Cooling
Buying guides for cooling, ranked by the noise figures makers publish.
Hisense dehumidifier decibels chart, 45 to 52 dB(A) across six models
Hisense lists its 50-pint DH5026K1W and pump twin DH5026KP1G at 45 dB(A) on a row labelled high and 48 dB(A) on one labelled low, its lowest pair. The 35-pint DH3526K1W reads 45 and 49, the 60-pint pump unit 50 and 52, and the single-speed DH2526K1W 47 dB(A).
Quietest bladeless fan: Dyson's Quiet Mode rows from 24 to 50 dBA
Dyson's US pages put the HF1 at 26 dBA and the CF1 at 29 dBA in Quiet Mode, the two plain bladeless fans with a figure. Among purifier fans, the HushJet Cool Pure+ lists 24 but is out of stock. Why "bladeless" tower fans from Dreo still have blades.
Quietest garage fan: Air King, Vornado, Big Ass Fans and Lasko decibel figures, brand by brand
Air King's 24 in. Quiet wall fan drops to 48 dBA on its slowest speed and its 20 in. floor fan prints 62 / 55 / 48. Vornado's BXR HD tops out at 52 dBA. Each maker publishes decibels its own way, so every garage and shop fan here is ranked only against its own brand.
Quietest handheld fan: twelve JisuLife spec tables, one Xiaomi lab report and two lone claims
JisuLife prints a dB range for twelve handheld fans, and its Handheld Fan 5 Plus starts lowest at 42dB. Xiaomi cites a lab report of 33.7dB(A) on speed 1 for its Rechargeable Mini Fan. Gaiatop's BP26 claims 35dB and OPOLAR's 5000mAh fan about 39dB, each kept apart.
Quietest neck fan: what JisuLife, Gaiatop and TORRAS print for their wearables
JisuLife's Neck Fan Pro1 lists 48-65dB, the lowest floor in its own neck fan tables. Gaiatop gives its NF-01 a 30-55db range and TORRAS says its COOLiFY Air makes 31db. None names a distance or test, so each brand is weighed only against itself.
Friedrich air conditioner decibels chart, 32 to 69 dB(A) indoors on mini-splits, PTACs and portables
Friedrich's lowest per-model figure is 32 dB(A), the Quiet setting on its 9,000 and 12,000 Btu Floating Air wall-mounted heads. ZoneAire PTAC manuals list indoor rows from 45 to 63 dB(A), portables a flat 53 dB, and Kühl, Uni-Fit and WallMaster no decibel figure at all.
Hisense air conditioner decibels chart, 41 to 60 dB on window units and 28 dB(A) on mini splits
Hisense prints noise only in its spec sheets. The 8,000 BTU inverter AW0823TW1W lists 41/50/54 dB, the lowest window numbers; the dual hose AP1022TW1GD portable gives 42 dB(A) in Quiet mode; Hi-EDGE and SmartSense mini splits list 28 dB(A) indoors on their quietest setting.
AprilAire dehumidifier noise level chart, 45 to 55 dBA ducted across five sizes
AprilAire rates its 80-pint E080 and E080W at 45 dBA ducted, the lowest figure on any current AprilAire sheet. The 130-pint E130 lists 50, the low crawl space E070 and E050 list 53 and 54, and the 100-pint E100 tops the range at 55. Only the E050 pair adds an un-ducted figure: 57 dBA.
Cooper & Hunter mini split decibels: 18 to 53 dB(A) indoors on Astoria, Olivia and MIA
Cooper & Hunter's R454B wall systems list 18 to 36 dB(A) on low fan and 35.5 to 53 on high in its submittals. The Astoria 12,000 BTU head on the CH-RES12 condenser opens at 18, the MIA New York 9,000 BTU tops out lowest at 35.5, and condensers run 52.5 to 63.5 dB(A).
Quietest boiler: Rinnai and Viessmann wall-hung models with a printed sound level
Rinnai prints 40 dB(A) for four I-SERIES Plus heat-only boilers and 42 for its two largest combis. Viessmann gives Vitodens boilers 51 to 59 dB at full load and 31 to 34 at partial load, at 1 meter. The two bases differ, so each maker is ranked on its own.
