Quiet Dishwashers by Decibel Rating
Every dishwasher we list whose manufacturer publishes a sound rating of 46 dBA or lower, sorted by that rating.
178 matching models currently listed · Browse all dishwashers
What the dBA number means
Dishwasher makers publish a sound rating in A-weighted decibels (dBA). Lower is quieter. The scale is logarithmic rather than linear, which is why small-looking differences matter: NIOSH halves the exposure time it considers safe for every 3 dBA increase in level (CDC/NIOSH, “About Noise”). A 50 dBA machine is not “a little” louder than a 44 dBA one.
For scale at the loud end, the same NIOSH guidance describes 85 dBA as the level at which you have to raise your voice to be heard three feet away. Dishwashers live far below that; the question is whether you can hold a conversation next to one.
Where the quiet line sits
Appliance manufacturers' own buying guides put the quiet threshold at roughly 44 dBA and compare that level to a quiet library, describe ratings of about 42 dBA and lower as very quiet, and treat 50 dBA and above as ordinary (KitchenAid, “Quiet Dishwasher Buying Guide”; Whirlpool, “What Decibel Is a Quiet Dishwasher?”). The 46 dBA cutoff on this page is ours, not theirs: we set it two points above the roughly 44 dBA those guides call quiet so a model that just misses their line is still on the page, and we split the list at 42 dBA so the very quiet models are not buried.
If the dishwasher sits in an open-plan kitchen, or if the kitchen opens onto a room you watch television in, the rating is worth more attention than a feature list. If the machine runs behind a closed door overnight, it matters less.
How this list is built
Every model below carries a sound rating in the manufacturer data we receive, and the figure printed under each card is that published rating — not an estimate. Dishwashers whose spec sheet does not state a rating are not on this page at all: we would rather show you a shorter list than a guessed number. Sorted quietest first, and the counts on this page are computed from the live catalog each time it rebuilds.
42 dBA and quieter
129 listedThe band manufacturers' guides describe as very quiet.
Over 42 dBA, up to 46 dBA
49 listedWithin 2 dBA of the roughly 44 dBA level those guides compare to a quiet library.
Common questions
- What dBA counts as a quiet dishwasher?
- Manufacturers' buying guides put the line at about 44 dBA and compare that level to a quiet library, with roughly 42 dBA and lower described as very quiet and 50 dBA and above as ordinary (KitchenAid, Whirlpool). This page's own cutoff is 46 dBA — two points above their line — and it separates the models at 42 dBA and below.
- Is the difference between 50 dBA and 44 dBA noticeable?
- The decibel scale is logarithmic, so a six-point difference is larger than it looks on paper — NIOSH halves the exposure duration it considers safe for every 3 dBA of increase (CDC/NIOSH). In a kitchen that opens onto a living space, that difference is the one most people notice; behind a closed door it matters less.
- Why do some dishwashers on your site not show a decibel rating?
- Because the manufacturer's spec sheet for that model does not publish one. We only show a sound rating that came from the manufacturer's data, and a model without one is left off this page rather than given an estimated figure.
- Do you deliver and install dishwashers?
- We deliver from our Jackson, NJ warehouse. Delivery is free at $499 and above in the NJ/NY metro area, at $899 and above in the extended regional zone (CT, PA, DE, MD and the NY capital region) and at $1,999 and above nationwide, with a $199 flat rate below the national threshold. Enter your ZIP code at checkout for the rate that applies to your address; a few destinations we cannot reach are refused rather than quoted. Dishwasher Installation is available in the NJ/NY metro area for $199 (Connection to Existing Line Only; No Modifications) and is offered at checkout.
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