Quiet appliances for a peaceful home

Good acoustic design and low noise levels can bring multiple benefits. Whether it’s a better night’s sleep, being able to focus when working from home, or just a quiet space in which to relax, quiet appliances and noise-limiting design can turn your home into a peaceful sanctuary.

In a poll of 2,000 UK adults the noise reduction campaigner Quiet Mark found that 82% would like to make their home appliances quieter and 79% said the noise level of a product was a factor when buying it.

‘Because sound is invisible, it’s often overlooked,’ says Quiet Mark CEO and co-founder Poppy Szkiler. ‘Yet its impact on our wellbeing is profound.’

Quiet Mark is on a mission to make our homes calmer and quieter with its Quiet Revolution. Its distinctive black and purple logo is awarded to the quietest products on the market, enabling consumers to choose designs that will have a positive impact on their homes and lives.

Quiet Mark, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2022, identifies the quietest products through scientific testing and assessment. Between 10 and 20% of the quietest, best-performing products are awarded Quiet Mark certification.

‘Back in 2012, Quiet Mark became a third-party certification programme, in association with the UK Noise Abatement Society charitable foundation, serving public health with acoustic evaluation.’

Here’s a small selection of Quiet Mark certified products.

In partnership with Quiet Mark

A quiet brand

More than 60 Bosch appliances have achieved Quiet Mark certification, including the Series 6 DWK97JQ60B cooker hood, which operates at just 65dB; the Series 6 SMD6EDX57G dishwasher, which runs at 42dB; and the Series 4 WGG04409GB washing machine, which spins at 71dB.

When you consider that normal conversation takes place at around 60dB, it’s clear that these noise-conscious products help to keep avoidable sound pollution to a minimum and promote a serene and relaxing home.

‘So far, more than 60 of our large domestic products are certified with Quiet Mark, which indicates they are the quietest appliances available in our product categories,’ explains Lucy Bye, Bosch marketing manager.

‘Appliances that deliver excellent performance with minimal sound output is something that we’re extremely proud of at Bosch and we look forward to working with Quiet Mark in the future to further demonstrate this.’

Hushed tumble-drying

Saving energy is always a good thing, and quite washing and drying appliances are increasingly in demand for those who work from home.

Because the Miele TWH780WP Ecospeed 9kg tumble dryer uses heat-pump technology, it’s more energy efficient than running a condenser dryer.

The Ecodry and Perfectdry programmes work together to dry your clothes while keeping energy use low. Drycare 40 and Silence Drum provide a pleasantly quiet drying experience.

When you want the best of both worlds, Ecospeed lets you dry a full load of washing quickly. Best of all, it’s been tested for 20 years of use – that’s a whopping 7,500 hours of drying.

Peaceful espresso

Enjoying a morning coffee shot is best in silence, and the KitchenAid semi-automatic espresso machine with burr grinder (KES6551), £699, delivers a pretty peaceful shot (or two!)

Certified by Quiet Mark and winner of the Red Dot Design Award for Product Design 2024, this espresso machine boasts a 2.5L water tank and integrated stainless steel burr grinder.

It’s engineered for precision and grinds fine enough for espresso, whilst also being coarse enough for other coffee styles.

Crucially, it’s also gentle on the beans to help preserve their full flavour.

Smart Dosing Technology ensures that the ideal volume and consistency for one or two shots of espresso is available at the push of a button.

Meanwhile, Manuel Dosing allows for precise customisation.

The 8oz removable bean hopper makes it easy to empty, refill, or switch between blends as desired.

It also has a commercial-grade 58mm tamp portafilter, a multi-angle steam wand, an automatic cleaning function and built-in wheels for effortless mobility.

The Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine with Burr Grinder is also available in stainless steel, cast iron black, and porcelain white, depending on your preference and kitchen design.

Quiet coffee machine

In June 2022 coffee machine manufacturer Jura unveiled its new R&D campus at its HQ in Niederbuchsiten, Switzerland.

This state-of-the-art site focuses on innovation and includes sound laboratories to develop quiet coffee machines, which has already paid off with certification from Quiet Mark.

‘We are incredibly excited to be partnering with Quiet Mark for the first time,’ says Mark Green, marketing manager UK and Ireland at Jura.

‘We are extremely proud that both the ENA 8 machine and the E8 models have passed and are included in the certified products range.