Quietest camping fan: what four battery fan makers print, brand by brand
Battery fan makers print three different kinds of noise figure, so every brand here is weighed against itself alone. JisuLife's Stroller Fan 4 lists 39.3 to 55.5dB, Makita's DCF203Z 48 dB(A), and Sharper Image and Gaiatop each give one "as low as" figure for the gentlest setting.
Quietest window fan: Vornado, Air King and Tornado decibel figures, each maker ranked on its own
Vornado's Transom, Portal and Profile all print 43 dBA on their lowest step, and the Transom comes with a remote. Air King's 9155 lists 47 dB A on low against 50 for the 9166F. Tornado states one 48 dB figure for its BFC-9BR. No maker gives a distance, so no cross-brand ranking.
Goodman air conditioner decibels chart, 61 to 77 dBA across seven R-32 lines
Goodman's seven R-32 central air conditioners print 61 to 77 dBA, but only the inverter GXV6S and GXV9S state a basis, AHRI 270 sound power. The GXV6S rates 61 to 73 and undercuts the pricier GXV9S at each shared size. Single stage GLXS rows read 67 to 76 and name no standard.
GREE mini split decibels: 20 to 53 dB(A) indoors across five R32 series
GREE's Vireo and Envo R32 wall units open their 9,000 and 12,000 BTU sound ranges at 20 dB(A), the lowest of its five R32 series. The ZENO 09 tops out lowest, at 40, and the ZENO and Livo 9,000 BTU condensers list 51. All figures are from GREE's own submittals.
Quietest radon fan: Festa's 50 to 55 dB estimates and Suncourt's 4 sones
Festa estimates 50-55 dB for its AMG Phoenix EC and Triumph ECS, the lowest range in its radon fan line, and Suncourt rates its RDN04 kit at 59 dBA and 4 sones. RadonAway and Fantech print no noise figure, and HVI leaves the sones column blank for their fans.
Rheem air conditioner decibels chart, 54 to 76 dBA across nine models
Rheem rates its nine R-454B central air conditioners from 54 to 76 dBA. The variable speed RA19AY prints two figures per size, 54 at its lowest; among single stage units the 3.5 ton RA13NY lists 68. Every size by compressor type, and where Rheem's "as low as" claims part from its own sheets.
Carrier air conditioner decibels chart, 55 to 78 dBA across three series
Carrier rates all five of its current US central air conditioners to AHRI 270: the Infinity 21 reaches 55 dBA at minimum speed, the Performance 26SPA6 holds 67 at full speed, and the Comfort 14 peaks at 78 in its 4 ton size. The chart gives Carrier's figure for each size and flags a claim its own data sheet undercuts.
Lennox air conditioner decibels chart, 58 to 80 dBA from Signature to Merit
Lennox's nine current central air conditioners carry sound ratings from 58 to 80 dBA, all A-weighted sound power under AHRI 270. The Signature SL25KCV idles at 58 dBA in all four sizes, the Elite EL22KCV at 60 to 63, and the single stage Merit models run 73 to 80. Lennox prints no prices, only $ to $$$$ tiers.
The quietest fan of every type, from the desk to the whole house
Seven fan types, seven rating habits, no single winner. We set each type's quietest pick side by side, desk, tower, pedestal, box, ceiling, whole house and PC case fans, each with its maker's exact figure, and explain why an 11.4 dB(A) case fan has not beaten a 23 dBa tower.
Quietest packaged HVAC units: maker ratings run 65.4 to 81 dBA
Trane's 2 ton gas/electric 5YCZ5 carries the lowest packaged unit rating, 65.4 dBA of AHRI 270 sound power. Carrier's 50NR heat pump holds 71 at 4 and 5 tons, Lennox rates its LRP15HPK at 71, and Goodman prints a decibels row with no test named. Every figure comes from maker product data, size by size.
Trane air conditioner decibels chart, 64 to 76 dBA across three tiers
Trane rates its single phase AC condensers from 64 to 76 dBA sound power under AHRI 270, one figure per size in its 2026 handbook. The 2 ton 20 TruComfort lists the lowest number, but from 3.5 tons up the single stage Choice models win at 71 dBA. Where the figures hide, and what Quiet Mode does.
