ᐅ KALLAX as a Sound Barrier – What Are Your Experiences?

Hello everyone,

I am currently exploring the topic of interior design and space layout and wonder whether the IKEA KALLAX shelf unit is truly effective as a sound barrier. Specifically, I want to know if anyone has experience using the KALLAX as an acoustic partition between living and working areas.

I understand that the shelf is neither designed for professional sound insulation nor filled with insulating materials. However, could the surface area occupied by books, boxes, and decorative items have some positive effect on reducing noise?

What are your practical experiences? Is this worthwhile as a temporary solution, or just a waste of time and space?

I look forward to your assessments, preferably with as much detail as possible regarding the room situation and materials used in the shelf. Thanks in advance!

parchen1 schrieb:
Is this worthwhile as an emergency solution, or is it just a waste of time and space?

For heaven’s sake, the KALLAX is definitely useless as a "sound barrier"!

The shelf is simply a piece of furniture made from particleboard, open and rather porous – everything that works against good room acoustics. If only space or appearance matters: fine, but actual sound insulation? Not at all.

I often see people trying to mask their noise problems by just putting something in place. That almost never leads to effective results.

Anyone who really wants to reduce noise should either use specialized soundproofing walls or apply absorbers and diffusers specifically designed for that purpose.

At best, the KALLAX can serve as a visual boundary, but not as a sound reflector or blocker. Sorry, but I want to be provocative here:

If someone seriously believes that a standard shelf like this can reduce noise, they either know nothing about room acoustics or have completely unrealistic expectations.

I would like to add a few factual points to the discussion, as I believe rough estimates often leave room for misunderstandings.

From a technical perspective, furniture like the KALLAX only functions as a sound barrier if it has enough mass and density to block airborne sound. However, the KALLAX is rather lightweight and open, which prevents strong sound insulation.

That said, a KALLAX filled with books or filling material can indeed reduce reverberation in a room because it can have a sound-absorbing effect—though this is indirect and limited to certain frequency ranges.

Its typical effect as a "barrier" against noise sources from adjacent rooms is minimal. For genuine soundproofing, structural measures such as insulated walls are more effective.

My recommendation: If the KALLAX is used as a room divider, it should be purposefully combined with acoustically effective materials (e.g., foam panels inside the compartments) when sound reduction is desired.

KALLAX alone does not reduce noise.

Having books inside helps a little against reverberation in the room.

Proper insulation? Insulate the wall.

SIAURORA schrieb:
If you seriously think a standard shelf could reduce noise, then you either know nothing about room acoustics or have completely unrealistic expectations.

Wow, that’s quite direct and blunt :-)

I’d say using KALLAX as a sound barrier is about as effective as an umbrella against strong wind. So, nothing you should seriously consider as a solution, but as a decorative room divider it can add a bit to the acoustic atmosphere if used cleverly.

For example, if you put boxes filled with thick fabrics or padding into the compartments, that could actually help absorb some sound—of course, not like a wall, but still something.

For the price and easy assembly, you can’t go wrong if you don’t expect much in terms of sound insulation. It’s more of a visual and slight acoustic improvement. But hey, better than nothing, right? 😉