Quiet Equipment (Vacuum Cleaners, Hair Dryers, Lawn Mowers, etc.)

Hi all,

I mentioned this briefly on another thread, but I just wanted to say over the last 6 months I have hunted down quieter electrical equipment to make life a little easier....

I now am in possession of the world's quietest hair dryer, vacuum cleaner and kettle I can honesty say all three have really been a great help - I can now vacuum whenever I want, dry my hair with a hair dryer rather than waiting hours for it to dry naturally, and I can now stay in the same room when the kettle boils rather than hiding in the lounge until it finishes!

If anyone is interested in the makes/models etc I will be happy to share. Also be nice to hear of any other suggestions for quieter stuff that anyone else has come across.

Rhea x

 

@Rhea

I personally find the noise of the hairdryer quite relaxing but probably because it's low and associated with warm air. Also the sound that my extractor hood makes when I cook helps me a lot in feeling good. I don't use any kettle so no problem for me. The vacuum cleaner makes indeed a noise I can't stand. In the other thread you mentioned a Bosch equipement, right? Well, mine is from Bosch too but it's very noisy, really unconfortable. So... if you could share the model you are using... thank you!

 

Hi @Rhea, I am glad you have found equipment that helps you. Thanks for sharing.
I, too, have problems with noise from both my hair dryer and vacuum. My dryer puts about about 90 dB -- and I am holding it right next to my ear when I use it.

But for those who don't want to spend the money on new appliances: I now use ear plugs or ear muffs when hair drying or vacuuming. This strategy works, too.

 

@Rhea
What vacuum and kettle did you end up with?

 

I'd be interested to know that too. I currently use ear muffs when I vacuum but that gets hot 'n sweaty after a while. Thanks.

 

Vacuum = Bosch BGS5SIL2GB Power Silence (66db) - yes it really is only 66db!

Hairdryer = Panasonic Quiet Silent EH-ND52 Hair Blow Dryer Blower (49db) - I didn't think there was anyway a hair dryer could be only 49db...and I was right, it's about 70db BUT still the quietest hair dryer I ever used

Kettle - Russell Hobbs 20460 Buckingham Kettle - Stainless Steel - no db advertised but I can tell you it is a hell of a lot quieter than any kettle I've had before and I measure it about 69db on my db reader


Hope that helps!

 

Thanks for the info! I'd love to get a quieter vacuum, but we just bought a Dyson maybe 2.5 years ago for some ridiculous amount of money and so I don't think I can justify a new one quite yet! I guess I'll just have to continue with the ear muffs (and these days ... plugs too).

 

@Rhea Smack smack smack!!

 

Thanks Rhea!
In the shops when I ask for quiet hairdryer they just look at me as if I'm from another planet

 

Hi, yes I done exactly the same thing, had only bought a dyson the year before, but I sold the Dyson on ebay for £100, then found a 2nd hand Bosch for £100 ..so it all worked out ok

 

I hadn't thought about eBay; that's more my wife's thing. Maybe she'll "take on the assignment!" I'll have to check and see how good the quiet ones are at sucking up pet hair, though. The Dyson does a good job with that ... and we need it, believe me!

 

Trust me it does the job with the pet hairs! I have to cats that shed fur all over the bloody place....The suction on the Bosch is actually incredibly, it has about 6 settings and if you have it on any higher than setting 3 you can even move it back and forth on the carpet as it is so powerful! Great performance vaccumm AND super quiet ....at this rate maybe I should become a Bosch sales woman haha

 

Hello everyone,

Check out the allegedly world's most silent vacuum cleaner - Electrolux UltraSilencer Zen (just 58 dB!):
https://www.electroluxvacuums.co.nz/our-range/bagged-vacuums/ultrasilencer-zen

Lawn mowing, I'll be getting this eco friendly & silent Fiskars Stay Sharp Max Reel Mower:
http://www2.fiskars.com/Products/Gardening-and-Yard-Care/Reel-Mowers/StaySharp-Max-Reel-Mower-6205

You can also get it with Max Grass Catcher

Fiskars StaySharp Max Reel Mower Review

Cheers,

Jiri

 

I would pay a lot for a fire alarm that uses flashing lights instead of noise to alert one of a fire. I am having trouble finding one. The existing ones are all triggered by the sound of a regular fire alarm...

 

I purchased this low-noise hair dryer from Panasonic last year on Amazon. I'm very pleased with it. It's much quieter than a regular dryer. It received 96% five star ratings from customers. It also has plenty of power, 1200 watts. It operates on 100 - 110 volts AC.

The only down side is that it's a bit pricey: $40 US dollars. At least the shipping was free:

https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Lo...07214943&sr=8-1&keywords=low+noise+hair+dryer

 

A 70 dB hair dryer is a nice suggestion but possibly still too loud for some of us, especially when that sound is right next to our ears. I am surprised no one in the tinnitus community has mentioned one of these yet as they have been emerging in popularity--a hot air brush.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01L...qid=1514406907&sr=8-15&keywords=hot+air+brush

I have not used one yet so I cannot say it works or not. But it looks like it would work like a regular hair straightener which are silent.

 

@Red, that post from Rhea about a Panasonic hair dryer that was 70 dB is a different model than the one I have and posted. I don't have a dB meter but I'm sure it's not that loud. Just read some of the reviews/comments about how quiet it is. Her post was in April of 2015. I think mine is a newer and improved model.

That said, your idea does has merit. Especially for those with both tinnitus & hyperacusis.

 

There are many on Amazon.com.

 

Are you talking about:
https://www.amazon.com/Kidde-Carbon-Monoxide-Alarms-Strobe/dp/B000B78YFK
According to the description "85-decibel alarm sounds loudly, alerting the household to a dangerous level of carbon monoxide or the presence of fire." So they use strobe light In Addition to the audible sound alarm.
Others include:
https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-BRK-SL177-Compliant/dp/B001U0ONAW
that "Must be used in combination with 120V AC smoke, heat or carbon monoxide alarms (sold separately)"

Am I missing something?

 

The best bet would probably be a First Alert™ smoke alarm... They use photoelectric technology rather than ionization to detect fires, this cuts down immensely on false alarms, and works much better for detecting smoldering type fires than ionization does. They also have a lower frequency horn than most brands do, which is less likely to cause hearing damage.

 

The floor's a mess and I can't vacuum due to the noise. Are there any vacuums that aren't so loud and safe for hearing?

 

A friend uses earplugs when vacuuming. Much cheaper than buying a new vacuum.

 

I think the robot vacuums are supposed to be quiet.

 

Are earplugs enough to protect my hearing?

 

It depends how loud the external sound is going to be? The believe that wearing earplugs or ear-defenders will make a person with tinnitus safe from all external sounds is not true. The reason being, if external sound is loud enough, it will pass through the head/skull and transfer to the inner by bone conduction and possibly spike the tinnitus. When this happens the tinnitus might or might not reduce to its previous baseline level. If a person is unfortunate the tinnitus can increase to a new permanent level.

Be careful.
Michael

 

Depends on the volume of the device, the NRR/SNR level of the plugs and your individual sensitivity.

My tinnitus always spikes after vacuuming even with double protection, but I don't know if it actually hurts my hearing or is it just a temporary thing. Others have stable tinnitus and nothing makes their hearing or tinnitus worse.

 

This is a great thread! Happy I found it!