Is a dishwasher too loud? Here's what to know before buying one

Dishwashers have come a long way in a pretty short time. Just a few decades ago, it was completely normal to hear your dishwasher from another room. Very few did anything to muffle the sounds coming from inside, and the sounds themselves were louder.

If you’ve ever wondered why an old dishwasher was almost as loud as your garbage disposal, it’s because it was using one—a built-in macerator. And we should know because we've tested hundreds of dishwashers in the Reviewed labs.

More recently, however, the dishwasher space has changed. Where older models averaged about 60 decibels—just below the sound level of a vacuum—modern dishwashers average between 40 and 50 decibels, which is about as loud as typing on a keyboard. It’s not completely silent, but it’s also not loud enough to wake someone up.

One question many consumers have asked is, “What is considered a quiet dishwasher?”

While we don't measure volume ourselves due to the specialized space required for accurate readings, we do consider it as a data point for every dishwasher we test. If you want to skip all the science and get to the recommendations of the best quiet dishwashers that also clean well, we’ve got you covered.

However, if you want to know why some dishwashers make less noise than others, we first have to start with how that noise is measured.

Decibel A-weighting: The best tool for measuring loudness

To understand how dishwashers went from being about as loud as a vacuum cleaner to being so quiet they wouldn’t get kicked out of a library, we first need to talk about dBA (decibel A-weighting).

You’ve probably heard of decibels (dB) before, which is how loudness is measured. When people talk about noise levels for appliances and other household products, they usually use dBA, which stands for decibel A-weighting and is based more closely on how the human ear hears sound.

One thing that’s important to remember is that decibel measurements are logarithmic, kind of like earthquakes, so a small jump in dBA can mean a much louder sound than you might expect.

Here’s a quick way to put dBA levels into perspective:

• 0 dBA: The threshold of human hearing
• 25 dBA: Whispering
• 40 dBA: Suburban area at night
• 50 dBA: Sounds like a steady hum
• 70 dBA: Vacuum cleaner
• 105 dBA: Lawnmower
• 140 dBA: Jet engine at 100 feet

As you can see, dBAs can go from zero to extra-loud pretty quickly. The dBA scale is a more intuitive and helpful way to determine what we’re more likely to perceive as loud and quiet.

What is the decibel level of a quiet dishwasher?

Unlike other manufacturer-supplied metrics (looking at you, refrigerator capacity measurements), you can trust stated dBA measurements. They’re all measured by a third party, Owens Corning. Owens Corning has labs dedicated to accurately measuring how loud a given appliance is and has decades of experience doing so.

Let’s say you were looking at the Bosch 800 Series SHP78CM5N, which shows 42 dBA at the top of the page. This means that Owens Corning determined that, on average, this dishwasher will produce 42 dBA of noise—or about the same as a suburban street at night.

When we tested the 800 series in our labs, we could have a conversation in front of it while it was running and barely notice it was there.

Of course, that number only tells part of the story. How loud a dishwasher feels depends a lot on your home and routine. In an open-concept layout, noise is more likely to carry into nearby living spaces than it would in a closed kitchen. That matters more if you run the dishwasher while watching TV, working, or getting kids to bed. Homes with roommates, pets, or anyone sensitive to background noise may notice it more. A low dBA rating is useful, but how sound fits into your space matters just as much.

What makes a dishwasher quiet?

While there are many factors that go into how loud a dishwasher runs, the number one factor in a dishwasher's dBA is usually the material the interior is made of. Plastic dishwashers are much louder than stainless-steel ones.

For example, the Whirlpool WDF330PAHW has a completely plastic interior. It has a sound rating of 55 dBA. During testing, it sounded like someone was taking a shower in there—not super loud, but you definitely knew it was running.

Compare that to a hybrid tub, which has steel sides and plastic on the bottom, like the Bosch 100 Series SHE3AEM5N, and the sound rating drops to 50 dBA.

Do you actually need a quiet dishwasher?

Noise matters differently from house to house, which is why the quietest dishwasher is not automatically the right choice for everyone. The real question is not whether a lower dBA number sounds better on paper, but whether that difference will actually matter in your kitchen and daily routine.

Paying more for a quieter dishwasher can be worth it if your kitchen opens into the living room, if you run loads at night, or if steady background noise tends to bother you. In other homes, the jump to an ultra-quiet model may not feel as important. It is also worth noting that quieter dishwashers are not automatically better at cleaning.

Noise ratings speak to sound level, but that doesn’t necessarily change what’s happening inside your dishwasher. And while manufacturer noise ratings are useful, they don’t tell you everything. They measure average loudness, but they cannot fully capture the character of the sound, sudden bursts during draining, or how much vibration may carry through cabinets and floors.

FAQs about dishwasher noise

What dBA rating is considered quiet for a dishwasher?

In general, 44 to 49 dBA is considered quiet enough for most homes. Once you get into the 38 to 43 dBA range, a dishwasher will be hard to detect, which can matter more in open-concept homes or if you run cycles at night.

Is there a noticeable difference between 44 and 42 dBA?

There can be, but it depends on the home and the listener. Because decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, even a small number change can be meaningful. Still, the real-world difference between 44 and 42 dBA may feel subtle in some kitchens and much more noticeable in others.

Does dishwasher noise get louder over time?

It can. Wear on the motor or pump, loose parts, poor leveling, and buildup in filters or spray arms can all make a dishwasher sound louder than it did when it was new. Installation issues can also become more noticeable over time.

Does insulation or tub material affect noise?

Yes. Insulation helps keep sound from escaping the machine, and tub material plays a role, too. Stainless-steel tubs tend to dampen noise better than plastic, which is one reason many quieter dishwashers use them.