Open office layouts are nice and all, since they encourage collaboration and make communication easy. Problem is, having nothing separating you from your co-workers can also make for a whole load of distraction, whether it’s the chatter of a co-worker on his phone or the sight of another co-worker fiddling with a Nerf blaster. If you want to add a little privacy to an erstwhile cubicle-free workspace, you might want to check out these Acoustic Privacy Panels from Uplift.
Similar to the Domo sound-absorbing screen, the contraption clamps onto the rear and sides of your table, allowing you to add walls to make the workspace just a little more private. This allows you to block off a good load of both sounds and visuals going on at the floor, making it ideal for those times you’re trying to focus on whatever job’s at hand.
The Uplift Acoustic Privacy Panel is made from a dense fiber board that’s designed to dampen ambient noise, allowing you to isolate your workspace from much of the background noise and endless chatter that’s common in open-layout offices. According to the outfit, the panels are rated to absorb around 80 percent of the sound waves that come in contact material, while reflecting the remaining 20 percent back out, so this can significantly cut down noise in the workplace. Plus, since they add a wall, they act as a shield for visual distraction, all while closing off your workspace, so people who don’t have any serious business might be encouraged to actually leave you alone while you try to finish your tasks right in time for the deadline.
Five sizes of panels are available: 22 x 15.5 inches (width x height), 40 x 22 inches, 52 x 22 inches, 64 x 22 inches, and 72 x 22 inches, all of them measuring 0.6-inch in thickness. The first one is designed for use on the sides of tables, while the other four are meant for the rear, although you can probably mix and match different panels, depending on your desk size.
To install the Uplift Acoustic Privacy Panel, simply screw the clamp brackets onto the panel, then use the two clamps to secure the panel onto the table. The clamps can be loosened at any time, making it easy to remove a panel when you need to collaborate with your co-workers. While they aren’t made from cork, the panels are soft enough that you can pin stuff onto them, allowing you to use them to hang diagrams, lists, and motivational posters that will give you the strength to slog through another dreary workday.
It comes in three colors: dark gray, light gray, and blue, so you can pick colors that will look suited to your office’s décor. Granted, that’s not a lot of options, but you can always get the neutral dark gray if none of the colors match your office’s paint colors.
Pricing for Uplift’s Acoustic Privacy Panel starts at $79 for the side panel and top out at $149 for the 72-inch model.