ᐅ Experiences with foam rubber for quieter placement in Kallax compartments?

Hello everyone, I am currently considering lining my Kallax shelving compartments with foam rubber to make placing boxes or storage bins inside quieter. Has anyone had experience with this? I’m particularly interested in whether foam rubber noticeably reduces noise compared to other materials like felt or foam, and if it remains stable enough so the boxes don’t wobble. I would also like to know if the foam rubber needs to be cut to size or if there are special pre-cut pieces available for Kallax. Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Foam rubber dampens sound effectively but is somewhat soft. I usually cut it myself because pre-cut pieces rarely fit. Stability is hardly affected.

Hello @liamreo, I lined my Kallax compartments with 3 mm (0.12 inches) foam rubber that I bought at craft stores. It’s important that the foam is not too thick; otherwise, the boxes start to wobble slightly. 2 to 3 mm (0.08 to 0.12 inches) is ideal. The material absorbs impacts well, making it much quieter when placing the boxes. You can cut it quite easily with scissors or a utility knife, but a steady hand is important for clean edges. Felt is also quiet, but less stable and takes up more space.

I have had good experiences with foam rubber myself, but I recommend combining the foam rubber with a thin, non-slip mat, as the foam rubber alone can sometimes slip on smooth Kallax surfaces, especially if the boxes are also smooth. Additionally, foam rubber has the advantage of being very resistant to wear, so noise is kept to a minimum over the long term.

The sound dampening effect of foam rubber is due to its open-cell structure, which absorbs sound waves and thus reduces the impact noise from boxes in shelving units. Compared to other materials like felt or foam, foam rubber generally provides better dampening without significantly compromising stability. The thickness of the material is important: 2-3 mm (0.08-0.12 inches) offers a good balance between dampening and stability. I also recommend attaching the foam rubber with strong spray adhesive or double-sided tape to prevent slipping.

angel schrieb:
The material absorbs impact well, so setting it down is really quieter.

That sounds interesting! Did you place your boxes directly on the foam rubber, or do you have another layer underneath? Specifically, I'm curious about how stable the boxes are, for example when using Ikea plastic boxes. Can you notice any slight tipping or creaking from the foam rubber? And do you use a particular adhesive to secure them?