Mobile acoustic screens

In short

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.

• Sound screening 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 screening, 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. 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, screening and a writing surface can meet them.

2. 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 travelling round the edges. Keep the fabric surfaces clear and leave room to pass.

3. 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; a folding screen suits rooms that often open up. 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 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.

  • 21-707-R1-M1
  • 21-707-R1-M2
• Mood Fabric Mobile and Edge Floor Different test documentation

  Mood Fabric Mobile has absorption tests from 2016 for two sizes. Edge Floor’s 2013 documentation mixes measured and calculated (interpolated) values, and the report sheets say which. The reports cover absorption, not screening between workstations.

  Read Mood Fabric Mobile: absorption tests from 2016

  • 800 × 1350 mm · 13-120-M9a
  • 800 × 1500 mm · 13-120-M24a
  • 800 × 1650 mm · 13-120-M26a
  • 1000 × 1350 mm · 13-120-M22a
  • 1000 × 1650 mm · 13-120-M27a
  • 1200 × 1350 mm · 13-120-M23a
  • 1200 × 1500 mm · 13-120-M25a
  • 1200 × 1650 mm · 13-120-M11a
  • 1500 × 1000 mm · 13-120-M10a

Further reading on sound and screening

• RISE: sound absorption and other acoustic properties of interior products

• ISO 20189: assessing sound absorption and screen attenuation

• HSE: positioning screens and barriers

• NRC: acoustics in open-plan offices