Top 14 Best Soundproofing Materials For Your Home & Office: Cheap, Affordable, and Mandatory!

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Soundproofing is a process that mainly focuses on effectively controlling unwanted noise, with various soundproofing materials which are used to reduce the effects of noise. But do you know how many types of soundproofing materials are there?

According to the report of Verified Market Research, the Acoustic Insulation Market size is projected to reach USD 21.59 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 5.44% from the year 2022 to 2030.

If you are seriously concerned about how to avoid unnecessary noise and want to live a peaceful life, then you are at the right place. In this in-depth article, we have provided a list of the 14 best soundproofing materials in more detail that can help you to overcome your issues.

This guide is created based on my personal experiences and learning from various issues. So, if you have just started or are already done with the research on soundproofing material, this guide will definitely add value to your research.

In this article, you will find every possible best product that a person needed to soundproof a house, room, or any private space. Also, here we will learn the basics of soundproofing, which things matter in soundproofing material, and what things you need to fix your soundproofing issues. 

So, let’s get started.

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What Is Soundproofing vs Sound Absorbing?

People got confused with these two big terms in sound engineering, so let me clarify to you first that sound absorbing is an element of soundproofing, but how? do not worry will discuss the same in detail but before that let me explain what this sounds all about.

Sound is a sort of energy generated from any source and travels through space by creating pressure. As sound waves or energy is generated, it starts creating pressure on air particles and they start displacing in a wave pattern and the same thing continues till the end unless it got a barrier.

These sound waves or pressure waves strike our eardrum and create the same pressure and later the same will be sensed by the mind and humans can experience the types of sound.

But what, if there is a mixture of sounds coming together which has a low-high frequency, and is not easy to differentiate from actual sound? That is called noise.

The only major difference between sound vs noise is, that sound is easy to reproduce however noise is not reproducible.

Well, you got a major difference, so to avoid noise there are two ways, and those are called soundproofing and sound-absorbing. 

Sound absorbing is a way to minimize the echoes and improve the sound quality where your main focus is to absorb the sound waves and minimize the reflections from different sources.

However, soundproofing is a way to create a barrier for soundwaves transmission. Let’s imagine, soundwaves are coming from the neighbor’s house, as we learned earlier if we put a barrier to the transmission path of soundwaves we can stop it to move forward.

Hence using soundproofing you will be able to stop getting unwanted noise, however, sound-absorbing helps you to improve the sound quality by minimizing the echoes.

To learn the major differences with the detailed example I recommend visiting and learning the comprehensive guide on soundproofing vs sound-absorbing.

Hence in this guide, we will classify all the soundproofing materials based on the categories they belong to such as soundproofing, insulation,sound-absorbing materials, etc.

Before deep diving into buying the soundproofing material, it is better to learn the types of material you would need for soundproofing.

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Things Matters In SoudProofing Material

Soundproofing won’t be possible by buying a product and using it to block the soundwaves it has many more factors to consider.

If talking about the basic learning of soundproofing then make sure you are aware of the below key factors which really matter while choosing the soundproofing material.

1. Mass Or Density Of The Material

Soundproofing’s main idea is to create a barrier that stops further movement of soundwaves or in other words, it helps to block the soundwaves by reflecting back to the original direction.

And the ability of any material to work as a strong barrier depends on its mass or density the higher the mass it has the stronger it has ability to create a barrier.

So make sure to research this, if your aim is to create a barrier or block the unwanted noise coming from the other side of the area. The best affordable solution for the same is to use Drywall or MLV, later will discuss in detail.

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2. The Absorption Capacity Of The Material

Absorption helps to minimize the echoes, sometimes even a low-frequency noise due to the reflection from different hard surfaces in the room cause amplify.

You probably heard the music in the bathroom and in a room, both have a different level of amplification in the sound, why? It’s because of the echoes.

The best affordable solution to minimize echos is using acoustic foams, so make sure the material you use is less reflective and has the ability to absorb or trap the soundwaves in it.

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3. Dampening Capacity Of Materials

Soundwaves are a form of energy that vibrates the air particle coming on its way, in such a way it proceeds further from one place to another.

While sound energy travels, it creates vibrations in the air molecules which pass through the next material and move forward. So dampening materials help to minimize vibrations.

Such materials dissipate the sound energy by converting them all into heat waves. The very best example is Green glue will discuss later more in detail.

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4. Insulation Ability Of The Material

Insulation is another primary factor that helps in soundproofing as it provides a strong barrier for the soundwaves to pass through.

If we talk about the Drywalls, which are set on top of the verticle studs will leave a cavity between the verticle studs so the solution to fill them is using an insulating material.

Such material helps to create a strong barrier for the soundwaves coming from the other side of the wall the very best example is Batt, blow-in, or Foam spray insulation materials.

