List of Sound Absorbing Materials For Home or Studio: Which One You Can Use?

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Sound waves can travel in all directions, as we all know. However, when they come across different obstacles in your home, they would bounce off them and create echoes. Also, they can continue to vibrate inside the surrounding building elements as impact noise. 

And most of us don’t consider the interior sound quality of our homes while renovating. That is why if you use the correct sound-absorbing materials, you can reduce these kinds of echoes and noise levels in your home. Here, in this article, we have decided to provide you with a list of sound absorbing materials for your home or studio use. 

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What Are The Types Of Sound-Absorbing Materials

Actually, there are different ways sound can be absorbed. And different sound-absorbing materials employ their different acoustic features to absorb echo within a space to reduce the sound. Generally, there are three different types of sound-absorbing materials. 

• Porous Absorbers
• Membrane Sound Absorbers
• Resonance Absorbers

1. Porous Absorbers

As you can know from the name, porous absorbers actually consist of porous materials. These are the materials that contain pores that can trap and absorb sounds and convert them into heat.  

So only a small amount of the sound can escape and be heard by us. It means that porous sound absorbers generally convert the energy of sound into heat energy. That is why only a fraction of sound energy would be reflected back into the room.   

However, the amount of heat generated in this process is extremely minimal. Some examples of porous sound-absorbing materials are curtains, carpets, and blankets. And here most of our examples of sound-absorbing materials are also of this type.

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2. Membrane Sound Absorbers 

Membrane or panel absorbers are generally non-porous and non-rigid materials. Due to their solid appearance, they might not look and feel like they could absorb sound and that is why most people don’t consider them as sound-absorbing materials.  

However, they can absorb some amount of sound and also have soundproofing qualities. Common building elements such as windows, doors, floors and tables, chairs, and other furniture are perfect examples of panel absorbers.  

You might know how to shut windows and doors can absorb the sound in a room and also reduce the amount of outside noise entering the room. 

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3. Resonance Absorbers

Resonance absorbers generally consist of an acoustical oscillation system. They have a solid plate on the front end that is packed against the tight air space behind it. And these plates include perforated materials or materials with holes or other openings.

When noise or sound waves comes to them, these holes trap the sound and lock it into the space located behind the material. So, there is no more reflection of the noise.

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List Of The 10 Best Sound-Absorbing Materials: The Best Materials To Use

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 40 million adults in the United States aged 20-69 years have noise-induced hearing loss. Here we have provided you with the list of the 10 best sound-absorbing materials that can help you reduce noise levels.

1. Acoustic Foam

Acoustic Foam is definitely the most popular or most widely-used sound-absorbing material. The reason for its popularity is that it is super affordable and easy to install. It is generally available in the form of panels with different pattern shaping their surface.  

However, their performance doesn’t depend on the design, so you can choose the one that is most suited to you. And these acoustics foam panels are a perfect example of porous sound absorbers. 

If you install these foam panels on your walls or even on your ceiling, it will prevent the sounds from hitting the hard surface of the walls and trap them inside the foam instead.

However, you should remember that acoustic foam generally doesn’t offer the highest level of echo reduction. That is why it will be most effective for small to medium-sized places. And you can easily use it in various locations, such as homes, offices, and small studios.

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2. Sound Absorbing Curtains

A lot of people often call them Soundproof Curtains, however, they actually don’t block much sound, but they absorb it instead. They are generally the same as regular curtains, but they are much thicker and denser. 

Actually, they are so dense that most of them can be used as blackout curtains as well. That is why along with their acoustical abilities, they can also be used to block the sunlight or for thermal insulation. 

And these features make them a perfect option for bedroom windows, where you need a certain level of calm and quiet. Also, there are several factors that you should consider before buying these curtains and the most important one is their weight. 

Because heavier curtains can be really difficult to hang by yourself. However, heavier curtains are actually much more effective at absorbing sounds than lighter ones. And for better results, you should purchase curtains that go from your ceiling to floor and are also at least a few inches wider than your window.  

Because all they need to do for absorbing the sound is to prevent it from hitting your walls, windows, or doors. Also, they are available in a wide range of colors, so that you can easily match them with your furniture and other decor.

Last updated on 2024-12-04/Affiliate Links/ Images from Amazon

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3. Thick Carpets And Rugs

Generally, sofas and other furniture are the obstacles that the sound waves come across while traveling through your room. However, you will also need materials to use on walls, floors, and even ceilings. And you might not believe it, but you can actually use carpets and rugs for all of these surfaces. 

Also, if you have thick carpets on your floor, it can significantly dampen the amount of noise of your footsteps. And if you are living in an apartment and have downstairs neighbors, then having a carpet would definitely reduce the vibrations you are passing down to them.

Even in office spaces, wall-to-wall carpeting can be really effective where everyone’s Shoes can make annoying tapping sounds. 

And we have already mentioned that you can use carpets and rugs even on walls and ceilings. It might sound a bit unusual and weird, but it can be a really effective sound-absorbing solution for your home. 

