Using a quiet air conditioner in your home or office can make it more comfortable for you to work or rest. This is particularly true in the hot months of the year, but the AC dB rating of traditional air conditioners quite is high. Traditional air conditioners have higher dB ratings, but newer models are built to be quieter. But how many decibels is a quiet air conditioner and which are the best ones available?
In a hurry to know which air conditioners are the quietest? And how many decibels is a quiet air conditioner? Decibel ranges of 50 to 60 are the quietest while still providing you with great performance.
Emerson Quiet Air Conditioner is a highly rated low noise AC. It works quietly at 52 decibels, and it’s very affordable.Whynter Elite is an excellent choice at only 52 decibels as well.De’Longhi Air Conditioner is another high quality virtually silent aircon at 53 decibels. It also has enough power to cool even large rooms without being noisy.
How Many Decibels Is a Quiet Air Conditioner?
Decibels are used to measure the intensity of sound and are given a numeric value. To understand what these values mean, we would assign real-life examples to them.
Decibel level 50 is as loud as a quiet conversation at home or in the office and a quiet air conditioner is at this level.
60 decibel is as loud as having a quiet conversation in a restaurant. This is fairly quiet and is also a good decibel rating for a quiet air conditioner.
70 decibels is as loud as a vacuum cleaner. It’s fairly loud and usually the dB rating for traditional air conditioners. 80 decibels are twice as loud and can be likened to garbage disposal. Air conditioner units within this range are very loud and noisy.
If you find it difficult to get the sound level of an AC unit, you can determine its quietness by looking out for some features including:
- Air conditioners with variable fan speeds allow you to operate them at a quieter speed. And so the inclusion of this feature means that no matter how quiet the AC is, you can take it even lower by regulating the fan speed.
- Some units have specially designed fan blades to help reduce noise from their operation. The inclusion of this feature helps with noise reduction and points to a unit with low noise during operation.
- Some air conditioners have an insulated base pan that acts as a noise absorber, hence reducing the noise from the unit.
- Compressor insulation is an enclosure that covers the compressor and helps to reduce the noise it produces. So the presence of this feature points to a quiet air conditioner.
Quietest Air Conditioner Decibel Ratings
1. Emerson Quiet Kook Portable Air Conditioner
Top Choice
Emerson Quiet Kook Portable Air Conditioner is ultra-quiet with a decibel rating of only 52.
This way, it functions with a low humming sound as compared to having a quiet conversation in the office, causing no disturbance to you. you also save energy with this unit and it’s designed for use in smaller rooms.
Some features that make this unit more appealing are the inclusion of a fully programmable timer, its cheap cost of purchase, and the sleep mode.
Since it’s fully programmable, you can choose times when you would want the AC to come on, and also go off automatically. You can also check out our article about the quietest portable air conditioners.
Pros
- Works silently
- Fully programmable timer
- Cheap
Cons
- Good for use only in smaller rooms
2. Whynter Elite ARC – 122DS Low Noise Air Conditioner
Low Energy Consumption
Whynter Elite works at a noise level of only 52 decibels, making it one of the quietest air conditioners you can have.
The reduction in noise doesn’t reduce its cooling efficiency, as it can handle cooling for rooms up to 400 sq. ft. being compact size, there is no need to create a special space for the air conditioner.
The Whynter Elite air conditioner is energy efficient, allowing you to get the most out of your unit without having to spend too much.
It’s also easy to use and quite affordable.
Pros
- Portable air conditioner
- Silent operation
- Has an inbuilt filter
Cons
- New users may have a hard time when using it for the first time
3. De’Longhi 3-In-1 Air Conditioner
De’Longhi Air Conditioner is a bit higher on the decibel scale as compared to the other two already reviewed.
It measures 53 decibels at its top setting, which is still very quiet and works without creating discomfort in a room.
So you can cool large rooms of up to 500 sq. ft. without creating too much noise.
Some of its alluring features include the multi-mode functionality, ease of installation, and the dehumidifier.
Pros
- Ease of installation
- Ultra-quiet even at the highest setting
- Can cool large rooms
- Has a multi-mode functionality
Cons
- A bit higher decibel rating compared to others here
Quiet Air Conditioner Noise Level Comparison to A Regular AC
Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioner
The quietest types of air conditioners in the market are the ductless mini-split systems.
They produce only 32 decibels of noise on average and also come with great efficiency and a good SEER rating.
These types of air conditioners are so quiet because they use a tube to connect the wall mount to the condenser which is placed outdoor.
In contrast to having ductwork as in the split unit, these types are very quiet. Some noise still comes from the condenser unit but since it is placed outside, it doesn’t create any disturbance in the room.
Top rated quiet ductless AC units are:
- Senville SENL-09CD Quiet Mini Split Air Conditioner and Heat Pump
- Gree 12,000 BTU Sapphire Wall-Mount Ductless Split Air Conditioner
Check out our Best & Quiet Ductless Split System Air Conditioners in 2024 and Quietest Wall Air Conditioners articles as well.
Split and Packaged Central Air Conditioner
Split units aren’t overly noisy, and a majority of the disturbance comes from the sound of air in the vents and ductwork. Any other noise is a sign that you need to perform maintenance on your AC unit as its defective.
By design, it’s made to be less noisy and so its components are housed outdoors to reduce noise in the home. Older units are much noisier, so just by replacing your old model with a newer one, you will have a much quieter operation.
We recommend the highly rated quiet Pioneer Central Air Conditioner WY5012A. You might also want to check out our Quietest Central Air Conditioners in 2024 article.
Window Unit
Window units are regular ACs that are known for their noisy operation.
They operate at decibel ranges of above 60 and it gets even noisier with bigger units.
Window units can produce a lot more noise with improper installation, as the sides of the unit touching the sides of the window frame make it all worse.
Poor maintenance can also increase the noise from the window unit.
A great example of a quiet window AC is the Midea U Inverter Window Air Conditioner. Check out our Quietest Window Air Conditioners in 2024 article for more virtually silent window ACs.
You may also like: Whisper Quiet RV AC
Final Words About Quiet AC dB Level
The noise level of an air conditioner can make your life as miserable as the heat you were trying to prevent. And so, to get the best of both categories, a strong and quiet AC is best. Air conditioners below 60 decibels are the best as they are the quietest types on the market.
Great examples of such quiet ACs include Emerson Quiet Kook Portable Air Conditioner, Whynter Elite Air Conditioner, and De’Longhi 3-in-1 Air Conditioner.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for ductless AC unit. go for the highly rated Senville SENL-09CD Quiet Mini Split Air Conditioner or Gree 12,000 BTU Sapphire Wall-Mount Ductless Split AC.
Pioneer Central Air Conditioner WY5012A is a popular quiet central air conditioner and if you want a window AC. go for the Midea U Inverter Window Air Conditioner.
Dave Pearson is a Canadian musician, sound editor, and audiophile. He is also the founder and owner of the website SoundProofGeek. On SoundProofGeek, Pearson offers advice and resources on audio equipment, including how to assess and improve audio quality, how to troubleshoot and repair audio equipment, and how to improve the music listening experience.
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