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Are Broan range hoods quiet? Their sheets say 3.5 to 12.5 sones on high

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· 13 min read

Flat illustration of a slim stainless hood fixed beneath kitchen cabinets, steam rising from a saucepan on the hob

Broan prints a full HVI table on the spec sheet of each current hood, with a certified figure at normal and high speed and a starred, uncertified figure for the speeds between.

On the high-speed figure the BBN2 built-in power pack is the quietest Broan, 3.5 sones at 300 CFM, then the EBS1 slide-out at 5.0 sones and 370 CFM and the PM400SS insert at 5.5 sones and 400 CFM.

The quietest Broan you can hang under a cabinet is the GLA1 Glacier, 6.0 sones at 250 CFM on a 7-inch duct for $224, and the GLA3 Glacier moves 420 CFM at 6.5. The EW48 leads the wall hoods at 7.5 sones and 400 CFM.

On normal speed the E64M and E60M pro-style hoods, the EIT1 island and the EWP1 chimney are under 0.3 sone.

On this page
  1. How we chose
  2. Our picks
  3. How to choose
  4. Comparison
  5. FAQs
  6. Bottom line
  7. Review history

A quick look at the quietest Broan range hoods

Broan's quietest current range hood on high is the BBN2 built-in power pack, which its spec sheet rates at 3.5 sones at 300 CFM through a 3-1/4 x 10-inch duct, certified by the Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) at 0.1 inch of static pressure.

That is not the number most Broan product pages lead with. Each page has one "Sound Level (Sones)" line, and on all but one of the hoods we checked against a sheet it is the normal or low speed: 1.5 for the Glacier GLA1, under 0.3 for the E64M pro-style hood, 1 for the BBN2.

The sheets give the whole picture. Under "HVI PERFORMANCE" each one lists sones and airflow at normal and high speed for each duct, and puts a star on any speed in between that HVI did not certify.

We read 34 current Broan-branded hood series this way, from the archived product pages and sheets on Broan-NuTone's US site, and checked each figure against HVI's directory. On high, the figures span 3.5 to 12.5 sones.

Within each type below, series run from the lowest certified high-speed figure up. Starred medium speeds are quoted but never ranked, and the two ductless lines, which carry no certified figure, are listed apart.

Because HVI certifies other makers' hoods on the same test, the high-speed figure is also how a Broan lines up in our ranking of quiet range hoods.

How did we check these Broan hoods?

On November 4, 2026, broan-nutone.com refused our requests, from a script and from a browser alike, so we read Internet Archive copies of Broan-NuTone's own pages instead and link those copies above.

We opened Broan's US range hood listings for under-cabinet, chimney, professional-style, island, built-in and downdraft hoods, as archived between July 11 and August 6, 2026, and the archive's index of Broan product pages.

For each Broan-branded series we read the latest archived product page, captured between April 18 and July 15, 2026, and noted whether it was marked discontinued. That left 34 current series with an HVI sone table on the sheet, plus two ductless lines and the AR1.

We then downloaded each current series' spec sheet from the archive and copied its "HVI PERFORMANCE" table, duct by duct and speed by speed, with the star marks.

We then looked up each model number in HVI's directory spreadsheet, generated October 21, 2026 and downloaded November 4. Only certified high-speed sones at 0.1 inch are ranked, one type at a time, and normal-speed figures stay in a list of their own.

Prices are the ones shown on Broan's archived product pages, dated in each entry; four of the hoods named in our picks and alternatives showed none. Because these copies are up to six months old, a model's price or status may have changed since.

We did not measure any Broan hood ourselves. Each figure here is Broan-NuTone's own, from its spec sheets and product pages as archived, or HVI's listing of the same model, and we say which wherever the two differ.

QuietSpecs' picks of the quietest Broan range hoods

Lowest certified Broan rating at high speed

Broan-NuTone BBN2 30-Inch Built-In Power Pack Insert (BBN2303SS)

  • Noise (high, 0.1 in.): 3.5 sones at 300 CFM
  • Price: $509.00 maker's list price, checked Jun 10
  • Best for: Building a quiet power pack into joinery above an electric or induction hob that 300 CFM can clear
  • Skip it if: Your gas range calls for about 400 CFM, which the PM400SS reaches at 5.5 to 6.0 sones

Broan certifies none of its current hoods lower on high.