Dyson air purifier decibels, from 24 dB in Sleep mode to 63 dB(A) at full flow
Two HushJet machines carry Dyson's lowest figure, 24 dB in Sleep or Quiet Mode, and the $349.99 HushJet Compact tops out at 41dB. Dyson's bladeless towers list 46 to 50 dB(A) at minimum flow on US spec sheets, and only the Big+Quiet BP03 sheet calls its numbers sound power.
GE air conditioner decibels chart, 40 dBA in Quiet Mode to 67 dBA on high fan
GE's lowest room AC figure is 40 dBA in Quiet Mode, on the inverter ClearView PHNT10CC and three other Profile units that GE's site would not sell online on October 21, 2026. The 41 dBA ClearView AHTT08BC, $417, could be ordered. Plain GE window units list 50 to 64 dBA on low; portables start at 42.
LG air conditioner decibels chart, 44 dBA in sleep to 65 on high
LG prints a dBA row for most window, portable and wall units on lg.com. Only the DUAL Inverter models reach 44, and only in sleep; standard window units run 48 to 65. On October 21, 2026 the 8,000 BTU LW8022IVSM, 54 dBA on high, was out of stock at $449, and the 8,500 BTU LW8024IVSM was in stock at $459.
Quietest tankless water heater: the gas units with a published sound level
Rinnai prints a sound level for most of its tankless heaters, from 47 dB on the SENSEI RU180iN to 55 on the REP199iN, and AO Smith prints 50.3 and 51 dB for its Adapt condensing units. Navien, Noritz, Takagi, Rheem and the electric makers we checked print none.
The quietest air purifier for allergies, at a speed that keeps up
Alen's BreatheSmart 25i lists 40 dB at its highest speed, where its pollen and dust CADRs are measured, and is certified asthma & allergy friendly; it suits about 150 sq ft. The 35i lists 42 dB for 233 sq ft. Plus Rabbit Air's certified editions, Medify's CADR at each speed and what the mark tests.
The quietest dehumidifier for an apartment with no floor drain
The Frigidaire FHDD2234W1 lists 43 dBA on its low fan, the lowest dBA figure at a named fan speed we found on a compressor dehumidifier still on sale, and its full 1.7-gallon bucket is about 14 pounds to carry. With no drain, Frigidaire's FHDP5033Y1 and Levoit's LDH-H251S-WUS pump the water up into a sink.
The quietest electric fireplace, from the makers' own decibels
Dimplex's Slim Linear lists 36 decibels in its US spec table, the lowest single figure we found for an electric fireplace, with no setting named. Costway caps three models at ≤35 dB, one at full heat, and R.W.FLAME prints 35 and 38 dB on one page. Plus inserts, freestanding units and what makes the noise.
Quiet garage heater, electric or gas, ranked at equal distances
Modine's Amp Dawg AMP057 has the lowest electric garage heater figure tied to a distance: 41.7 dBA at 15 feet and 45 at 10 on Modine's sell sheet. With gas, Reznor lists its UDXC 30, 45 and 60 at 40 dBa at 15 feet. Plus the two-stage Amp Dawg, a Hot Dawg, two Heat Storms and each manual's venting and mounting rules.
Quiet space heater for a basement, judged on its high setting
Dyson's Hot+Cool HF1 is the only heater with a figure at maximum, 44 dBA, and Lasko's high rows start at 43 dBa on the Ready Heat 14" without naming the setting. None is rated for over 200 sq ft, so we add Dreo's 300 sq ft tower, Envi's 350 sq ft panel and what the manuals say about damp, empty rooms.
Quiet space heater for a nursery, and what the manuals warn
Our quiet space heater for nursery pick, Dreo's Whole-Room Heater 725, rates 25 dB on its lowest heat settings, the lowest setting-tied dB figure we found, and locks every button, mutes and turns its display dark. Dyson's 26 dBA, Vornado, Envi and a wall-mounted Dreo follow, with what each maker says about infants.
