Can Lawnmowers Damage Hearing?

Last Updated on May 23, 2026 by Duncan

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Yes, lawnmowers can damage your hearing. Most gas-powered lawnmowers produce between 85 and 95 decibels (dB) of continuous noise.

According to Dr. Michael Roizen, MD, exposure to 90 dB or more for eight cumulative hours is enough to cause permanent hearing damage.

Because noise-induced hearing loss is irreversible, prevention through ear protection, muffler maintenance, or switching to quieter equipment is the only reliable strategy.

I mow my lawn every Saturday. I’ve done it that way since I became the designated gardener in my home at age 15, and I’m 32 now.

For the first few years I mowed without any ear protection at all I simply didn’t think about it. It wasn’t until I started noticing a faint ringing after long mowing sessions that I took the risk seriously.

I’ve worn hearing protection consistently ever since, and I’d encourage every regular mower to do the same.

This guide covers why lawnmowers are genuinely dangerous to hearing, the practical steps you can take to reduce that risk, and how to choose the right protection for your situation.

Why Lawnmowers Are Loud Enough to Cause Hearing Damage

Sound is measured in decibels (dB). The scale is logarithmic, meaning every 10 dB increase represents a tenfold increase in sound intensity and roughly a doubling of perceived loudness. Here’s how lawnmower noise fits into that scale:

Sound Source	Approximate Decibel Level
Normal conversation	60 dB
Busy city traffic	80 dB
Gas-powered push mower	85–90 dB
Ride-on/zero-turn mower	90–95 dB
Chainsaw	110 dB
Jet engine at 100 feet	140 dB

The safe exposure limit set by OSHA is 90 dB for an 8-hour workday. For every 5 dB increase above that, the allowable exposure time is cut in half. At 95 dB, safe exposure drops to 4 hours. At 100 dB, it drops to 2 hours.

This matters even for homeowners with small lawns. A 45-minute mow session once a week might seem insignificant, but those sessions add up across months and years.

Noise-induced hearing loss is cumulative and permanent the tiny hair cells in the cochlea that convert sound vibrations into nerve signals do not regenerate once damaged.

Early symptoms include ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and difficulty distinguishing speech in noisy environments. By the time those symptoms appear, some damage has already been done.

Electric lawnmowers are meaningfully quieter where most produce 75–80 dB but even these can cause fatigue over extended use.

How to Protect Your Ears When Mowing

There are five approaches, which can be used individually or in combination:

1. Wear Hearing Protection

This is the single most effective, immediate, and low-cost step you can take. Before mowing, put on a form of hearing protection earplugs, earmuffs, or ear caps. See the full comparison of each type in the section below.

I keep my earmuffs hanging on the same hook as my mowing gloves. Having them in the same place removes the mental friction of remembering I’ve never forgotten them since I started that habit.

For a deeper look at why this matters, see our guide on whether you should wear hearing protection while mowing and our overview of hearing protection device types.

2. Inspect and Fix the Muffler

A damaged or deteriorating muffler is one of the most common reasons a lawnmower becomes noticeably louder over time. The muffler forces exhaust sound through a noise-canceling internal chamber before it exits the engine.

It also provides backpressure that helps the engine operate efficiently. When the muffler cracks or its gasket seal deteriorates, raw engine noise escapes unfiltered.

Signs your muffler needs attention:

The mower has become significantly louder than when it was new
You can hear popping or sputtering sounds from the engine area
You notice black soot deposits around the exhaust joint

Steps to inspect and replace a damaged muffler:

Step 1: Let the engine cool completely before touching anything. The muffler reaches extreme temperatures during operation and remains dangerously hot for some time after shutdown.

Step 2: Locate the muffler and unscrew the bolts securing it to the engine exhaust port.

Step 3: Inspect the muffler body for visible cracks, rust, or holes. Any of these warrant a replacement as a compromised muffler cannot do its job.

Step 4: Remove the old gasket from the exhaust port and clean the port surface of any carbon debris or old gasket material.

Step 5: Install a new gasket over the exhaust port, reattach the muffler, and tighten all bolts to the manufacturer’s specified torque.

Important: Research shows that longer mufflers are quieter than shorter ones due to increased internal chamber volume. When buying a replacement, choose the longest compatible muffler for your engine rather than the cheapest available option.

