The 7 Best Acoustic Room Dividers
Special Honors
Loftwall Flox While some panels are utilitarian and, to be polite, unsightly, the Loftwall Flox is attractive and modern, with a gently curving shape and soft wool felt. For your peace of mind, no harsh chemicals are used in making it, while the frame is crafted with up to 75 percent recycled materials. loftwall.com
Green Mood Moss No one need know that you're trying to keep sound at bay when you choose the Green Mood Moss, which employs fully-preserved natural moss to cut down on the noise in your space. To complete the elegant look, it boasts a handsome, curved steel support structure that comes in a handful of striking finishes. radiusofficefurniture.com
True Design Patch The True Design Patch doesn't look quite like any other model, since it is constructed with many small panels, rather than one large one. Along with adding visual appeal, this design allows you to customize the level of privacy you require throughout the day. philzen.com
Editor's Notes
September 18, 2020:
In order to broaden our selection, we've kept several panel-style models, but also added two different, and admittedly more expensive, choices. These are the Versare VersiPanel and the Lumeah Concertina. The Versare model has a flexible body that can be positioned in several ways, although you'll need to buy their VersiFoot accessories to make some of these happen. The Concertina has three panels; it resembles many of the fold-up room dividers you see in lofts or dorm rooms, but it offers more sound reduction than these do. As a bonus, you can pin notes to the Concertina, putting an extra bulletin board within reach.
As for simpler, straight panels, the Stand Up Desk Store ReFocus Extension is still the one to beat, although we kept the Hon Verse Panel as a somewhat more wallet-friendly alternative. If you have several of the ReFocus model, they can be zipped together with an integrated zipper, a feature not found on the Hon Verse, which requires connectors. And, finally, for desks, there's the Stand Up Desk Store ReFocus Rear. It can cut down on the noise you'll be subjected to if you work in a desk clump or open plan office, and it could even be used as a modesty panel, adding to its versatility.
November 28, 2018:
Modern offices might prefer the more open designs you can get with desk-mounted partitions, like the Merge Works Clamp On, but these don't do as reliable a job reducing noise as the bigger options do. Unfortunately, most of those are pretty ugly, so priority was placed on performance and ease in use.