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Imagine you are about to hear the latest plot twist of Game of Thrones or Greys Anatomy (add your favorite show/sporting event here) only you can’t hear it because the dishwasher is running in the background.
Dishwasher quietness is the number 1 question because our living spaces have merged. The kitchen and living space is one space not separate rooms like our parents’ homes.
At a Glance
This article is about quietness. You will hear a 44 and 55 DB dishwasher. I will list the quietest models of every manufacturer.
You should also know how to buy a quiet dishwasher. In many cases, you can “overbuy” and spend more money than you should.
This one of three articles you should read about dishwashers. The other two cover price and reliability. There will be links at the end of this article for both.
Quietness Disclaimer
It is important to note that there is no industry standard for measuring dB(A). One brand may measure their dB(A) rating during a standard wash cycle, where another brand could be measuring it during their china/crystal cycle.
Quietest Dishwasher By Decibel Rating
Electrolux
EI24ID81SS - 45 db(A)
Additional Models:
- EI24ID50QS - 47 dB(A)
- EI24ID30QB - 49 dB(A)
Maytag
MDB8959SFZ - 47 dB(A)
Additional Models:
- MDB7959SHZ - 47 dB(A)
- MDB8989SHB - 48 dB(A)
Whirlpool
WDT970SAHZ - 47 dB(A)
Additional Models:
- WDT975SAHV - 47 dB(A)
- WDTA50SAHZ - 47 dB(A)
Jenn-Air
JDTSS244GL - 38 dB(A)
Additional Resources:
- JDTSS246GL-38 dB(A)
- JDTSS244GM-38 dB(A)
Miele
Miele G6987SCVIK2O - 38 dB - $3,099
Additional Models:
- G6785SCVISF - 44 dB(A) - $1,599
- G6835SCI - 42 dB(A) - $2099
Bosch
SHX89PW75N Benchmark -38 dB(A)
Additional Models:
- SHXM98W75N 800 Series -39 dB(A)
- SHS63 500 Series – 44 dB(A)
We then researched the dB(A) rating of a few more brands to compare.
SubZero Cove
DW2450WS – 41 dB(A) - $2,099
Additional Models:
- DW2450 – 41 dB(A) - $1,999
Only two options are currently available, with or without a water softener.
Samsung
DW80R9950US at 39 dB(A)- $999
Additional Models:
- DW80K7050US at 44 dB -$769
- DW80K5050UG at 48 dB - $719
LG
LSDT9908BD - 40 dB(A)
Additional Models:
- LUDP8997SN – 40 dB(A)
- LDT7808BD – 42 dB(A)
Frigidaire
FPID2498SF – 47 dB(A)
Additional Models:
- FGID2479SF – 49 dB(A)
- FFID2459VS – 49 dB(A)
Asko
DBI675THXXLS - 40 dB(A)
Additional Models:
- DBI664THXXLS - 42 dB(A)
- DBI663THS - 44 dB(A)
GE
CDT866P2MS1 - 40 dB(A)
Additional Models:
- PDT855SIJII - 40 dB(A)
- PDT845SSJSS - 42 dB(A)
KitchenAid
KDPE334GBS - 39 dB(A)
Additional Models:
- KDTM354DSS- 43 dB(A)
- KDPM354GBS - 44 dB(A)
Note: There are multiple models in the KitchenAid lineup with dB(A) ratings between 39 and 44.
What Does Quiet Sound Like
A decibel rating of 60 will make it hard to have a conversation in the kitchen, models rated from 38 to 44 decibels will be quiet.
For a better perspective here are decibel ratings of some common sounds:
- A whisper - 15 decibels
- A normal conversation - 60 decibels
- A lawnmower - 90 decibels
- A car horn - 110 decibels
- A firecracker - 140 decibels
Better yet here is what 44 and 55 decibels sound like in an actual kitchen.
Dishwasher Sound Level Comparison
Decibel Levels, What to Know
Dishwasher noise levels are rated in decibels, the lower the decibel number the quieter the dishwasher.
A difference of just a few decibels may not seem to be much, but a dishwasher that is just one decibel more is actually 30 percent louder.
A dishwasher that is four decibels more is twice as loud. However, buying a dishwasher at 44 DBs is quiet enough.
You do not want to pay for just quietness under 44 DB (I will say this a few more times in this article).
Quietness Factors
- Quality of insulation.
- A dishwasher with a disposal is louder.
- Sound dampening material on the exterior of the tub.
- Stainless steel tubs tend to be quieter than plastic tubs because it dampens the sound of the water being sprayed inside.
KitchenAid, for example, became a quieter dishwasher by removing their disposer and adding a filter.
All the quiet dishwashers are filtered. It can be argued the disposer is better, so there is a trade-off in benefit.
How to Buy a Quiet Dishwasher
This article should read two ways. First, you should now know what is quiet. So if you are opening the living room to your kitchen, you’ll most likely be satisfied at 44 DBS.
However, unless you are interested in other features, you do not need to spend any more money just for quietness past 44 DBs.
You will not be able to hear the difference between a 38-42 DB dishwasher so why pay extra just for that?
In other words, you should not spend $1,979 for that top of the line Bosch just for quietness when the $849-999 is more than sufficient at 42 DBs.
There are plenty of quiet dishwashers in every brand. Just do not overspend for anything under 44DBs.
Additional Resources
Get our free Dishwasher Buying Guide with tips, trends, and reviews of all the major brands. Over 510,000 people have already found answers in a Yale guide.
Related Articles
WHY SHOULD YOU TRUST US?
A few review sites have placed this at the bottom of their articles. So here is our take: Our mission is to find reliable products for you to buy. Other review sites may say this as well.
However, we don’t love every product. Quite frankly, it costs us way too much money in repair costs to support less reliable brands.
In fact, we sell fewer brands than most appliance stores. Here is why:
We feel it is our responsibility to repair your appliances after you buy them.
We now have 30 service technicians, each averaging 8-10 calls a day Monday through Friday, plus another 110 on Saturday. That's over 30,000 service calls logged in one year.
The labor rates of fixing an appliance do not come close to the true cost in any product’s warranty period.
That is why no major retailer has a service department. It costs too much labor, money and time.
Our Blog is a bit different than most others you will read. We cannot write glowing reviews of unreliable products.
Hopefully, the bloggers and organizations who write such glowing product reviews for every brand consider servicing these products first. Only then they will understand the consequences of their marketing.
A Note About Pricing
Pricing on this blog is for reference only and may include time sensitive rebates. We make every attempt to provide accurate pricing at time of publishing. Please call the stores for most accurate price.
