If you live in an open-plan home or have an integrated washing machine in your kitchen, you’ll want it to be as quiet as possible.
The most popular integrated washing machines usually have noise levels of around 50-58 decibels (dB) on the wash cycle and 68-75 dB on the spin cycle, with the median spin cycle producing 72 dB of noise.
To give you a point of reference, a vacuum cleaner is about 70 dB, so your average integrated washing machine will be even louder than this on the spin cycle! However, the surrounding cabinet will absorb a lot of the sound.
The quietest integrated machines have noise levels of 70 dB or less on the spin cycle. We’ve researched the market and picked out the quietest integrated washing machines available in the UK.
These washing machines all have noise levels below 45 dB on the wash cycle and 70 dB on the spin cycle. Choose one of these models if you want to avoid buying something noisy.
Quietest Integrated Washing Machines in the UK
1. Bosch Serie 8 WIW28502GB
Noise level (spin): 66 dB
Washing capacity: 8 kg
Energy rating: C
At just 66 decibels on the spin cycle, the Serie 8 WIW28502GB from highly renowned German brand Bosch is one of the quietest washing machines on the market.
The unique drum structure allows for gentle washing, and a reduction in water consumption thanks to the load adjustment system.
Available with a 10-year warranty, the EcoSilence Drive is not only quiet in operation, but it’s an extremely energy efficient component to this product.
There’s a convenient 15-minute quick wash programme for washing a few items at the last minute. When washing regular loads, you can use the SpeedPerfect programme to reduce cycle lengths by as much as 65%.
Most users find that this washing machine performs very well while staying ultra quiet! However, it is quite pricey.
2. NEFF W544BX2GB
Noise level (spin): 66 dB
Washing capacity: 8 kg
Energy rating: C
This highly rated product from NEFF is the joint quietest integrated washing machine we could find at the time of writing, producing just 66 decibels of noise on a spin cycle. It features a “Silence programme”, which limits the spin speed to 800 rpm and doesn’t produce a notification sound when the cycle has finished, helping keep noise to a minimum.
With an eight-kilogram drum capacity, this machine could be a good choice for families and medium-sized households. The speedy SuperQuick cycle lets you wash two kilograms of clothes in just 15 minutes.
This is a very well made washing machine, but it is relatively expensive.
3. Siemens WI14W502GB
Noise level (spin): 66 dB
Washing capacity: 8 kg
Energy rating: C
The Siemens WI14W502GB is another machine that produces just 66 decibels of noise on the spin cycle, making it one of the joint-quietest integrated washing machines on the market.
Like the other ultra-quiet machines, it’s relatively expensive, but is well made and has some intelligent features such as waterPerfect Plus, which calculates the precise amount of water needed to avoid wasting water. It also has a couple of handy quick wash cycles (15 or 30 minutes).
4. Beko WTIK74122
Noise level (spin): 68 dB
Washing capacity: 7 kg
Energy rating: A
While the Beko WTIK74122 isn’t quite the quietest integrated machine on the market (the spin cycle is 68 dB, whereas the quietest are 66 dB). However, it’s cheaper than the products listed above, and also more energy efficient, so it will be cheaper to run too.
The Quick Wash feature can handle a full load of washing in just 28 minutes, which is quite impressive.
The 7 kg drum on this Beko washing machine makes it ideal for a medium-sized household. This is a washing machine that has clearly been designed with ease of use in a family home in mind.
Are Integrated Appliances Quieter?
The average integrated washing machine tends to be about two decibels quieter than the average freestanding appliance on the spin cycle, as you can see in the table below.
| Type | Min. noise (spin cycle) | Max noise. (spin cycle) | Average noise (spin cycle) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated | 66 | 76 | 71 |
| Freestanding | 68 | 80 | 73 |
However, when official noise levels of washing machines are calculated, the procedure is different for integrated vs freestanding machines. The noise level of an integrated washing machine is measured with the machine installed in a standard built-in enclosure, so its lower quoted noise level compared with a freestanding machine may be at least partly due to the surrounding cabinetry, rather than the appliance itself necessarily being quieter.
So in practice, an integrated washing machine will usually disturb you less because it will be build into a cabinet which will absorb some of the noise, even if the appliance itself isn’t actually quieter. As the washing machine is enclosed and tucked away, the noise from the machine won’t seem so loud.
How Can You Make a Integrated Washing Machine Quieter?
Whilst the integrated washing machines on this list are all naturally quiet, there are always steps that you can take to keep the noise level at its absolute lowest point during typical use.
1. Don’t overload (or underload) the machine
If it’s overloaded, even the quietest washing machine will start to make loud noises.
Washing machine drums are set up to hold a specific amount of laundry, and if you go over this, the drum will be off balance. This can lead to increased vibration, knocking, and a much louder spin cycle.
In the same way, a machine that is under capacity on a regular cycle will have an off-balance drum. Some machines have a half-load cycle that can counteract this problem.
To minimise noise, try to run your washing machine as close to the maximum capacity as possible.
Not only will this be quieter, but it will look after your washing machine and help you get the most out of each cycle too.
2. Keep the machine clean and maintained
If your washing machine is not in the best possible condition, you will find that it gets louder, regardless of how quiet it was to begin with.
If your machine has damaged components, is full of dirt or has a blocked filter, it will not only develop annoying noises, but you could end up with a costly repair bill.
By keeping your washing machine clean and in good working condition, you’ll keep it running well for longer and keep the noise level to a minimum.
3. Reduce vibrations
Washing machines vibrating against their surroundings is one of the leading causes of excessive noise. If the floor underneath the machine is not level, it will wobble and could bang against the cupboards or walls next to the machine.
Consider putting a non-slip mat underneath the washing machine, and make sure that the machine sits level. Use adjustable feet if the floor itself is not level.
In some cases, padding the cavity around the washing machine with sound-proofing material can be worthwhile if you have tried everything else to reduce vibrations to no avail.
In The Wash is your guide to the best laundry and cleaning products, tips and tricks. Our mission is to solve the UK’s cleaning and laundry dilemmas!
