Excessive noise in the workplace can lead to lower levels of productivity, decreased wellbeing and cause high levels of stress. 

In the survey that was conducted in 2019 – ‘Noise and Wellbeing at Work’ Survey, it was discovered that 44% of the office workers reported that noise has a negative impact on their overall wellbeing, and a further 65% reported that noise in the workplace impacted on their ability to complete work in an accurate and timely manner.

In a separate study, researchers found that on average it takes around 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to a task after being distracted. If we relate that back to the findings from the ‘Noise and Wellbeing at Work’ survey, that means each of the employees is losing 1 hour and 55 minutes a day to noise distractions.

• Other solutions on the market, such as soundproofing room dividers, panels, baffles, tiles etc, are promising to deliver noise suppression and better acoustics but, it has been confirmed through testing that the office pod is perhaps the most renowned solution of them all. At its essence, it is an acoustic pod that is reducing decibels and is providing privacy and focus.
• Spaceworx  modular office pods are an affordable win-win investment. It gives employees control over their office environment and it allows them to have a private space to concentrate or take phone calls. Pods are modular/mobile and can be reconfigured or expanded to accommodate a growing team. Most importantly, there is brilliant engineering behind the soundproofing technology which is helping to create the perfect working environment.  The wall panels are composed of multiple layers of materials designed to trap and absorb sound at every layer.  The Quietflow™ ventilation system is designed to provide the maximum amount of airflow while also trapping and absorbing sounds before entering or exiting the booths.   The door and glass, although the weakest point on the booth in terms of soundproofing, is designed with seals around it to create a completely acoustical and contained space for soundproofing. 

• Soundproofing performance of the pods can vary depending on the spaces they are placed in.  For example if the overall workplace environment is extremely quiet and has no ambient noise from HVAC or white noise.  It is still likely some conversations inside the booths can be heard from outside the booths close by. 
• To understand this better, normal speaking volume is approximately 50- 60 decibels while the Decibel Double and Single booths are designed on average to absorb approximately 40 Decibels inside the booths.   That means standing directly in front of booths, its likely noise can still be heard from inside the booth.  However, with an average of 10 decibels of ambient noise in the overall environment and a bit of space between the booths and the  other work settings, the booths are virtually soundproof for normal conversations.   

• Creating a completely soundproof pod at 60-70 decibels theoretically could be possible but it is important to understand the drawbacks of such a pod.  Firstly, it would be extremely cost prohibitive and any glass would need to be a double glaze with an air chamber in between.    The airflow system would have to be extremely limited on airflow due to the ability of sound being able to escape through that system. .  Lastly and most importantly, it would be a safety hazard and would likely be in violation of most building codes or regulations with regards to fire alarms.  A typical fire alarm is around 80 Decibels.  That means a completely “soundproof” booth at 60-70 decibels would make it difficult, if not impossible to hear a fire alarm or any other emergency outside the booth. It’s important to take into consideration that the Decibel pods are significantly better soundproofing than a typical conference room or private office.  Depending on how standard rooms are constructed, they typically only block about 20-35 decibels.