The BBN2 sheet prints 3.5 sones at 300 CFM on high for a 3-1/4 x 10-inch duct, vertical or horizontal, and 4.0 sones at 290 CFM on a 6-inch round duct, with normal speed at 1.0 sone and 100 to 120 CFM.

Its medium speed, 1.5 to 2.0 sones, carries Broan's star for "not HVI certified".

It is a 30-inch built-in power pack (the 24-inch BBN2243SS shares the sheet), ENERGY STAR certified, with Heat Sentry and a 350 CFM open-air blower rating that the certified 300 CFM replaces.

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Quietest certified Broan slide-out

Broan-NuTone Elite EBS1 30-Inch Slide-Out Range Hood (EBS1304SS)

  • Noise (high, 0.1 in.): 5.0 sones at 370 CFM
  • Price: No maker list price
  • Best for: A clean cabinet run where the hood should disappear when you are not cooking
  • Skip it if: You can fit a power pack, where the BBN2 is lower on high

The EBS1 sits inside the cabinet with only a thin drawer showing, and its sheet prints 5.0 sones at 370 CFM on high, 6-inch round duct running up, and 1.2 sones at 190 CFM on its normal setting.

Broan's own wording is "remaining quiet at 5 sones at high speed". The medium speed, 3.0 sones at 270 CFM, is starred as not certified.

The 24 and 36-inch EBS1244SS and EBS1364SS share the table, and a CFM reduction to 300 is available for local codes.

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Quietest Broan insert at 400 CFM

Broan-NuTone PM400SS 21-Inch Power Pack Insert

  • Noise (high, 0.1 in.): 5.5 sones at 400 CFM
  • Price: $399.00 maker's list price, checked Apr 18
  • Best for: A custom hood over a gas cooktop that needs about 400 CFM
  • Skip it if: Your cooktop is fine with 300 CFM, where the BBN2 is 2 sones lower on high

Among Broan inserts certified at 400 CFM or more, the PM400SS and its voice-control twin are the lowest on high: 5.5 sones at 400 CFM on a horizontal 3-1/4 x 10-inch duct, 6.0 sones at 400 CFM vertical and at 390 on a 6-inch round.

Normal speed is 1.0 sone at 120 to 130 CFM. It is a 21-inch power pack for a custom hood, ENERGY STAR certified, with a three-speed rotary switch.

The PM400SSV adds voice control and prints the same high figures with a lower normal speed, 0.8 sone.

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Quietest Broan under-cabinet hood on high

Broan-NuTone Glacier GLA1 30-Inch Under-Cabinet Range Hood (GLA1303SS)

  • Noise (high, 0.1 in.): 6.0 sones at 250 CFM
  • Price: $224.00 maker's list price, checked Jul 11
  • Best for: An electric range under a cabinet on a tight budget
  • Skip it if: You cook on gas and want 400 CFM, where the GLA3 is 6.5 sones at 420

Six Broan under-cabinet lines print the same low and high figures, and the two-speed GLA1 Glacier is the cheapest of them at $224: 6.0 sones at 250 CFM on high with a 7-inch round duct, 6.5 at 240 CFM vertical rectangular and 7.0 at 240 horizontal, with low speed at 1.5 to 2.0 sones.

The Mantra MTR1 and Alta ALT1 print the same numbers, and the three-speed GLA2, MTR2 and ALT2 add a starred 4.0-sone medium. Broan's page calls 1.5 sones on working speed "up to 44% quieter than competition".

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Most airflow of the quiet Broan under-cabinet hoods

Broan-NuTone Glacier GLA3 30-Inch Under-Cabinet Range Hood (GLA3304SS)

  • Noise (high, 0.1 in.): 6.5 sones at 420 CFM
  • Price: $479.00 maker's list price, checked Jun 10
  • Best for: A gas cooktop under a cabinet that needs about 400 CFM
  • Skip it if: An electric range needs only 250 CFM, where the GLA1 is half the price

The GLA3 Glacier moves the most air of any Broan under-cabinet hood certified at 7 sones or less: 6.5 sones at 420 CFM on a horizontal 3-1/4 x 10-inch duct, 7.0 at 380 CFM on a 7-inch round and 7.5 at 390 vertical.

Low speed is 1.1 to 1.3 sones at 160 CFM, and the 4.0 to 4.5-sone medium is starred as uncertified. The Mantra MTR3 ($499) and Alta ALT3 ($529) share the table; the GLA3 is $479.

