QUIET MARK – the mark of quieter appliances
Washing machines that make your kitchen sound like the inside of a car wash. Food processors as loud as lawnmowers. Coffee machines that could be mistaken for hammer drills. Vacuum cleaners that drown out the telephone, and the doorbell, and the television – and in fact everything else in earshot…
If you don’t want to brace yourself for ear-blasting volume every time you turn on an appliance, there’s an easy way to identify quieter products before you buy – check to see if they’ve been awarded the Quiet Mark.
Anything for a quiet life
There’s no denying that modern life isloud. Every time you leave the house it can feel like you’re being assaulted by sound – from traffic, roadworks, building projects, other people’s car stereos, ringtones and phone conversations – and all that noise only adds more stress to already stressful lifestyles: there’s a reason it’s called noise ‘pollution’.
The top 5 causes of noise pollution complaints
According to recent government statistics*, the top five causes of noise complaints to local councils were:
- Domestic– including loud music, television, parties and animal noise
- Commercial and leisure– including entertainment venues and security alarms
- Noise in street– such as antisocial behaviour and roadworks
- Industrial– from manufacturing, workshops and agriculture
- Transport– road vehicles, railways and deliveries
* DEFRA Noise Complaint Statistics for Northern Ireland, 2015-2016
Home peaceful home
With all the noise pollution around, it’s nice to come home, close your front door, and enjoy a little peace and quiet… until you need to put a load of laundry on, or make dinner, or brew a cup of coffee, or do the hoovering – and then all too often you’re back to square one, suffering through noise that you just don’t want to listen to – especially as so many of us have open plan spaces in our homes. That’s where Quiet Mark comes in.
What does Quiet Mark mean?
An international approval award programme launched by theNoise Abatement Societyin 2012, Quiet Mark encourages companies to make quieter appliances, independently tests and assesses them, and then awards its seal of approval only to the quietest products in any category. So if you’re looking for quiet kitchen appliances to reduce noise inside your home, it’s a great place to start.
How do Quiet Mark assess appliances?
Working in partnership with the Good Housekeeping Institute, Quiet Mark test sound levels at their own labs, reproducing real-life conditions where possible, and they also review and validate manufacturers’ reports – they won’t just take any company’s word for how quiet appliances are. And they also consider performance, and test products across a range of prices, so even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend, you should find a Quiet Mark approved product that will suit your budget.
The quieter, the better?
There’s no point buying an appliance solely because it’s quiet – you want it to do its job properly too. (After all, a silent kettle isn’t much use if it takes an hour to boil water for your morning cuppa – which is why asking the internet ‘What is the quietest kettle on the market?’ might not get you one you necessarily want!) But if it’s a choice between two machines that do the same thing, and to the same standard, quite a lot of us would probably go for the quieter one – if we knew which one that was.
If a product’s got a Quiet Mark award, you can trust that you’ll be getting one of the quietest machines that do that job – whether it’s a Quiet Mark kettle, washing machine, food processor or vacuum cleaner.
Quiet Mark products at Lakeland
We’re delighted to have teamed up with Quiet Mark to help you find quiet products from both our own Lakeland range and top brands likeMagimix®,Dualit® and coffee machine expertsMelitta®.
We can help reduce noise levels with the following types of products:
- Kettles
- Coffee machines
- Food processors
- Blenders
- Air fryers
And you’ll find all the products that have been awarded the Quiet Markhere.
Find out more…
If you want to know more about Quiet Mark, theirwebsiteis packed with information about who they are, what they do, and a full list of brands and products that have been awarded the Quiet Mark.