If you’re looking for some acoustic foam to quieten up your room so you can enjoy a theater like experience, then you’ve come to the right place.
Acoustic foam sound panels are designed to soak in the excess noise that bounce off the walls. They’re one of the most common acoustic wall treatments needed in every recording studio or home-theater simply for their ability to limit the amount of distortion you’d hear in a closed room.
Here, I’m going to list out acoustic foam panels that are both affordable and effective at cutting down noise so your movies and music will sound better.
- FStop Labs Acoustic Foam (12 Pack)
- Ohuhu Acoustic Foam Panel (6 Pack)
- Dekiru Acoustic Foam Panels (12 Pack)
- SoundAssured Acoustic Foam (4 Pack)
- IZO Egg Crate Acoustic Foam Panels (6 Pack)
- Sonic Acoustics Acoustic Foam Wedges (12 Pack)
Table of Contents
Best Cheap Acoustic Foam
Acoustic foam as it’s commonly known is a form of soundproofing material that comprises polyurethane-based materials which are capable of trapping sound waves within them so there’s little to no distortion or unnecessary reverb.
Since they all look and feel the same, it gets rather hard to find the most effective one for your needs. This list will definitely make it easier for you to decide on which cheap acoustic foam to buy. While they are all made from fire retardant material, these high density acoustic foam panels are some of the best in the market.
You can find them online and they are available in a range of sizes, structures and can be bought in packs of 4 and above.
Let’s go over the best acoustic foam products that money can buy.
| Best Cheap Acoustic Foam | Features | Quantity |
| FStop Labs Acoustic Foam | 0.92 NRC; Fire-Retardant, High Density; 12″ x 12″ x 2″ | 12 Panels |
| Ohuhu Acoustic Foam Panels | 0.90 NRC; Fire-Retardant, High Density; 12″ x 16″ x 2″ | 6 Panels |
| Dekiru Acoustic Foam Panels | 0.92 NRC; Fire-Retardant, 215kg/m3 Density; 12″ x 12″ x 0.4″ | 12 Panels |
| SoundAssured Acoustic Foam | 0.65 NRC; Fire-Retardant, 19.2kg/m3 density; 12″ x 12″ x 2″ | 4 Panels |
| IZO Egg Crate Acoustic Foam Panels | 0.40 NRC; Fire-Retardant, Absorbs Standing Waves; 12″ x 12″ x 2″ | 6 Egg Crate panels |
| Sonic Acoustics Acoustic Foam Wedges | 0.92 NRC; Fire-Retardant, High Density; 12″ x 12″ x 2″ | 12 Wedge Tile Panels |
FStop Labs Acoustic Foam (12 Pack)
These acoustic foam panels are 2” thick pyramid designed foam that helps break up sound waves and is capable of reducing reverb along with unwanted flutter echoes.
This an affordable choice for soundproofing a room of any size. The panels are 12” x 12” and lightweight making them great for bedrooms, recording studios, home-theaters and other areas you’d like sound-proofed.
It’s made up from an environment friendly non-toxic polyurethane foam that’s flame retardant making it safe to use anywhere.
The thing about these panels when they’re sold in packs is that they come compressed in a vacuum package and not ready to use right away. You’d have to air these panels out for about a day or two before they can be used.
The primary benefit of these panels is that they lower the resonant frequency of decoupled walls and have an average NRC rating of0.92 (across various frequencies).
Specifications
| Dimensions | 12” x 12” x 2” |
| NRC | 0.92 |
| Features | Fire Retardant, Eco-Friendly, High Density |
| Pack | 12 Panels |
| Price | $34.99 |
Ohuhu Acoustic Foam Panel (6 Pack)
The Ohuhu Acoustic are uncompressed 2” thick pyramid structured foam panels that absorb sounds pretty well. Each panel is lightweight so they can be easily placed on the wall, ceiling and doors without breaking a sweat.
As compared to other products on this list, the Ohuhu panels measure in at 12” x 16” x 12”. So, each tile is capable of covering a little more than a square foot. If you’re looking to cover an area of 32 square feet or more then you’d have to opt for 24 tiles or more.
When it comes to safety, these foam tiles are made from a fire-retardant material certified by the California Technical Bulletin 117 for safety and will stop a fire from spreading.
The Ohuhu Acoustic foam panels can be mounted in either one of the following ways to get the best results.
- In columns on the wall
- Dihedral corners
- As scattered blocks
Specifications
| Dimensions | 12” x 16” x 12” x 2” |
| NRC | 0.90 |
| Features | Fire Retardant, Eco-Friendly, High Density |
| Pack | 6 Panels |
| Price | $18.99 |
Dekiru Acoustic Foam Panels (12 Pack)
Dekiru has manufactured these minimalistic flat acoustic foam panels that are perfect for offices and home-theaters. These sound absorbing panels are made from high-density polyester foam that is non-toxic and environmentally safe to use.
They are known to reduce unwanted echoes, sound waves, reverb and flutter echoes with ease and look good while doing so. It’s flame-retardant so they’re capable of stopping a fire in its tracks.
A great thing about the Dekiru acoustic foam panels is that they are easy to install, all you’ll have to do is apply some 3M tape at the back and position them wherever you want. Each panel is 12” x 12” x 0.4” and comes with a beveled chamfer design.
The Dekiru form panels have a NRC of 0.92 and are high density at 215kg/m3, they’re odorless and completely safe if you have kids or pets at home. With improved acoustic quality, you can expect to have cleaner audio recordings and quieter offices.
