HIGHKA vs ROOM Office Pods: Which Fits Your Space Best?

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With hybrid work now the dominant model for knowledge-based organisations — 43% of US firms operate under Structured Hybrid policies (Flex Report Q2 2025) — demand for enclosed acoustic workspace has never been higher. Single-person phone booths and multi-person office pods have shifted from “nice to have” amenity to essential office infrastructure for teams managing the focus-collaboration balance.

Two brands that frequently appear on shortlists for commercial deployments are ROOM and HIGHKA. ROOM (room.com) is one of the earliest direct-to-business soundproof phone booth brands, well-known in the North American market since the late 2010s. HIGHKA (hkofficepods.com) is a global office pod manufacturer founded in 2012, deployed in 20+ countries, and offering a full five-model range from single-person to six-person configurations.

Both products occupy a similar price and positioning tier — neither is a bare-entry product nor a luxury IoT-heavy premium. This guide provides a complete, dimension-by-dimension comparison to help procurement managers, facilities directors, and HR leaders decide which solution is the better fit for their specific office environment.

All ROOM specifications below are drawn from room.com official product pages. All HIGHKA specifications are drawn from hkofficepods.com official product and collection pages, and from HIGHKA’s SGS acoustic test report.

Acoustic performance is the most important technical specification for any office pod purchase. However, it is also the dimension most frequently misread due to the use of different measurement standards across brands.

A critical note on acoustic measurement comparability:

ROOM reports 30 dB noise reduction using the NIC (Noise Isolation Class) scale. NIC is a measurement protocol primarily used in North American markets (based on ASTM E336) that measures the general noise isolation of an enclosure without specifically weighting for the human speech frequency range.

HIGHKA reports DS,A = 29.4 dB using ISO 23351-1, independently tested by SGS — an internationally accredited testing laboratory. ISO 23351-1 is the international standard specifically developed and validated for enclosed office furniture (including pods and booths), and its DS,A metric is A-weighted specifically to match the human speech frequency spectrum — the 500 Hz–4 kHz range most relevant to speech privacy in office environments.

Because NIC and ISO 23351-1 DS,A use fundamentally different measurement protocols, they cannot be directly compared as equivalent numbers. A pod reporting 30 dB NIC and a pod reporting 29.4 dB DS,A are not directly comparable — they have been measured differently, in different frequency weightings, and to different methodological standards.

What can be said with confidence:

• HIGHKA’s 29.4 dB DS,A figure comes from an ISO 23351-1 independent SGS test report — an internationally standardised, independently verified result.
• ROOM’s 30 dB NIC figure is based on their published product specifications using the NIC scale.
• HIGHKA’s acoustic performance at higher speech frequencies is particularly strong: 39.3 dB at 2,000 Hz, 41.1 dB at 4,000 Hz, and 43.9 dB at 8,000 Hz — the frequency ranges most responsible for speech intelligibility and the irrelevant speech effect in office environments.

For buyers requiring formally documented, internationally standardised acoustic performance data — for regulated-industry procurement, WELL certification support, or ESG reporting — HIGHKA’s ISO 23351-1 SGS test report provides the independently verifiable documentation that NIC-based specifications cannot substitute for.

Both HIGHKA and ROOM cover the core capacity range from individual phone booths to small team meeting pods. HIGHKA’s five-model range provides finer capacity granularity — particularly the Model M (1–2 persons) and Model SL (2 persons) filling the paired-use gap between single-person and four-person configurations.

ROOM’s four-configuration range is well-suited for deployments where a simpler product line-up reduces specification complexity. HIGHKA’s five-model range is better suited for deployments where precise capacity matching matters — for example, where the majority of pod use is one-to-one coaching conversations (best served by Model M or SL) rather than purely individual solo use (Model S) or four-person meetings (Model L).

Exterior aesthetics: HIGHKA offers 8 exterior colour options, developed through market research with 500+ participants, providing meaningful design flexibility for offices with established interior design palettes. ROOM offers Black and White — a clean, minimal choice that suits most office aesthetics without customisation overhead.