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5. Decoupling Materials

Decoupling is the best concept of soundproof engineering where idea is to trap the soundwaves in between two different environments.

Soundwaves travel faster in solid as compared to air and liquid, why? Because molecules will be closer to each other and if referring to steel it is 17 times faster as compared to air.

Usually, in the USA, people use drywall to soundproof a house by placing an additional layer on the existing wall but if it is not enough then using the resilient channel you can cover another layer of the drywall.

Placing another layer will create an empty space between two walls which helps to slow down the vibrations of the soundwaves coming from the first solid surface to the air then again solid.

I imagine you got a good idea of how soundproofing engineering works and what factors matter for which purpose, so let me highlight all types of soundproofing material available for each category.

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Top Soundproofing Material For Affordable Solution

We have categorized all the materials based on their use for the above-provided purpose, so it would be better to navigate to a specific section and can get an idea of the best affordable products available in the market.

Every product has a reference to buy given by Amazon, so for each product’s latest price and customer review make sure to go through Amazon itself.

1. Best Sound Absorbing Material

There are thousands of ways to absorb unwanted soundwaves which really help to minimize the reflection of the unwanted noise.

As in the house, we have strong walls, glass, or furniture which do not absorb the soundwaves but reflect them back which as a result sound amplifies and gets more annoying, to avoid this you can use below sound-absorbing materials.

1 (1). Best Acoustic Foam

If have heard about the best soundproofing solution in small studios or rooms is the acoustic foams which also known as sound-absorbing foam.

It absorbs the soundwaves and reduces the reflection which depends on the Noise Reduction coefficient (NRC) or the ability of the material.

If you are willing to buy then you can go with the Foamily which has a great customer review and provide 12 Pack of acoustic panel best suited for your private room or studio.

It is available in varieties of colors and each piece is of 1 square foot and 1 inch thick for better acoustic control. It is well suited for acoustic treatment by noise reduction, reduces waves, and minimizes echoes.

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Acoustic foams have been categorized into various forms based on usage, such as flat panel,egg-crate, pyramid, or bass trap, etc, to learn more make sure to visit the detailed guide on is soundproofing really works?

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1 (2). Best SoundProof Curtains

The major source of sound reflections in a room is from the wall or the window or door so the very best concern is the reflection from the window.

If we talk about the noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of the window then approx 95% of the soundwaves reflect back which later amplifies noise to the next level.

Using soundproof curtains you can minimize reflection up to a certain level as it not only helps in minimizing echoes but helps in maintaining the heat inside the room.

The denser and more layer the curtain has, it will be more effective in sound absorption and the Nicetown blackout curtain is among the most popular curtain available in the market.

It is available in two panels to cover the whole window end to end and each side is around 52″ wide and 84″ long, this is perfect for thermal insulation and energy-efficient and it’s both sides are of the same color.

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Selection of SoundProof curtains could be done on various parameters if you are interested in buying soundproof curtains then make sure to visit the detailed guide on best soundproof curtains.

1 (3). SoundProof Blankets

You have definitely heard about the moving blankets which are denser in quality and widely used by people to absorb the soundwaves but is this effective?

Moving blankets are a bit different than a soundproof blanket, but yes good enough solution for sound absorption if you do not have a soundproof blanket.

Soundproof blankets are made of two layers the topmost layer is a transparent layer that allows soundwaves to pass through and the internal layer is dense enough to trape the soundwaves in it.

Hence you are looking for the best soundproof blanket then the well-known name is Audimute which has an NRC of 0.85 which means it can absorb 85% of soundwaves and reflect back only 15%.

It is of larger size 95″*54″ and includes three metal grommets for easy installation as it is well suited for recording studios, vocal booths, or any private area due to its good quality sound absorption sheets.

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Soundproof blankets are a bit expensive as compared to moving blanket so if you are looking for a detailed overview of comparison then it is better to check the detailed guide on is soundproof blankets works?

The above three are my best popular choice in case if looking for a solution for sound-absorbing or soundproofing a house, now let focus on other materials

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2. Best Soundproof Insulation

Soundproof insulation is the very best option if you want to stop the transmission of the soundwaves. It actually works as a strong barrier.

Most of the time people have issues with their neighbors due to louder noise and weak partitions between both houses, hence the very best solution is a barrier on the way to sound transmission.

2 (1). Batt Insulation

Insulations are of different types such as Batt insulation, blow-in, or foam spray insulation where their job is to fill the cavity and block every corner which allows pass-through of sound waves.

Out of three, Batt insulation is one of the most affordable solutions you can have in between the vertical studs behind the drywall. It is made of fibers, mineral wools or cotton, etc.

