Hula Hoops revealed to have the loudest crisp crunch, reaching the average decibel level of vacuum cleaners and traffic

From rustling packets to loud crunching, we’ve all felt self conscious about eating crisps in public. But have you ever wondered which crisps cause us to make the loudest munching noises, and which are the quietest for enjoying whilst out and about?

Betway asked snack lovers to test 10 popular crisp types, from Wotsits to Doritos, revealing which emit the highest decibels using an online decibel metre, so you can decide which are the safest to next take with you on a public outing.

Hula Hoops take the crown as the crisp with the loudest crunch, reaching almost 75 decibels

Hula Hoops are a fan favourite amongst Brits, however the results of the experiment suggest that they might be best enjoyed from the comfort of your own home. Shockingly, crunching on a Hula Hoop can reach 74.50 decibels on average, which is around the same level as road traffic and vacuum cleaners.

The highest crunching sound emitted from a participant when eating Hula Hoops during the experiment reached 81 decibels, which is around the same noise level as an alarm clock.

Nik Naks come in second place as the loudest crisp to crunch on, reaching 69.17 decibels on average. Meanwhile, Doritos comes in third place where crunches reach 68.83 decibels on average

Skips are the quietest crisps, with crunching reaching just 54 decibels on average

It might not come as a surprise that Skips revealed to be the quietest crisp to eat, with crunches reaching just 54 decibels on average. The quietest recorded crunch reached just 46 decibels, which is defined as being around the same noise level as a quiet library.

Wotsits came in second place as the quietest crisp to munch on, reaching 56.67 decibels on average. Experienced crisp eaters will know that letting crisps like Wotsits and Skips dissolve in your mouth is the least offensive way for eating these types of salty potato snacks.

Do you avoid eating certain crisps in public, and does this list surprise you?

Methodology:

The experiment comprised of six participants. Each participant was give one of each crisp type to eat. A decibel metre was used to measure the sound of crunches, with the peak decibel being recorded. The experiment took place in a room that was between 35 and 40 decibels. A quiet room is defined as being between 30-40 decibels.

The following crisp types were tested:

• Walkers

• Monster Munch

• McCoys

• Doritos

• Skips

• Quavers

• Niknaks

• Popchips

• Hula Hoops

• Wotsits

Decibel metre used in the experiment: https://webbrowsertools.com/sound-meter/