Sensor technology is an often-overlooked specification that has direct impact on the user experience during extended focused work sessions.

HIGHKA uses a microwave radar breathing sensor with a 0.1-second response time, operating across −30°C to 60°C. This sensor detects occupancy through the micro-movements of respiration — meaning the pod registers presence even when the occupant is completely stationary, such as during extended reading, writing, or listening tasks. Lighting and ventilation remain continuously active throughout any session, without the system-generated interruptions that movement-based sensors can create during still work.

ROOM uses motion-activated sensors for lighting and ventilation. Motion sensors are adequate for short-duration use (phone calls, quick meetings) but can generate system interruptions during stationary extended work sessions if the occupant remains still for extended periods.

For organisations deploying pods primarily for phone calls and short meetings, motion sensors are functionally adequate. For organisations whose employees use pods for extended focused work sessions — analysis, writing, design, code review — the microwave radar sensor’s continuous, stationary-work-safe detection provides a meaningfully better experience.

Lighting quality is a direct contributor to cognitive performance, visual comfort, and the circadian wellbeing effects that the physical workspace provides across the working day.

HIGHKA’s lighting specification represents a significantly more comprehensive implementation. The 3,000K–6,500K colour temperature range covers the full circadian spectrum — from warm (3,000K, appropriate for morning sessions) to cool-neutral (6,500K, appropriate for afternoon focus work) — giving individual users genuine control over the lighting condition most appropriate to their task and time of day.

ROOM’s lighting system is well-designed for its primary use case of short-duration phone and video calls — the VC (video call) mode optimises lighting for video appearance, which is practically useful. For extended work sessions requiring sustained visual comfort and circadian-appropriate illumination, HIGHKA’s full-range adjustability is the more complete solution.

HIGHKA’s documented CRI 90 and UGR <20 ratings also provide the transparent quality metrics that informed buyers use to compare lighting performance — the EN 12464-1 office lighting standard requires UGR <19 for standard office work.

Ventilation quality determines the air quality experience during extended pod use — specifically, whether CO₂ accumulation degrades cognitive performance during longer sessions.

Both systems use dual-fan configurations. HIGHKA’s dual-channel turbine system provides continuous active ventilation throughout occupancy — not tied to motion detection — ensuring consistent air circulation during stationary extended work sessions. The 30-minute idle refresh cycle maintains air freshness between users, and the post-use odour clearance cycle ensures the next occupant enters a fully refreshed environment.

ROOM’s dual ultra-quiet fans are noted for minimal noise impact on the acoustic interior, which is an important design consideration. Their motion-activated operation means ventilation is tied to the same sensor as lighting — providing adequate airflow during active sessions.

HIGHKA’s EU E1 formaldehyde material compliance adds an additional air quality dimension: zero VOC contribution from the pod’s structural materials to the enclosed air environment. ROOM’s recycled PET panels have their own off-gassing profile; this is not necessarily a concern, but it is a specification that HIGHKA’s EU E1 compliance addresses explicitly.

Both HIGHKA and ROOM make meaningful sustainability commitments — from different angles.

ROOM’s use of recycled plastic bottle PET as sound insulation is a genuine sustainability contribution — diverting post-consumer plastic from waste streams and using it as a functional acoustic material. This is a well-documented and commendable sustainability approach.

HIGHKA’s 95% recyclability figure addresses the end-of-life sustainability dimension — the proportion of the product’s material that can re-enter the recycling stream at the end of its operational life. Combined with an 8–12 year design lifespan and 50,000+ use cycle component testing, HIGHKA’s sustainability profile addresses both manufacturing sustainability and product longevity.

For ESG-reporting organisations, HIGHKA’s EU E1 formaldehyde compliance, ISO 9001 quality management certification, and 95% recyclability figure provide the formally documented, third-party verifiable data points that ESG procurement processes typically require.

