Best Quiet Vacuum Cleaner
Is there anything worse than a loud vacuum? You turn it on, and it rouses up the entire house almost instantly.
An ultra-quiet vacuum is a simple solution if you want to clean without disturbing your family, pets, and possibly even neighbors.
We tested and made a list of the best quiet vacuum cleaners you might want to try if you’re tired of the noisy ones.
Why Should You Consider a Silent Vacuum in The First Place?
Vacuum noise level is often something we accept and don’t even think about as much. However, too much of it can become a problem for several reasons.
Before we proceed, here are several reasons why you should consider getting some of the best quiet vacuum cleaners.
Respectful to Others
Nobody likes to awaken to noise, especially in the early mornings, weekends, or late at night. However, some people don’t have the time to deep clean their homes at 5 pm on Tuesday.
This is why choosing a quiet vacuum cleaner for your home can help. It’s far more convenient than a loud one since you can actually use it at almost any time of day.
Pets
Does your pet run away in panic whenever you bring the vacuum out of storage? It’s not unusual since most pets behave this way. It’s because they know what’s about to come is invasive and noisy.
Whatever the case may be, it’s stressful for the animal. This is enough of a reason to get an ultra-quiet vacuum. Your pet might still run away at sight, but with time, it’ll be easier for the animal to get used to it since it’s not as loud.
Scientific Reason (Lab Test)
You’ve probably heard how vacuum noise increases stress levels, though, in fact, it doesn’t. Noise might stress your dog if he/she is barking for an entire hour, thinking that you’re in danger.
The same goes for people, too. Cleaning your home with a loud vacuum and exposing yourself to the noise won’t stress you as much as inconsiderate people vacuuming at 7 am on a Sunday.
A lab test on noise-exposed mice showed no indication of increased stress. However, the noise level did affect the diurnal variation of the corticosterone levels.
| Product Name | Level of Noise | Weight | Dimensions |
|---|---|---|---|
| BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser Handheld | 77 dB | 4.2 lbs | 10 x 5 x 8 in |
| Dyson V8 | 67 dB | 5.75 lbs | 9.9 x 8.9 x 49 in |
| Hoover Commercial CH32008 | 70 dB | 10.75 lbs | 16 x 15 x 17 in |
| Bissell BigGreen Quiet Motor | 67 dB | 18 lbs | 13 x 14.5 x 47.2 in |
| Shark NV680 | 70 dB | 23.6 lbs | 30.3 x 14.4 x 12.3 in |
| Miele U1 | 81 dB | 28.3 lbs | 45.8 x 15.8 x 11 in |
| Beaudens 2-in-1 Cordless Vacuum | 65 dB | 5.51 lbs | 10.5 x 8.3 x 4.7 in |
| MOOSOO Cordless Vacuum | 75 dB | 2.84 lbs | 44.1 x 9 x 10.2 in |
| DeWALT DXV10p | 66 dB | 23.1 lbs | 18 x 23 x 17.5 in |
| Sanitaire Multi-Surface QuietClean | 100 min | N/A | 12.8 x 12.8 x 3.5 in |
Quietest Vacuum Cleaners
Dyson V8
Dyson V8 is one of the most popular quiet vacuum cleaners in today’s market. It’s slim, convenient, and easy to use, which is why most people like it.
This quiet vacuum is cordless and has some 40 minutes of runtime if you’re using a non-motorized cleaning tool. Its strong suction is at 115AW on MAX mode, which you’ll rarely use during regular cleaning.
This powerful vacuum is quite lightweight and quiet. The digital motor is engineered to deliver power while still being quiet enough not to disturb the people around you.
Dyson V8 vacuum cleaner comes with a HEPA filter and offers around 8 minutes of runtime in MAX power mode. It’s a bagless vacuum and is therefore easy to empty, though the bin isn’t as large.
This anti-allergen HEPA vacuum cleaner features a Direct Drive cleaner head and a Soft Roller cleaner head. It has an instant-release trigger, which helps save battery life.
Pros
- Lightweight design
- For low pile carpet and area rugs
- HEPA filter
Cons
- Only 8 minutes in MAX mode
Bissell BigGreen Quiet Motor
With the DayClean upright quiet motor, this vacuum cleaner works efficiently and quietly. You can still hear this upright, but not at the noise level that would disturb your home or neighborhood.
This is an upright vacuum with a 650-watt power motor and 16’’ cleaning path. It does a great job in large houses, offices and other such spaces.
This upright vacuum is comfortable to use thanks to the padded handle, which allows easier maneuvering. Also, its head adjusts to six height positions, meaning that it’s suitable for high pile carpets as well as bare floors.