Broan's listing titles the white GLA3304WW "1.0 Sones", while its own page and sheet say 1.1.

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Quietest certified Broan wall hood

Broan-NuTone EW48 30-Inch Pyramidal Chimney Range Hood (EW4830SS)

  • Noise (high, 0.1 in.): 7.5 sones at 400 CFM
  • Price: $569.00 maker's list price, checked Apr 19
  • Best for: A wall-hung chimney over a 30 or 36-inch hob that needs no more than 400 CFM
  • Skip it if: You want near silence on low, where the EWP1 is under 0.3 sone but 12.5 on high

Three Broan chimney lines, the EW43, EW46 and EW48, print the lowest high-speed figure of any Broan wall hood: 7.5 sones at 400 CFM, 6-inch round duct upward, with 1.5 sones at 160 CFM on normal and a starred 3.0-sone medium.

The pyramid-shaped EW48 is the cheapest of the three at $569, against $624 for the EW43 and $684 for the curved-glass EW46. A reduction to 300 CFM is available, and Broan's 460 CFM headline figure is the open-air blower rating.

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Quietest Broan on normal speed

Broan-NuTone E64M 30-Inch Pro-Style Range Hood (E6430SSM)

  • Noise (high, 0.1 in.): 9.5 sones at 570 CFM
  • Price: $999.00 maker's list price, checked Apr 18
  • Best for: A big gas range where the hood runs on low most of the time
  • Skip it if: You need it quiet on high, where a 400 CFM Glacier or EW48 is lower

The E64M pro-style hood and its E60M canopy twin share Broan's lowest certified normal-speed figure, under 0.3 sone at 120 to 130 CFM, with 9.5 sones at 570 CFM on high, vertical 3-1/4 x 10-inch duct, and 10.0 at 590 on an 8-inch round.

The two starred medium speeds, 0.7 to 0.9 and 3.0 sones, are not certified. It has a four-speed rotary switch, Heat Sentry and baffle filters, and the 30-inch E6430SSM was $999 on Broan's page.

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Broan's only island hood

Broan-NuTone Elite EIT1 36-Inch T-Style Island Range Hood (EIT1366SS)

  • Noise (high, 0.1 in.): 12.0 sones at 580 CFM
  • Price: $1,554.00 maker's list price, checked May 21
  • Best for: An island cooktop where you mostly cook on the lowest setting
  • Skip it if: You fry and sear often on high, where 12 sones will dominate an open room

The EIT1 is the one island hood on Broan's US listing, and its sheet prints 12.0 sones at 580 CFM on high with a 6-inch round duct, with normal speed under 0.3 sone at 110 CFM.

Between them sit two starred speeds, 4.0 sones at 290 CFM and 9.5 at 490, which HVI did not certify. It has a four-speed capacitive touch control, an optional remote and a CFM reduction to 400 or 300, and was $1,554 on Broan's page.

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Broan's only downdraft

Broan-NuTone Elite 30-Inch Downdraft Range Hood (273003)

  • Noise (high, 0.1 in.): 10.5 sones at 500 CFM
  • Price: No maker list price
  • Best for: An island or peninsula cooktop where no hood can hang overhead
  • Skip it if: You can hang a hood, which will be lower on normal speed and catch more smoke

The 30-inch 273003 and 36-inch 273603 share the 27000 sheet for "MODELS 2730 & 2736": 10.5 sones at 500 CFM on high and 3.0 sones at 230 CFM on normal through a 3-1/4 x 10-inch vertical duct, with 480 CFM at 0.25 inch.

Its speed control is "infinite", so there are no fixed medium settings to star. The air vent rises 7 inches above the cooktop, and the 600 CFM headline figure is the open-air blower rating.

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How to choose

New to the units? Read dBA explained or sones vs decibels.

What does the sone number on a Broan page mean?

The single sone number on a Broan product page is, on all but one hood we read, the HVI-certified rating at normal or low speed, the quietest setting the hood has. The high-speed figure is only on the spec sheet.

Each current sheet has a table headed "HVI PERFORMANCE". Its columns are sones at "Normal" (or "Low"), any middle speeds, and "High", then airflow at the same speeds, plus high-speed airflow at both "0.25 in. w.g." and "0.1 in. w.g.". There is a row for each duct the hood accepts.