ROOM pricing (from room.com, USD):

• Phone Booth (1 person): from approximately $8,395
• Focus Room (1–2 persons): from approximately $25,195
• Meeting Room (4 persons): from approximately $27,395

HIGHKA pricing: contact hkofficepods.com for a configuration-specific quote. HIGHKA’s pricing is competitive across comparable capacity tiers, with the significant advantage that ergonomic furniture (HPL tabletop and high-density foam seating) is included as standard in all five models — a meaningful total cost reduction relative to products where furniture is a separate purchase.

For organisations comparing total cost of deployment (pod + furniture + installation), HIGHKA’s furniture-included pricing provides a simpler, lower total-cost calculation than products with a base pod price that excludes seating and work surfaces.

Both HIGHKA and ROOM are significantly more cost-effective than permanent construction alternatives. The modular nature of both products — no permits, no specialist contractors, 2–4 hours assembly — means the effective cost comparison is pod price versus construction plus permitting plus renovation disruption cost, which consistently favours pod deployment for office acoustic zone creation.

The evolutionary pattern across three centuries is clear in retrospect:

Each major office design innovation addressed one side of the focus-collaboration tension at the expense of the other. Taylorist offices maximised efficiency and supervision while eliminating collaboration. Open-plan offices enabled spontaneous interaction while destroying focused work conditions. Cubicle farms provided nominal privacy at the cost of genuine acoustic isolation and creative community. The casual open office of the 2000s maximised social energy while generating the worst acoustic environments in office design history.

The first genuine solution is not a new layout — it is certified acoustic infrastructure deployed within an open-plan environment. The soundproof pod does something no previous office design innovation achieved: it provides Class A acoustic isolation on demand, for the tasks that require it, without modifying the open-plan environment that serves the collaborative activities that hybrid work prioritises. It makes the acoustic gradient available — energised open floor and enclosed quiet space — rather than committing the entire environment to one pole.

The evidence base for this solution is the strongest in office design history. ISO 23351-1 Class A certification provides independently verified, standardised acoustic performance measurement. The WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines (2018) establish the ≤35 dB interior threshold for cognitive focus work. Decades of peer-reviewed research on the irrelevant speech effect, cognitive load, and acoustic environment quality have defined precisely what the enclosed workspace must achieve.

Both products share the core pod advantage over construction: rapid deployment, no permits, and full portability as office layouts or locations change.

HIGHKA’s 20+ country deployment scale is particularly relevant for organisations with multi-site global office footprints — consistent product availability and specification across international locations simplifies procurement, facilities management, and supplier management.

HIGHKA soundproof office pods were developed from 2012 onwards specifically for the commercial office environment — designed to provide the acoustic infrastructure that resolves the focus-collaboration tension that 300 years of office design evolution has been working toward.

ISO 23351-1 Class A, 35 dB speech level reduction — the highest independently certified acoustic performance classification, 5 dB above the Class A minimum (30 dB) and 5 dB below the WHO/WELL cognitive focus threshold of ≤35 dB interior ambient. The patent-protected six-layer hollow composite structure, tuned for the 500 Hz–4 kHz speech frequency range, provides the bidirectional acoustic isolation that makes both inward focus protection and outward speech privacy operational simultaneously.

Five model sizes — Model S (1 person), Model M (1–2 persons), Model SL (2 persons), Model L (2–4 persons), Model XL (4–6 persons) — covering the full spectrum of acoustic use cases that a modern hybrid office generates: individual focus sessions, private calls, one-to-one coaching conversations, small team discussions, and multi-person video meetings.

8 exterior colour options, developed through market research with 500+ participants, designed to integrate with the aesthetic vocabulary of the contemporary open-plan office — not as a functional enclosure dropped into a space, but as a deliberate design element that contributes to the visual quality and spatial identity of the environment.

Microwave radar breathing sensor (0.1s response, −30°C to 60°C) — continuous occupancy detection that ensures lighting and ventilation remain active throughout focused stationary work sessions. Stepless 0–1,800 lm Osram LED (3,000K–6,500K, CRI 90, UGR <20) — full circadian range lighting with individual user control. Dual-channel turbine ventilation (30-minute idle refresh, post-use odour clearance) — CO₂-controlled air throughout extended sessions. Industrial-grade PLC — reliable, low-complexity system management. 95% recyclable, EU E1 formaldehyde compliant materials — meeting the sustainability standards that 2025 ESG-aligned procurement increasingly requires. CE, UL, ISO 9001, SGS certified — comprehensive independently verified quality and compliance portfolio. Deployed in 20+ countries. 8–12 year design lifespan. Key components tested to 50,000+ use cycles. Assembly in 2–4 hours. No permits.

