How Soundproof Are Office Pods? Everything You Need to Know

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If you have spent any time researching soundproof office pods, you have already encountered the confusion.
One manufacturer claims 26 dB. Another says 35 dB. A third refers to an STC rating of 42. A fourth uses the term “Class A ISO 23351-1” without explaining what it means. And somewhere in a product comparison spreadsheet, someone has asked whether these numbers are even measuring the same thing.
They are not — always. And that matters enormously when you are making a purchase decision based on acoustic performance.
This guide resolves the confusion. It explains what soundproofing numbers for office pods actually measure, why the measurement method matters as much as the number itself, how the ISO 23351-1 standard works and why it is the only credible basis for comparing pods across brands, what each performance class means in practical terms — and where HIGHKA soundproof office pods sit within this framework.
By the end of this article, you will know exactly what questions to ask any pod supplier, what numbers to request, and how to evaluate the answer.

The word “soundproof” is one of the most abused terms in the office products market. Strictly speaking, a truly soundproof space — one that transmits zero sound in either direction — does not exist outside of specialist acoustic laboratories. Every material allows some sound transmission. The meaningful question is not whether a pod is soundproof in the absolute sense, but how much sound reduction it provides, at what frequencies, and whether that reduction is sufficient for the intended use case.

For an office pod, “sufficient” is defined by two practical requirements:

1. Speech privacy for the occupant: Conversations inside the pod should not be audible or intelligible to people outside it. This protects confidential calls, sensitive discussions, and the occupant’s focus from being influenced by social self-consciousness.

2. Acoustic isolation for focus work: Ambient noise from the open-plan floor should be reduced to a level at which it no longer competes meaningfully with the occupant’s cognitive attention. Research and standards converge on ≤35 dB ambient inside the pod as the threshold for sustained cognitive focus work (WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines 2018; WELL Building Standard v2).

An office pod achieves both goals when it reduces sound sufficiently in both directions — inward (ambient noise from the floor to inside the pod) and outward (occupant voice from inside the pod to the floor). ISO 23351-1 is a standard specific to enclosing furniture like office phone booths and pods. It measures speech level reduction — specifically, how well the product reduces the user’s speech level as measured from outside the pod. This bidirectional function is what makes acoustic enclosure qualitatively different from noise-cancelling headphones, acoustic panels, or any other open-floor acoustic treatment.

Any dB ratings not measured according to the ISO 23351-1:2020 standard cannot be compared directly. In-house testing methodologies can vary wildly, with sometimes arbitrary, inflated, or even fabricated results. Hkofficepods

This is the most important single fact for anyone evaluating office pod soundproofing claims. A manufacturer who reports “35 dB noise reduction” using their own in-house test methodology is not reporting the same thing as a manufacturer who reports “35 dB” measured to ISO 23351-1 by an accredited independent laboratory. The numbers look identical. The evidentiary value is completely different.

Before comparing any acoustic performance figures across brands, the first question to ask is always: “Was this measured according to ISO 23351-1 by an independent, accredited testing facility?”

If the answer is no — or if the supplier cannot produce a test report — the number should be disregarded.

Prior to ISO 23351-1, the office furniture industry used several acoustic measurement standards originally developed for permanent building structures:

STC (Sound Transmission Class): A laboratory measurement of how much sound a single partition (wall, floor, or ceiling panel) reduces. STC measures a flat barrier between two rooms — not an enclosed furniture ensemble. STC only describes the ability of a single component, such as a wall, to reduce sound passing through it. Unlike ISO 23351-1, STC doesn’t put emphasis on the sound spectrum of speech. STC figures for pods tend to be higher than ISO 23351-1 figures for the same products because STC does not account for the real-world sound leakage through joints, seals, gaps, and ventilation openings that all freestanding pods contain. An STC figure for an office pod is therefore unreliable as a predictor of actual acoustic performance in use.

NIC (Noise Isolation Class): A field measurement of total sound insulation between two rooms, measuring both the partition and the receiving room’s acoustic conditions. More realistic than STC but still developed for architectural contexts. NIC doesn’t put emphasis on the sound spectrum of speech, and because of that, NIC isn’t as good of an indicator for speech privacy as the ISO 23351-1 DS,A figure.

Rw (Weighted Sound Reduction Index): A European standard (EN ISO 717-1) for measuring the airborne sound reduction of building elements — walls, floors, doors. Not designed for furniture ensembles. Like STC, Rw measures individual components rather than complete enclosures in realistic conditions.

The key problem with all three: None of them were designed with the specific geometry, construction, and use conditions of freestanding office pods in mind. They consistently produce figures that overstate real-world acoustic performance because they do not account for the flanking sound paths — the gaps, seals, joints, and ventilation openings — through which sound bypasses the primary acoustic materials in a freestanding pod structure.

ISO 23351-1 was developed specifically for measuring the acoustic performance of furniture ensembles and enclosed spaces, including office pods, phone booths, semi-enclosed work pods, and meeting pods. It produces a single figure called speech level reduction (DS,A), measured in decibels, that describes the degree of speech privacy the product provides.

