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To soundproof an open office, the best approach is usually to layer several fixes together rather than rely on one product alone. In practice, that means adding sound-absorbing materials, improving the layout, and creating enclosed spaces for calls and focused work.
Open-plan offices often struggle most with speech distraction and lack of privacy, so the goal is better acoustic control, not perfect silence. Persy Booths can support that wider strategy, especially when teams need flexible office pods for private work inside a busy floorplate.
For broader guidance, the Whole Building Design Guide notes that office noise is often distracting to concentration and that acoustic comfort should be designed into the workplace from the start.
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The Best Ways to Reduce Noise in an Open Office
The most effective way to soundproof an open office is to treat noise as a layout and acoustics issue at the same time. Open office spaces and shared workspaces are particularly prone to noise distractions and ambient noise due to constant movement and activity, making it essential to address these challenges for a productive environment.
For more day-to-day ideas, these practical solutions for reducing noise in the open office show how small changes can make a noticeable difference. Hard surfaces, exposed ceilings, low partitions, noisy equipment, and nearby conversations all add to distraction. Introducing behavioral norms, such as a noise etiquette policy, can further help reduce noise distractions.
That is why the strongest results usually come from a mix of absorption, zoning, quieter finishes, and private spaces for the tasks that need more separation. Adding specific items and decor, such as soft furnishings and rugs, can help absorb sound and improve the acoustic environment by reducing noise from movement and everyday activity. WBDG guidance highlights common office noise sources such as ringing phones, office chatter, low partition heights, and noisy copy machines, while also recommending acoustic ceilings, better furniture choices, and smarter placement of teaming spaces away from high-traffic areas.
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Add Acoustic Wall Panels and Ceiling Treatments
Acoustic wall panels and ceiling treatments are often the first place to start because they reduce echo and help stop sound from bouncing around the room. In offices with exposed ceilings, this matters even more. WBDG notes that when suspended acoustic ceilings are removed, sound absorption needs to be added elsewhere so the space does not become highly reverberant.
Panels, baffles, banners, and other overhead treatments can all help calm the sound field. If you want a broader primer, this guide to office acoustics is a useful next step.
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Use Softer Flooring and Sound-Absorbing Finishes
Softer finishes help because they limit reflection and reduce the sharpness of everyday office noise. Hard floors tend to reflect sound and increase noise levels, while carpets and rugs absorb sound and reduce noise, making them ideal for open office environments.
It also helps to understand soundproofing vs sound absorbing when deciding which materials will actually improve an open office. Carpets, rugs, upholstered seating, curtains, cushions, and other soft furnishings can all absorb sound, reduce reverberation, and make a space feel calmer.
GSA guidance specifically recommends sound-absorbing materials such as carpet in open office areas and acoustical ceiling tiles with a high noise reduction coefficient to support comfort, speech intelligibility, and speech privacy.
Large, leafy plants such as Ficus trees, Rubber plants, and Peace Lilies are also ideal for their sound-absorbing qualities. This does not make an office silent, but it can noticeably reduce footfall noise, ringing, and the harshness that comes from too many hard surfaces in one place.
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Rearrange Desks, Printers and Collaboration Zones
Sometimes the fastest improvement comes from moving things, not buying new ones. Printers, breakout points, and collaboration zones should sit away from employees doing detail-heavy work. Focus desks should be kept clear of the busiest walkways, reception routes, and noisy support equipment.
WBDG recommends locating teaming spaces and open office environments away from high-traffic areas, and it also points to low partition heights, office chatter, and equipment noise as regular sources of disruption. To soundproof an open office well, layout has to do some of the work.
Introduce Screens, Partitions and Plants
Screens, partitions, and dividers help because they interrupt direct sound paths, create privacy, reduce noise, and serve as visual boundaries in an open office. Shelving can do something similar while also adding storage and visual separation. Large planters and greenery can soften the feel of an open office and help define calmer zones, even if their acoustic effect is usually more modest than dedicated acoustic products.
Adding a bit of greenery or decorative items can make the workspace more pleasant and inviting, while also adding a bit of personality. The main value here is control. When people can see and hear fewer distractions, the space feels more settled and easier to work in. That kind of zoning fits well with the integrated design approach recommended by WBDG for workplace acoustics.
Add Private Spaces for Calls and Focused Work
General acoustic treatment helps the whole office, but some tasks need more protection than open-plan acoustics can provide. Sound masking systems can be used to introduce background noise, making conversations less intelligible and reducing distractions.