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4. Acoustic Fabric Panels

Acoustic foam panels are definitely a great option, however sound-absorbing fabric panels can be a more attractive option. Acoustic fabric panels generally have a built-in solid wood frame. And the whole thing is wrapped in fabric with sound-absorbing properties. 

They are an excellent sound-absorbing solution for every type of room- whether it is private or public. And not only these panels are effective, but they are also pleasant to look at. Also, the beautiful texture of the cover fabric makes them perfect for all types of interiors.

And these are also extremely easy to mount to walls. Actually, it is no more difficult than hanging a framed painting on your wall. Also, to make things much easier for you, they generally come with all the required hardware and instructions for installation.

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5. Soft Furniture

You should also consider the sound-absorbing solution that you can get just by choosing the right pieces of furniture. And depending on the problem that you want to solve, a strategically placed sofa can actually reduce the noise levels in a room. 

And the most important thing about this method is you will get sufficient results using the things you already have in your room. That is why it is also the cheapest of all the soundproofing methods on this list. 

However, you should remember that not all furniture in your room can absorb sounds. For example, big cushiony sofas are excellent sound absorbers. Because the foam interior of these types of furniture would be perfect for this type of job. But you should also keep the material of the cover in mind. 

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6. Sound Blankets And Moving Blankets

These types of heavy and thick blankets were actually designed to move furniture from one place to another. However, we have come a long way since these types of heavy blankets were used only for moving heavy furniture.

And manufacturers quickly found out that most of their customers were actually using their products for soundproofing or as a cheap solution for sound absorption. Then, they started to rebrand their products as soundproof blankets.

Also, they have made some design changes so that people can hang soundproof blankets on their walls easily. And you can hang these heavy blankets everywhere you want- whether in your doors, windows, or walls. 

However, like other similar sound-absorbing solutions, you could not expect them to absorb all the noise, but they can reduce it to a more manageable level. That is why they might not be the most professional solution for sound reduction, but they are definitely one of the most cost-effective soundproofing solutions.

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7. Acoustic Window Film

Windows are generally made of glass materials and glass is extremely reflective when it comes to sound or they have very high noise reflection. So, it can easily cause echoing of sound or vibrate due to impact. 

That is why you can add a layer of softness over the window. And having a plastic material will definitely help you reduce the reflection of noise to a certain extent.  

And due to the properties of vinyl, the vinyl film will definitely absorb some of the impact soundwaves coming on the glass. However, for more effective results, you can certainly use sound-absorbing curtains almond with vinyl film to improve its performance.  

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8. Acoustic Bass Traps

Acoustic bass traps are generally made of a similar material as acoustic foam panels. But, they are designed to be placed into the corners of your room- between two walls or between the walls and the ceiling. 

And these bass traps usually have two flat sides at a 90-degree angle that can easily fit into the corners of the room, and one side faces the room. And that side can be either flat or have a spiky or stair-shaped texture.

Also, the sizes of these types of products are generally compatible with the sizes of acoustic foam panels. And these products are also available in all sorts of colors, however, you will most probably find the charcoal gray ones.

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9. Sound-Absorbing Room Partitions

Wall and ceiling acoustic panels can be used as sound-absorbing solutions, but they definitely would not meet all of your requirements. If you need to reduce echo or dampen sound in a particular section of your room, then room partitions are the perfect option for you.

These sound-absorbing room partition curtains are generally made of 100% heavyweight polyester. They can block light as well as absorb sound and it makes them extremely useful for various applications. 

Due to these useful features, they would provide you with an excellent way to create privacy. And you can use them in shared bedrooms, dorms, or workspaces. These curtains are generally black, simple in design, and really sleek, which is why they can easily match any interior.

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10. Drop-Ceiling Tiles 

Acoustic foam panels or fabric panels are really easy to install on your walls but they might not always be the perfect solution for your ceiling. For that reason, you can choose sound-absorbing ceiling tiles as an alternative option. 

Ceiling Tiles can be used for kitchen ceilings, basements, bathrooms, or any other place where you think these tiles are appropriate. And these sound-absorbing ceiling tiles are generally made of PVC, and they are easily washable, easy to install, and mildew and mold-resistant.  

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Wrap Up On List Of Sound Absorbing Materials: The Ultimate Solution For Noise Reduction

Here, you can see that there are different materials that you can use to absorb sound waves – from general household items to commercial acoustic products. From this list, you should be able to know what are your options. 

And you can always use one of these above-mentioned sound-absorbing materials in combination with some other soundproofing materials, depending on your requirements. And also there are many DIY solutions for your soundproofing needs. 

We hope that you have learned enough about the list of sound absorbing materials so that you can decide which one you want to use. And if you are facing any problems in your soundproofing project, please let us know in the comments below. 

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FAQ: List Of Sound Absorbing Materials

A lot of people want to know the list of sound absorbing materials that they can use to soundproof their home or office spaces. Here we have given appropriate answers to some of the related questions in the FAQ section.