You can set up soundproof room dividers just about anywhere in a home. These dividers give you a greater amount of freedom, especially when selecting the areas you want to be soundproofed.
Soundproof room dividers can also act as ad hoc or temporary walls for partitioning spaces when you want specialized rooms.
Another benefit of using soundproof room dividers is the flexibility they offer. You can keep them hidden or drawn depending on how much noise you are dealing with. For example, you can install soundproof room dividers along your bedroom wall that faces the other side of your home.
You can have them open during the day, when you don’t mind a little noise from the rest of the people in the home, and draw them at night when you want to enjoy your quiet sleep.
What to Look Out For When Getting a Soundproof Room Divider
Searching for the best soundproof room divider can be a bit difficult since many of these products technically do not say anything about sound-dampening capabilities.
That said, there are some factors you need to consider when choosing a soundproof room divider to use in your home.
Look Out For the Size
Whether you live in a house or an apartment, it is important to pay attention to the room where you plan to use a soundproof divider.
You have to think about the amount of space you have in the room. How comfortable are you with your soundproof room divider in the room? Can you settle in easily without the soundproof room divider getting in your way? If the divider is in the middle or corner of the room, can it provide soundproofing and improve the room’s aesthetics?
How Does the Quality Stack Up?
How much soundproofing and insulation a room divider has will depend on the material used to create it. You will get more soundproofing capabilities if the material used is of good quality.
Typically soundproof room dividers made from insulated microfiber offer the best soundproofing. Nevertheless, you can also get soundproofing room dividers made from cotton and polyester. Cotton offers a soft surface, which can effectively absorb sound waves.
How Much Does it Weigh?
Keep in mind that using a soundproof room divider means you’ll probably need to assemble and disassemble them at some point. This process will require taking the panels off and putting them back on. For this reason, it makes sense to choose lightweight materials that can be easily handled without running into any issues, especially with excessive weight.
How Easy Is It to Use the Sound Proof Room Divider?
Typically, you use a soundproof room divider when you don’t want any noise disturbances in your personal space, whether at home or work.
Before opting for any soundproof room divider, you need to consider how easy it is to fit it into your space and how it will impact your usual activities. Choose something that will improve or at least maintain your current way of life instead of hampering it.
Types of Sound Proof Room Dividers
Soundproof room dividers come in a few different designs and types. Here is a rundown of the different options.
Glass Partition
A glass partition is an excellent choice as you can use it to divide a room and provide great soundproofing and sound insulation. Glass acoustic partition also provides excellent insulation.
Glass is a dense material. That means you can use a large piece of glass even if it has little thickness.
Additionally, glass is not porous. And since it doesn’t have holes, it is difficult for sound waves and ambient noise to leak through the material. For this reason, glass is an extremely inexpensive option to use as a soundproof room divider.
Wall Panels
Wall panels are an easy and affordable way to add a bit of soundproofing to your home or office space. What is great about these panels is that they can blend nicely with just about any decor.
Many wall panels are designed to absorb all sound waves. Keep in mind that these are usually a bit more expensive than many of the other options available. If your interior décor matches it, you may want to consider choosing black wall panels. These are great at absorbing both light and sound. You can also use the wall panels to reduce the amount of reflection generated from television screens and other monitors.
Curtains
One great option for a soundproof room divider is a soundproof curtain. A room divider curtain can provide various sound dampening qualities, depending on the type of divider curtain you used.
Additionally, you have to consider the size of the room. A heavier curtain is a lot more effective at absorbing sound and making your room or space quieter. While thinner curtains might look nice, they are not great at absorbing that much sound.
A soundproof room divider curtain with a lot more fiber tends to dampen reduce noise better. This is because the fibers are a lot closer together and ensure the sound waves don’t pass through easily. Suede and velvet materials are equally great options owing to their closer fiber arrangement. You might also want to consider curtains that come with liners. Having a liner in your soundproof divider curtain provides an additional layer to block sound out.
You can also consider curtains that come with thermal insulation. In addition to being great for blocking sound, they are also good for windows.
Keep in mind that if you choose to use curtains, you will also have to install curtain rods, which makes them semi-permanent. You can use the rods to open or close the acoustic curtains.
If you want more sound dampening capabilities, you can go for pleated curtains. As a general rule of thumb, curtains with deeper pleats provide more sound absorption and block out more noise pollution.
Hanging Acoustic Panels
Less moveable or permanent panels are a better option in some cases. In this case, hanging acoustic panels would be a great idea.
As the name suggests, hanging acoustic panels are hung from the ceiling. These panels are great for dampening sound. Plus, they are generally very durable. The panels come in a variety of sizes, colors, and styles, and provide a unique look to most interior spaces.
Compared to other options on this list, installing hanging acoustic panels is a more permanent soundproofing solution. For this reason, it will take more time to plan, design, make, and install it. Even when it comes time to remove them, you still need careful planning and construction before taking them off.
Overall, these are great soundproof room dividers that can also provide the right amount of ambiance to your room.
Conference Room Panels
You can use conference room panels, which are typically found in boardrooms, conference centers, or office space.
Conference room panels are both efficient and effective for dividing and soundproofing your interior space. They are extremely flexible and can be easily moved around.
Conference room panels are not limited to conference centers and boardrooms only. You can use them in just about any space in your home or office. You can even use them to create many smaller rooms from one bigger room.
