Top 10 Noisiest Toys for 2016
For children across the globe, December could be considered, like that old song says, the most wonderful time of the year. Who could blame them?
With the holiday season so close you can taste it, kids everywhere are looking forward to tearing apart wrapping paper and revealing the toys they’ve longed for since the beginning of the year.
But what if those toys could make your child lose their hearing?
According to Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC), Health Canada bans any toys that exceed 100 decibels (dB). However, SAC, the Hearing Foundation of Canada and many hearing healthcare professionals note that prolonged exposure to noise levels over 85 dB could potentially result in hearing loss.
Top 10 toys to avoid for 2016
The Sight and Hearing Association in the US recently released their list of the top noisiest toys for this year. If your shopping list includes toys for those special little tykes in your life, you may want to look at the listing below.
| TOY | MANUFACTURER | Decibels (Held close to ear) | Decibels (Held at arm’s length) |
|---|---|---|---|
| WWE 3-Count Crushers: Roman Reigns™ | Mattel, Inc. | 104.4 | 93.6 |
| Road Rippers® Rush & Rescue® | Toy State | 103.9 | 90.8 |
| My First Tonka Wobble Wheels | Tonka® | 103.2 | 89.8 |
| Playskool Heroes: Jurassic World Dilophosaurus | Hasbro | 97.5 | 79 |
| Disney Frozen: Magical MP3 Microphone | KIDdesigns, Inc. | 96.9 | 73.6 |
| Bright Starts: Jingle and Glow Safari Gift Set™ | Kids II®, Inc. | 96.1 | 82.4 |
| Star Wars™ Anakin Skywalker™Darth Vader™ Color Change Lightsaber™ | Hasbro | 95.0 | 76.2 |
| The Peanuts Movie: Happy Dance Snoopy | Just Play | 94.5 | 83.2 |
| Pull and Learn Alligator™ | VTech® | 93.8 | 84.6 |
| Baby Einstein™: Rock, Light & Roll™ | Kids II®, Inc. | 93.8 | 83.9 |
For a complete list of noisy toys, you can visit the Sight and Hearing Association’s website and request the document.
Advocating to prevent noise-induced hearing loss
The SAC has been advocating for lower allowable decibel levels for toys in Canada from 100 dB to 75 dB when held at arm’s length.
In other parts of the world allowable noise levels differ. In the United States the allowable level of sound for toys cannot exceed 70 dB and in Europe that number is 80 dB when held at the ear.
The International Standards Organisation (ISO) recommends that toys held close to the ear should not exceed a noise level of 65 dB.
Putting the numbers into perspective
Popular toys like cap guns and whistles can be measured to upwards of 105 to 110 decibels. This measurement is significantly over what would be considered a reasonable level of sound.
So, this year when you’re out holiday shopping for the kids, keep in mind their developing ears. Remember that Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is preventable at any age by simply minimising any prolonged exposure to loud noise.
If you have any concerns about Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, speak to your local Audiologist or Hearing Instrument Specialist.
