Best Noise Reducing Curtains & How to DOUBLE Their Effectiveness
Looking for a way to soundproof your window? Or insulate it from noise and cold/hot air to a large degree? Then you should definitely consider purchasing thick noise-reducing curtains.
But not all curtains provide the same amount of noise reduction. Many factors come into play, such as the material, the thickness and heaviness of the curtains, as well as their size.
Basically, the curtains that cover a larger window area will provide better insulation. Based on these criteria, I’ve short-listed the best noise-reducing curtains. So that you don’t have to go through the endless worse options on the market.
Mini Buyer’s Guide for Noise-Reducing Curtains
Many things can make one curtain better or worse than another. These are the main features to consider:
DIMENSIONS – The curtains should at least be able to cover the entire window. Consider also the position of the curtain rod when determining the length. But getting even larger ones so that they cover the window frame and perhaps some wall around the window can also be beneficial at reducing noise. All of the curtains that I’ve recommended here are available in different sizes.
WEIGHT AND THICKNESS – Weight and thickness will determine how well the curtains can block noise. And especially how well they will perform against stronger sound. Basically, the heavier and thicker they are the better.
MATERIAL – Polyester and microfibers are the best option for noise-reducing curtains. Not only for noise-blocking but also because they’re soft and easier to wash. All of my recommendations are made from polyester.
PRICE – Price can range from $15 to just below $300. It depends on the heaviness, thickness and the design of the curtains. But it’s really the design that racks up the price most of the time. As far as soundproofing abilities, you can find excellent curtains under $50. And you can make them double as effective while saving money by hanging two on the same window. I explained how to do it below.
Best Noise-Reducing Curtains
Here is my top 5 list with different pricing and features:
1. H.VERSAILTEX Insulating Drapes with 100% Blackout – BEST UNDER $50
As you can see, these curtains are pretty long, and that’s exactly what you should be looking for. They should be larger length and width wise than the window to block any noise that manages to escape around the frame.
Having said that, there are 6 different sizes and 30 different colors to choose from.
Some other important features:
- each panel has 8 metal grommets, so they can be easily hung on a basic or decorative curtain rod
- 100% Blackout – keeps out 100% of sunlight and UV rays
- faux silk satin on the face layer provides a very stylish and decorative look while the inside is filled with micro-fiber insulating material
- completely ECO friendly and vinyl free
- machine washable in cold water, non-chlorine bleach can be used, tumble dry low and warm iron as needed
These curtains come with an exceptional 8 year quality warranty and 30 day money back guarantee.
Overall, these are the best noise reducing curtains, but they are more expensive than most. Still, they were under $50 the last time I checked. If you’re interested, check out the current price and over 1200 customer reviews on Amazon.
2. NICETOWN Blackout & Insulating Curtain Panels – BEST UNDER $30
I bought these for my bedroom window 2 years ago, and I was quite happy with the noise insulation they provided. They cut down on the traffic noise by at least 80% without me having to do any other window soundproofing work. Come to think of it, I did use some cheap weatherstripping tape on the window frame to seal the small gaps that were present. But that’s about all.
So I think there’s a good reason why they’re so popular: affordable price and proven quality. Plus, there are 8 different sizes to choose from and 18 different colors as well, making it easy to find the ones that fit into any room in terms of aesthetics.
They’re made from polyester and insulating microfiber, and are soft to the touch. But they’re quite heavy (3,35 pounds each panel) and 0.2 inches thick, which is definitely a plus for any soundproofing material.
Unlike the Versaitlex curtains, these don’t provide 100% blackout but still let some light pass through. Not a whole lot though, but if it’s really sunny outside, 5-10% of light can still come through.
The thing that I liked about these curtains is that they’re really sturdy and I was able to wash them one time on pretty high temperature (I’m an idiot) without doing any damage to the fabric.
If you ever wash them, make sure that the water is below 86℉, as it’s recommended by the manufacturer. You should also use a mild detergent, not bleach, and iron them on low temperature.
So that’s really all there is to know about these curtains. If you’re looking for two-panel curtains of proven quality and under $30, these are the top choice.
Check out the current price and customer reviews on Amazon.
