Enhance office soundscape with pods rated Class A per ISO 23351

Office pods rated Class A per ISO – tl;dr

• ISO 23351-1:2020 measures the degree of speech reduction that a particular office booth provides. Based on the number of speech decibels insulated, a booth can be rated A+, A, B, C, or D in key tests. Products awarded an A rating and higher guarantee outstanding speech privacy.

• The ISO standard is rigorous because the capability of speech reduction serves as the paramount benchmark to assess the efficacy of a booth. While intelligible speech can significantly distract employees, compromising their focus and well-being within the office, insufficient speech privacy poses a critical security challenge. That’s why containing speech inside private booths offers a twofold advantage: it reduces distractions and fosters focus while responding to security challenges, offering a robust solution to the problem.

• HushFree booths are awarded an A rating per ISO 23351-1:2020. They offer impeccable speech privacy, providing employees with confidential spaces while minimising the distracting intelligible speech on the open-plan floor. With their dual acoustic benefits, the office becomes an effective and productive working environment.

Overview: what is ISO 23351-1:2020?

ISO 23351-1:2020 refers to a new global furniture standard that evaluates the effectiveness of office pods in maintaining speech privacy. To be more precise, it quantifies the level of speech reduction provided by a specific booth.

From our perspective of office pod makers, the ISO 23351-1:2020 standard is a game-changer as it’s the first international measurement framework to assess the speech reduction capability of office pods. It’s especially valuable for our team because it allows us to prove the efficacy of our hushFree collection of A-rated pods, ensuring speech privacy. We should also remember that achieving speech privacy also involves reducing intelligible speech within the office space. In essence, when noise is effectively insulated within the pod, it prevents distractions from spreading across the workspace and distracting employees. This dual acoustic benefit of Class A pods is certainly worth considering

– says Dariusz Hofschneider, Senior Product Manager, Hushoffice.

The ISO 23351 test quantifies the degree of speech reduction provided by a specific pod.

How is the test performed? First speech is emitted and measured in an empty room. Then speech is emitted inside the pod, and measured from outside within the same room. On the basis of both measurements, the level of speech reduction in decibels (referred to as D_S,A ) is determined.

The ISO 23351 standard determines whether a specific pod ensures speech privacy.

As the ISO chart shows, speech privacy can be ensured for pods providing the speech level reduction of minimum 25 dB.

Class	Speech level reduction (DS,A)	Speech privacy guaranteed?
A	30-33 decibels/dB	Yes
B	25-30 decibels/dB	Yes
C	20-25 decibels/dB	Depends on background noise level
D	15-20 decibels/dB	Depends on background noise level
unclassified	< 15 decibels/dB	No

Awarded the Class A rating, our hushFree pods guarantee speech privacy.

We are thrilled to (officially!) announce our new line of Class A work and team meeting pods – hushFree, encompassing three models: one-person hushFree.S, 4-person hushFree.M, and hushFree.L accommodating 4-6 individuals depending on its configuration. All three models ensure unparalleled speech privacy, making your office a more secure working environment.

Class A office pods, such as the three models from our hushFree line effectively insulate, or muffle, 30-33 decibels of a pod user’s sound, including phone and video calls. Casual speech is approximately 60 decibels, but when emitted inside a Class A pod, only around 30 decibels are heard on the floor. For comparison, 30 decibels is roughly the volume of a whisper, which is almost unintelligible in most settings. While the average workspace volume ranges from 45 to 60 decibels, a 30-decibel whisper can be fully masked by the ambient office sounds, thereby preventing eavesdropping. To sum up, your speech privacy is effectively maintained

– says Dariusz Hofschneider, Senior Product Manager, Hushoffice.

While Class A pods offer workers complete privacy, they also ensure a focused, peaceful working environment on the open floor. Each Class A pod serves as a self-contained, soundproof space, isolating the primary sources of intelligible speech such as meetings, phone and video calls, and teamwork.

Speech emitted inside Class A pods is well-protected even in the case of unusually quiet workspaces.

This is due to additional 3 decibels of insulation compared to Class B pods. Since the decibel scale is not linear, but logarithmic, the additional 3 decibels of sound insulation practically halve the speech volume, ensuring confidentiality and addressing key security issues.

The degree of speech reduction serves as the ultimate measure of how effective an office pod is.

Intelligible speech can be a major distractor, impeding both focus and wellness. What’s more, the lack of adequate speech privacy within the office poses a security challenge. Thus isolating speech in Class A booths provides a twofold advantage.

• 72% of office staff are not satisfied with the degree of speech privacy in their office, making the issue a primary complaint among cubicle and open-office workers.

• Studies have indicated that intelligible speech ranks among the most disruptive sources of noise in the workspace. Indeed, offices characterised by higher levels of background sound are considered the most disadvantageous and unpleasant for workers.

