We’ve built MyPhones to cap volume at 85 decibels. That’s the maximum sustained volume level recommended by many regulatory agencies, including the U.S.A.’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control. At this time, there are no “maximum safe volume for kids” regulations from the government or the U.S. medical community. (We were surprised about that too.)
However, most doctors and other experts agree that the best way to protect kids’ hearing is to limit both the volume of things like MP3 players, and how long kids are allowed to listen to them. (An hour or two at most is a good idea.)
So even though MyPhones help, we still recommend that you supervise your young person’s listening habits. Even professional musicians take frequent opportunities to rest their ears. Kids’ ears deserve the same care.
If you would like to learn more about ear safety, here are some good places to start:
(MyPhones have been designed and tested to cap maximum volume levels to 85 decibels when used with iPod or iPhone, MP3 players, laptops and portable audio and video players. However, when used with high-power audio sources like home stereo amplifiers, MyPhones’ circuitry may occasionally allow peak audio levels in excess of 85 decibels.)