The upright comes with a cloth zip bag and a disposable bag insert. This is a convenient cleaning system that’s great for allergy-prone people.
Another thing worth mentioning is the magnet bar at the bottom. It helps prevent small metal objects from harming the motor.
Pros
- Wide cleaning path
- Large bag capacity
- For all-pile carpet types
Cons
- Not for pet fur
Shark NV680
This is one of the most popular options if you’re looking for a Shark Rotator. It’s also market as one of the quietest, sporting some 72dB to 75dB.
It’s a bagless vacuum with a large bin capacity, allowing you to deep clean carpets and larger spaces without having to empty it as often. This upright vacuum cleaner is much slimmer than most similar models.
Either way, this Shark Rotator vacuum cleaner has a wide cleaning path and a powerful motor. It does a great job on hard floors and carpets, though it might not be the best vacuum cleaner option for pet owners.
This powerful vacuum allows you to go from carpet cleaning to bare floors and vice versa. Though this bagless upright might be a bit heavy for some, the vacuum cleaner is easy to maneuver with.
Pros
- Large bin
- Wide cleaning path
- Height adjustment settings
Cons
- Not for pet fur
Miele U1
With a Vortex motor, this Miele model provides supreme suction power. It’s ultra-quiet thanks to its separate motor that runs the power brush, which allows you to switch it off when cleaning delicate floors.
It features a 4-setting rotary dial, allowing you to set the suction power according to the space you’re cleaning.
Also, this vacuum cleaner comes with an Air Clean Sealed System and AirClean HEPA filtration system. The combination filters out up to 99.99% of dust, allergens, pollen, and dirt.
Thanks to the unique Swivel Neck technology, the U1 is quite easy to maneuver with. It can lie flat on the surface, meaning that you can clean under furniture. Plus, the LED headlight on the front helps clean remote areas.
The vacuum cleaner comes with an upholstery tool and five additional filter bags.
Pros
- Fits under and behind furniture
- HEPA filtration system
- Adjustable suction power
Cons
- It’s heavy
Beaudens 2-in-1 Cordless
This quiet stick provides 9KPa of suction and 130W of power while working at 65dB. It has adjustable suction, which makes it possibly the best vacuum for combined floors.
It’s among the most popular cordless vacuums, working with a 2200mAh lithium Ion battery. This allows some 45 minutes of runtime, which is a pretty long time for cleaning. The patented Air Channel technology radiates heat through the air channel, which helps prevent overheating.
The great thing is that this quiet vac is both a cordless stick and handheld. It converts, allowing you to use it for spot-cleaning and cleaning the interior of your car.
Also, this cordless vacuum cleaner features a 500l capacity dust cup that’s detachable and easy to clean. The 3-stage fully-sealed filtration system, including a HEPA filtration system, makes the vacuum cleaner ideal for allergy-prone people.
Pros
- HEPA filters
- Only 3.3lbs
- Adjustable suction
Cons
- Feels a bit flimsy
MOOSOO Cordless
With brushless motor technology, this Moosoo is among the most popular cordless vacuums. It’s built to last a long time, featuring a cleaning system that provides high power, efficiency, and quiet performance.
It features two cleaning modes, allowing you to adapt it according to the surface you’re cleaning. In Max mode, this powerful cleaner runs stiff/soft bristles to pick up even the most embedded dirt.
Another thing worth noting is the four-stage filtration system. The sealed design and high-density HEPA filtration trap up to 99.99% of dust, pollen, allergens, dirt, and dust.
The vacuum weighs only 2.84lbs and is easy to use in hard-to-reach areas. It works on carpets, hard floor, tile, vinyl, laminate, and other surfaces. It also converts into a handheld for easier cleaning of upholstery, stairs, and car interiors.
It comes with a wall holder and mounting attachments, including a powerful cleaning brush, square brush, LED floor head, and a crevice tool.
Pros
- Two cleaning modes
- HEPA filtration
- Lightweight design
Cons
- The filters require frequent cleaning
DeWALT DXV10p
If you need something big and powerful to use outdoors, the DeWalt DXV10p might be the top pick. It’s a dry&wet vac with a 10-gallon capacity and 5.5 peak horsepower.
It’s quiet and powerful, so you can clean your yard and patio at any time. It features durable rubberized casters for easier swiveling and ease of movement. Also, the vacuum comes with a long 20’ cord.
The great thing is that you can use it as a blower as well. It has a built-in blower port, allowing you to blow leaves, sawdust, and other pieces and debris.
