What is a Sone and How Does It Apply to Range Hoods?

When looking for a range hood for your home, one of the most important factors to consider is the sone level. A quiet fan will help you have a comfortable and enjoyable cooking experience in your home. Learn all about sones for your range hood in this article.

What is a sone?

In short, a sone is a unit of loudness. Sones are commonly used to measure the noise level of a kitchen ventilation fan. Both kitchen fans and bathroom fans are measured in sones.

Finding a range hood with an appropriate noise level that will meet your cooking needs is critical. Many people avoid turning on their kitchen fans due to their loudness. But, with a quiet efficient variable speed range hood, you’ll cook in peace and quiet and enjoy a clean home too.

Bathroom Fan Sone Level

Unlike kitchen fans, most bathroom fans move between 50 and 300 CFM of air.

What is considered a good sone level for a range hood?

Deciding what sone level is appropriate depends on your preferences and how you plan to use your kitchen exhaust fan. For example, if you are a person that is more concerned with maintaining a more comfortable noise while cooking with your exhaust fan, it is recommended to look for a range hood rated at 600 CFM and a sone level of about 4.

Depending on what you are cooking and how often you cook, you may want to adjust the noise level of your exhaust hood. High-heat, greasy, and fried foods or Asian cooking will require higher power and thus be noisier. Low-heat cooking – or if you want to talk to someone in your kitchen – will require a quieter setting.

If you would like a thorough guide on choosing the right CFM for your kitchen fan, click here. Or, for more information on CFM for electric vs. gas stoves, check out this article.

Sone Level Examples

Because the sone level depends on blower speed, you can easily find a flexible solution for your needs and comfort by purchasing a variable speed range hood.

Since you have the option to lower your speed setting, purchase an exhaust fan with a higher CFM. This will clean your air much more efficiently. In addition, powerful hoods have efficient motors, so when they are run at a lower speed, they are incredibly quiet – often between one and two sones.

How loud is 1 sone?

This rating is approximately equal to the sound of a refrigerator running, or a night in the quiet suburbs.

How loud is 2 sones?

Two sones produce the same noise as a calm office.

How loud is 3 sones?

A sone rating of three is comparable to the sound of a turned on television or a radio playing at a comfortable volume level.

How loud is 4 sones?

Normal conversations take place at a sound level of about four sones.

How loud is 5 sones?

Conversations with added noise take place at about five sones.

How loud is 6 sones?

Quiet restaurants produce about six sones

How loud is 7 sones?

Light traffic produces around seven sones.

How loud is 8 sones?

Eight sones is about the same loudness as regular traffic.

Sones to dB

It’s simple and easy to convert sones to dB and vice versa. Head on over to our complete article on sones and dB to check out a helpful conversion chart.

Our Final Thoughts on Sones

When range hood shopping, don’t just consider the sone level. It’s important to decide on the best style, CFM, and ventilation that you want as well. That being said, you can’t go wrong with a variable speed hood that allows you to control the sound.

For more advice on buying the best range hood for you, check out our articles below.

4 Ducted Range Hood Venting Options

Ductless Range Hood Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

Do recirculating hoods actually work?

What is a Sone and How Does It Apply to Range Hoods?