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Guide

Mobile acoustic screens

Mobile acoustic screens can absorb sound, block its path and give privacy. These are three different things. Here is the difference, how to choose and place a screen and what our tests show.

Unit screens in different fabrics and colors in a bright room

In short

NeedWhat it doesWhat helpsWhat it does not do
Sound absorptionTakes in sound that would bounce backAbsorbent fabric and fillingDoes not guarantee speech privacy
Speech privacyBlocks the direct path of soundThe right height, width and placementDoes not make a space soundproof
Visual privacyBreaks sightlinesCoverage and furniture layoutDoes not keep sound out

Three things to tell apart

  • Sound absorption Less reverberation in the room

    A sound absorber takes in some of the sound that reaches it, so less bounces back. The whole construction, the fabric and the filling behind it, decides how much. How big the difference is depends on the room’s volume, its other surfaces and how many screens stand where.

  • Speech privacy Blocks the path, not soundproof

    A screen between two places can block the direct path of sound, but sound still travels over, around and via other surfaces. Good absorption does not prove good speech privacy, and a mobile screen does not make a space soundproof.

  • Visual privacy Privacy, not silence

    A screen can break sightlines and define a workstation. Sitting, standing and stand-up meetings need different heights and widths. The view is limited, but sound is not shut out.

3 steps

  1. Start with the need Reverberation, speech or privacy?

    If the room sounds harsh and reverberant, review its absorption. If speech between nearby workstations disturbs, assess the path of sound, distance and placement. For privacy, start with coverage and layout. With several needs, one piece with fabric, privacy and a writing surface can meet them.

  2. Place the screen right Between the sound and the listener

    Put the screen between the person speaking and the person you want to screen, ideally close to one of them. It needs to be high enough for how the places are used, seated or standing, and wide enough to reduce sound traveling around the edges. Keep the fabric surfaces clear and leave room to pass.

  3. Choose materials and version Function first, then materials

    A mobile writing surface with an absorbent back suits a team moving between discussion and individual work. A row of fabric screens divides workstations. To design a room acoustically, use test data for the exact version and assess the whole room.

Our acoustic tests

  • How to read a test Absorption area, not decibels

    A test states the product, version, method and setup. Absorption is measured in a reverberation room to ISO 354 and given as equivalent absorption area per object and frequency band, in m² (m² Sabine). It is neither the floor area of the piece nor a reduction in decibels.

  • Unit Two versions tested

    Akustikverkstan’s 2021 report 21-707-R1 tested Unit in 70.9 × 47.2 in (1800 × 1200 mm). At 500 Hz, fabric on both sides gave 3.3 m² and fabric with glass 2.2 m² per object. The values apply to the tested objects, not the sound level at a workstation. The report notes a deviation at low frequencies, so read it all.

  • Mood Fabric Mobile Two sizes tested

    Mood Fabric Mobile has absorption tests from 2016 for two sizes. The reports cover absorption, not speech privacy between workstations.

    Read Mood Fabric Mobile: absorption tests from 2016

Acoustic screen questions

  • Can a mobile whiteboard also absorb sound?

    Yes, if it has an absorbent construction. Unit, Mood Fabric Mobile and Offset Mobile come with a glass writing surface and sound-absorbing fabric.

  • Does fabric on both sides give twice the sound absorption?

    You cannot assume so. At 500 Hz, tested Unit with fabric on both sides absorbed more than glass with fabric, but not twice as much. Compare the results.

  • How many screens do you need?

    No single number suits every room. The room’s size, existing absorption and what you want to achieve decide it. Start from test data for the version. A single screen rarely rescues a poor sound environment. Good acoustics require taking the ceiling, wall materials, furniture, textiles and rugs into account, and our screens work as part of the whole.

Further reading

Related products

Unit

A mobile work wall with retractable wheels. Choose textile on both sides when you want a sound-absorbing work wall, or glass and textile when you also need a writing surface. Feet are required and must be ordered separately.

Mood Fabric Mobile

A mobile writing board with glass and a sound-absorbing textile back. Write and sketch on the glass or pin sketches to the textile. The board has rounded contours and coordinated glass and textile colors. Feet are required and must be ordered separately.

Offset Mobile

A glass writing surface, a sound-absorbing textile back and a solid oiled oak frame. The retractable wheels let you move the writing surface and divider as the way the room is used changes.

A08

In its freestanding version with wheels, A08 combines storage with movable work surfaces. Sliding modules are available with glass and a sound-absorbing textile back, or in an all-textile version.

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