How loud is a leaf blower?
Landscapers using gas leaf blowers averaged 96.9 dBA, against 86.4 dBA with battery blowers, in a 2025 field study. Backpack petrol blowers at full throttle reached maximum levels of 94.8 to 105.9 dBA near the operator, and ASHA's chart lists a gas leaf blower at 106 dBA.
- Level
- 86.4–106 dBAA-weighted sound level
- Daily limit
- 3 min 45 s a dayNIOSH, at the loud end
- Versus conversation
- 2,344× energyabout 10.3× as loud
What the numbers mean
How it was measured. Mean task exposures from personal dosimeters on landscapers (battery 86.4 dBA, gas 96.9 dBA); maximum levels at full throttle for backpack petrol blowers (94.8 to 105.9 dBA); ASHA chart 106 dBA (distance not stated).
In the university groundskeeper study, Stihl backpack blowers measured between 94.8 dBA (BR 500) and 105.9 dBA (BR 600) at full throttle; the BR 600 was the second loudest tool measured after a chainsaw. A NIOSH Science Blog summary gives leaf blowers as 95 to 106 dBA.
Gas leaf blowers accounted for 157 task measurements in the 2025 landscaping study, with a mean of 96.9 dBA. Battery blowers averaged 86.4 dBA, about 10 dB lower, which is a large difference on the decibel scale.
How long is safe?
NIOSH recommends no more than 3 min 45 s a day at 106 dBA (5 h 47 min at 86.4). OSHA's legal limit is 52 min.
| Level | NIOSH limit (85 dBA, 3 dB rule) | OSHA limit (90 dBA, 5 dB rule) | UK/EU 80 dB(A) action value reached after | UK/EU 85 dB(A) action value reached after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86.4 dBA | 5 h 47 min | No limit | 1 h 50 min | 5 h 48 min |
| 106 dBA | 3 min 45 s | 52 min | 1 min 12 s | 3 min 49 s |
Times are for a whole day’s exposure, with the rest of the day quiet. The workplace limits were written for adults at work, not for children. Work out a mixed day with the noise dose calculator.
Pets
Leaf blowers are loudest at the operator, but dogs and cats in a garden being blown are close to the source; keep pets indoors while blowing.
Protecting your hearing
Wear earmuffs or plugs with a petrol blower; at 96.9 dBA average, unprotected use quickly exceeds daily limits. A battery blower cuts the average by about 10 dB.
Earplug and earmuff ratings (NRR in the US, SNR in the UK and EU) are lab figures; real-world protection is usually lower. How to read the ratings.
Compared with sounds nearby
Using midpoints of each range. Energy multiplies by 10 every 10 dB; perceived loudness roughly doubles (why).
- Angle grinder (83–104.7 dBA): this has about 1.7× its sound energy and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Symphony orchestra (86–102 dBA): this has about 1.7× its sound energy and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Music festival (95.8–101.4 dBA): it has about 1.7× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Circular saw (89–110.4 dBA): it has about 2.2× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.3× as loud.
- Normal conversation (55–70 dBA): this has about 2,344× its energy and sounds about 10.3× as loud.
Questions
How many decibels is a leaf blower?
Gas leaf blowers averaged 96.9 dBA at the operator in a field study and peaked at up to 105.9 dBA at full throttle; battery blowers averaged 86.4 dBA.
Are electric leaf blowers quieter?
Battery blowers averaged 86.4 dBA against 96.9 dBA for gas blowers in the same study, roughly 10 dB quieter.
Sources
- Hazardous exposures and engineering controls in the landscaping services industry, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (2025), open access via PMC. Supports: dB_low: battery 86.4 dBA; gas 96.9 dBA.
The mean noise exposure of 96.9 dBA for gas leaf blowers ( n = 157) was higher ( p < 0.001) than those for both the battery leaf blower (86.4 dBA, n = 39)
Checked 2026-11-03. - Assessment of Occupational Noise Exposure among Groundskeepers in North Carolina Public Universities, Environmental Health Insights (2016), open access via PMC. Supports: max 105.9 dBA BR 600.
The STIHL MS261 chainsaw has the highest maximum SPL measured at full throttle (108.6 dBA), followed by the STIHL BR 600 leaf blower (105.9 dBA) and wood chipper (105.7 dBA).
Checked 2026-11-03. - Assessment of Occupational Noise Exposure among Groundskeepers in North Carolina Public Universities, Environmental Health Insights (2016), open access via PMC. Supports: max 94.8 dBA BR 500.
Stihl BR 500 94.8
Checked 2026-11-03. - Grounds for Change: Reducing Noise Exposure in Grounds Management Professionals - Part 1, NIOSH Science Blog, CDC (archived copy). Supports: body: 95-106 dBA.
Leaf blower 95-106
Checked 2026-11-03. - Loud Noise Dangers (noise chart), asha.org public information page (credited to the Communication Health Support Association). Supports: dB_high: 106 dBA.
106 dBA = gas leaf blower, snow blower
Checked 2026-11-03.
This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have ringing in your ears, muffled hearing or any change in your hearing, see an audiologist or your doctor.