If you are not comfortable working on engine components, have a qualified small-engine mechanic handle this as a poorly fitted muffler can cause backpressure problems that damage the engine.

3. Apply Sound-Deadening Material to the Mower Deck

Much of the rattling, blade vibration, and rock-ping noise from a lawnmower comes from the deck itself, not the engine.

Applying sound-deadening mat material to the inner surface of the deck absorbs vibration before it radiates outward as noise.

Three widely used materials:

Noico mats: Originally designed for automotive use, Noico self-adhesive butyl mats adhere directly to metal surfaces and are effective at reducing vibration-based rattling and general structural noise.

They handle heat reasonably well and are among the most cost-effective options per square foot.

Dynamat: Another automotive-origin product, Dynamat provides both noise dampening and heat insulation.

It does not melt at high temperatures, which is a practical advantage given how hot a mowing deck can get in summer. More expensive than Noico but also more heat-stable.

FatMat: The highest cost of the three options, but self-adhesive and available in large rolls. Particularly effective for decks with large flat panel sections where vibration resonance is greatest.

Apply whichever material you choose to the top inner surface of the deck (away from the blade side). Clean the surface thoroughly before application and press the material firmly to eliminate air pockets.

4. Install an Engine Silencer

Silencers, also called exhaust silencers or muffler extensions attach to the existing exhaust and provide additional noise reduction beyond what the stock muffler alone achieves. There are three types:

Reactive silencers work by bouncing exhaust sound waves between internal chambers, causing them to cancel each other out. They are most effective at reducing low-to-mid frequency noise the deep rumble characteristic of gas-powered mowers.

Absorptive silencers line their internal surfaces with fiberglass or E-glass insulation that physically absorbs sound energy.

They perform best on high-frequency noise, such as the sharp metallic sound from blade rotation and exhaust pulses.

Combination silencers incorporate both reactive and absorptive chambers. They are the most versatile option and are appropriate when the full frequency range of the mower’s noise output needs to be addressed.

Before purchasing a silencer, consult an experienced mechanic who can listen to your specific machine and recommend the correct silencer type for your noise profile. Installing the wrong type will provide little benefit.

5. Invest in a Quieter Mowing Machine

When a mower is old enough that multiple repairs haven’t reduced noise to an acceptable level, replacing it with a quieter model is often the most practical long-term solution.

Electric lawnmowers: Battery-powered or corded lawnmowers operate at 75–80 dB, which is 10–15 dB quieter than equivalent gas models. Because the dB scale is logarithmic, that difference is perceptually significant: a 10 dB reduction is perceived as roughly half as loud.

Electric models also produce no exhaust fumes, require less maintenance (no oil, no spark plugs, no air filters), and start reliably regardless of temperature.

Match engine size to yard size. If you have a small yard under a quarter acre a large-engine gas mower is unnecessarily loud and burns more fuel than the job requires.

A smaller engine produces less noise at an equivalent task, and an electric model for small yards is often the cleanest solution of all.

Hearing Protection Options for Lawn Mowing

When choosing ear protection, three types are available. Each has a different Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) the standardized measure of how many decibels of noise they block.

Type	NRR Range	Protection Level	Best For
Earplugs	25–33 dB	High	Budget users, hot weather, glasses wearers
Earmuffs	22–31 dB	High	Comfort, convenience, radio capability
Ear caps	14–20 dB	Moderate	Light-duty, electric mowers only

Earplugs

Earplugs are the most affordable and portable hearing protection option, with NRR ratings typically between 25 and 33 dB. They are made from compressible foam or silicone and come in two versions:

Disposable earplugs are designed for single use. Even if they look intact after one session, reusing them degrades the foam’s expansion properties, which reduces their protective rating. Replace them each session.

Reusable earplugs can be used several times, but inspect them before each use. Once the foam no longer springs back fully or the silicone shows cracks, replace them.

Fit is critical. An earplug that is not correctly seated in the ear canal provides significantly less noise reduction than its rated NRR.

To insert foam earplugs correctly: roll the plug into a tight cylinder, reach over your head with the opposite hand to pull the top of your ear upward and outward, then insert the plug and hold it in place for 20–30 seconds while it expands.

Do not share earplugs. Because they sit inside the ear canal, they collect ear wax and bacteria. Sharing them even with family members transfers those contaminants. And you don’t want this, do you?