The footnote reads "Product performance is rated at 0.1 and 0.25 in. static pressure at high speed", and the sones are given at 0.1 inch. Middle speeds carry a star: "* Where noted performance rating is not HVI certified." Some sheets add "but was established in accordance with HVI Standardized test procedure."

So a Broan sheet gives two certified sone figures per duct, normal and high, and those are the ones we rank. HVI's directory, data generated October 21, 2026, lists the same pair for nearly every series as a working-speed and a high-speed rating.

Broan's headline airflow is a third kind of number. The sheets say "Max. blower CFM indicates the performance of the hood blower in open air", and some add "and is not HVI certified." A Glacier GLA3 sold as "490 MAX Blower CFM" is certified at 380 to 420 CFM.

A sone tracks perceived loudness one for one, so a 7-sone Broan on high sounds about twice as loud as a 3.5-sone one. No formula turns them into decibels; the reasons are in our sones and decibels explainer.

Which Broan range hood is the quietest on high?

On high, the BBN2 power pack is Broan's quietest, at 3.5 sones at 300 CFM on a 3-1/4 x 10-inch duct. Next come the EBS1 slide-out at 5.0 sones at 370 CFM and the PM400SS insert at 5.5 sones at 400 CFM.

All three are built into cabinetry or a custom hood. The quietest Broan you hang on its own is the GLA1 Glacier family, at 6.0 sones at 250 CFM on a 7-inch duct, and the quietest wall hoods, the EW43, EW46 and EW48, are 7.5 sones at 400 CFM.

At the loud end are the EIT1 island at 12.0 sones at 580 CFM, the EWS1 chimney at 12.0 at 570 and the EWP1 chimney at 12.5 at 600, the highest certified figure on a current Broan sheet.

How loud are Broan's under-cabinet range hoods?

On high, Broan's 13 current under-cabinet series print 6.0 to 8.5 sones, and on low 0.8 to 4.0. Figures are from each sheet at 0.1 inch; a starred medium is noted where the sheet has one.

GLA1 Glacier, MTR1 Mantra and ALT1 Alta, two speeds: 6.0 sones at 250 CFM on a 7-inch round duct, 6.5 at 240 vertical rectangular and 7.0 at 240 horizontal; low 1.5 to 2.0 sones at 110 to 150 CFM. The GLA1303SS was $224, the MTR1303SS $244 and the ALT1303SS $274.

GLA2 Glacier, MTR2 Mantra and ALT2 Alta, three speeds: the same low and high figures, plus a starred medium of 4.0 sones at 180 to 200 CFM. Prices were $319, $339 and $369.

GLA3 Glacier, MTR3 Mantra and ALT3 Alta: 6.5 sones at 420 CFM horizontal, 7.0 at 380 on a 7-inch round and 7.5 at 390 vertical; low 1.1 to 1.3 sones at 160 CFM; starred medium 4.0 to 4.5 at 280.

F40000 (F403004, F403011 and other finishes): 6.5 sones at 190 CFM on a 7-inch round, 7.0 to 7.5 at 160 rectangular; normal 3.5 to 4.0 sones.

BXT1, two speeds: 7.0 sones at 250 CFM on a 7-inch round and 200 vertical, 7.5 at 170 horizontal; normal 2.0 to 2.5 sones.

ALT4 Alta: 8.5 sones on high on all five ducts, at 400 to 570 CFM; low 0.8 sone at 190 CFM on a 3-1/4 x 14-inch horizontal duct and 1.4 to 1.5 on the others.

BUEZ3: the sheet prints 6.0 sones at 190 CFM vertical and 240 CFM round, and 7.0 at 160 horizontal, with 2.0 on normal. It is not in HVI's directory under any BUEZ3 model number, so it sits outside the ranking.

Set beside other makers' under-cabinet hoods, a Broan compares only on these certified high-speed figures.

Which Broan insert or built-in hood is quietest?

The BBN2 power pack, at 3.5 sones at 300 CFM on high, leads Broan's eight insert and built-in series. All figures are from the sheets at 0.1 inch.

BBN2 (BBN2243SS, BBN2303SS): 3.5 sones at 300 CFM on a 3-1/4 x 10-inch duct, 4.0 at 290 on 6-inch round; normal 1.0; starred medium 1.5 to 2.0.

