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Leaf blower noise, hearing, and gas blower rules
Updated
Battery blowers are one reason gas blower bans are spreading: they are quieter and have no exhaust. But the dB figure on a listing is a maker claim with no distance attached, and any blower held at arm's length for an hour is worth ear protection. Local rules vary a lot, so check your own city code. This page is general information, not legal advice.
What the hearing agencies say
NIDCD, part of the National Institutes of Health, names leaf blowers among the harmful noise sources at home. It says sounds at or below 70 dBA are unlikely to cause hearing loss even after long exposure, and that long or repeated exposure at or above 85 dBA can. NIOSH sets its recommended workplace limit at 85 dBA averaged over an eight-hour day, and says that as sound gets louder than that, the allowed time has to come down for each 3 dBA increase.
The dB numbers on these listings
- WORX WG54755 dB
- BLACK and DECKER LSW22161 dB
- EGO LB765464 dB
- EGO LB615171 dB
- Greenworks 80V74 dB
- Greenworks 40V78 dB
Read these with care. None of the listings says how far away the meter was or what speed the blower was on. The EGO LB6151 shows 71 dB in the Amazon spec table and 63 dB on EGO's own page. A reading taken across a yard is far lower than what reaches the ear of the person holding the tool. So use the figures to rank blowers roughly, not to decide whether you need ear protection. For long sessions, wear it.
Gas blower bans, in general terms
- Some places ban gas blowers outright. Washington, DC is one example. The District's licensing department says its Leaf Blower Regulation Amendment Act took effect on January 1, 2022 and prohibits the use of gasoline-powered leaf blowers there.
- Some rules target new sales, not use. California's Air Resources Board says its small off-road engine rules set smog-forming emission standards to zero for new engines, and that they do not prohibit possession, use or repair of existing compliant equipment.
- Many towns set hours or seasons instead. Quiet hours and seasonal limits often apply to every blower, battery ones included. A homeowner association can be stricter than the city.
A battery blower keeps you clear of fuel-type bans. It does not exempt you from quiet hours. Look up your own city or county code before you buy, and before you start at 7 on a Sunday morning.
Quieter picks here
By listing figures, the WORX WG547 (55 dB) and BLACK+DECKER LSW221 (61 dB) are the quietest, and they are also the least powerful. Among full-size blowers, the EGO LB7654 shows 64 dB. Running any blower on a lower dial setting is quieter and stretches the battery. See turbo mode and runtime.
Plan your own yard with the battery calculator, or compare all seven picks on the roundup page.