognized safe-listening principles. These public-health sources inform how we frame exposure, the 3 dB exchange rate, and family-facing guidance in the app.

WHO-ITU

Safe Listening Devices and Systems (2019) — global safe-listening standards that inform child-oriented exposure framing used in SoundSafe Kids.

WHO publication

CDC NIOSH

Understand Noise Exposure — explains how the 3 dB exchange rate relates sound level to allowable exposure time.

NIOSH noise guidance

SoundSafe Kids is a hearing-safety guidance tool for families — not a medical device, clinical test, or certified occupational sound level meter. It does not replace professional hearing advice.

Protect hearing before damage is done.

SoundSafe Kids helps you notice when environments are getting too loud — and what to do next. Free to start.

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Launching on the App Store · July 4, 2026 · iPhone & iPad · iOS 16.0+