EBS1 slide-out (EBS1244SS, EBS1304SS, EBS1364SS): 5.0 sones at 370 CFM, 6-inch round; normal 1.2 at 190; starred medium 3.0.

PM400SS and PM400SSV: 5.5 sones at 400 CFM horizontal, 6.0 vertical and on 6-inch round; normal 1.0 on the PM400SS and 0.8 on the PM400SSV; starred medium 2.0 to 3.0.

PM300SS and BBN1 (BBN1243SS, BBN1303SS), two speeds: 7.0 sones at 260 CFM on a 7-inch round; normal 3.0 at 140. At 0.25 inch their airflow drops to 115 CFM, less than half.

PM600SSV and BBN3306SSC: 9.5 to 10.0 sones at 580 to 600 CFM on rectangular and 8-inch ducts, 10.0 to 11.0 on a 6-inch round; normal 0.5; two starred middle speeds, 0.9 to 1.1 and 3.0 to 3.5.

The 9.5-sone PM600SSV and the 3.5-sone BBN2 differ by 300 CFM on high, which is why airflow belongs beside the sone figure. The same comparison against other brands is in the quietest range hood inserts.

Which Broan wall or chimney hood is quietest?

The EW43, EW46 and EW48, at 7.5 sones at 400 CFM on high, lead Broan's nine wall series. All are on a 6-inch round vertical duct unless noted.

EW43, EW46 and EW48: 7.5 sones at 400 CFM; normal 1.5 at 160; starred medium 3.0 at 250.

BW50 (BW5030SSL): 8.5 sones at 350 CFM; normal 1.5 at 130; starred medium 3.5.

BWP1, BWS1 and BWT1: 8.5 sones at 400 CFM; normal 3.0 at 220 to 240; starred medium 5.5.

EWS1 (EWS1306SS), two speeds: 12.0 sones at 570 CFM; low 1.4 at 180.

EWP1 (EWP1306SS, EWP1366SS): 12.5 sones at 600 CFM; normal under 0.3 at 110; starred middle speeds 6.5 and 9.5.

The EWP1 shows how far apart the two ends can sit: the quietest normal-speed figure of any Broan wall hood and the loudest high-speed one. A newer WPR3 chimney hood, marked "Coming Soon" when its page was archived on July 12, 2026, prints 7.0 sones at 290 CFM and 1.0 at 120; we leave it out until it is on sale.

How these compare with other brands' chimney hoods is covered in the quietest wall-mount range hoods.

How loud are Broan's pro-style, island and downdraft hoods?

Broan's pro-style hoods are 9.5 to 12.0 sones on high, its one island hood 12.0 and its one downdraft 10.5. The pro-style and island hoods are also among Broan's quietest on normal speed.

E64M pro-style and E60M canopy, single blower (E6430SSM, E6436SSM, E6030SSM, E6036SSM): 9.5 sones at 560 to 570 CFM on a 3-1/4 x 10-inch duct, 10.0 at 590 on an 8-inch round; normal under 0.3 at 120 to 130; starred medium 0.7 to 0.9 and 3.0.

E60M dual blower (E6042TSSM, E6048TSSM): 11.5 sones at 1,200 CFM vertical and 12.0 at 1,180 horizontal on a 4-1/2 x 18-1/2-inch duct; normal 0.4 at 280 to 290.

EIT1 island (EIT1366SS): 12.0 sones at 580 CFM, 6-inch round; normal under 0.3 at 110; starred 4.0 and 9.5.

273003 and 273603 downdraft: 10.5 sones at 500 CFM, 3-1/4 x 10-inch; normal 3.0 at 230.

The EIT1 is the only island model on Broan's archived US island listing, so the comparison that matters is with island hoods from other makers. The downdraft is likewise alone, and set against others in the quietest downdraft range hoods.

Which Broan hood is quietest on normal speed?

On normal speed, four Broan series are certified under 0.3 sone: the E64M and E60M at 120 to 130 CFM, and the EIT1 island and EWP1 chimney at 110 CFM. The dual-blower E60M is 0.4 sone at 280 to 290 CFM.

Next are the PM600SSV and BBN3 at 0.5 sone on Broan's sheets, then the PM400SSV and the ALT4 (on its 3-1/4 x 14-inch horizontal duct) at 0.8, and the BBN2 and PM400SS at 1.0. The GLA3, MTR3 and ALT3 are 1.1 to 1.3, and the EBS1 is 1.2.