The well-known insulation is Roxul Acoustic Mineral Wool insulation which is available in 6 pieces with each sheet size of 48″24″*2″.

This is one of the cost-effective and very high NRC ratings, water-repelling, hydrophobic, and class A fire rating soundproofing material.

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The above suggestion is an affordable solution that is widely used for fixing, floor, wall, or ceiling cavities, to learn more about types of insulation make sure to visit the detailed guide on types of insulation.

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3. Best Sound Dampening Materials

As explained earlier the main job of soundproof materials are to dampen the energy of the soundwaves by dissipating and converting it into heat energy.

Dampening materials reduce the amplitude of the noise and overall minimize the energy of the forward-moving soundwaves. Hence below are the best affordable solution.

3 (1). Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV)

MLV is the ultimate way to add mass to the existing wall, floor, or ceiling. We already learned earlier you can create a strong barrier for the soundwaves by introducing a highly dense mass on the existing wall or barrier.

But the issue with any mass material is its width and weight if you look for high dense material then probably you have to bear the weight as well.

But Mass loaded vinyl is exceptional in the case which is thinner in quality but has the absolute ability to block the soundwaves or reflect back soundwaves.

It is flexible in quality and easy to fold or hang on top of the walls, ceiling, or any noise-block-out areas where it is required.

The well-known MLV is  TMS Mass Loaded Vinyl which is perfect for residential and commercial space use and of 1/8 inch of thickness and has various products covering in between 16-100 square feet in total area.

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To learn more about the advantage of MLV, how it works, and why this is the best affordable solution, and what is MLV alternatives make sure to visit the detailed guide on what is Mass loaded Vinyl?

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3 (2). Floor Underlays

You have heard the noise made due to vibrations in the car, home, or work locations, and that noise you can overcome using noise-deadening floor solutions.

Many houses are made of wooden floors or any engineering floor which may be the reason for the generation of noise such as footfall noise or noise due to chairs, and furniture impact on the floor. 

Even in some cases, people are getting noise from the person leaving beneath your flat.

The very best solution for such noise is sound-absorbing underlayments by Bestlaminate which is around 1000 sq ft in total size and 2mm thick.

This underlayment is the best fit for all types of flooring including cement floors

It is 3 in 1 blue color vapor barrier also available in 100 sq ft rolls which is ideal for slab, bamboo, floating, wooden, and vinyl laminated floors.

You can glue this acoustic underlayment directly to the plasterboard on the floor or stud or may create a sandwich by putting the plasterboard in between two layers.

It works as a dampening material in between the impact on the floor, if sound energy got generated, it will dampen the sound waves.

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In place of this, you can also use the soundproof carpet which also helps to overcome the noise generated from the floor soundproofing material.

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3 (3). Sound Deadening Paint

Well, many people argue about the ability of soundproof paints even I do earlier but the logic is simple if you can coat something on top of others it adds mass to the existing surface.

In a similar way, soundproof paint claims the STC up to 3-7 points which means it could be effective if it works the way the manufacturer claims.

The process will be easy to spray or coat every thin surface with paint which will create a reflective surface and help to dampen the soundwaves.

The hy-tech thermal solution is offering Acoustic coat sound-deadening paint of 1 or 5 gallons which is made of sound-absorbing fillers.

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Which absorbs the sounds and prevents them to bounce back where the noise reduction in the 500 Hz is by 30%. You can use this on top of the drywall, ceiling, walls, or plaster wall as a soundproofing material.

Well if you need more on the difference between soundproof and regular paints then must check the detailed guide.

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4. Best SoundDecoupling Material

Decoupling is the best way to slow down or trap the soundwaves. As we learned earlier soundwaves can travel faster in solid as compared to air which means the closer the particles will fasten the further propagation of the soundwaves.

Decoupling is the way to interrupt the medium of soundwaves propagation where once it starts from one layer of the Drywall will enter the decoupling zone before the next layer of drywall and in such a way vibration will get reduced.

4 (1). Green Glue NoiseProofing Sealant

Green glue is a viscoelastic component whose primary job is to dissipate sound energy to heat energy. Its main purpose is to fill the gaps or cracks and to provide noise-proofing sealant.

In addition to this, it is widely used between the two-layer of drywall to create a decoupling zone. Where while noise waves pass from the first layer will be dissipated in the decoupling zone by green glue due to viscous nature.

Green glue in the laboratory and in the field stated an STC score of 55 which is more than 50 required for efficient soundproofing.

The very best offered by is Green Glue with 6 or 12 tubes of the noise-proofing compound. If you want to use this in between the plasterboard or drywall then 2 tubes are good enough for an 8*4 ft sheet.