3. NICETOWN Blackout & Noise Reducing Drapery – BEST UNDER $20
While they still provide decent noise reduction and thermal insulation, I don’t recommend using them if you have any substantial amount of noise to deal with.
These curtains are mostly used for blackout in home theaters and bedrooms. They will protect your floor and furniture from UV rays perfectly. The noise reduction is just a plus.
The washing can be done in a washing machine with mild detergent, with water temperature under 86F.
There are 7 different sizes and 16 colors to choose from, so it’s easy to find the ones that match the dimensions you’re looking for.
So if you’re not too troubled by the noise and are looking to save a few bucks, these 100% polyester curtains can come in handy.
4. Rose Home Fashion Wide Insulating Curtain – BEST ONE PANEL CURTAIN
So it’s best to use them on doors. There are 7 different widths and lengths and 10 different colors available on Amazon.
This one panel curtain by Rose Home Fashion also looks really neat, and it’s pretty heavy (3.24 lbs), providing significant noise-blocking and thermal insulation properties.
It’s made 100% from polyester and is a full blackout curtain.
In terms of heaviness and thickness it’s very similar to NICETOWN’S drapes I mentioned above, and the same washing and drying procedure is recommended.
To see the current price and reviews for this one-panel curtain on Amazon, click here.
5. WAN SAN QIAN Soundproof Curtain – BEST INSULATION & DESIGN
I simply love the design patterns on these curtains. Furthermore, they’re really thick and heavy, weighing a whooping 6.61 pounds! That’s the heaviest of all the noise-blocking ones available, so you can expect significant thermal and sound insulation. They also block about 80% of the light coming through the window.
These curtains can be washed with hands or in a washing machine, although dry cleaning is the recommended method.
There are 6 different sizes and 3 different colors to choose from. As always, I suggest getting the largest ones to cover as much of the window area as you can.
Everything about these curtains looks great, except for the price. Unfortunately, if you want to add some really cool design curtains to your home, the price follows the quality.
These curtains cost over $200, so you may find them too expensive for your taste. This is also very likely the reason why they have very little customer reviews. Most people choose the more affordable noise-reducing curtains, like the ones that I mentioned previously.
The main reason I’ve added these curtains on the list is because of the beautiful and unique design, and because they’re super heavy and should be more effective for insulation than the lighter ones.
So if you’re willing to invest in making your place more beautiful while obtaining the practical benefits of noise-reduction and thermal insulation at the same time, these curtains are a great way to do it.
If you’re interested, check out the current price and more information about these unique curtains on Amazon.
#1 tip for DOUBLE noise reduction
And that might be true. Perhaps you live next to a really busy street with honking cars and a basketball court under your window.
In that case, I recommend installing a DOUBLE curtain rod. This rod allows you to easily hang TWO noise blocking curtains on the same window.
After you’ve done that, sound will have to pass through two barriers instead of one before it can reach your ears.
This is an even better strategy than getting just one heavy curtain. That’s simply because if there are two layers, the sound still has to travel some distance between the first and the second layer and loses strength in the process. By the time it hits the second curtain panel the game is over.
The UMBRA double curtain rod is designed specifically to fit the grommets of blackout and noise-reducing curtains. It’s pretty affordable and effective, as you can see from over 400 customer reviews.
Don’t forget the gaps!
Reducing noise passing through the window is much easier than doing it for the walls or the door. Because all you need is a curtain rod and noise-reducing curtains to get the job done.
But I also recommend sealing any gaps between the window and its frame. These gaps can be only a millimeter or a few millimeters wide, but they still leave the room exposed to sound and cold/hot air from the outside.
I did exactly that by covering the frame where it meets the window with cheap weatherstripping tape. It took me only one layer of tape to get rid of the gaps on both sides. If you close the window and there’s still not a perfect seal, use the tape again. That should do it.
Final Thoughts
In this article I’ve shared only the methods and products that I would personally use for noise-leaking windows.
Some of them I actually used already (NICETOWN curtains and weatherstripping tape) and I’ve experienced a substantial reduction in noise.
So I hope this helps, and feel free to browse all the other soundproof advice on the website.