The loudest normal speeds are the F40000's 3.5 to 4.0 sones, and 3.0 for the PM300SS, BBN1, BWP1, BWS1, BWT1 and the downdraft.

Normal speed is where a hood spends most of a weeknight, so for an open kitchen it is worth reading beside how quiet a room needs to be. We do not rank normal-speed figures against high-speed ones.

Where do Broan's pages and sheets disagree?

Broan's pages and sheets disagree in six places we found, and in each case this page follows the sheet.

The BW5030SSL, BWS1304BLS and BWT1304SS product pages say "HVI Certified No". All three sheets print an HVI table, and HVI's directory lists all three, the BW50 under Broan and the other two under "Broan (Canada)".

Broan's under-cabinet listing titles the white GLA3304WW "1.0 Sones"; the GLA3304SS page title and the sheet say 1.1.

The BUEZ330SS page gives "Sound Level (Sones) 7", the high-speed figure on its horizontal row, where every other page gives normal speed.

The PM600SSV and BBN3 sheets print 0.5 sone on normal; HVI's directory lists them at under 0.3 to 0.4.

The EWS1306SS is not in HVI's directory under that number. HVI lists the EWS1303SS and EWS1306BLS under the Best brand, with the sheet's 12.0 and 1.4 sones.

And the GLA2303SS page lists "CFM 350" where its sheet's certified high-speed figure is 240 to 250.

Do Broan's ductless hoods have a sone rating?

Broan's two ductless lines, the 41000 (413004, 4130SF and other finishes) and the BUEZ1, show "Sound Level (Sones) 3.5" on their pages beside "HVI Certified No". Their sheets print no sone figure at all.

With no speed, duct or certification attached, 3.5 sones cannot be set against any figure above. A ductless hood also has no duct pressure to work against, which is part of why HVI's test does not cover it.

Which Broan range hoods are discontinued?

Broan's site marked these series "Product Discontinued" when their pages were archived between April and July 2026, so none is in the ranking: the BCSD Glacier, BCDF Glacier, BCDJ Glacier, BCSEK, the 40000 (403004) and 42000 (423004), BKDF, BKSA and BKSJ Sahale, BKSH, BUF4, CLDA and CLSC Antero, CLDH, CRDE Corteo, TEN1, EWT1, BWP2, BWS2, BWT2, the B5730SS and the RMDD3004EX downdraft.

The EWT1 page names a suggested replacement. We found no current US page for BKDD, ERLE or ERLK model numbers. If a store still lists one of these, it is old stock, and its sheet may not match what Broan sells now.

Is the AR1 a Broan or a NuTone?

Broan's US page sells the AR130SS as a "Broan-NuTone AR1 Series" hood, but HVI's directory lists it under the NuTone brand, so we leave it out of this Broan-only ranking.

Its sheet, headed "ECONOMY", prints the same high-speed figures as the Broan BXT1: 7.0 sones at 250 CFM on a 7-inch round and 200 vertical, and 7.5 at 170 horizontal. The NuTone-branded hoods Broan-NuTone sells, such as the discontinued AHDA and AVSF lines, are outside this page too.

So, are Broan range hoods quiet?

On normal speed most are: 25 of the 34 current series print 1.5 sones or less on their lowest setting for at least one duct, and four are under 0.3.

On high they are as loud as other brands at the same airflow. Broan's certified figures span 3.5 sones at 300 CFM to 12.5 at 600, and apart from the ALT4, at 8.5 sones and 570 CFM on one duct, no Broan certified above 550 CFM is under 9.5 sones.

Because sones are linear, the EWP1 at 12.5 on high is roughly 3.6 times the BBN2''s 3.5 in perceived loudness. Zephyr publishes sones in a less useful form, a range with no speed attached, as our Zephyr range hood sones page shows; Broan's sheets say exactly which speed each figure belongs to.

The same HVI certification sits on Broan's bath fans, rated on a different test, in Broan bathroom fan sones.