MRCOOL noise level: DIY kits vs contractor-installed systems
The Olympus E Star 24k, a contractor install, lists 16 dB(A) on Si, MRCOOL's Silence setting and its lowest indoor figure. At 9,000 BTU the DIY Select and Easy Pro kits, with pre-charged line sets, list the lowest Mi and Hi, 31 and 35. MRCOOL gives no mode or distance for any figure.
Rowenta Turbo Silence dB: which fans really run at 35 dB(A)
Two Turbo Silence Extreme stand fans list 35 dB(A) at their Silent Night position, and the Extreme+ desk fan 38 dB(A) on minimal speed. The 12-inch table fan claims 35 at every speed, and the Fresh 180 tower and Outdoor Extreme name no setting. All six US Rowenta fans, figure by figure.
Senville mini split noise level chart, 21 to 34 dB on low
On L, its low fan speed, the 115V LETO SENL-09CD lists 22.0 dB, the lowest of the 9,000 BTU Senville wall units and the cheapest system Senville sells. Senville prints plain dB with no mode or distance, and its LETO lists the same or less than the AURA on L at every size both come in.
Daikin mini split noise level: 19 dB(A) on SL, 47 outdoors
Daikin's 9,000 and 12,000 BTU Oterra and Aurora wall units list 19 dB(A) on SL, Daikin's quiet fan level, in cooling. On Low the Atmosphera FTXM09WVJU9 leads with 25, and its RXM09WVJU9 outdoor unit lists 47. Daikin's engineering data books give four fan speeds per head and draw where the microphone stood.
Quietest Dreo heater: 725 and 720 tie at 25 dB on lowest heat
Two Dreo heaters share the lowest figure Dreo ties to a setting: the Whole-Room Heaters 725 and 720, 25 dB at the lowest heat settings; the 725 is the cheaper, at $79.99 against $119.99. Dreo mostly names the setting in image footnotes, on ten heaters counting the 739AS wall heater it added on October 8.
IQAir noise level per speed, and what 3.3 ft sound pressure means
Measured as sound pressure at 3.3 ft, the Atem X is the quietest IQAir on Speed 1, at 15 dB(A). IQAir prints a figure for each fan speed, six on the HealthPro towers and eight on the Atem X, and its own GC MultiGas sheet reads about 10 dB(A) above the product page.
Lasko heater noise: a usable dBa figure on 5 of 56 pages
37 dBa on the Noise dB-Low row makes the 24" Full-Circle (CT24362) the lowest Lasko tower heater on low, and the Ready Heat 14" (CT14401) is lowest on Noise dB-High at 43 dBa. Only 5 of 56 Lasko heater pages print a usable figure; 18 more print 0 dBa.
Levoit fan dB: 20 to 48dB, and only two figures name a speed
The Classic 36-Inch and 42-Inch towers are Levoit's best-documented fans: 25 to 48dB in their manuals, tied, the only Levoit towers with a top-end figure. The Windi Mini desk fan lists 20 to 43dB across all speed levels, and the Windi Lift Smart Tower says 21dB in its text but Min 28dB at fan speed 1 in its image.
Levoit humidifier noise, from Sleep Mode to High Warm Mist
The quietest Levoit humidifier in Sleep Mode, and the only one with a Sleep Mode figure, is the NeoClassic 450 at 21dB; on Low Cool Mist, the OasisMist 450S and 600S tie at under 26dB. The evaporative Superior Studio lists 19-45dB at 1.5 m, the only current Levoit humidifier range with a stated distance.
Medify air purifier noise under 20 dBA, on the MA-25's Speed 1
Medify's quietest first speed belongs to the MA-25, at 19.8 dBA, and the MA-50 V3.0 is quieter than the MA-40 at every speed the two share. All six Medify models carry a dBA figure per fan speed, but the manuals for its two large-room PRO units disagree with their pages.
Which Pioneer mini split is quietest? Mute figures from 22 dB(A)
The Quantum Hyperformance WYT009GLSI25RH lists 26 dB(A) on Mute, the lowest of any Pioneer wall unit, and the one-way ceiling cassettes go to 22. At 12,000 BTU the cheaper Diamante Essenza and Pro lead on Mute at 28. Pioneer gives no distance or mode for any of its figures.
