Brits demand quieter appliances

Quiet Mark has found that Brits want their kitchens to be less noisy and are willing to pay more for quieter appliances.

The vast majority (82%) of Brits would like less noisy kitchen appliances, and 62% say they are drawn to quiet appliances. Over half (57%) of Brits would like their home to be quieter overall, and more than three-quarters (79%) say that how loud an appliance is would affect their purchasing decision.

Brits are also willing to pay more for quieter appliances, with nearly half (46%) saying they would spend more on less noisy appliances. Labelling is also a factor in consumer choice, as 70% are more likely to buy an appliance if it is specifically labelled as quiet.

Quiet Mark has released a new trends report – the National Noise Report October 2021: Household & Workplace Pandemic-Recovery Survey – which focused on UK’s attitudes towards noise in their home and appliances.

In terms of age demographics, the younger a person is, the more they prefer quieter appliances. Those aged 18-34 (66%) say they desire quiet appliances compared to those aged 55+ where it is only 54%. In addition, two-thirds (63%) of that 18-34 age group say they are willing to pay more for a quieter appliance.

Regarding which appliance consumers wish were quieter in their home, 45% want a quieter washing machine and 43% their vacuum cleaner. Other kitchen appliances like refrigerator and dishwasher were also mentioned, with 15% and 13% respectively wanting those to make less noise.

Overall, 57% of people say they would want a quieter home, with 60% of males wanting less noise and slightly lower of 54% females. In terms of age ranges, the younger you are, the quieter you would like your home – the survey showed 66% of 18-34, 64% of 35-54 and 44% of 50+.

The survey also found that Brits are not clued up when it comes to the dangers of noise. According to The World Health Organisation, noise is the second biggest killing natural pollutant after air pollution, and only a fifth (19%) of those surveyed knew this fact.

Over a third (39%) of Brits incorrectly believe hearing loss begins at 110 decibels, about the noise level of a rock concert. Just under half (47%) know that noise exposure can disturb sleep and cause high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Poppy Szkiler, CEO and co-founder of Quiet Mark, said: “Because sound is invisible, it is often overlooked. Yet, the fundamental impact it has on all the physical rhythms of our bodies, our hormones, heart rate and brain waves is so profound and inherent to our well-being. According to our latest public surveys commissioned by Quiet Mark.”

“There is still a huge knowledge gap about this in the UK, which often prevents noise reduction being made a priority in the design focus of new product development, yet unwanted noise is a serious pollutant which affects our brain-waves, heart rate, all our physical rhythms.”

Quiet Mark is an independent global certification programme associated with the UK Noise Abatement Society charitable foundation. Many appliance brands seek out certification from Quiet Mark to show how quiet the appliance is. The survey was carried out by Opinium Research and polled 2,000 UK adults aged 18+ across all regions.

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