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4 (2). Resilient Channel

A resilient channel is the best way to create decoupling between two layers, if you want to put a layer of drywall then it’s better to use a resilient channel than screwing this to the existing wall.

The resilient channel is the strip of metal with small holes in it which can be easily screwed against the verticle studs were on top of that you can screw the additional layer of drywall.

This will create a decoupling zone in between both layers of drywall and will be very effective in noise-proofing your house or room.

The well-known product seller is Auralex Acoustic which provides RC8 Resilient channels in 25 Gauge metal boxes of 24-8′ lengths.

It is the best fit for drywall and reduces sound transmission as it creates a 1/2″ of an air pocket in between the layers.

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You can have sound decoupling by introducing green glue in between the two drywall where the decoupling zone has been created due to resilience hence this is among the popular choice of soundproofing materials.

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4 (3). SoundProof Drywall

Drywall is made of the same material of plaster that we call Gypsum. It is made of fibers, plasters, and foam agents.

Drywall is made by grinding the gypsum into fine particles and then mixed with water to create a slurry that is packed in between a two-layer of the recycled thick paper layer.

It is the only very best option people use to add mass to the existing wall by setting up a verticle stud and covering that with Drywall. Where the back cavities are filled with insulation materials.

To learn more about how soundproof drywall works and what makes them perfect for soundproofing material it is better to check a detailed guide on what is Drywall?

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4 (4). SoundProof Windows

The other major area from which soundwaves came through is windows, due to the single glazing layer it is not efficient enough to block the soundwaves.

So make sure to install double glazing and create a decoupling in between both layers which trap the soundwaves and as result no more transmission of the sound waves.

Make sure to have different sizes of thickness for both glazings where one should have around 6mm the others should be 4mm in thickness.

To learn more about how to soundproof a window make sure to visit the detailed article on windows soundproofing.

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5. Additional Soundproofing Accessories

Above are the major soundproofing material but there are a few used for soundproofing based on their necessities, let me highlight a few of them.

5 (1). Weatherstripping For Window Or Door

Well, the window and Door are the major source for soundwaves to coming into the room because of the small spaces left around the corner of the window or door.

This can be overcome by setting up weatherstripping which you can push hard to the corner of the window and window frame which nowhere left space to air come in.

In a similar way the same weatherstripping you can use to fill the joints of the door and the door frame for filling every empty space.

If willing to buy weather stripping then make sure to check out 52 feet/16 weather stripping by SAVINA for doors or windows which is a high-quality material used for preventing wind, dust, sound, and insect, and designed to reduce noise effectively.

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Make sure you push it hard to every corner to avoid any leak left around the corner as if light or air can pass through that means it’s easy for soundwaves to pass through.

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5 (2). Acoustic Sealant For Door

Well if we talk about a door that can have cracks or maybe space in between the door or the door frame, in that case, the best solution is to fill that hole which allows getting air to come through.

The best affordable solution of an efficient way is using an acoustic sealant, which enables you to fill all the small holes left around the door.

For that, you can have a Great Stuff window or door 12 oz insulating foam sealant which will be yellow in color and good enough to create an acoustic seal for the empty spaces.

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Never miss such small gaps because every time you do installations then due to joint or mismatch between the frame and door it always has small cracks left. So consider this as a primary soundproofing material.

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5 (3). Soundproof Door Sweep

The door sweep is used under the door to cover the gap between the door and the ground which also causes a major reason for noise to come into the house.

To overcome this the best solution is to block that space using the door sweep which is of different types one which can be easily removed while others can be fixed permanently.

For the best product purchase, you can go for MD Building Products 1-1/4 inch commercial grade door sweep, this is available with a 36-inch aluminum metal bar with the same length of door sweep.

It has a number of holes that help you to easily fix them at the bottom of the door. It is protective against drafts, moisture, dust, and insects and can be used for commercial or residential purposes.

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To learn more about types of door sweep and which one is best then make sure to visit the detailed guide on soundproof door sweep.

Well, above are the important soundproofing material required to soundproof a room or house.

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Wrap Up On 14 Best SoundProofing Materials

Here, I have tried to provide a list of the best soundproofing materials you will ever need. You can choose any of these materials depending on the current level of noise you have, whether it is in your home, office, or elsewhere.   

However, all of these are high-performing soundproofing materials. But, sometimes you might need to experiment with a few materials to find out which would provide the best results for you. 

If any one of these materials has provided you with the solution you were looking for, please share this article with those people who you think might need it. 

Hope you found this article helpful. And if you have any problems with your soundproofing process, please let us know in the comments below. 

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FAQ: 14 Best SoundProofing Materials

Before exploring soundproofing materials, you should first understand the key differences between sound absorption and soundproofing. Because of that, many people have lots of questions related to this topic. Here, I have answered some of the most important questions.