A washing machine is two machines. For most of the cycle it sloshes, and for a few minutes at the end it spins a wet load at up to 1,600 revolutions a minute. Anyone searching for the quietest washing machine needs to know which of those two a maker's figure describes, and in the US that turns out to be a short list, because almost no maker publishes a figure at all.
We read the product pages, spec sheets and manuals for sixteen washers from ten brands: front loaders, top loaders and 24-inch compacts. Four carry a published noise figure, from two brands. Here is what they say, what the other makers offer in place of a number, and what the manuals say really makes a washer loud.
Our 7 picks are listed above, with full specifications for each.
Two brands do.
Bosch publishes two figures for each compact washer, labelled noise level washing and noise level spinning, in dBA. The 300 Series lists 52 and 72. The 500 and 800 Series both list 51 and 75. Bosch names no test standard on its US pages.
Speed Queen publishes one figure for one model. The TR7 page says it measures only 43dB during agitation, and the spec table has a row for it. There is no spin figure and no weighting.
Everyone else publishes a feature name. LG has LoDecibel Quiet Operation and TrueBalance. Samsung has VRT Plus. Whirlpool has Quiet Wash. Maytag has Advanced Vibration Control, in a spec table that also reads "Sound Package: No". Electrolux has the Perfect Balance System. GE has Quiet-By-Design with dBT Quiet Control, and dBT is not a unit: it stands for Dynamic Balancing Technology.
Miele surprised us. Its US site carries no noise figure for the washer we checked, in the product page, the data sheet or the manual. Its one number, around 41dB, appears in an article about "some" machines.
Washing is quiet. Spinning is not.
Bosch's figures are the only ones that show both halves of the cycle, and the gap is large: about 20 decibels between washing and spinning on the same machine.
That is why a single figure needs care. Speed Queen's 43dB is a wash figure, by its own description. It cannot be compared with a spin figure, and it would be unfair to set it beside Bosch's 72.
Spin speed explains part of the gap. Bosch's 1,400 rpm model spins at 72 dBA, and its 1,600 rpm models at 75. ASKO's manual puts it in a sentence: the higher the spinning rate, the higher the noise and the lower the moisture left in the clothes. So there is a real trade. A faster spin costs noise and saves drying time. If your washer lets you choose the spin speed, the lower one is the quieter one.
Front load or top load
You will read that one type is quieter than the other. No maker we checked says so, in either direction, so we do not.
Here is what the spec sheets do show. The front loaders in this guide spin at 1,200 to 1,600 rpm. The top loaders spin at 710 to 850. Front loaders have to control a much faster drum, and their makers talk about it: ASKO describes a cast iron counterweight, and Miele's article mentions concrete or cast iron weights. Top loader makers talk about balance rings, springs and shock absorbers.
If you prefer a top loader, the honest position is this: one model has a published wash figure, none has a spin figure, and the slower spin is a point in their favor that nobody has put a number on.
What makes a washer loud, according to the manuals
Every manual we read blames the same few things, and none of them is the brand.
Shipping bolts. LG's manual says failure to remove the shipping bolts may cause severe vibration and noise, and permanent damage. Bosch lists transit bolts left in place as a cause of vibration. Speed Queen's top loaders have a shipping brace and plug. If a new washer sounds terrible, check this first.
Level feet and tight lock nuts. Bosch says to align the appliance correctly in order to reduce noise and vibrations, and to tighten the lock nuts. LG warns that extending the feet more than necessary can cause vibration.
The floor. LG says concrete is best, that a wood floor is sufficient if it is built to FHA standards, and that a floor with too much flex should be reinforced, because a floor that is not solid may cause severe vibration and noise. Miele says concrete is far less prone to vibration during the spin than wooden floorboards or carpet. Speed Queen says the flexing of a weak floor will cause excessive vibration.
Platforms. LG says never to install the washer on a platform or weakly supported structure. Bosch says not to put a stacked washer and dryer on one.
The load. LG says a thumping sound can be normal with a heavy load, but if it continues the washer is probably out of balance, and you should stop and redistribute.
We looked for maker advice on anti-vibration pads and found none, for or against. LG supplies its own non-skid pads, but only to stop the feet sliding on a slippery floor.
Putting a washer upstairs
None of the manuals we read forbids it. Several tell you how.
Miele's manual asks for a plywood base of 24 by 24 inches, about 1.2 inches thick, ideally spanning several joists and anchored to the joists, not only to the floorboards. It also says to use a corner of the room, which is usually the most stable part of the floor. Bosch asks for a water-resistant wooden board at least 1.18 inches thick, screwed tightly to the floor.
Electrolux goes further than advice. Its 2026 Second Floor Guarantee covers listed models, including the ELFW7637AT. The terms matter: the washer must be bought from a participating dealer, installed level by that dealer's authorized installer, and returned within 30 days if you find it unsuitable. The refund does not cover delivery or installation.
How much should you spend?
Around $900 to $1,350 at list price covers every full-size washer in this guide, top load or front load, and several were discounted by $200 or more when we checked. None of them has a published figure, so you are choosing on motor warranty, capacity and the quality of the installation.
Around $1,250 to $1,600 buys a Bosch compact with published figures. Remember the 240-volt supply, which your laundry room may not have.
Around $1,750 buys the Speed Queen TR7, with its wash-phase figure and a seven-year warranty.
Around $2,000 buys a Miele or an ASKO compact, and no published figure for either.
If your budget is fixed, put installation before brand. The manuals all point the same way: the floor, the feet and the shipping bolts are what they blame for noise.
Mistakes buyers make
Reading a feature name as a rating. LoDecibel, Quiet Wash and dBT are names. No number stands behind them.
Comparing a wash figure with a spin figure. Speed Queen's 43dB and Bosch's 72 dBA describe different halves of the cycle.
Assuming ENERGY STAR covers noise. Its washer specification never mentions it.
Buying a Bosch compact without checking the outlet. All three need 208 to 240 volts.
Blaming the machine for the floor. The manuals are consistent: flexing floors, loose feet and forgotten shipping bolts cause most of the noise people complain about.
New to the units? Read dBA explained. To decide what figure to aim for, see how quiet is quiet enough, room by room. If a product you already own has become noisy, see why your appliance got louder.
How we chose
We read the manufacturer's product page and spec table for every washer, and the spec sheet, installation instructions or owner's manual wherever we could open one. We recorded each noise figure in the maker's own words, with the part of the cycle it describes. We compared type, capacity, spin speed, motor warranty and the vibration features each maker names. We searched the ENERGY STAR clothes washer specification for any mention of noise. ENERGY STAR status in this guide is as each maker states it.
We did not measure decibels ourselves. We ranked washers with a published figure first, and a figure that separates washing from spinning above one that does not. Below that, where nothing is published, we chose on what makers do state: a direct drive motor with a long warranty, a guarantee for upstairs installation, and the quality of the manual's installation advice.
