There are a lot of factors to consider when buying a circular saw, and noise is one of the biggest. Studies have shown that prolonged exposure to sounds louder than 85 decibels (dB) can be hazardous to your health. And while ear muffs can protect your hearing, noisy equipment can also be a nuisance for family, pets, and neighbors.
With that in mind, getting a circular saw that stays quiet on its own is a great idea, whether you're trying to make your workplace safer or if you want to cut down on environmental noise. Here are some of the quietest circular saws on the market today.
Important note: although these models are quieter than most alternatives, the use of hearing protection is critical for personal safety during their operation.
Price: $1,172
Average noise level: 87 dB
You get what you pay for with this high-quality saw. While circular saws are always noisy (you should always wear hearing protection when operating a circular saw, no matter what), the Makita 5402NA does about as good a job at reducing noise on its own as any circular saw on the market. With a noise level of 87 dB, the 5402NA won't be as distractingly loud as most saws, and will do wonders for making your workshop less noisy for the rest of your neighborhood as well.
Price: $163.85
Average noise level: 91 dB
If you need a saw with miminal noise at a lower price, the Bosch Professional 12 V-26 is a solid option. With a sound level of 91 dB, it won't cause extreme noise problems, and its price point is much more affordable than most circular saws.
Price: $144.50
Average noise level: 95.5 dB
A solid combination of value and noise reduction, the 1400w Circular Saw is incredibly cheap and surprisingly quiet for a circular saw.
Echo Barrier is an innovative portable noise control system designed to mitigate noise in dynamic and sensitive work environments, reducing noise by up to 30 dB in the field. The best form of hearing protection is prevention or minimizing the noise in the first place. Where this proves difficult, there's Echo Barrier to reduce noise and protect the hearing of both workers and the community.