How the quietest Broan range hoods compare

ProductNoise (high, 0.1 in.)DuctTypePrice
Broan-NuTone BBN2303SS3.5 sones at 300 CFM3-1/4 x 10 in. or 6 in. roundBuilt-in power pack, 30 in.$509.00 maker's list price
Broan-NuTone EBS1304SS5.0 sones at 370 CFM6 in. round, verticalSlide-out, 24 to 36 in.Not verified yet
Broan-NuTone PM400SS5.5 sones at 400 CFM3-1/4 x 10 in. or 6 in. roundPower pack insert, 21 in.$399.00 maker's list price
Broan-NuTone GLA1303SS6.0 sones at 250 CFM7 in. round or 3-1/4 x 10 in.Under-cabinet, 24 to 42 in.$224.00 maker's list price
Broan-NuTone GLA3304SS6.5 sones at 420 CFM3-1/4 x 10 in. or 7 in. roundUnder-cabinet, 30 or 36 in.$479.00 maker's list price
Broan-NuTone EW4830SS7.5 sones at 400 CFM6 in. round, verticalWall chimney, 24 to 36 in.$569.00 maker's list price
Broan-NuTone E6430SSM9.5 sones at 570 CFM3-1/4 x 10 in. or 8 in. roundPro-style under-cabinet, 30 or 36 in.$999.00 maker's list price
Broan-NuTone EIT1366SS12.0 sones at 580 CFM6 in. round, verticalIsland, T-style, 36 in.$1,554.00 maker's list price
Broan-NuTone 27300310.5 sones at 500 CFM3-1/4 x 10 in., verticalDowndraft, 30 or 36 in.Not verified yet

Frequently asked questions

How many sones is a Broan range hood?

On Broan's spec sheets, current hoods are certified at 3.5 to 12.5 sones on high and from under 0.3 to 4.0 sones on normal speed. The lowest high-speed figure is the BBN2 power pack's 3.5 sones at 300 CFM, and the highest the EWP1 chimney hood's 12.5 at 600 CFM. Medium speeds, where printed, carry a star because HVI did not certify them.

Which Broan range hood is the quietest?

On high, the BBN2303SS built-in power pack, 3.5 sones at 300 CFM. By type, the quietest on high are the GLA1 Glacier under a cabinet (6.0 sones at 250 CFM), the EW48, EW43 and EW46 on a wall (7.5 at 400), the EIT1 over an island (12.0 at 580) and the 273003 downdraft (10.5 at 500). On normal speed, the E64M, E60M, EIT1 and EWP1 are under 0.3 sone.

Why does a Broan page say 1.5 sones when the sheet says 6.0?

Because the page shows the normal or low speed and the sheet shows both ends. The GLA1303SS page lists "Sound Level (Sones) 1.5", and its sheet prints 1.5 to 2.0 sones on low and 6.0 to 7.0 on high. The one exception we found is the BUEZ330SS, whose page lists 7, its high-speed figure on a horizontal duct.

What does the star on a Broan spec sheet mean?

It marks a figure HVI did not certify. Broan's sheets say "* Where noted performance rating is not HVI certified", and some add "but was established in accordance with HVI Standardized test procedure". On current sheets the star sits on medium speeds only, so the normal and high figures are the certified pair.

Is Broan's Max Blower CFM a certified figure?

No. Broan's sheets say the figure "indicates the performance of the hood blower in open air", and the Glacier and Mantra sheets add that it "is not HVI certified". The GLA3 is sold as a 490 CFM hood and certified at 380 to 420 CFM; the GLA1 is sold at 350 and certified at 240 to 250.

Are Broan Glacier, Mantra and Alta hoods different in noise?

Not by Broan's figures. The GLA1, MTR1 and ALT1 print one table, the GLA2, MTR2 and ALT2 the same with a starred medium, and the GLA3, MTR3 and ALT3 another, so within each level the choice is styling, controls and price. Only the ALT4, at 8.5 sones on high and 0.8 on low, has no Glacier or Mantra twin.

Can Broan sones be converted to decibels?

No dependable formula does it. A sone scales with how loud a sound seems, so a 12-sone Broan sounds roughly twice as loud as a 6-sone one, while decibels climb on a logarithmic scale. Broan gives its hoods no decibel rating, and we do not invent one.

The bottom line

Broan's paperwork is better than its product pages. Each page shows one "Sound Level (Sones)" figure, and on almost every hood it is the quietest setting, so a $999 pro-style hood and a $224 Glacier both look near silent. The spec sheet tells the rest: a certified high-speed figure for each duct, and a star on any figure HVI did not certify.

