Headphone Health

Headphones are everywhere now. Everyone seems to live in an iPod bubble as they go through their lives, whether on public transit, walking around, sitting at their desk, or even sitting at home reading. We wanted to bring you some simple tips on what you can do to keep your ears safe while using headphones.

How loud? There isn’t any definite number on how loud your music should be, but a number of around 85 decibels is the most common one given. Since no one really knows what this means, there are some basic rules. You don’t want to listen at more than 70% of the maximum if you use your headphones all day, or more than 80% if you use it for an hour or so. Basically, the lower you can keep the volume, the better.

Don’t use them to drown out noise! If you’re in a noisy environment, you shouldn’t turn up your headphones to drown out the noise. You’re far better off getting some closed-ear headphones, or some noise-cancelling models.

I can’t wait to exercise with these earbuds! But you should! Exercising with earbuds can open you up to some ear damage. This is because a lower decibel level can affect your hearing when you’re working out. Keep that music down when on the treadmill, or just jam out to the music already playing at the club. It might not be your favorite, but your favorites will continue to sound better later.

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