Office Screens for Noise Reduction: Best Options for Quiet Workspaces 

Why Noise Reduction is Essential for Productive Workspaces

With more workplaces transitioning to open-plan, shared work areas, that means more people are facing one of the biggest trade-offs to this highly collaborative style of working – noise. 

Once the phones start ringing and work starts heating up, shared work areas can become noisy and distracting, and potentially lead to reduced productivity. That’s where Buy Direct Online’s range of noise reduction screens can help keep things on track, providing much-needed focus and a way to quickly and easily create quiet workspaces without permanent changes to the office.

How Acoustic Office Screens Reduce Noise

Soundproof office screens work by absorbing sound waves, reducing the noise that carries across a room while adding a layer of privacy for employees as work gets done. 

Depending on the construction of these acoustic screens, you can achieve up to 80 percent noise reduction, making open-plan workplaces much more productive by reducing background noise and conversation. 

Desk-mounted screens are also a great option that can act like a targeted acoustic screen without having to juggle large dividers in your office. If your workspace manages a lot of phone calls, having desk-mounted screens can absorb sound waves as they travel from employees’ mouths, making it easier for your team to stay focused during busy times.

Types of Noise-Reducing Office Screens

There are a number of different acoustic screens to suit a wide range of office styles and designs, making it easy for you to manage volume in a large or loud workplace. 

These screens all aim to achieve the same goal; improving productivity by absorbing background noise and reducing distraction, letting your team focus on the tasks at hand.

Free-standing Acoustic Screens

These noise reduction screens are great for large office spaces that need collaboration but at the same time can benefit from smaller, temporary quiet zones. Free-standing acoustic screens can be easily moved around and joined together without permanent installation, and can transform any office layout in no time.

Desk-mounted Acoustic Screens

Using desk-mounted acoustic panels strikes a good balance between collaboration and privacy. These noise reduction screens attach easily to desks and can create personal quiet spaces when employees are seated, but still retain an open-plan configuration for the office space as a whole. 

They can also quickly be moved around to change desk setups, without needing major changes in the office space.

Modular Acoustic Panels

Sometimes you need large quiet areas in an office for important meetings or calls, or for employees to focus on vital work without background noise distractions. 

Modular acoustic panels can quickly connect and move around the space so you can create large quiet areas without expensive renovations or structural changes. When collaboration is key, the panels can be disconnected and moved out of the way or into storage easily, letting you modify the space as needed.

Materials Used in Acoustic Office Screens

Buy Direct Online stocks a great range of office screens that are not only effective at noise cancelling but look great and can suit any office aesthetic. If you’re looking for the best performance, you can expect up to 80 percent sound reduction from our Soundmesh G8 screens.

Fabric and Foam Panels

Fabric and foam panels are some of the most effective acoustic screens on the market, able to very cost-effectively absorb sound and available in a wide range of colours and styles to suit your office aesthetic. 

These panels feature Soundmesh G8 fabric that not only reduces noise by up to 80 percent, but is fireproof, water repellent, and made of environmentally friendly 100% recyclable polyester wool.

Felt and Wool Screens

Felt and wool screens have been used for years as they are stylish, have a premium feel, can double as a pin or velcro board if required, and effectively absorb sounds in loud workplaces. 

Felt and wool are both cost-effective and if attached to a screen that has an air gap (hollow insides) it can further reduce noise in your office.

Perforated and Composite Materials

Composite panels may not be as effective at sound reduction as fabric or felt, however, are much more sustainable and durable in high-traffic or industrial work spaces. 

We stock composite panels made from 100% compressed recycled PET, the same plastic found in water bottles, and is fully recyclable at the end of its life cycle. 

Key Considerations When Choosing Noise-Reducing Office Screens

The key to selecting the right acoustic screens for your office comes down to a couple of factors you’ll want to decide on; how much privacy you want, how much quiet space you need, and how modular you want the space to be. 

Once these are chosen, you can pick the style and design of your screens to match your office aesthetic.

Office Layout and Space Requirements

The first choice you’ll need to make, and likely the most important, is the size and number of acoustic screens you’ll need for your office space. This means you’ll want an idea of how large a quiet area you want, or if individual desks will have screens for more personal quiet areas. 

Free-standing, desk-mounted, and modular screens all have benefits, and a mixture of these can often help to create the right configuration for productivity.

Desired Noise Reduction Level

Acoustic screens use the NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) rating to determine how effectively they cancel out soundwaves, with the Soundmesh G8 providing an impressive 80 percent reduction. 

These screens are modular and come in a very wide range of designs, letting you create properly quiet areas while adhering to your office aesthetic. 

Aesthetic and Branding Considerations

We’ve made sure to select a range of noise reduction screens in a great range of materials, colours, and designs, so that you can style your office at the same time as increasing privacy and productivity. 

Not only do we stock screens made from premium, high-quality materials, they can double as practical work boards with our felt screens able to be used as pin or velcro boards, and glass screens available with magnetic backings.

Top Acoustic Office Screens at Buy Direct Online

If you need as much quiet as possible in a large office space, Buy Direct Online’s acoustic divider screens are incredibly cost-effective, can reduce up to 80 percent of noise, and are modular so you can create as large or small a quiet area as you need, when you need. 

Find the Perfect Solution for a Quiet Workspace

Maximising productivity with quiet zones or private, quiet desk space, is easier than you think with Buy Direct Online. Browse the range and find the perfect solution to tackle noisy workspaces, keeping your team focused and productive without expensive structural changes to your office.