Photo by Cassidy Mills

One of the easiest solutions and easy soundproofing solutions is soundproofing curtains. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to put up and if you read marketing sell they promise the earth. But the big question is do soundproofing curtains work?

I have soundproofing curtains and they are very effective in sound deadening but have no effect on sound blocking but to be fair that’s not their purpose. So in real terms, what this means is they stop the echo in the room but have no effect on stopping sounds entering your room.

Let me add that just because they don’t reduce noise entering the room that doesn’t mean soundproofing curtains will not help your room feel quieter. Can that even be possible? Let me explain how it is.

Let’s say you take the radio into your bathroom and play some music. Listen to the sound is it really bad? The sound is bouncing off all the walls and echoing terribly. Now take your radio into your closet. Turn the radio on at the same sound level, it will sound much quieter and more pleasing when you’re in the closet. Why? With all the clothing in your closet, this absorbs the sound waves and deadens the echo.

Soundproofing curtains work just how your clothing works in your closet in our example above. So they don’t make your room quieter but any sounds that enter the room will be absorbed by the soundproofing curtains making the sound die out much faster and more pleasing on your ears.

Come on, Do Soundproof Curtains Work or Not?

Yes, they do!

If your problem is lots of noise coming from outside your window like car noises, then soundproofing curtains will not be effective as let’s say a soundproofing window, but they can be a cost-effective way to make this problem a lot less. Curtains are fantastic at deadening sounds that enter your room by stopping the echo, but keeping sounds out they may not be the solution.

So, if you go back to the closet sample above they are perfect for this, but they also have the added benefit of adding an extra barrier between the window and your room.

Soundproofing Curtains Advantages and Disadvantages

Whenever we make a purchase, there are always going to be some advantages and disadvantages of whatever we buy and soundproofing is no acceptation.

Soundproofing curtains are thick and heavy they are designed like this to keep out sound and light so with this in mind. If your room that you plan to hand them in needs natural light from the window, then the thick and heavy soundproofing curtains may not be something you will want as they will cut out a lot of natural light. So this is something to bear in mind when making your purchase.

On the other hand noise reduction, thermal effect, easy installation and light blocking may be a big problem for one person but for you, it may well be a perfect design. This is something each person will have to think about when they come to make their purchase.

How Soundproofing Curtains work?

Soundproofing curtains are sound dampers, so they are perfect to dampen and noise that enters your room but they are not going to stop all noises. Sure, they’re made from dense think material, but this alone will not completely make the room silent.

The curtains will have a porous surface that will absorb and sounds that enter the room and that will lead to the room feeling much quieter.

How to Choose a High-Quality Soundproof Curtain

There will be lots of curtains marked up as “soundproof” but truth be told there nothing of the sort. It’s a simple marketing tool that a lot of company’s use to describe a thick curtain.

A proper soundproof curtain will be a thick, heavy and tightly woven fabric. They will also go a couple of inches each side of the window and go from floor to ceiling. The main point here is that the soundproof curtains need to cover the area around the window as much as possible, as the folds in the curtains will create as much as a seal around the window as possible.

My soundproof curtain personal recommendation is the NICETOWN Soundproof Blackout Curtains from Amazon which have 1000’s of positive reviews.

Using some ceiling hanging brackets to hang your soundproof curtain with a curtain pole will bring the curtain closer to the ceiling and giving a bigger coverage.

Our 3 easy soundproofing tips for getting the best sound reduction from your curtains:

• Buy four panels for the window not two, this way you will be creating more of a barrier between the room and the window.
• Buy the longer curtains so that you can get them to cover more of the area around the window and it can go from ceiling to floor.
• Buy some ceiling hanging brackets from Amazon that will allow you to get your curtains from ceiling to floor.

Is there a Professional Solution?

A lot of people ask if there are any professional solutions in the curtain sector, I say yes but don’t buy them. They promise you the world and have no real extra benefit from our recommendation NICETOWN Soundproof Blackout Curtains.

The professional solutions are not cheap also they will make your eyes water, I purchased them when there were no Amazon reviews I took a chance they were quickly returned and it seems a lot of people felt the same as me as there was not one positive comment, fortunately, no one will be purchasing them from Amazon anymore as they have been pulled from the site.

So there you have it there is no professional solutions curtain that I could recommend with any consciousness.

More Buying Advice

When you come to purchase your soundproof curtains the following things are what you need to keep in mind.

Soundproof Curtain Size

Determine the area that you are trying to cover before purchasing anything, use a tape measure to get the width and height or the area you are trying to cover. Don’t forget that you want the curtains to cover a few inches each side of the window and floor to ceiling is best. The bigger the curtains are and the bigger the area you cover the better they will do to dampen the sound.

Soundproof Curtain Materials

This is something to keep in mind the materials will vary from supplier to supplier but you want to look for suede, polyester or velvet curtains any type that is made with extra fibers. The extra fibers will help absorb the sounds in the room to deaden the sounds.

Soundproof Curtain Density

We want something thick and thicker the better to absorb any sounds, a thinner curtain will not have much as to affect as something thick. If you do have thin curtains you may be able to double up to make them thicker.

Other Benefits of Sound Reducing Curtains

You may be getting your soundproof curtains for the same reasons as me to dampen and sound that enter my room but they also have many more benefits.

• Blackout ability
• Extra layers to preserve heat/cold within the room
• Very easy and very quick to install
• Come with acoustic qualities to block out as much sound as possible

Our Soundproof Curtain Conclusion

Soundproof absorbing curtain may not be as good as a soundproofing window but then again soundproof absorbing curtain are not going to cost anything like a new soundproof window, but I believe they are a perfect cost-effective way to make a sound improvement, with the added benefit for me in blocking out all the light coming into my office.

So I believe they are a great investment if you are looking to quieten your room in my opinion, they do add to dampening any sounds.

Soundproof Curtain FAQ 

Do Soundproof Curtains really work?
The simple answer to do noise blocking curtains work is if you have lots of noise from outside coming into your room they will have little effect but will reduce it to some extent. They will dramatically reduce any room echo that you have.

Do thicker Soundproof Curtain block out noise?
This is another question that is asked a lot and there is no simple answer, if you have a little sound coming into your room then they should be very effective but they are not capable of blocking all noises.

Can Soundproof Curtain absorb sound?
Yes, they will dramatically reduce noise vibrations in your room by absorbing the sound waves in any room you put them in. This is because the material that the curtains are made of is porous and thick and this allows them to absorb sounds.

What are the best materials to block out sound?
This is asked a lot also and if we are staying on topic here then the best soundproof curtain material is polyester, velvet curtains, and suede. There are many other items to reduce noise coming into your room and we have covered them in more posts on the site.

Are Soundproof Curtains reducing curtains energy efficient?
This was a good question when I got it and something I didn’t think of, the answer is a yes with as they are thick and heavy they help to keep out the light and keeps the office insulated not allowing the heat to escape giving a great thermal effect.