The hope is to certify three more exciting machines, which will be launched later on in the year.’

Quiet cooking

For hush in the kitchen, the Novy Up collection of vented induction hobs comes in five different configurations, including one with an integrated wok and another with a teppanyaki plate.

These can be either surface or flush-mounted. An integrated extractor tower rises up for quiet extraction while you cook, with an adjustable valve to direct extraction at a low level when frying in a shallow pan or higher up when using a tall saucepan.

If a cooker hood is more your thing, try the Quiet Mark-certified Miele DA 6698 D Puristic Version 6000 island cooker hood.

Its motor, chimney and canopy are specially insulated for effective soundproofing, and the Eco motor saves up to 70% of energy compared to conventional models. Using Wi-Fi connection, it responds automatically to settings on the hob.

Peaceful ventilation

The Silent Dual extraction fan from ventilation supplier S&P UK easily fits to the wall or ceiling of a kitchen, bathroom or utility room.

Its built-in humidity sensor reacts to peaks when the shower is running, while the PIR (passive infrared) detector reacts to motion in the room.

Whether running continuously or intermittently, the noise levels stay low, for a quiet home. S&P UK Ventilation Systems is the UK subsidiary of global manufacturer Soler & Palau.

Quiet showering

With a Quiet Mark certified AS2000SR thermostatic power shower from Triton Showers there’s no concern over disturbance from a noisy shower pump.

Designed for low-pressure, gravity-fed systems its pump provides flow rates of up to 14 litres per minute for a powerful shower.

The AS2000SR maintains a constant water temperature regardless of any change in pressure.

This power shower is ideal for families, as the maximum temperature limit is adjustable.

Hushed flush

There’s a skill to designing a small bathroom. Cleverly engineered compact products, when designed with acoustics in mind, will prevent a noisy flush and noise intrusion in adjacent rooms.

Grohe’s Rapid SL and SLX installation flush systems for wall-hung loos have achieved Quiet Mark accreditation thanks to Grohe’s Whisper technology. These low-noise fittings include decoupled pipe supports to prevent sound transfer to the structure of the building.

The systems combine the cistern and frame, which can be located within a stud wall.

Low-noise heating

A noisy heating system can be a distraction if you’re working from home. Fortunately, the design of Worcester Bosch boilers means they can be fitted in any room, including the kitchen, bathroom or even a bedroom.

Both the Quiet Mark-certified Worcester Greenstar 2000 and 4000 combi boiler emphasise noise reduction, running at lower noise levels than many similar alternatives.

Suitable for small to medium-sized homes they are highly energy-efficient and will help reduce your bills and cut carbon emissions. To save even more, install compatible smart heating controls.

Silent smart fan heater

Looking for a way to heat your home office or conservatory? The Duux Threesixty DXCH08 White Smart Fan Heater might be the answer to your needs.

Stylish, innovative and affordable, this ceramic smart heater is compact while offering the ultimate in personalised heating. It’s ideal for heating a smaller space quickly and will seamlessly blend into the décor with its unique organic shape and luxurious matt finish.

The built-in fan means it balances power with efficiency to evenly distribute the hot air, warming a 30m² room twice as quickly as a conventional heater. It has wifi connectivity, smart app compatibility and adjustable temperature and ventilation settings, meaning its easy to set it up perfectly for your space.

Hushed heat pump

Powered by electricity, air-source heat pumps (ASHP) extract warmth from the air and convert it into heating and hot water. Vaillant heat pumps are some of the quietest examples on the market.

The aroTHERM Plus 3.5kW, 5kW, 7kW and 12kW output models live outside the home, and are all Quiet Mark-certified, so they are suitable for built-up areas and terraced houses where noise control is important.

The air-to-water model combines heating and hot water generation, and can used for new installations and retrofit projects.

Quiet air purifier

With a Daikin air purifier you can enjoy fresh air without opening the windows and doors, avoiding cold draughts and pollutants coming inside. Simply switch on for purified air in an instant.

Designed for living spaces and bedrooms, the compact MCK55W humidifying air purifier features near-silent yet powerful cleaning capability all in one compact appliance.

 

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT QUIET APPLIANCES

For more solutions to unwanted noise, visit Quiet Mark’s Acoustics Academy at quietmark.com.

You can also find out more about the importance of managing sound with the award-winning Quiet Mark podcast, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Buzzsprout and Podbean.