Specifications
| Dimensions | 12” x 12” x 0.4” |
| NRC | 0.92 |
| Features | Fire Retardant, Eco-Friendly, High Density – 215kg/m3 |
| Pack | 12 Panels |
| Price | $38.99 |
SoundAssured Acoustic Foam (4 Pack)
These acoustic panels are 2” thick foam that helps create a great listening and audio recording environment for those on a budget. Here you’d get a total of 4 panels that can cover a space of 4 square feet, this foam is used to absorb mids and high frequencies while being able to control and trap echoes.
It’s made from a Class A fire-retardant foam that has self extinguishing capabilities making it safe to use at all times. You can expect to receive improved sound clarity with high noise reduction.
The panels are high density (19.2kg/m3) and can be positioned anywhere in the room thanks to their light weight. The Noise reduction coefficient for these panels is rated at 0.65 so they block out most sounds without additional dampening tools.
Specifications
| Dimensions | 12” x 12” x 2” |
| NRC | 0.65 |
| Features | Fire Retardant, Eco-Friendly, High Density – 19.2kg/m3 |
| Pack | 4 Panels |
| Price | $18.95 |
IZO Egg Crate Acoustic Foam Panels (6 Pack)
The 2” convoluted foam panels have an egg shaped structure where the highest point is 1.5” tall while the lowest point is 0.5” in height. They are high-density panels which can help improve sound clarity in a room or space.
With the pack of 6 panels you can cover an area of 6 square feet where each sheet covers 1 square feet. This can be applied on walls, ceilings, doors and work wonders with sound reduction and dampening.
The IZO Egg crate acoustic foam panels come Technical Bulletin Cal 117-2013 certified making them fire-retardant and safe to use in any situation. They also have a NRC rating of 0.40 which means that they can block and dampen most unwanted sounds/noises.
Specifications
| Dimensions | 12” x 12” x 2” |
| NRC | 0.40 |
| Features | Fire Retardant, Absorb Standing Waves |
| Pack | 6 Egg Crate Panels |
| Price | $11.99 |
Sonic Acoustics Acoustic Foam Wedges (12 Pack)
These superior sound absorbing panels provide you with professional sound control on walls and ceilings. They’re perfect if you’re looking to reduce any unwanted sound waves, reverb or flutter echoes in a room.
It’s made from environmentally friendly polyurethane foam that’s both fire-retardant and high-density at 50/lbs per cubic yard making them not only sound absorbing but even safe to use in rooms with kids or pets. The foam panels are delivered compressed so you’d have to air ventilate them for 24-48 hours before they can be used.
Each tile measures in at 12” x 12” x 2” and are aesthetically pleasing no matter where they’re positioned in the room. With the Sonic Acoustics Foam Wedges you’ll receive a rating of 0.92 on the NRC scale so they’re perfect to use in home-theaters, studios, game rooms and so on.
Specifications
| Dimensions | 12” x 12” x 2” |
| NRC | 0.92 |
| Features | Fire Retardant, Environmentally Friendly, High-Density |
| Pack | 12 Wedge Tile Panels |
| Price | $28.99 |
How To Choose the Right Acoustic Foam?
After trying and testing numerous acoustic foam products, we have come to the conclusion that the best acoustic foam products depend on the following factors.
- Thickness of the Foam – It’s evident that the thicker the foam, the more effective it’ll be. If you’re looking to dampen high range frequencies and mid range frequencies then you’d opt for acoustic foam that’s around 1-2” in thickness. However, if you’re looking to dampen out the low frequency sounds then you’d have to pick up something a little thicker.
- Size and Quantity – Acoustic foam panels are normally sold in packs of 4, 6, 12 or 24 but all brands will not feature the same quantity, some may have only 6 per pack while another will only have 12 packs available. You’d have to measure the height and width of the walls in the room you want sound-proofed, this will give you an idea of how many panels to purchase for the room. Panels are even sold in either 1ft sq. or 2ft sq or will carry a dimension of 2ft by 4ft. You can buy a large panel or multiple smaller ones, based on your requirements.
- NRC – NRC or noise reduction coefficient is the rating given to the amount of sound acoustic foam panels can reduce. Panels that come with a higher NRC rating can dampen sound more than those with a lower NRC rating. The rating is normally found in the description of the products so it’s best to read through the details and compare products before buying something you’ll later regret.
- Patterns – Patterns don’t do anything to the way noise gets reduced, rather they’re simply aesthetic options to make the items more appealing. The most common panel patterns are either pyramids or wedges and you need not limit yourself to just a single pattern, you can mix and match them in your room creating a custom look just for yourself. The only thing you’d have to keep in mind with regards to the pattern is that some of them can be difficult to clean when placed high up on the wall.
Conclusion
With there being hundreds if not thousands of Acoustic foam products in the market, it’s extremely difficult to pick one that’ll be best suited for your personal needs. The acoustic foam panels listed here will help you make your decision as they’re some of the best products you can find online, and are relatively inexpensive.
Always make sure you check the primary features of the acoustic foam panels before buying them such as; NRC ratings, quantity in a pack, structure and thickness of the panels.
There are some great manufacturers but the best according to me is the Ohuhu Foam panels or the Dekiru panels, they’re both long lasting and can reduce unwanted noises quite efficiently.
Which one according to you is the best?
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Greetings! My name is Michael and this is my website.
I've been specializing in audio equipment and accessories for a while and have a little something in store for every kind of hi-fi enthusiast.
Based in California, I keep attending special launch events across the globe. This has helped me understand the products better, and with a unique hands-on experience I'm able to provide you with easy to understand reviews about the best in audio tech from around the world.
