The action list, in order
- Fit earmuffs early. Infant-sized, full seal, no hat brim or hair breaking the seal, checked for comfort often.
- Distance beats everything. A table across the room from the speakers is a different environment than one beside them.
- Take quiet breaks. The lobby, a hallway, or outdoors resets exposure.
- Leave if it stays uncomfortable. Hearing protection does not make every environment appropriate for a baby.
What a phone estimate is good for
Comparing positions. Open a check at the dance floor, at your table, and in the lobby, and you will usually see differences large enough to act on even with the uncertainty of a phone microphone. That comparison is the useful output. A single absolute number is not.
Our venue-position experiment
We are documenting a protocol that measures the dance floor, a table near a speaker, a distant table, the lobby, and outdoors with several iPhone models and a calibrated reference, recording average, peak, duration, and device uncertainty. It will be published on the calibration page when complete.
Sources
Follow-up questions
Do infant earmuffs actually work?
Properly sized and sealed earmuffs reduce the level reaching the ear. A poor seal reduces the benefit substantially, so check the fit often.
Is a restaurant different from a wedding?
The procedure is the same: distance, breaks, and protection before an expected loud environment. Restaurants rarely reach wedding-reception levels, but a live band changes that.