• Open-office noise is proven to cause a 25% drop in well-being and 34% rise in physiological stress.

Investing in privacy benefits your organisation immediately and in the long run.

Office booths are a reliable solution that provide employees with the privacy needed to effectively perform their highly concentrative tasks or tackle confidential issues.

Productivity, uninterrupted…

When distractions caused by colleagues’ discussions are minimised, employees can fully concentrate on their tasks and perform at their best. Workspaces that maintain speech privacy foster focus, allowing individuals to effectively navigate complex and challenging tasks.

Open communication…

Knowing that their conversations are kept private, individuals feel more comfortable discussing sensitive issues, which leads to enhanced collaboration and more effective problem-solving.

A question of morale…

Working environments that provide individuals with a sufficient degree of speech privacy demonstrate commitment to employee well-being and comfort, improving overall job satisfaction and morale while minimising stress among your staff.

Attracting and retaining talent…

Workspaces arranged with speech privacy in mind appeal to both current employees and potential new hires. Individuals are indeed more likely to stay with an organisation that takes their needs seriously.

Protecting confidential information…

A higher degree of speech privacy minimises the risk of inadvertent disclosure of sensitive or confidential data, including proprietary business information, client details, or long-term strategies. Therefore investing in private office pods can prevent your organisation from encountering legal, financial or reputational problems.

Client confidence…

Ensuring confidentiality is crucial to build trust with clients. By improving speech privacy within your workspace, your organisation demonstrates commitment to protecting sensitive client information, thereby strengthening bonds and enhancing company reputation.

Check out our new line of Class A pods, hushFree. Private. Comfortable. Convenient.

When it comes to acoustics, hushFree pods rank Class A. Designed with user comfort in mind, they feature customisable lighting and ventilation, creating a quiet, peaceful working environment suitable for all kinds of tasks.

HushFree.S – a one-person A-rated pod

HushFree.S is a self-contained, well-equipped office pod designed for one person. Accessible and user-friendly, it is equipped with customisable ventilation and supportive furniture, including an ergonomic sit-stand desk for unparalleled working comfort. Additionally, extra LED light strips enhance communication during online meetings by illuminating the user’s face.

HushFree.M – a fully-furnished, 4-person Class A meeting pod

HushFree.M is a seamlessly moveable team booth, offering a perfect working environment for teams to collaborate and focus. This comfortable pod is available either unfurnished or equipped with a pre-made meeting table and two 2-seater sofas.

HushFree.L – a large conference booth accommodating 4-6 individuals (depending on its arrangement)

HushFree.L is a large, acoustically-designed booth that can serve as an ideal relaxation space, leisure area, or meeting hub. It is available empty or equipped with a combination of tables and sofas. Additionally, its customisable lighting allows employees to adjust the light according to their preference or type of activity, making the booth a perfect and versatile solution.

Click here to find out more about our hushFree collection of Class A pods and booths.

Class A office pods – summarized

• ISO 23351-1:2020 measures the degree of speech reduction that a particular office booth provides. Based on the number of speech decibels insulated, a booth can be rated A+, A, B, C, or D in key tests. Products awarded an A rating and higher guarantee outstanding speech privacy.

• The ISO standard is rigorous because the capability of speech reduction serves as the paramount benchmark to assess the efficacy of a booth. While intelligible speech can significantly distract employees, compromising their focus and well-being within the office, insufficient speech privacy poses a critical security challenge. That’s why containing speech inside private booths offers a twofold advantage: it reduces distractions and fosters focus while responding to security challenges, offering a robust solution to the problem.

• HushFree booths are awarded an A rating per ISO 23351-1:2020. They offer impeccable speech privacy, providing employees with confidential spaces while minimising the distracting intelligible speech on the open-plan floor. With their dual acoustic benefits, the office becomes an effective and productive working environment.

Class A acoustic pods – frequently asked questions

What is the ISO 23351-1:2020 standard?

Essentially, ISO 23351-1:2020 introduces a novel measurement called speech level reduction, abbreviated as D_S,A (decibels/dB), evaluating the efficacy of acoustic booths and cabins in minimising speech. In fact, speech level reduction is the first ISO standard designed to measure the acoustic performance of such furniture solutions. Surely, it’s a considerable improvement in ensuring necessary speech privacy and acoustic management in workspaces.

In what ways can office booths and pods enhance speech privacy?

Office booths and pods serve as private spaces ensuring the confidentiality of  discussions and protection from eavesdropping, allowing their users to fully focus on their tasks at hand. The enhanced level of privacy fosters effective employee performance. What’s more, booths and pods contain intelligible speech, creating a productive and focused working environment for all workers.

Do acoustic pods ensure speech privacy?

Yes! Pods and booths with an A+, A, or B rating per ISO 23351-1:2020 ensure speech privacy. To find out more about privacy booths, check the hushFree line of A-rated booths.