Confidential calls, video meetings, one-to-ones, interviews, and deep focus sessions all benefit from a more enclosed setting. Research on open-plan workplaces consistently links noise and lack of privacy to dissatisfaction, while workplace guidance also stresses the need for quiet places that support concentration and confidential interaction.
Creating quiet zones within the office supports employee well-being by providing spaces for focused work and reducing stress. That is why many offices combine open-floor acoustic improvements with enclosed spaces such as a work booth. This gives employees a private option without forcing a full structural rebuild.
When a Soundproof Phone Booth Makes Sense
A booth becomes the better option when the problem is not just background noise, but task type. Phone calls, video meetings, HR conversations, sales calls, and heads-down work all need more privacy than panels or carpet alone can provide. Soundproof phone booths offer enhanced privacy and significantly reduce noise disruptions, making them ideal for confidential conversations and focused work.
In those cases, a dedicated soundproof phone booth can take pressure off meeting rooms and stop calls from spilling into the wider office. This is especially useful in busy teams where people need short bursts of privacy throughout the day rather than permanent enclosed offices.
Combine Booths With Wider Acoustic Improvements
Booths work best as part of a layered plan. If you are weighing enclosed options, these benefits of soundproof booths in the open office explain why booths can support privacy, focus, and day-to-day flexibility. They solve one problem very well, but they do not fix the whole floor on their own. The wider office still benefits from acoustic ceilings, wall panels, softer finishes, and smarter zoning.
WBDG guidance makes the same basic point in a broader way: good office acoustics come from handling sound control within the space, sound from adjacent spaces, and disruptive noise sources together. In other words, to soundproof an open office properly, combine private booths with better overall acoustic design rather than treating them as a complete substitute.
How to Choose the Right Open Office Noise Solution
The right solution depends on what kind of noise problem you actually have. Some teams mostly need less echo and softer background conditions. Others need places for private calls and short focused sessions. Budget matters, but so do frequency and work pattern.
If employees need privacy only now and then, one or two enclosed spaces may be enough. If the whole office feels loud all day, you will probably need broader acoustic treatment as well. It’s important to find the right combination of acoustic solutions tailored to your office’s specific needs.
GSA’s workplace optimization guidance also frames modern workplace planning around flexibility, efficiency, and productivity, which is why the best answer is often a mix of upgrades rather than one dramatic intervention.
Team Size, Office Layout and Budget
Team size affects how much simultaneous noise the office produces. Layout affects how far that noise travels. Budget determines how many layers of control you can add at once. A smaller team in a compact office may get strong results from carpeting, panels, and one enclosed booth.
A larger team on a denser floor may need more zoning, more absorption, and a larger enclosed space such as a team meeting booth to handle quick meetings without disturbing nearby desks. The goal is not to buy everything. It is to match the solution to the real acoustic pressure points in the office.
Privacy Needs and Space Constraints
Privacy needs should guide the final decision. If the office handles HR discussions, client calls, finance work, or frequent video meetings, open-floor acoustic treatment alone is rarely enough. At the same time, floor space is always limited, so the solution has to stay efficient.
That is why many offices build a layered plan: quieter finishes and better zoning for the shared floor, plus a small number of enclosed spaces for the moments that need extra separation. Research on open-plan offices shows that limited privacy is a major source of dissatisfaction, so privacy should be treated as a core design issue, not an afterthought.
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Combine acoustic panels, softer finishes, smart desk layout, and clear zoning to reduce echo and limit distractions. For calls, focused work, and private conversations, add enclosed spaces like office booths or pods. The best results come from layering several solutions instead of relying on one fix alone.
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To soundproof an open office, focus on layers. Use acoustic panels and ceiling treatments to reduce echo, add softer finishes to calm reflections, improve the layout so noisy activity sits away from focused work, and include enclosed spaces for calls and concentration.
That combination usually works better than any single fix on its own. Persy Booths can support that strategy by giving teams practical private spaces inside open-plan offices, helping create a workplace that feels quieter, more comfortable, and more productive day to day.
Combine acoustic panels, softer finishes, smart desk layout, and clear zoning to reduce echo and limit distractions. For calls, focused work, and private conversations, add enclosed spaces like office booths or pods. The best results come from layering several solutions instead of relying on one fix alone.
Combine acoustic panels, softer finishes, smart desk layout, and clear zoning to reduce echo and limit distractions. For calls, focused work, and private conversations, add enclosed spaces like office booths or pods. The best results come from layering several solutions instead of relying on one fix alone.
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