The first thing I want to say is that no curtain is truly soundproof. This is because ‘soundproof curtains’ are simply a marketing term, and if you truly want a soundproofing solution there is no way you can get it in under $1000, at the very least.
So then why did I write the title ‘Soundproof’ curtains?
Because ‘soundproof’ curtains do have a role to play. They can deaden/ dampen sounds quite well- just not block them completely.
You might be thinking well- isn’t sound deadening/damping the same thing as blocking sound?
The answer is no, they are not. Soundproofing means completely blocking noise from entering or leaving a room. Curtains, no matter how heavy they are, are just not fit to do this.
However, it does not mean that a room will not feel quieter once you start using these curtains.
That’s because they are useful for reducing echoes inside a room- similar to what acoustic foam does. They act as a barrier between sound waves and the hard surfaces of the room such as the walls where sound can bounce off and create echoes. Simply by placing the curtains as a barrier, we are able to break up the sound and dampen it.
So do soundproof curtains work?
Yes, absolutely! They work quite well as noise dampeners and before you spend of fortune on soundproofing your room the hard way, you should definitely try these out first and see if they’re adequate for your situation. You might just find out that these work for you well enough, and save yourself a ton of money.
My Recommendations
Over everything else, I recommend soundproof curtains by Nicetown. These work fairly well for most people when it comes to sound dampening, and have excellent reviews online. However, that’s true for all of my recommendations- the biggest reason these curtains are #1 on my list is because of the price that’ll fit almost everyone’s budget. Check out the latest price on Amazon
Best home fashion also has a great product that’s similarly priced to the Nicetown ones. It has over 5000 reviews on Amazon, 90% of which are positive. Check out the latest price on Amazon
Lastly I also want to mention this product by Residential Acoustics that is more heavy duty than the others. It’s the only one on the market that has an STC of 29. STC or Sound Transmission Coefficient is a metric for calculating the sound blocking nature of a material. Higher the STC, more sound proof is the material. The only drawback is that this product is about $100 more expensive than the Nicetown and Best home fashion ones. On the flip side though- it’s also going to work that much better than them. Check out the latest price on Amazon
Installing soundproof curtains
The best way to do this is to take a measurement of your window first and order the curtains accordingly. You can order custom sizes through Amazon for the products listed above.
And instead of hanging the curtains at the top of the window, I’d recommend you get ceiling brackets, such as these ones on Amazon and hang the curtains from the ceiling instead.
This way, you have a bit of extra material going around the sides, overlapping a bit in the middle and also covering the top and bottom of the window completely.
For best results, along with the ceiling brackets, buy an extra pair of curtains for your window. It just gives that extra layer of mass for better sound dampening.
Added benefits of a soundproof curtain
Perhaps the biggest advantage of a soundproof curtain is that they’re also good insulators of heat. This means that they will keep the warmth in during winters and keep the hash heat of the sun out during the summers.
While I don’t have a number or statistic to give you here, it goes without saying that it definitely will have an effect on your air conditioning bills.
They also double up as good blackout curtains, especially if you get one in a pitch black colour. If you are a night owl who sleeps during the day, or even if you like napping in the afternoons, you’ll find these very useful.
Conclusion
Here’s my final recommendation:
- Get a pair of Nicetown curtains AND the heavy duty ones by Residential Acoustics for each window(see links to Amazon above). You’ll probably end up with the best possible solution, closest to ACTUALLY soundproofing your room by using these two together.
- Get curtain sizes that can cover your window completely and hang them from as high up on the wall as the length permits. Most optimal- hang them from the ceiling brackets
That’s all you need to know really!
One last thing:
Like soundproof curtains, acoustic foam also does a great job at dampening sounds inside a room. You can read more about it here.