The quietest air purifier for smoke, at the speed that actually clears it
For wildfire smoke the EPA says run a purifier on its highest speed, so the top noise figure matters. We rank purifiers by the maker's figure at the speed behind its smoke CADR, and at the lowest speed, like with like, and say who states how much carbon is inside.
The quietest evaporative humidifiers: wick and fan models, figure by figure
Evaporative humidifiers leave no white dust, but they have a fan. We group the makers' noise figures by unit and setting, set each against the water it adds per day, and read what the wicks cost and how long the makers say they last.
The quietest heat pumps for whole-house heating and cooling, by their heating figures
A ducted heat pump runs hardest on winter nights, so to find the quietest heat pump we rank each outdoor unit's AHRI 270 heating rows at low speed and at full heat, size by size, from Carrier, Bryant, Trane, Goodman, Daikin and Lennox. Plus cold ratings, defrost and quiet modes.
The quietest humidifier for a large room, living room or open floor
A living room humidifier runs every evening of the heating season, often a step above its quietest. We group maker figures by unit and setting, show how noise rises with output, and read the fine print on room coverage, humidistat cycling, refills and cleaning.
The quietest mini-split for cold climates, by its heating figures
The quietest mini split for cold climates is the one that is quiet while heating, which is its job most of the year. We rank cold-rated heads by their heating-mode dB(A), speed by speed, and outdoor units by their heating figure. Plus what makers say about defrost noise.
The quietest oil-filled radiators and fanless heaters, by maker documents
Even the quietest oil-filled radiator, with no fan, is not soundless. Here is how De'Longhi, Dreo, Costway and Pelonis describe creaking, beeps, slow heat-up, wattage, fins and safety, for a living room, home office or nursery.
The quietest space heater for a home office, at the desk and under it
A home office heater runs a few feet from your microphone on a circuit you share with a computer. Which makers print a figure, at what setting, which heaters tilt toward your legs, stay cool to the touch or draw under 500 watts, and what the manuals say about tip-over, clearance and outlets.
The quietest window heat pumps, and how cold each one keeps heating
Window units that heat with a heat pump, not a heater coil. Maker noise figures quoted with their fan speed and mode, heating output at the outdoor temperature stated, and the cold limit where each one stops.
Alen air purifiers run from 20 to 56 dB, slowest speed to fastest
Among Alen's small-room purifiers, the BreatheSmart 25i is quietest at both ends: 20 dB on its lowest speed, where it moves 45 CFM, and 40 dB on Turbo. For a large room, the 45i lists 24 and 50 dB. Alen prints the airflow at every speed beside its two labelled figures.
Fujitsu mini split decibels start at 19 dB(A) on its Quiet speed
The 9,000 and 12,000 BTU Altair 500 and Altair 700 wall units list 19 dB(A) on Quiet in cooling, Fujitsu's lowest indoor figure, and the AOUH09KMAS1 and AOUH09KTAP1 outdoor units 44. On Low the budget Altair 300 leads at 27, and at 18,000 and 24,000 BTU the cold-climate Orion XLTH leads on Low and outdoors.
How loud is a Mitsubishi mini split? From 19 dB(A) on Quiet
The GX Premier MSZ-GX09NL and MSZ-GX12NL list 19 dB(A) on Quiet, the lowest wall-unit figure in Mitsubishi's submittals, and the MUZ-HX09NL and 115V MUZ-JX09WL list 46 outdoors in cooling at 95°F. The submittals print bare figures; the speed names come from Mitsubishi's service manuals.
The quietest air purifier for a home office, at the speed you run all day
A home office purifier runs all workday, a few feet from your microphone, usually on its medium speed. See which makers publish a figure for that speed, how much air it moves, which auto modes ramp up mid-call and what filters cost at office hours.
The quietest air purifiers under $100, and what the filters really cost
HEPA purifiers with a maker list price of $100 or less, for a bedroom, nursery or small office: the low and high figures as printed, the room each one really suits, the yearly filter bill and what you give up at this price.
