Best Quiet Air Compressors for 2023

Compressed air is critical for you to be able to properly perform the work you need. However normal compressors can also be quite loud which is problematic if your working in a neighborhood or near neighboring businesses. Fortunately, there are plenty of compressors on the market today that produce much less sound than a normal compressor. This guide will cover the best quiet air compressors available in 2023.

CFM needed for your tools

You want to ensure you choose a compressor that produces enough volume of air(CFM) for the tools you want to run. Any compressor can produce enough pressure for the majority of air tools but the CFM delivery of your compressor will depend on the motor size and compressor design. The chart below will show you CFM needs for a variety of common air tools; select the air tools you will plan to use and add up the CFM needed to run them. If possible the compressor you choose should cover at least the CFM needed for all your tools but ideally a bit more than is needed.

Oil Lubricated or Oil-less

If you need to run a large amount of CFM you will have to get an oil lubricated compressor. However, if you only need 7 cfm or less you can consider an oilless compressor which will prevent you from having to do any compressor maintenance.

Compressor tank size

A tank on an air compressor helps smooth out air delivery to your tools. The air tank serves to allow air to be built up back in the tank which creates an equal pressure delivery of compressed air. Without the tank anytime a tool had used all the CFM available the compressor would have to kick on and create a momentary drop in pressure. With a tank, the air can fill the tank back up while the tank continues to be used by the tools preventing pressure changes.

California Air Tools 8010 Ultra Quiet Oil-Free Air Compressor

This California Air Tools Compressor can deliver 2.2 CFM at 90 psi or 3.1 CFM at 40 Psi. If your looking to run smaller air tools consider looking no further. It features an oil-free design minimizing maintenance requirements. It also has a pump that is designed to last 3000 hours. Finally, it comes with an 8-gallon air tank which helps ensure consistent air delivery without significant pressure changes. You can also upgrade to the 8010AD model which adds an automatic drain to the outfit, the auto drain will remove any moisture that builds up in the air tank.

California Air Tools 10020AC Ultra Quiet & Oil Free Air Compressor

The California air tolls 10020AC compressor is a vertical compressor that operates at only 70 decibels. It can run off a standard 15 amp circuit and can fill the air tank that is included in 2 minutes. Refilling of the air tank during operation requires about 25 seconds. It also features an oil-free design with a pump that is designed to last 3000 hours. It comes with a 10-gallon tank and weighs in at 62 lbs. This rig can be the perfect compressor to use for common residential compressed air tools.

Campbell Hausfeld 6-Gallon Single Stage Portable Electric Pancake Air Compressor

Looking for a small compressor for tasks around the home like inflating tires or running a brad nailer? The Campbell Hausfeld compressor can deliver enough air for your project. It has a 6-gallon tank to buffer air demand and uses 7 amps of operating current but only requires a 110-volt plug. At 68 decibels the volume of this compressor is equal to the volume of a normal conversation. The oil free design means you will have minimal maintenance to worry about.

Now the compressors we have mentioned so far are suitable for smaller air tool needs but what if you have tools that require a lot of air like a sandblast cabinet or paint spray gun, the compressors below deliver significant air volume making them suitable for a garage that wants to get serious work done.

Industrial Air Five Horsepower 60 Gallon, 230 Volt, Two-stage Air Compressor

Industrial Air's 60 gallon, five-horse compressor can deliver 15 CFM at 100 PSI. It has a vertical air tank, making it take up less space in your garage. You can tuck this away in the corner, but still, have enough air to run a variety of larger equipment. You will need a 230 volt, 30 amp breaker for this equipment, so check your power before you consider this one. The pump on this compressor is a belt-driven pump and is oil lubricated, so you will have maintenance on the pump to ensure optimal run time over the years. The unit does come with an oil sight glass, so you can easily see that the unit has a proper amount of oil and is working the way you need it to.

EMAX 7.5 HP 208-230V 1-Phase 80 gal. Vertical Stationary Electric Air Compressor w/ Air Silencer & Pressure Lube Pump

This Emax compressor runs off single phase power. It can deliver 31 cfm at 100 PSI making It plenty large enough to run a suction sandblast cabinet or a paint spray gun. The 80 gallon tank provides plenty of room to buffer air delivery. While there is oil to change that is something you will find on any quiet air compressor this size.

California Air Tools 60040CAD Ultra Quiet & Oil Free Air Compressor

This compressor by California air tools will produce enough air to run a budget HVLP spray gun. At 68 decibels you can still easily carry a conversation on while this compressor runs. It also includes an auto drain to allow any moisture to flow out automatically. This compressor doesn’t use oil which eliminates the need for maintenance.

EMAX Industrial Plus Silent 10HP 120 gal. 208-230V 1-Phase 2 Stage Vertical Stationary Electric Air Compressor

This compressor can deliver up to 175 PSI making it ideal for tools that require serious air pressure. The 38 cfm at 100 psi will easily run a variety of tools from powder coating guns to sandblast cabinets. It does require a large circuit (50 amps) but you won’t find more cfm output in a single-phase compressor.

So there you have it a list of our favorite quiet air compressors. Our personal picks? For low CFM needs we like the California air tools 10020AC compressor which can deliver enough cfm for the majority of air tools in a common garage. For those who need serious air the Emax 7.5 or 10 hp silent air compressors will deliver more air volume than almost any brand out there.