In addition to providing a lot of privacy, these panels add a professional look to your space. They also come in various heights, widths, and thicknesses, so you can easily customize them to suit your space and purpose.
Unlike glass partitions (which is the first option on this list), how much sound conference room panels can block out will depend on the thickness of the panels. For this reason, you want to invest in the thickest panel you can afford. But remember to factor in ventilation and lighting. You want to allow just enough light and air without letting in unwanted noise or allowing private conversations to escape through the panels.
Foldable Panel Partition Wall Divider
Foldable panel partition wall dividers are extremely versatile. They are so versatile that you can use them inside and outside the house.
With a foldable panel partition wall divider, you can block portions of your room or garden that you don’t want to share with your neighbors. So, you can use the hot tub outside while still having a bit of privacy. It is even possible to use them to shield yourself from the sun.
The dividers are typically one piece, and you can find them in various materials, designs, and colors. You can easily find an option that suits your interior décor, taste, and style.
Besides preventing others from seeing you, you can also use foldable panel partition wall dividers to dampen sound. They are an effective way to create soundproof room dividers. Each partition comes with separate panels that can be attached.
But there is one downside: you cannot take them apart. That means the panel will stay the way you purchased it and can only be used in that form, allowing for little to no customization.
That said, the panels do not require any complex or time-consuming assembling process. They are already assembled, and you get to enjoy them once you buy them. You can fold them in any direction, making them easy to set up in just about any way that best suits you. Also, the partitions are lightweight and easy to move around. Plus, you can easily fold and store them after use, especially when you use them in an outdoor space.
Acoustic Room Dividers
Acoustic room dividers are typically sold as single panels. Each panel comes with feet, making them standalone options.
The most effective way to use the acoustic room divider is to buy several and zip them together. You can easily extend the divider by attaching more panels. These panels typically come in widths of 72 inches or 24 inches. When it comes to height, they are about 66 inches high.
The acoustic room dividers use acoustic fabric. This material is great at dampening sound. Since they can significantly decrease how much sound passes through them, they are great options to use in a work environment, especially in offices where employees need high levels of concentration.
Acoustic room dividers are available in a wide range of colors, and most use recycled materials, making them great for anyone looking to do their bit for the environment.
One of the benefits of acoustic room dividers is you can use them in a small space. You can also use them by themselves and easily move them around. Plus, you can expand the divider if you want.
You might even choose to surround yourself with individual panels to create your private space. That said, one drawback is you have to buy the dividers individually which might mean spending more money.
360 Accordion Portable Partition
This type of portable partition is quite versatile with many use cases. This means you can use this for just about any scenario.
The 360 accordion portable partition typically comes on wheels, so it is very easy to move around. Also, this partition system is extremely light, making it easy to be moved by a single individual.
Every wheel on the partition comes with a brake, meaning you don’t have to worry about the partition rolling away.
They are available in various widths and heights, with the smallest being 4 feet and the largest being as high as 8 feet. You can even find options that are longer than 20 feet. With these types, you can easily create different sections from one the same partition.
The 360 accordion portable partition comes in various colors to match any home décor. Also, you can easily hang items on the panel using push pins. That means you have one stylish panel that beautifies your space and allows you to place decorative pieces on it.
The partitions come with a massive hinge that allows you to move each panel in any chosen direction.
Acoustic Wall Partitions
Acoustic wall partitions tend to be the most common dividers available on the market. They usually come in neutral colors. Usually, acoustic wall partitions are covered in a fabric that allows you to hang them using thumbtacks.
These partitions can add a unique but professional touch to just about any interior setting. Depending on the type of wall partition you buy, you might find a few attractive colors.
They are very effective as room dividers since they come in a range of sizes and shapes. You can find them in varying lengths and widths. The panels can be separated or put together with zippered connections that attach them close together.
Acoustic wall partitions can offer a decent amount of soundproofing. They can also be found with solid feet or wheels to enable easy movement.
Interestingly, you can find some options designed to be environmentally friendly. They use recycled materials.
Keep in mind that acoustic wall partitions are best used as soundproof room dividers in professional settings. That’s mostly because they are plain.
And although options that come with wheels are easy to move, a typical acoustic wall partition can be quite heavy. That means it might take more than one person to move it around.
Bottom line: this isn’t an option you want to use in your home.
Do Sound Proof Room Dividers Actually Work?
It is easy to believe that soundproof room dividers don’t work. However, that is far from the case.
Soundproof room dividers can effectively lower the amount of noise that could leak into your home or office. They work by blocking the paths that sound waves typically travel through. Instead of reflecting sound waves as other surfaces do, soundproof room dividers absorb the waves.
However, it is important to manage your expectations. Don’t expect soundproof room dividers to completely block out every sound from coming in or getting out of your living space.
Conclusion
Your quest for the most effective soundproof room divider has led you to this article. There are various reasons you would want to dampen sound in your space.
Perhaps you need to partition your space away from others in your home so you could have a good night’s sleep or study without noise disturbances. Or you want to create some privacy at work. Whatever your reason, you will find at least one option on this list that’s quite suitable.
You should also note that the amount you pay to install a soundproof room divider typically depends on the material in question, the size, quality, and type of soundproof room divider. Semi-permanent options are usually a bit costlier than other types.