Which washing machine brands publish noise levels?
Only four washing machine brands print noise figures for washers on sale in the US: Bosch, Beko, Speed Queen and Midea.
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.
Our guide to the quietest compact washers looks only at that 24-inch class, sets these figures beside what Blomberg, ASKO and Equator print, and asks what the outlet in your closet allows.
Beko prints "Silence Level" figures in dBA on the spec sheet for its 24-inch WFTV10733XC, a compact that runs on 120 V: 52 for washing and 76 for spinning. Beko's product page for it gives no noise figure.
Speed Queen publishes one figure for its TR top loaders. The TR7 page says it measures only 43dB during agitation, and the TR3 and TR5 carry the same claim. Speed Queen gives no weighting, and nothing for the spin.
Midea lists wash and spin noise in dBA for several top loaders on its US site. On the MLTW37A1BWW, those read 64 dBA for washing and 77 dBA for spinning. Our top-load washer guide ranks them.
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.
Why is a washing machine so loud when spinning?
A washing machine's spin is the loud half of the cycle: Bosch's figures show both halves, and the gap is large, about 20 decibels between washing and spinning on the same machine. Our decibel chart shows what that gap means, setting Bosch's 52 dBA washing and 72 dBA spinning beside conversation and a vacuum cleaner.
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.
Is a front load or top load washer quieter?
No: none of the makers we checked says a front load or a top load washer is quieter, so we do not. You will read that one type is quieter than the other, but no maker says so, in either direction.
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 position is this: Speed Queen publishes a wash figure, Midea publishes wash and spin figures for several of its own, and the slower spin is a point in their favor that nobody has put a number on.
What makes a washing machine loud?
Every washer manual we read blames the same few things for noise, and none of them is the brand: shipping bolts left in, feet that are not level, a floor that flexes, a platform, and a load out of balance.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Can you put a washing machine upstairs?
Yes, a washing machine can go upstairs: none of the manuals we read forbids it, and 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 and not merely 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 do you choose a quiet washing machine for an apartment?
In an apartment, choose a quiet washing machine by its spin figure and time its spin, because the spin is what reaches the neighbors. In a flat, the laundry closet often sits over someone else's ceiling, and the part of the cycle that travels is the spin.
That is the reason the Bosch 300 Series is the better buy for an upper floor, even though the 500 washes a decibel quieter: it lists 72 dBA spinning against 75. The 500 suits a flat with nobody below, where the closet backs onto your own bedroom and the long wash is what you hear.
These dBA figures describe sound in the air and say nothing about the vibration a spin sends into a wooden floor. On that, Electrolux's manual warns that "It may be necessary to reinforce the floor to prevent vibration or movement."
Set the timer by the spin, not the start. Bosch's Finish in timer, up to 24 hours on the 300 Series, sets when the program ends, and the final spin comes just before that, so a cycle set to end at 7 am spins shortly before 7.
Pick a finish time after the building's quiet hours. Miele's WXC280 offers a delay of 30 minutes to 24 hours, and Electrolux's ELFW7637AT 1 to 12 hours.
The end-of-cycle alarm carries through a shared wall too: Bosch's tones adjust from 0 (off) to 4, Miele lets you switch off the buzzer and the keypad tone, and Electrolux lists Chime On and Chime Off.
Then check the outlet. Both Bosch compacts need 208 to 240 V, and many rental closets have only a standard 120 V outlet. The Miele runs on 120 V with a 15 A fuse by its data sheet, and the Electrolux runs on 120 V too, though neither prints a noise figure.
Beko's WFTV10733XC is the 120 V compact with both halves published, 52 dBA washing and 76 dBA spinning, but its manual does not recommend a wooden floor unless it is reinforced.
For a stacked closet, the two Bosch compacts, the Miele and the Electrolux all stack: Bosch says to use the dryer maker's connection kit, and Miele requires its own stacking kit. The Speed Queen TR7 loads from the top, so no dryer can sit on it.
How much should you spend on a quiet washer?
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. If a matching compact dryer will sit on top, our dryer guide notes that every dryer with a published noise figure is a 24 inch compact.
If there is no room for a second machine, our guide to washer dryer combos covers the one-drum machines that wash and dry, where only Equator and KoolMore print a decibel figure in the US.
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. Washer manuals agree on where noise comes from, and it is rarely the brand: they blame an unsteady floor, unlevel feet and shipping bolts left in.
What do buyers get wrong about quiet washers?
The common mistakes are reading a feature name as a rating, mixing wash and spin figures, trusting ENERGY STAR on noise, skipping the outlet check and blaming the machine for the floor.
Reading a feature name as a rating
LoDecibel, Quiet Wash and dBT are names. No number stands behind them.
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.
Besides describing only the wash, Speed Queen's 43dB carries no weighting, unlike the dBA figures from Bosch, Beko and Midea, a mismatch our page on comparing decibel ratings explains.
How much Bosch's 72 dBA spin matters depends on which room the washer shares a wall with, and the quiet levels we suggest for each room show why the room next door changes the answer.
If a washer you already own has grown louder, the feet, lock nuts and floor that the manuals blame above are the place to start, and our checklist for an appliance that got louder takes a washer through each step.
