---
title: "How loud is a hair dryer?"
description: "A hair dryer reaches 75–95 dB. How that compares to other things, and where the number comes from."
url: https://atoneplace.net/loud/hair-dryer/
site: "At One Place"
---

# How loud is a hair dryer?

**Typical loudness: 75–95 dB**

A handheld fan blowing air over a heating element to dry hair.

> At the user’s ear during use; compiled from manufacturer and consumer-test figures.

## How that compares

*Hair dryer against things of a similar loudness.*

- Motorcycle: 80–110 dB
- Blender: 80–95 dB
- Hair dryer: 75–95 dB
- Pressure washer: 75–95 dB
- Lawn mower: 80–85 dB
- Leaf blower: 65–92 dB
- Air compressor: 60–92 dB
- Vacuum cleaner: 62–85 dB

## How long you can safely listen

About 8 hours a day before hearing protection is recommended.

Decibels are logarithmic, which makes the intuitive arithmetic wrong in a way worth knowing: every 10 dB is ten times the sound energy, and two identical sources together are 3 dB louder than one — not double. So two 70 dB fans are 73 dB, not 140 dB.

> Levels are measured at roughly one metre unless stated otherwise. Sound falls off with distance — about 6 dB per doubling — so the same appliance is noticeably quieter across a room than beside your ear.

## More about a hair dryer

- [How much does a hair dryer weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/hair-dryer/) — 0.35–1.1 kg
- [How much does a hair dryer cost?](https://atoneplace.net/cost/hair-dryer/) — 15–450 $
- [Hair dryer vs Electric kettle](https://atoneplace.net/vs/electric-kettle-vs-hair-dryer/) — Side by side

## Common questions

### How loud is a hair dryer?

A hair dryer reaches 75–95 dB. At the user’s ear during use; compiled from manufacturer and consumer-test figures.

## Related pages

- [How much does a hair dryer weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/hair-dryer/)
- [How much does a hair dryer cost?](https://atoneplace.net/cost/hair-dryer/)
- [How loud is a washing machine?](https://atoneplace.net/loud/washing-machine/)
- [How loud is a air conditioner?](https://atoneplace.net/loud/air-conditioner/)
- [How loud is a dishwasher?](https://atoneplace.net/loud/dishwasher/)
- [How loud is a vacuum cleaner?](https://atoneplace.net/loud/vacuum-cleaner/)
- [How loud is a blender?](https://atoneplace.net/loud/blender/)
- [How loud is a dehumidifier?](https://atoneplace.net/loud/dehumidifier/)
- [How loud is a air purifier?](https://atoneplace.net/loud/air-purifier/)
- [Hair dryer vs Electric kettle](https://atoneplace.net/vs/electric-kettle-vs-hair-dryer/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)
- What Noises Cause Hearing Loss? — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/what_noises_cause_hearing_loss.html) [Public domain (US Government)]
- Occupational Noise Exposure — Occupational Safety and Health Administration (https://www.osha.gov/noise) [Public domain (US Government)]