My own rule with a Broan is to choose on the high-speed figure for the duct I have, then look at normal speed. On that basis the BBN2 insert is the one I would build into a custom hood, and the GLA1 the one I would hang over an electric range on a budget.

Stanley Alu, founder and editor

What we also considered

These are worth knowing about, and why they didn't make the list.

  • Broan-NuTone Alta ALT4 30-Inch Under-Cabinet Range Hood (ALT4306SS)

    The Alta ALT4 is titled "0.8 Sones", and that is its low speed on a 3-1/4 x 14-inch horizontal duct at 190 CFM. On high every duct is 8.5 sones, at 400 to 570 CFM, two sones above the GLA3.

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  • Broan-NuTone Elite PM600SSV 21-Inch Power Pack Insert

    A 21-inch insert certified at 9.5 sones at 580 to 600 CFM on high. Broan's sheet gives normal speed as 0.5 sone; HVI's directory lists it lower, under 0.3 to 0.4 sone.

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  • Broan BBN3 30-Inch Built-In Power Pack Insert (BBN3306SSC)

    The 30-inch power pack twin of the PM600SSV: 0.5 sone on normal and 9.5 to 11.0 sones on high at 580 to 600 CFM, highest on the 6-inch duct.

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  • Broan-NuTone Elite EWP1 30-Inch Pyramidal Chimney Range Hood (EWP1306SS)

    Under 0.3 sone at 110 CFM on normal, tied for Broan's lowest, but 12.5 sones at 600 CFM on high, the loudest certified figure on any current Broan sheet.

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  • Broan-NuTone EWS1 30-Inch Pyramid Chimney Range Hood (EWS1306SS)

    A two-speed chimney hood at 1.4 sones at 180 CFM and 12.0 at 570. HVI lists the EWS1 under the Best brand, as EWS1303SS and EWS1306BLS, with the same figures.

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  • Broan-NuTone BW50 30-Inch European Style Chimney Range Hood (BW5030SSL)

    8.5 sones at 350 CFM on high and 1.5 at 130 CFM on normal. Its page says "HVI Certified No", yet the sheet prints an HVI table and HVI's directory lists it.

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  • Broan-NuTone BWP1 30-Inch Pyramidal Chimney Range Hood (BWP1304SS)

    8.5 sones at 400 CFM, level on high with the BW50 at more airflow, but 3.0 sones on normal, twice the EW48's 1.5.

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  • Broan-NuTone BUEZ3 30-Inch Under-Cabinet Range Hood (BUEZ330SS)

    The $174 BUEZ3 prints 6.0 sones at 190 to 240 CFM on high and 2.0 on normal, but HVI's directory has no BUEZ3 model at all, which keeps it out of our ranking of certified hoods.

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  • Broan F40000 30-Inch Under-Cabinet Range Hood (F403004)

    The $149 F40000 is 6.5 sones at 190 CFM on a 7-inch duct and 7.0 to 7.5 at 160 rectangular, with 3.5 to 4.0 sones on normal, Broan's highest normal-speed figure.

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  • Broan PM300SS 21-Inch Power Pack Insert

    A two-speed 21-inch insert at 7.0 sones at 260 CFM and 3.0 at 140, whose airflow falls to 115 CFM at 0.25 inch. The 30-inch BBN1 prints the same row.

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  • Broan-NuTone E60M 48-Inch Canopy Range Hood, Dual Blower (E6048TSSM)

    The dual-blower E60M: 11.5 to 12.0 sones at 1,180 to 1,200 CFM on high and 0.4 sone at 280 to 290 CFM on normal, the most low-speed airflow under half a sone of any Broan.

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  • Broan 41000 30-Inch Ductless Under-Cabinet Range Hood (413004)

    A $129 ductless hood whose page lists 3.5 sones with "HVI Certified No"; the 41000 sheet prints no sone figure, so we cannot say at which speed it applies.

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How we reviewed this article

Every statement here comes from the 35 maker documents, standards and agency pages listed under Sources, quoted where the wording matters. We did not measure, inspect or repair anything ourselves. Each substantive revision is dated below. How we work

  1. Current version

    First published, written by Stanley Alu.

Sources

Every figure on this page was read on one of the pages below. We did not measure anything ourselves.

All 35 sources
Manufacturer pages and manuals for every product

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