The test methodology measures speech level with and without the pod, comparing the difference to calculate total speech level reduction. Crucially, it measures outward speech level — how much of the occupant’s voice leaks outside the pod — rather than the acoustic properties of individual panel materials. This makes it a far more accurate predictor of real-world speech privacy than any partition-focused standard.

ISO 23351-1:2020 is the first ISO standard designed specifically to measure the acoustic performance of furniture solutions like office pods. It classifies products from A+ (highest) to D (lowest) based on their speech level reduction performance.

ISO 23351-1 classifies office pods into five performance classes based on their measured DS,A (speech level reduction in decibels):

Source: ISO 23351-1:2020; Hushoffice Acoustic Guide; Haworth Sound Solutions 2024

Classes A+, A, and B all guarantee speech privacy for a typical office with 40–50 dB of ambient noise level, regardless of the environment where the pod is placed. Speech privacy for Classes C and D depends on the environment and the background noise level in that space. HIGHKA Group

This is the practical implication: in a standard open-plan office with 40–50 dB ambient noise, a Class A or Class B pod will guarantee that conversations inside cannot be understood by people outside — in both directions. Class C and D pods may or may not achieve this depending on how quiet or noisy the surrounding environment is.

The logarithmic nature of the decibel scale makes the performance gap between classes more significant than the numbers suggest. The decibel scale is logarithmic, not linear. On a logarithmic scale, the power of a given sound is doubled for every 3 dB increase in level. So 70 dB is actually about 100 times as powerful as 50 dB.

In practical terms: a pod with 30 dB speech level reduction isolates roughly twice as much acoustic energy as one with 27 dB. The 5 dB gap between a Class B (25–30 dB) and a Class A (30–33 dB) pod represents a meaningful perceptible difference in the acoustic isolation experienced by both the occupant and surrounding colleagues.

Class A pods offer speech privacy certified to the highest commercially available standard. Class B pods also guarantee speech privacy in typical office environments and tend to be lighter and less expensive than Class A pods, making them a viable choice for organisations primarily concerned with cost efficiency and floor plan agility.

The practical guidance:

• If your office ambient noise level is typically 40–60 dB (standard open-plan): Class B and Class A both guarantee speech privacy. The choice is a balance of acoustic performance, cost, and mobility.
• If you have quieter spaces (below 40 dB ambient) or require the highest performance for sensitive discussions: Class A is the appropriate specification. In very quiet environments, a Class A pod ensures that even the reduced ambient cannot “mask” residual speech leakage.
• If you are specifying for regulated industries (financial services, legal, healthcare) where confidentiality is a compliance requirement: Class A certification provides the strongest evidentiary basis for demonstrating acoustic privacy standards.

Abstract performance numbers become meaningful when mapped to real sound environments. The following reference table places HIGHKA’s 35 dB noise reduction in context:

What this means in practice: an open-plan office operating at 65 dB ambient — a level encountered in most medium-activity open-plan floors — will be reduced to approximately 30 dB inside a HIGHKA pod. At 30 dB, ambient office noise becomes effectively inaudible as a source of intelligible speech. Colleagues on the open floor will not be able to follow conversations from inside the pod. The pod occupant will not be able to follow conversations from outside the pod. Both the focus and privacy objectives of the acoustic enclosure are met.

With a reduction of 28 dB, a pod allows you to go from a noisy environment of around 70 dB to a quiet environment of around 40 dB. With HIGHKA’s 35 dB reduction, the transition is even more complete — from 65 dB ambient to approximately 30 dB inside.

HIGHKA soundproof office pods achieve 35 dB noise reduction through an engineered acoustic architecture — not simply dense materials applied to standard construction.

The acoustic wall system in HIGHKA pods uses a six-layer hollow composite construction, patent-protected, that combines absorption and mass-and-air-gap isolation principles. The hollow air-gap layer is acoustically critical: a mass-air-mass system (dense material — air gap — dense material) is substantially more effective at reducing sound transmission than equivalent mass in a single solid layer, because the air gap decouples the two surfaces and prevents direct mechanical sound transmission through the structure.

The material and layer sequence is specifically optimised for the human speech frequency range (500 Hz–4 kHz) — the frequency band most responsible for the intelligibility of conversation and, therefore, the most relevant to both focus disruption and confidentiality risk.

ISO 23351-1 Class A classification requires a speech level reduction (DS,A) of 30–33 dB. Class A+ requires >33 dB. Currently, there are no widely known manufacturers with an A+ rating.

HIGHKA’s 35 dB noise reduction, independently tested and certified to ISO 23351-1, places HIGHKA pods in ISO 23351-1 Class A — the highest commercially available classification under the international standard. This means HIGHKA’s acoustic performance has been independently verified to deliver guaranteed speech privacy in standard office environments, at a performance level that exceeds the Class A threshold of 30 dB.

For procurement purposes, this is the figure that matters: independently certified, measured to the correct standard, and exceeding the threshold for guaranteed speech privacy in both Class A and B contexts.

