Quick answer: Online marketplace panels are often thin foam or thin felt, sold without fire or emissions papers, and stuck up with tape. They can take the edge off high sounds in a small room. Installed panels are thicker, tested, placed where they work and fixed to last. If your room really rings, or it is a shop, office or school, go for proper panels.

Key takeaways

  • Online panels are usually thin foam or felt.
  • Many have no fire or emissions papers.
  • Thicker, tested panels in the right spots work far better.

What you usually get online

Packs of foam squares or thin felt tiles, 2 to 5 cm foam or about 1 cm felt, with tape. Photos often show them in big rooms with perfect lighting. Many listings give no thickness or NRC (a score from 0 to 1 for how much sound a panel soaks up) at all.

What works

They catch some of the high, sharp sound. In a small booth or desk corner, they can help a bit. They are fine for a quick fix where looks and lifespan do not matter much.

Not sure what your room needs? Send us a photo on WhatsApp or request a free quote. We'll tell you how many panels, where they go and the price. See our acoustic panels for homes and recent projects.

Before you buy online infographic

Where they fall short

Thin foam misses voices and bass. Tape fails in the humidity. Colours fade. And you rarely get fire test papers, which matters in any commercial space. See foam vs acoustic panels.

Online packs vs installed panels diagram

Hidden costs

You may need two or three times as many to get any effect. Some will need replacing when the tape peels. The total can end up close to proper panels.

What installed panels add

Installed panels have thick cores and fabric that lasts. Our Flexi™ panels are fire safe and formaldehyde safe. They are placed where sound bounces first and fixed so they stay up. See why some panels cost more.

The fair answer

For a quick fix at a desk, online foam is okay. For a bedroom that rings, a living room, a café or a meeting room, proper panels are worth it. Ours are from S$185 each supplied and installed, or from S$120 supply-only.

If you already bought foam

Keep it for a desk corner or a cupboard where it does little harm. For the main walls, add a few thicker panels in the spots where sound bounces first. You do not need to throw everything away.

Questions to ask an online seller

What is the thickness and NRC? Is there a fire test report? What is it made of? How is it meant to be fixed in a humid country? If a listing cannot answer these, be careful.

What we see on real jobs

Peeling foam squares are a common sight in rooms that still echo. Starting with a few good panels in the right spots costs less than doing it twice.

Get a straight answer for your room

WhatsApp a photo of the room (+65 8930 1905) and tell us what you use it for: calls, TV, music or mixing. We'll suggest a layout, a colour and a price, including no-drill options where your walls allow.

WhatsApp us a photo · Request a free quote · See prices

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