The quietest portable AC for a living room, at the fan speeds you actually use
In a living room a portable AC runs on medium or high while the TV is on. Maker figures at those speeds, ranked only like with like, plus SACC versus ASHRAE sizing, one hose or two, inverters, window kits and what happens to the water.
The quietest window AC for a living room, judged at medium and high fan
Finding the quietest window AC for living room use means reading the medium and high rows, the speeds that run through the evening news. Maker dBA figures from 10,000 to 18,000 BTU, ranked only within one capacity band and one fan speed, plus sizing, 230 V units, window widths, brackets and fan cycling.
Rabbit Air A3 vs MinusA2 noise at each of the five fan speeds
Speed for speed, the A3 lists lower figures than the MinusA2, from 20.3 against 25.6 dBA on speed 1, the lowest of any Rabbit Air, and it moves more air. The BioGS 2.0 has the lowest speed 5 figure, 48.6 dBA. Rabbit Air prints a dBA figure, an airflow and a wattage for each speed of each model.
Blueair air purifier noise level on low and on high fan speed
At 19 dB on its low setting and 46 dB on high, the Blue Pure 411i+ Max is the Blueair whose figures agree everywhere Blueair prints them. The Blue Signature Mini has the lowest high figure, 42 dB. Blueair never says whether "low" means Night mode or Speed One, and six of its pages contradict themselves.
Quietest Coway air purifier in Sleep Mode: the Halo, 17.8 dB(A)
The Airmega Halo is the only Coway with a figure tied to Sleep Mode, 17.8 dB(A), and the ProX prints the lowest top-of-range figure, 46 dB(A). On 16 of the 19 current Airmega ranges Coway does not say which setting either end describes, and three print plain decibels with no weighting.
Dreo fan decibels: why nine towers share one 35 dB answer
The Pilot Max S is the one Dreo fan whose figure names a speed and a test: 25 dB at its lowest speed in Dreo's lab, though Dreo's support page says about 35dB. Nine of Dreo's 11 rated fans share that about 35dB line, the 565S table fan prints 20dB with no speed, and no TurboPoly pedestal fan has a figure.
Frigidaire dehumidifier noise level chart: 43 dBA low to 57 high
On low fan, the 22-pint FHDD2234W1 is listed at 43 dBA, the lowest figure Frigidaire prints, with 46 on medium and 49 on high. Frigidaire gives a dBA figure for each fan speed on each of its 8 current US dehumidifiers, up to 57 dBA on high for the 60-pint FHDP6033W1 pump unit.
How loud is a Lasko fan? Its Noise dB-Low and dB-High rows
The EcoQuiet 42" DC is the quietest Lasko tower at both ends of its dial: its Noise dB-Low row reads 23 dBa and its dB-High row 46 dBa, a pair Lasko prints for about half its fans. Its help center says residential fans need no sound testing, and no Lasko box fan has a usable figure.
Which Levoit air purifier is the quietest? 20dB in Sleep Mode
In Sleep Mode, the Eleva 300X is the quietest Levoit at 20dB; on its lowest fan speed, the Sprout at 22dB. Levoit names the setting behind the low figure on only six of its 17 purifiers, and across the Core, Vital, Eleva and EverestAir lines the top of the range runs from 44 to 56dB.
Midea U-shaped AC noise level: what its 32 dBA claim leaves out
All ten Midea U-shaped window units list "as low as 32 dBA", Midea's lowest figure, with no fan speed named; the Duo portables list 42 and the heat and cool window units 45. On October 3, 2026 the 8,000 BTU MAW08U1QWT was in stock at $379.99 with a 3 year warranty.
The quietest air purifier for pets, at the speed you actually run
With a dog or cat shedding, a purifier spends its day above its quiet setting. We read the makers' pages and manuals for pet modes, pre-filters that clog with fur, auto modes that jump at the litter box, and beeps and lights, and quote each noise figure as printed.