HIGHKA’s acoustic architecture provides bidirectional isolation — sound reduction that works in both directions simultaneously:

Inward isolation (ambient → pod interior): The 35 dB reduction brings a 65 dB open-plan ambient to approximately 30 dB inside — below the WHO and WELL focus work threshold, and below the level at which ambient speech remains intelligible to the occupant.

Outward isolation (pod occupant → open floor): Conversational speech at typical indoor levels (55–65 dB at the speaker’s mouth) is reduced by 35 dB before reaching the open floor — to approximately 20–30 dB, which at a distance of 1–2 metres from the pod is masked by normal open-plan ambient and inaudible as intelligible speech to colleagues.

This bidirectional property is what distinguishes a certified acoustic enclosure from a partial solution. Noise-cancelling headphones provide inward isolation (for the wearer) but zero outward isolation (colleagues can still hear the caller). Acoustic panels and soft furnishings provide partial ambient noise reduction across the floor but no individual isolation in either direction.

Acoustic performance figures describe what happens to sound. They do not describe everything that determines whether the experience of using a pod is actually comfortable and conducive to productive work. Several additional specifications directly affect the real-world experience:

The occupancy detection system determines whether the pod environment remains stable throughout the session. Two sensor types are used in the market:

PIR (Passive Infrared) sensors detect movement. A user sitting still — reading a document, listening on a call, working in focused concentration — will eventually trigger the “unoccupied” timer, cutting lighting and ventilation mid-session. This system-generated interruption breaks focus and disrupts the acoustic experience by changing the ventilation noise profile.

HIGHKA pods use a microwave radar breathing sensor with a 0.1-second response time, operating across a temperature range of −30°C to 60°C. The sensor detects respiration — not movement — maintaining all systems continuously throughout occupancy regardless of user stillness. The acoustic environment inside the pod remains stable and consistent for the entire session — including through the deep, physically still concentration that genuine focus work requires.

A pod that is acoustically isolated but poorly ventilated creates a different comfort problem. A pod that is well-ventilated but uses a noisy ventilation system introduces background mechanical noise that partially undermines the acoustic isolation.

HIGHKA pods feature a dual-channel turbine ventilation system — a design that provides high airflow capacity at relatively low rotational speed, minimising audible fan noise while maintaining the airflow rate necessary for comfortable occupancy. The system maintains active ventilation throughout occupancy, actively refreshes the air every 30 minutes when unoccupied, and runs a post-use odour clearance cycle after each session.

Acoustic isolation is the core specification for a soundproof pod, but the lighting environment inside the pod determines whether the space is genuinely conducive to the work types that acoustic privacy enables. Harsh, fixed-spectrum overhead lighting is uncomfortable for extended screen work, impairs reading and analytical tasks, and degrades the experience of a video call.

HIGHKA pods feature stepless dimming from 0 to 1,800 lm with colour temperature adjustable from 3,000K to 6,500K, using anti-glare Osram LED (CRI 90, UGR <20). Individual control allows users to set the lighting condition that matches their task — providing the same level of environmental control that home offices offer, within an acoustically certified professional environment.

For procurement purposes, the following table summarises HIGHKA’s acoustic and acoustic-related specifications in the format appropriate for technical specification documentation:

The answer to “how soundproof are office pods” is not a marketing claim. It is a measurable, verifiable, independently certifiable number — when the right measurement methodology is applied.

Various standards and ratings have been used in the past to describe the level of sound insulation of phone booths and meeting pods, making it difficult to compare products without testing them. ISO 23351-1 makes an apples-to-apples comparison possible for the first time.

The standard is ISO 23351-1:2020. The figure is DS,A (speech level reduction in decibels). The minimum for guaranteed speech privacy in standard office environments is 25 dB (Class B). The highest commercially available classification is Class A (30–33 dB). Any figure above 33 dB qualifies as Class A+, though no widely available commercial product currently achieves this consistently.

HIGHKA soundproof office pods achieve 35 dB noise reduction, independently tested and certified to ISO 23351-1 Class A — the highest commercially available acoustic performance classification, exceeding the Class A threshold by 5 dB, providing guaranteed bidirectional speech privacy in all standard office environments, and delivering the ≤35 dB interior acoustic environment that WHO and WELL Building Standard v2 identify as optimal for sustained cognitive focus work.

The engineering that delivers this: six-layer hollow composite acoustic structure (patent-protected, tuned for 500 Hz–4 kHz); microwave radar breathing sensor (0.1s response, −30°C to 60°C); dual-channel active turbine ventilation (30-minute idle refresh, post-use clearance); 0–1,800 lm stepless Osram LED (3,000K–6,500K, CRI 90, UGR <20); industrial-grade PLC control. Five model sizes (S / M / SL / L / XL). CE, UL, ISO 9001, SGS certified. EU E1 formaldehyde compliant. 95% recyclable materials. 8–12 year design lifespan.

Ready to specify certified Class A acoustic performance for your workspace?

👉 Request HIGHKA’s full acoustic certification documentation and a free pod configuration proposal

Provide your office ambient noise level (if known), industry, and intended use cases. We will provide the ISO 23351-1 test report, the full certification documentation pack, and a pod configuration recommendation matched to your acoustic requirements — at no obligation.