Are vibrators loud? Is there a way to reduce them?  

Vibrators can give their users lots of intense pleasure, but one of the challenges people face is that they can be noisy. The sound that a vibrator gives off can be rather embarrassing when you have housemates, family members and other people yards away from you. Things can become particularly troublesome if your bedroom is very close to the next one and if there are thin walls where you live. There are many different things that people have tried to cover up the noise of a vibrator whilst making the most of their features.  

If you’re ready to find out how to make your vibrator use as discreet as possible, how products like bullet vibrators and discreet vibrators can help and what you can do to make sure your private time really is private, read on.  

How loud is a typical vibrator?   

Vibrators can vary a lot when it comes to noise. Whilst some vibrators give off little more than a gentle hum, others can be much louder. To understand how loud a vibrator is, it’s a good idea to find out how noise levels are measured. Noise is normally measured in decibels, and a whisper is around 30 dB. Normal conversations come in at around 60dB, whilst the noise of a hairdryer is around 70 to 90 dB.  

Today’s toys including bullet vibrators and discreet vibrators, tend to fall somewhere around 30-50dB, although the actual figure can depend on things like the environment, the material they’re made from and the brand. This means that, even though they’re quieter than a typical conversation, they may be audible when the rest of your home is totally silent. This can leave you feeling really nervous when you’re making the most of your investment late at night.  

Some vibrators can be louder than 65dB, which may leave you worried that your housemates could hear them in use. Don’t worry, there are lots of things that can stop the noise from travelling outside of your bedroom even when you’re on the most powerful settings, and these can include walls, carpets, doors and furnishings.  

Do materials influence volume?  

A vibrator that’s made out of hard plastic will normally be louder than one manufactured from silicone. The vibrator may be more audible if it has a hard casing, and it’s bound to sound louder if it’s resting against a hard surface rather than being used for its actual purpose.  

Vibrators and self-consciousness  

Even the quietest vibrator might sound loud to you if you’re trying to be discreet in the small hours of the morning. It’s worth remembering that many people’s fears about being overheard only exist inside their heads. Unless your toy is really loud or you have very thin walls, it’s unlikely that others in your home will hear anything. Self-consciousness can make your vibrator seem much louder than it is. It’s also worth remembering that homes are generally full of noise, and that the sounds from a vibrator aren’t that different to something like a buzzing phone or an electric toothbrush.  

How to find a quiet vibrator

If you are still worried about noise and want to find a much quieter vibrator, there are options available to you. One step that you can take is to buy a vibrator with a low decibel rating. Some toys are marketed as “whisper-quiet”, and you can also check out the dB level on the packaging or in the product description to find out what to expect. User reviews can also help when you’re looking for a toy that will meet your quietness requirements. Manufacturers have achieved great things when it comes to turning down the volume of modern sex toys.  

It can also be worth spending a little more on a vibrator if you want to keep the noise to a minimum. Cheaper and older products tend to have noisy and rattly motors, whilst high-quality and newer ones usually give you smoother operation and don’t hum as loudly. Silicone is also a better option than hard plastic when you want to keep the noise down.

If your toy is fully encased in soft silicone, this is a good sign that the volume won’t bother you or be audible to other people in your property. Smaller toys like bullet vibrators or wearable ones are often quieter, simply because there’s less room inside for the noise to echo around.  

Battery-operated vibes can be louder than rechargeable toys because they have inferior motors. Rechargeable toys have steadier power sources, which means you’ll be dealing with less mechanical noise if you get yourself one of these.  

The best discreet vibrator types  

Here are some great options you could consider if you need a really quiet toy.  

Bullet vibrators are small and discreet. They’re great for solo play and use with a partner. They’re also nice and compact for travel.  

Clitoral suction toys deliver intense sensations, but many of these have a very quiet pulsing sound that’s unlikely to travel beyond your sheets.  

Wearables are designed to be used under your clothing and are either silent or extremely subtle in volume terms.  

Other toys you could consider if you need something with very quiet operation but don’t want to compromise on pleasure and a great climax include silicone finger toys and vibrating love eggs.  

How to make your vibrator quieter

If you already have a toy that you love but want to make sure nobody around you can hear it, you can try using it under the covers. Lots of the sound can be absorbed by blankets, pillows and duvets. Although they won’t get rid of the noise completely, they’ll certainly muffle it.  

You can also try using a towel to soak up some of the sound if your vibe tends to rattle against your mattress.  Your toy will emit more noise if you rest it on a hard surface while it’s turned on. We also advise you to soundproof your room if you’re really worried about the noise from your toy, and you can do this by adding a rug to the floor, installing some heavy curtains or even wall hangings. These can cut down the echo and stop sound from escaping your room.  

You could also try playing music to cover up some of the noise, but you may still have to do this quietly if you live with others and are enjoying some solo time at a later hour. Finally, you could turn the toy down if you don’t need the highest power setting to reach a climax.  

The last word on vibrator volume

It’s natural to be self-conscious about the noise from your vibe, but it might not be as loud as you think. Even if your toy is audible to others, it could easily be mistaken for something else. If you are still nervous, purchase a toy designed for quieter pleasure or make changes to your private space to stop sound from leaking out of it.