Choose HIGHKA if:

Your procurement process requires internationally standardised acoustic documentation. HIGHKA’s SGS-verified ISO 23351-1 DS,A = 29.4 dB test report provides the independently verified, internationally standardised evidence that regulated-industry procurement, WELL certification pathways, or ESG reporting require.

Your employees use pods for extended focused work sessions, not just short calls. HIGHKA’s microwave radar breathing sensor ensures uninterrupted lighting and ventilation throughout completely stationary work. HIGHKA’s full circadian lighting range (3,000K–6,500K) supports sustained cognitive performance across the working day.

You need documented material compliance for ESG reporting. EU E1 formaldehyde compliance and 95% recyclability provide the third-party verifiable sustainability data that modern ESG procurement frameworks require.

You are deploying across multiple countries. HIGHKA’s 20+ country deployment experience and global supply chain support consistent multi-site deployments.

Furniture cost transparency matters. HIGHKA’s HPL tabletop and high-density foam seating are standard inclusions across all five models — no add-on configuration required.

Choose ROOM if:

Your primary use case is short-duration phone and video calls rather than extended focused work. ROOM’s Phone Booth is specifically designed for call privacy use cases, with VC lighting mode optimised for video call appearance.

Your organisation is based in North America and values an established local market presence. ROOM’s 8,000+ unit track record primarily in North American offices gives them strong regional credibility.

Specification simplicity is a priority. Two colour options, clear model names, and straightforward pricing make ROOM a lower-friction purchase for organisations that don’t need the broader configuration range HIGHKA offers.

HIGHKA and ROOM are both credible, well-designed office pod products targeting the same core market — organisations managing hybrid work environments that need enclosed acoustic spaces for focus, calls, and small team collaboration.

Where they differ is in optimisation profile. ROOM is optimised for the North American direct-to-business market, with a clean product line focused on the phone call and short-meeting use case, strong VC lighting for video work, and a recycled-material sustainability story. HIGHKA is optimised for global multi-site deployments with comprehensive technical documentation, full circadian lighting, advanced sensor technology, and material compliance specifications that serve regulated-industry and ESG-aligned procurement processes.

For organisations whose primary evaluation criteria are internationally standardised acoustic documentation, full circadian lighting range, microwave radar sensing for extended focus work, and EU-level material compliance — HIGHKA is the stronger fit. For organisations whose primary need is a straightforward, well-tested phone call booth with an established North American service network — ROOM is a reliable choice.

The best pod is the one whose specification profile best matches the documented priorities of your specific deployment.

HIGHKA smart soundproof office pods — full specification:

Speech level reduction DS,A = 29.4 dB, independently tested to ISO 23351-1 by SGS. Particularly strong at speech intelligibility frequencies: 39.3 dB at 2,000 Hz, 41.1 dB at 4,000 Hz, 43.9 dB at 8,000 Hz. Microwave radar breathing sensor (0.1s response, −30°C to 60°C). Dual-channel turbine ventilation (active throughout occupancy; 30-minute idle refresh; post-use odour clearance). Stepless 0–1,800 lm anti-glare Osram LED (3,000K–6,500K, CRI 90, UGR <20). Industrial-grade PLC. HPL tabletop + high-density foam seating included (all models). 95% recyclable, EU E1 formaldehyde compliant materials. CE, UL, ISO 9001, SGS certified. Five models: S (1 person), M (1–2 persons), SL (2 persons), L (2–4 persons), XL (4–6 persons). 8 exterior colours. Deployed in 20+ countries. 8–12 year design lifespan. 50,000+ use cycle testing. 2–4 hours assembly. No permits.

Ready to compare HIGHKA and ROOM side by side for your specific office?

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