If you have ever felt like you can’t hear anything after attending a concert or that you don’t hear someone talking to you from another room after sitting in a noisy environment for a while, you most likely experienced noise-induced hearing loss.

Two questions that might arise in such situations is how loud of a sound will damage hearing and at what noise level should you wear hearing protection?

For sources of noise and their impact on your hearing, there are normal sounds, with an average sound level of about 60 dB, such as a conversation, that doesn’t cause hearing loss, while noise with an average sound level of over 70 dB, such as washing machines, dishwashers or city traffic, can damage your hearing after prolonged exposure.

There is also the case of noise levels above 120 dB, that can immediately harm your hearing, causing irreversible damage. This would be the equivalent of a dog barking near your ear.

Can You Go Deaf from Concerts?

First, you need to ask yourself what is the average noise volume at a concert?

The recommended maximum volume level for personal listening devices and loud entertainment venues, such as nightclubs and concerts, is between 105-110 dB, so it is close to a noise level that can cause permanent hearing loss, and people never follow the recommendations, so you are exposing your ears to dangerous levels when frequenting these types of venues.

Should You Wear Ear Protection at a Concert?

In reality, sports crowds and rock concerts can reach a dangerous noise level of 120-129 dB! Therefore it is recommended to wear ear protection at a concert. In day-to-day life, people should try to wear a hearing protector if the sound level goes above 85 dB.

How can You Protect Your Hearing at a Concert?

In order to protect your hearing at a concert, make sure you attend events that take place outdoors rather than indoors and make sure you keep a safe distance from the speakers. Besides taking frequent breaks from the noise during the event, concert ear protection usually includes using headphones, earplugs, or earmuffs.

Alcohol consumption can increase blood flow to your inner ear, thus raising blood pressure and exposing you to potential tinnitus bouts. Limiting alcohol use can protect your hearing during a concert.

Why You Need Earplugs at Concerts

If you end up being closer to the stage at a concert, your ears will be dangerously close to the loudspeakers, and the noise volume can really damage your ears, so earplugs are your best bet in this case. You will probably need some sort of hearing protection for concerts even if you sit towards the back of the venue since live concerts can reach a whooping noise level of 100 dB even if you don’t sit next to the stage.

Learn from musicians for protecting your hearing. Since their career depends on having a healthy hearing, they know a thing or two about ear protection during concerts. Musician’s earplugs are designed in a way that lets them hear all the music, but they lower the overall sound level.

Therefore, instead of disposable foam earplugs that can be found in almost any drugstore or hypermarket, try to buy earplugs that are specifically designed for music. They are on the pricier side, but they come with the benefit of turning down the volume of the environmental noise instead of just blocking out all the loud noise. This way, you can enjoy the music without the risk of developing tinnitus or losing your hearing altogether. 

What Is the Best Ear Protection for Concerts?

Foam earplugs tend to be unreliable and uncomfortable because they are not fitted, so dedicated hearing protectors are the best purchase for those who enjoy live music, but choosing the best one goes way beyond picking an over-ear or an in-ear hearing protection device.

Buying the best hearing protection for concerts starts with evaluating the Noise Reduction Rating (NRR). This can confuse, as wearing a 33 dB-rated ear protection device at a 100 dB concert does not automatically turn down the noise level to 67 dB. There is a formula that shows how much noise protection you get from a certain device. First, you deduct 7 from the NRR rating and then you divide the result by two.

The resulting number is the amount of noise protection that you will get when wearing the product. This means that wearing ear protection with a 33 dB NRR at a concert with a noise level of 100 dB will reduce the noise to a more acceptable level – 87 dB.

Look for more expensive earplugs that offer some kind of filtering if you want to actually enjoy the concert. As opposed to cheaper models, some of these pricier earplugs are equipped with interchangeable filters and quality materials allow some frequencies to pass through, and they allow you to listen to the music without stressing your eardrum.

Aim for a hearing protection device with the highest noise reduction rating available, which is around 33 dB with many earplug models available on the market.

Children’s Hearing Protection for Concerts

If you insist on bringing your kid along at a loud concert, protecting their hearing is the sensible decision. They will thank you later! It is easier to choose a good hearing protection device for concerts for adults, but it's tricky to find the right ear protection for kids.

Babies, toddlers, and small children have different needs for hearing protection at a concert. Mouldable plugs for kids can even be used by adults that have small ear canals and have a hard time finding earplugs that fit. Small children that protest loudly if you try to shove something in their ear might enjoy hearing protection earmuffs with a small lightweight design. 

Please Note: Just because an ear defender is marked, for example, "Gunshot" - it will still cover other things, like "explosions"