The quietest crawl space and whole-home dehumidifiers
A crawl space or whole-home dehumidifier sits under the floor you live on. Here are the makers' own noise figures for Santa Fe, AprilAire and AlorAir units, how each is stated, and what the manuals say about ducts, vibration and drain pumps.
The quietest mini-split for a living room, at the fan speeds you actually use
In a living room, with the TV on, a mini-split runs on low, medium or high, not on silent. Maker dB(A) figures at those three speeds for heads of 18,000 and 24,000 BTU, how they rise with capacity, wall vs cassette vs floor console, and the outdoor unit by the patio.
The quietest RV air conditioners, by the figures makers publish
Most rooftop RV air conditioner makers publish no noise figure at all. We found the ones that do, sorted them by what each number covers (indoor, outdoor, one fan speed or all), and picked the quiet units worth putting on your roof.
The quietest U-shaped and saddle window air conditioners
Which is the quietest U-shaped window air conditioner? Saddle and U designs hang the compressor outside the glass. We read the spec sheets and install guides from Frigidaire, GE Profile, Soleus Air and Midea for the figure at the setting you would run, and for the window, sash and wall each one needs.
Vornado fan noise level, speed by speed: 28 to 66 dBA
The Model 80X box fan carries the lowest number in Vornado's tables: 28/61 dBA, read as the bottom and top of its 99 speeds from its Watts row. Vornado prints a Sound (dBA) row for 99 current fans, usually one unlabeled figure per speed, and four of its pages promise less noise than their own tables show.
How loud is a Winix air purifier? 22 to 27 dB on slowest speed
The C610 and C710 share the lowest Winix figure, 22 dB on the slowest speed, with the AT40 at 22.04 dB. That slowest-speed figure is the only one Winix prints, and on ten models the manual makes that speed Sleep Mode; of those, the 5510 and 5520 are lowest at 23.5dB.
The quietest evaporative air coolers, and where a swamp cooler actually works
Most swamp cooler makers publish one noise figure with no fan speed, or none. The coolers with figures you can buy from the maker, ranked only within each kind of figure, Honeywell's figures kept for reference, and whether a cooler can replace an air conditioner in your climate.
The quietest attic fans
Few attic fan makers print any noise figure. We found ten fans that do, in three units that never mix: SolarRoyal in sones, Attic Breeze and iLIVING in plain dB, AC Infinity shutter fans in dBA. Plus how an attic fan differs from a whole house fan, and which big names publish nothing.
The quietest PTAC units
Friedrich and GREE print the same 46 dB(A) indoor sound pressure figure for their 9,000 BTU PTACs, while GE, which calls Zoneline the quietest PTAC, prints no operating figure at all. Eleven hotel-style units with published numbers, sorted by kind of figure.
The quietest air purifiers for a large room, at a speed you can sit next to
A living room purifier is judged at the speed it holds while people talk and watch TV, not the boost speed on the box. How to size 400 to 700 sq ft so a middle speed carries the room, who publishes airflow there, and why auto mode ramps to high when someone cooks.
The quietest dehumidifiers for a basement
A basement needs more capacity, a pump or drain, and a unit that copes with cool air. Here are the quietest that makers publish figures for, and which fan speed each figure describes.
The quietest desk fans for a home office
Your microphone hears a fan parked two feet away. To find the quietest desk fan, compare makers that label a figure by speed, the quietest low speeds on paper, the one USB fan with a figure, and the claims that contradict themselves.
The quietest pedestal fans, by the makers' own figures
Lasko labels a low and a high figure for its DC pedestal fans, Rowenta pins one number to its Silent Night speed, and Vornado prints a figure per speed without naming them. To find the quietest pedestal fan, we gather every noise figure the makers put in writing, plus the listings that contradict their own numbers.
The quietest through-the-wall air conditioners
Only three brands put decibel figures on their through-the-wall air conditioners, and three big names publish none. We read the spec sheets for twelve in-wall sleeve units, kept every figure in the maker's own words, and picked the quietest for an apartment wall.
Quietest window AC for a bedroom: size, sleep mode and night settings
A bedroom unit spends most of its hours on low fan or sleep mode. We sized each pick to the room by the maker's own figures and read the manuals for sleep modes, display lights, beeps and fan cycling.