Also, this wet-dry vacuum has an accessory storage bag that’s attached to the backside of the body. This means all the accessories are within reach and neatly stored.
Though it’s large, the DeWalt’s built-in tank drain makes it easy to empty.
Pros
- Quiet operation
- Long power cord
- Works as a blower
Cons
- It’s heavy
Sanitaire Multi-Surface QuietClean
This Sanitaire commercial vacuum is certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute for delivering impressive quiet performance. It’s powerful and comes with several onboard accessories such as a telescoping wand and a retractable dusting brush.
It has a motorized brush roll that you can shut off if you’re cleaning gentler floors such as hardwood floors, tiles, and other bare floor surfaces. Turn it back on when cleaning carpets to pick up even the most embedded dirt.
This quiet upright runs at under 70dBa, which is considered quiet for a commercial vacuum cleaner. Plus, this also means that this quiet vac won’t disturb your home or office if that’s where you’re using it.
It’s corded, featuring a detachable 50-foot power cord. Because it’s as long, you won’t have to keep changing sockets as you move through the office or home. In total, it has the potential to cover around 7800 sq. ft.
Pros
- Powerful suction
- Removable brush roll
- Super-quiet performance
Cons
- Quite heavy
Buying Considerations for Low Noise Vacuum Cleaners
Residential or Commercial
If you’re looking for a vacuum to use in your office or hall, a standard, residential vacuum may not be enough to handle the task. In other words, you should always consider whether a commercial vacuum may be a better choice.
Commercial grade vacuums are typically more powerful and have a larger capacity. However, residential model is usually a silent vacuum cleaner and much smaller, thus a bit easier to use.
In any case, it depends on what you need and for what. You can find great vacuum models in both categories so long as you know what suits your cleaning needs better.
Pets
You need to pay special attention to the kind of vac you’re getting if you have pets. Pet hair and dander can be quite persistent on hard floors, let alone high-pile carpets.
For this reason, you may want to consider a specialized vacuum or at least the one featuring a specialized pet tool. Things like a beater brush, side brushes, and an upholstery tool may be a great choice for pet hair and dander.
It’s also recommended you opt for HEPA filtration and sealed system filtration. It’s the best quiet vacuum cleaner to battle pet hair and dander our pets tend to leave behind. Plus, the reliable filtration system ensures none of that pet hair ends up in your breathing space since clean air is critical for allergy-prone people.
Luckily, you can find many different best vacuum cleaners for pet owners. In other words, you can find upright vacuums, sticks, canister vacuums, and even a robot vacuum cleaner that delivers efficient cleaning performance when vacuuming pet fur.
Suction
Suction is often the reason why some are considered quiet vacuum cleaners, and others aren’t. In other words, too much suction power may make a vacuum loud, though the noise level depends on other things as well.
Nonetheless, you should look for powerful suction or at least a vacuum that allows you to adjust it. Adjustable suction makes it ideal for different situations and circumstances, especially if you’re dealing with pet hair.
Only a vacuum with powerful suction can deliver powerful cleaning performance, especially if you’re cleaning carpets. So, try not to sacrifice powerful suction for a lower noise level if you already have to choose. Newer models with more innovative technologies should offer strong suction and be quiet, so you may want to consider those.
Battery
If you’re looking for a cordless, you should always check how much battery life it offers. This varies, meaning that some vacs offer twenty minutes while others provide as much as an hour.
Either way, make sure to consider all the other features and specifications at the same time. You don’t want to sacrifice other things for a few more minutes of cleaning time.
Keep in mind that motorized tools and increased suction power tend to shorten battery life. In other words, what’s an hour in regular mode is usually around ten minutes in high-suction power MAX mode and with motorized tools.
Stick vacuums and robotic vacuum cleaners are among the most popular battery-operated types with variable battery life.
Cord or Cordless
Choosing between cordless and corded is entirely up to you. It’s hard to tell which is better since both have pros and cons worth discussing.
The most popular cordless models are stick and robotic vacuum cleaners. These are battery-operated, so they can get to hard to reach places without having to think about power sockets. However, their cleaning time is limited, meaning you’d have to recharge them after each use.
On the other hand, corded vacs require power sockets. This means you’d have to re-plug them as you go through your home. But, their runtime is virtually limitless, so you won’t have to worry about running out of battery.
Types of Quiet Vacuum Cleaners
Stick Vacuum
Stick vacuum cleaners are the most modern and quite popular type. These vacuums are sleek, slim, and easy to work with in houses and apartments. In most cases, they’re cordless and feature no bag, though some have a cord.
The great thing about these is that they’re easy to store away. This makes them an excellent choice for people who usually struggle with storage space.
