Do Soundproof Curtains Actually Work? Here’s What to Know

There are two main ways to go about soundproof a room. You can start with what costs more or start with the simplest and most basic change.

When you’re just testing things out and not as willing to go crazy over soundproofing a room, one of the easiest and most basic changes you can do is to get soundproof curtains.

Just keep in mind that this also depends on the amount of noise that you are trying to block out.

My goal with this post is to answer the questions of “Do Soundproof Curtains Actually Work?” and “what Soundproof Curtains should I buy?” as simply as possible.

If you’re wondering how they work, it’s pretty easy to explain. Soundproof curtains are mostly made of thick materials like polyester.

Some even come with thermal insulation to make it thick. Overall, soundproof curtains are durable.

To easily explain how a soundproof curtain works, think of your hoodie or jacket and cover your phone with it when it’s playing a song or ringing.

You immediately can hear your phone’s ringing less. If your jacket is thick enough, you might not even hear it at all.

You can also try this with pillows or thick blankets. That’s basically how soundproof curtains work.

Soundproof curtains could block noise from the outside or the inside of your room.

If you’re working on soundproofing a room because you’re planning on turning it to a studio, then the use of soundproof curtains will also help.

Types of Soundproof Curtains

Sound Insulating and Blocking, Noise-Reducing, and Soundproofing Curtains 

All of these may sound different, but these curtains pretty much the same. They're thick and so they’re easily heavy and made of strong materials.

What this type of curtain does is that it reflects the sound waves it catches back to their source.

So basically, sounds can’t really get past through this type of curtain, whether it’s from the inside or outside of the room you’re soundproofing.

Acoustic Curtains

This is different from noise-reducing curtains. This doesn’t really block noise from the outside of the room.

True to its name, this reduces the acoustics in the room, meaning your room will have fewer echoes. Because of this function, it is best used for large rooms.

Another thing that’s different about this type of curtain is that most of the time, it’s not as thick as noise-reducing curtains.

The materials used for this are usually light-weight because that makes the absorption of echoes easier.

Soundproof Blinds

This is still a type of curtain that you can use on your window. Regular blinds are usually made of thin plastics horizontally weaved together.

The difference of soundproof blinds from the regular blinds would be the insulation and how it’s built.

Some soundproof blinds are weaved together to form honeycombs on the side. This helps with noise reduction.

Thermal insulation makes use of a foamy material that also helps block noise from the outside or the inside of the room you’re soundproofing.

This means it could also help when it comes to preventing too much heat from the outside of your room to come in.

It’s possible that you’ll need a light-blocking curtain or blinds too so if you don’t see a curtain with both features, then you can just layer them.

The best when it comes to soundproofing curtains would be the ones that could entirely cover the window.

Instead of getting wall brackets to hang your soundproof curtains, you can just get a ceiling bracket. Ensuring good window coverage would be easier with those.

A black-out curtain can do the job if it’s also soundproof. To know whether a black-out curtain would be good enough for your soundproofing needs, always look for the STC (Sound Transmission Classification) rating.

Black-out curtains without this can only be used for blocking light from your window.

You can also go for drapes. Drapes can basically hang from the ceiling to the floor so its coverage is much better.

Here are the main things you should consider when purchasing a soundproof curtain:

Size

I’d say this should be the first thing to consider once you’ve chosen the type of soundproof curtain that you’d like to purchase.

Always get a size that’s a bit bigger than the window you’d like to cover. Always remember that it’s more efficient if you’ve covered your window completely.

The good news is that there are shops that could customize the size of the soundproof curtain you’re getting so make sure you’re ready with the measurement of the curtain you’d like to get.

Weight 

The thicker the curtain is, the most likely that it will weigh pretty heavy. If you think you won’t have to wash your soundproof curtain often because the room will always be maintained and the windows will be rarely opened, then it’s fine for you to get heavy curtains.

Still, keep in mind that bigger and thicker curtains have more capabilities of absorbing dust.

Lighter soundproof curtains are probably for acoustics so you won’t have any issue with washing it every now and then.

I’d still like to emphasize that the lighter the curtain is, the less efficient it when it comes to blocking sounds coming from both the outside and inside of your room.

Materials Used

There are different materials that could be used when it comes to making soundproof curtains. Soundproof curtains can be made of polyester, suede, or velvet.

Any of these works great with soundproofing. Overall, what will matter here would be the thickness of the curtain.

Cost and Quality

A soundproof curtain with good enough quality would not cost you too much. The price of a soundproof curtain shouldn’t really exceed more than $50.

You shouldn’t really worry about spending a lot for getting this since this is basically one of the cheapest ways for you to soundproof a room.

Well, if you’re aiming for total soundproofing, getting soundproof curtains alone won’t really work with your goal of a well-soundproofed room.

If you’ll only have a soundproof curtain to block noise from the outside, expect that this will only lessen or minimize loud noise like jackhammers if there is any road repair outside your house.

Is Getting One Worth It?

Aside from the soundproof curtain’s functionality, it’s safe to say that these will surely last since they are often made of thick and durable materials.

You won’t have to replace this every now and then. If you ever do need to have it replaced, it will be easy to put it down and up.

Overall, getting one of these soundproof curtains are very much worth it.

It can only not block light from getting into your room, but it can also reduce the unnecessary noise from the outside.

If you’re to get this for your bedroom, a good night’s sleep because of a soundproof curtain is definitely worth it.

Additional Tips

The general rule to keep in mind is that the thicker the curtain is, the better it is when it comes to doing its job.

Automatically, this will be quite heavy when you have to wash it, but it’s worth it if you consider the fact that you won’t have to buy new ones for maybe even a year or more.

So those are the things you should keep in mind when getting a soundproof curtain.

Always consider your needs and what room you have to make shopping for one easier.

Good luck with your soundproof curtain hunting and enjoy soundproofing your room! Even if this could be tiring and tedious, it will all be worth it when your outcome is exactly what you need.