The quietest ERVs and HRVs, by the makers' own noise figures
Few ERV and HRV makers put a noise figure anywhere. We collected every one we could verify, from 0.2 sones for a through-wall VENTS unit to sound power tables from Zehnder, and list the big names that publish nothing.
The quietest central air conditioners and heat pumps
Sixteen outdoor condensers from eight brands publish AHRI 270 sound ratings, from 52 dBA at minimum speed to 77 at full load. See the quietest Carrier, Trane, Lennox and Rheem units, and why an "as low as" headline is often a different number.
The quietest heat pump water heaters
Sixteen heat pump water heaters carry maker noise figures, from 41 to 55 dBA, and the makers openly fight over the numbers. See the quietest hybrids, the 120V plug-in trap, and whose figure actually states its conditions.
The quietest inline duct fans
Inline duct fan figures run from 26 dBA for a 4 inch EC fan to 45 dBA at 8 inches. Eighteen fans with maker figures, how AC Infinity, VIVOSUN, TerraBloom and VENTS rate theirs, and which brands publish nothing at all.
The quietest whole house fans
Nineteen whole house fans publish maker noise figures, from 33.0 dBA at low speed to 68 at full blast. See the quietest QuietCool, AirScape, Centric Air and Solatube models, and why the sone era is over.
The quietest air purifiers, and which speed each figure describes
An air purifier's airflow rating is measured at its loudest speed, and its quiet figure at its slowest. See who publishes both, how to size for quiet, which figure belongs to the setting you sleep on, and what nursery manuals say about locks, covers and ozone.
The quietest humidifiers, by the makers' own dB figures
Blueair lists 16 dB for the DreamWell Mini, the lowest humidifier figure we found, with no setting named; Levoit ties 21 dB to the NeoClassic 450's Sleep Mode. What the figures leave out, why the quietest type leaves white dust, which models suit an adult bedroom with warm mist, and which go dark in a nursery.
The quietest mini-split heat pumps you can buy online
MRCOOL's DIY Select 12k lists 17.5 dB(A) on its silent speed, the lowest indoor figure of the systems here. Mini-split makers print indoor and outdoor dB(A) for every speed, a rare habit. See which kits you can install yourself, whose warranty needs a pro, and which head suits a bedroom.
The quietest window air conditioners for a bedroom
Window AC makers quote their quietest setting. See who publishes every fan speed, how inverters compare within one brand, and which unit to buy.
The quietest box fans, by published decibels
Most box fan makers publish no noise figure at all, and one says it does not test for sound. Here are the few that do, and how to pick a quiet one.
The quietest ceiling fans with a light and remote
Ceiling fans are a noise dead zone: two makers put a figure on paper, and ENERGY STAR does not test for it. What is published, what really causes a fan to hum, and what matters for a fan over a bed: the slowest speed, the timer, the room size and the height.
The quietest dehumidifiers with a published figure, by capacity
The lowest decibel claims belong to units that remove half a pint a day. See the real dehumidifiers with published figures, how to read capacity claims, which mode holds the low fan all night and what each unit does when its bucket fills.
The quietest portable air conditioners for a small room
The quietest portable air conditioner figures are 42 dBA, from the Midea Duo and Dreo 740S at their lowest speed. LG lists every speed for the LP1419IVSM: 53, 50, 47 and 44 dBA down to sleep mode. Who publishes what, how window units compare, and what sleep modes and full trays mean in a bedroom.
The quietest space heaters, by published noise figures
Dyson's Hot+Cool HF1, at 26 dBA on Quiet Mode and 44 dBA on top, is the only portable heater with both ends published, and Dreo ties 25dB to its 720's lowest setting. Of nine brands, three print a figure and fanless makers say "0 dB" without measuring. What each states, for a desk or a bedroom at night.
The quietest tower fans on the makers' own figures
The Lasko EcoQuiet 42-inch DC is the quietest tower fan on paper, with Lasko printing 23 dBa for its slowest setting and 46 dBa for its fastest. See which makers publish both ends, one that contradicts itself, and what each sleep mode, display and timer does after lights out.