Also, a stick vacuum is typically lightweight and easy to carry around the house. This allows you to reach beneath and behind furniture, stairs, and other obstacles. Some models are convertible, allowing you to use them as handheld vacuums to clean upholstery and other above-floor surfaces.
Uprights
An upright vacuum is a good choice for many reasons like convenience, ease of use, large capacity, and versatility.
These used to be quite bulky and heavy, but modern technologies transformed a classic upright. Now, these models are easy to work with, lightweight, and quite maneuverable.
The great thing is that these are usually powerful enough to clean even the thickest carpets. Nearly every quality upright vacuum has a large dust bin and height adjustment settings.
In most cases, uprights are corded, though some variations exist.
Canister
This is a well-known type since pretty much everyone used to have a bagged canister vacuum at some point. Much like uprights, a bagged canister vacuum used to be bulky, heavy, and loud, but it’s not like that anymore.
A quality canister vacuum is lightweight and versatile, working efficiently on both bare floors and carpets. The best thing about these models is that they come with plenty of cleaning tool options.
A canister vacuum cleaner usually has extensions hoses and poles, which allows it to work with different attachments such as crevice & upholstery tools, dusting brushes, and others.
Bagged canister vacuums are more common though newer models come with a dust bin instead of a bag.
Commercial
These are intended for commercial use and, as such, are larger and more powerful. They have a larger capacity, meaning that they come with bigger dust cups/bags.
Commercial vacuum cleaners have powerful motors and can often pick up things a residential vacuum can’t. For this reason, they’re not recommended for residential use.
Nonetheless, these come with several accessories and attachments which make them equally as convenient and easy to work with. Because they’re larger, commercial vacuum cleaners are better-suited for large spaces like offices, restaurants, halls, and others.
These are corded and usually have a bag though models without a bag exist as well.
Handheld
Handheld vacuums are probably the most convenient option when it comes to spot-cleaning. It’s a little vacuum you can use to pick up kitty litter, pet kibble, pet hair, dirt, and other piled debris.
Also, they’re great for stairs, upholstery, and car interiors due to their size and weight. A handheld vacuum is usually small, so it doesn’t have a large capacity. In other words, you can’t use it to clean the entire room or several.
Also, these are usually bagless because they can’t hold too much dirt, pet hair, and dust. They come with a dust bin that you’ll probably have to empty after each use. Both cordless and corded handheld vacuum cleaners are available.
Bagged vs. Bagless
Much like in the case of cord or no cord, choosing between bagless and bagged vacuum models is up to you. You should think about what you need and prefer.
If you’re allergy-prone, you might want to go for a bagged vacuum. Bagged vacuum models use disposable bags that aren’t the most eco-friendly choice, but they’re ideal if you’re prone to allergies.
Bagless vacuums have dust bins and canisters. These are the more cost-effective of the two since you won’t have to buy additional bags. These are a bit tricky to empty because some dust might fall back on the surface. For this reason, you should empty the bin outside.
Again, choosing one of the two depends on your needs and preferences. You should think about what you find more convenient.
FAQ
Q:
How many decibels is a vacuum cleaner?
A: Most regular vacuums make some 74 to 81 decibels of noise. Making the switch to a quiet vacuum cleaner, you shouldn’t have more than 72 decibels. In some cases, you can lower the noise level even more by using adequate attachments and suction power as noise reduction methods.
Q:
What’s considered a quiet vacuum?
A: In most cases, vacuums that are under 70 decibels are considered quiet vacuum cleaners. Normal conversation happens at 60 to 65 decibels, so imagine a vacuum working at 80 or 85 decibels.
Knowing how loud is a typical conversation usually helps you decide whether or not a vacuum cleaner is loud.
Conclusion
Having a quiet vacuum can change the way you feel about vacuuming your house or office. A vacuum that doesn’t make as much noise is more convenient, especially if you’re trying not to disturb anyone.
Sometimes, vacuuming at night or during rest hours can get you in trouble if you live in an apartment building. Also, deep cleaning the office while people are working is potentially a bad idea. This is why you should consider getting a quiet vacuum cleaner.
Luckily, the market is packed with the best quiet vacuum cleaners that work at a lower noise level. Some are louder than others, but in any case, they’re not as loud as regular vacs thanks to several noise reduction methods.
Still, make sure to consider the important factors using the information we included in our buyer’s guide. It can help you choose one of the best vacuum cleaners for office and house.
Sources and Resources
- Decibel Hell: The Effects of Living in a Noisy World
– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1253729/
- A noisy problem
– https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/a-noisy-problem