Earmuffs

Earmuffs (also called ear defenders or headphones) provide complete coverage over the outer ear, forming a sealed acoustic chamber that blocks both direct and reflected noise. NRR ratings range from 22 to 31 dB depending on the model.

Because they physically enclose the ear, earmuffs are easier to fit correctly than earplugs proper placement is immediately obvious if the seal isn’t right.

Well-maintained earmuffs last several years, though the ear cup cushions which form the critical acoustic seal wear out and should be replaced when they harden or crack.

For a tested list of models, see our best headphones for mowing the lawn guide.

If you like listening to music or the radio while mowing, radio earmuffs combine hearing protection with built-in AM/FM reception.

They maintain the protective seal while streaming audio directly to the ear cups. See our best radio headphones for lawn mowing guide for current recommendations.

Care and maintenance: Clean earmuffs with a mild liquid detergent and warm water after use. Use a soft brush on the ear cup cushions to remove oil, skin, and particles these harden the cushion material over time and degrade the seal.

Do not submerge the cups or allow the internal sound-attenuating fill to get wet.

Trade-off: Earmuffs are heavier than earplugs and can become uncomfortable in hot weather, particularly over sessions longer than an hour.

In those conditions, some users prefer earplugs for comfort while accepting slightly less noise isolation.

For a complete overview of both options, see Is It Safe to Wear Headphones While Mowing? and our guide on Can You Wear AirPods While Mowing?

Ear Caps

Ear caps, also called canal caps or hearing bands seal the entrance to the ear canal without inserting into it, held in place by a lightweight headband. Because they sit at the canal opening rather than inside it, they provide the least noise reduction of the three types: NRR 14–20 dB.

For a gas-powered mower producing 90+ dB, ear caps do not provide enough protection for extended sessions.

They are appropriate only for electric mowers or very short, low-noise tasks. The convenience of quick on-and-off makes them useful for intermittent work operators who start and stop frequently may prefer them over earplugs for brief exposures.

Signs You May Have Already Experienced Hearing Damage

If you have mowed without protection over many seasons, watch for these early warning signs and follow general ear health best practices:

Tinnitus, a persistent ringing, buzzing, or hissing sound that is present when no external noise source is active. This is often the first symptom of noise-induced hearing damage.
Difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments like restaurants or group conversations, even when overall hearing seems normal in quiet settings.
Muffled or distant-sounding audio immediately after a mowing session that takes longer than a few minutes to resolve.

If you have noticed any of these symptoms, visit an audiologist for a hearing evaluation. A full audiogram takes under an hour and establishes a documented baseline — useful for tracking any future changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many decibels does a lawnmower produce?

Most gas-powered push lawnmowers produce 85–90 dB. Ride-on and zero-turn models typically produce 90–95 dB.

Electric lawnmowers produce roughly 75–80 dB, which is significantly quieter in practical terms due to the logarithmic nature of the decibel scale.

How long can you mow without hearing protection before risking damage?

At 90 dB, the OSHA safe exposure limit is 8 hours. At 95 dB, it drops to 4 hours. However, these are regulatory minimums for occupational settings any regular unprotected exposure contributes to cumulative hearing loss over time, even in shorter sessions.

Are electric lawnmowers safe for your hearing?

Electric lawnmowers at 75–80 dB present much lower hearing risk than gas models, but hearing protection is still good practice for sessions over an hour.

Battery models in particular have become quiet enough that many users find them comfortable without protection for short mowing runs.

What is the best hearing protection for mowing?

For most homeowners, over-ear earmuffs offer the best combination of effective noise reduction, ease of correct fit, and long-term comfort.

For hot climates or users who wear glasses (which can break the earmuff seal), foam earplugs with an NRR of 30+ are the better choice.

Can AirPods or regular headphones protect your hearing while mowing?

Standard earbuds and AirPods are not rated as hearing protection devices and do not provide reliable noise isolation from lawnmower frequencies. For a detailed answer, see our guide on wearing AirPods while mowing.

What should I do if I already notice hearing loss from mowing?

Stop mowing without protection immediately and schedule an appointment with an audiologist. Noise-induced hearing loss is permanent — it cannot be reversed — but the progression can be halted by eliminating further unprotected exposure.

Duncan

On my 15th birthday, I became the designated gardener in my home.

Now at 32, I have a small garden and every day I'm out trying different plants and seeing how they grow. I grow guavas, peaches, onions, and many others. Want to know more about me? Read it here.