6 Best Soundproofing Curtains For Apartments That Block Sound And Light
Your guide to a quieter, darker apartment.
Living in an apartment means accepting a certain level of shared existence. You hear your neighbor’s footsteps, the traffic outside, and the distant wail of a siren. But that doesn’t mean your personal space has to feel like a public thoroughfare.
For years, I’ve seen people in apartments, tiny homes, and RVs struggle to carve out a quiet, private sanctuary. The solution is often simpler and less permanent than tearing down walls. It’s about controlling your immediate environment with smart, dual-purpose tools.
Soundproofing curtains are one of the most effective, non-permanent upgrades you can make. They tackle two of the biggest apartment frustrations—unwanted noise and intrusive light—in one simple package. This isn’t about building a recording studio; it’s about reclaiming your peace.
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Why Your Apartment Needs Sound and Light Control
Apartment walls are notoriously thin. Sound travels easily from the hallway, adjacent units, and the street below, disrupting your focus, relaxation, and sleep. Creating a buffer between you and the outside world is essential for your well-being.
Uncontrolled light and sound directly impact your sleep cycle and stress levels. A streetlight beaming through your window or the sound of an early morning garbage truck can ruin a good night’s rest. For shift workers or parents with napping children, controlling these elements isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity.
This is where sound-dampening curtains shine. They are a renter-friendly solution that requires no permanent modifications. Beyond just muffling noise and blocking light, their dense, layered construction provides an extra layer of thermal insulation, helping to lower your energy bills.
NICETOWN: Your Best Overall Sound Dampening Pick
NICETOWN curtains are the reliable workhorse of the sound-dampening world. They hit the sweet spot between performance, price, and aesthetics, making them a fantastic starting point for most people. Their effectiveness comes from a dense, triple-weave polyester fabric.
Enjoy privacy and diffused light with these natural linen blend curtains. This set includes two durable, semi-sheer panels with grommet tops, perfect for adding a relaxed, vintage style to any room.
This construction is excellent at absorbing and dampening mid-to-high frequency sounds. Think muffled conversations, television noise from next door, and the general hum of city life. It’s crucial to understand these curtains dampen sound, they don’t eliminate it. Don’t expect silence from a nearby construction site, but you will notice a significant reduction in ambient noise.
What makes them the best overall pick is their versatility. They come in a massive range of colors and sizes, are machine washable, and offer top-tier blackout performance. For the average apartment dweller looking for a noticeable improvement in both noise and light, NICETOWN delivers without complication.
RYB HOME: Top Budget-Friendly Pick for Quieter Nights
When you’re on a tight budget, you learn to prioritize solutions that deliver the most impact for the least cost. RYB HOME curtains are exactly that. They provide a tangible upgrade over standard, flimsy curtains without the premium price tag.
Enhance your home with these well-made gray half curtains, offering privacy and blocking 85-95% of sunlight. Each panel measures 42" wide x 36" long with a 3" rod pocket, perfect for bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens. Easy to care for and machine washable.
These curtains offer respectable light-blocking and will definitely take the edge off outside noise. The fabric is thick enough to muffle distant traffic and soften sharp sounds. They are a perfect example of "good enough" engineering for small spaces where every dollar counts.
Consider these the ideal choice for a bedroom in a student apartment or a home office where you just need to reduce distractions. They prove you don’t need to spend a fortune to gain more control over your environment. It’s a low-risk, high-reward investment in better sleep and more focus.
Sun Zero Barrow: Maximize Your Energy Savings
Some of the best solutions in small-space living are those that solve multiple problems at once. Sun Zero curtains are a prime example. While they are marketed heavily for their thermal properties, the very same technology makes them effective at sound dampening.
Their secret is a thick, energy-efficient lining designed to block heat transfer. This dense barrier keeps your apartment warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. That same density also happens to be great at absorbing sound waves, making the room quieter as a secondary benefit.
If your apartment has drafty, single-pane windows, these curtains are a no-brainer. The money you save on heating and cooling can effectively pay for the curtains over time. You get a quieter room, a darker room, and a lower energy bill—a true triple-threat solution.
Moondream 3-in-1: The Premium Sound Blocking Choice
If you’re dealing with a serious noise problem, you need a serious solution. Moondream is the specialist. These curtains are engineered from the ground up with acoustics in mind, using a patented, multi-layer technology to trap and absorb sound.
Unlike other curtains where sound dampening is a byproduct of thick fabric, Moondream’s design is intentional. Their 3-in-1 curtains feature a thermal layer, a blackout layer, and a dedicated acoustic layer made of dense cotton. This construction can reduce sound energy by a noticeable number of decibels, turning a noisy street into a distant hum.
This level of performance comes with tradeoffs. They are significantly more expensive and much heavier, requiring a robust curtain rod and secure mounting. This is the curtain for someone living over a restaurant or on a major traffic artery who is willing to invest in true peace and quiet.
Deconovo: Great for Both Thermal and Noise Control
Deconovo curtains occupy a fantastic middle ground, offering strong performance in multiple categories along with great style. They are an excellent choice for someone who wants a balanced, multi-functional window treatment. Their design often relies on a high-quality, triple-weave fabric that feels substantial.
Achieve restful sleep and energy savings with these blackout curtains. The dense fabric blocks light for darkness, insulates for thermal comfort, and dampens noise. Enjoy flexible styling with back tab or rod pocket options.
This dense weave is key to their effectiveness. It provides excellent blackout capabilities, creates a solid thermal barrier, and naturally muffles a good amount of ambient sound. They perform similarly to other all-rounders but often come in a wider variety of textures and modern colors, making them easy to match with your decor.
Think of Deconovo as a great option when aesthetics are just as important as function. You’re getting a curtain that looks and feels premium while actively working to make your space more comfortable. It’s a practical upgrade that doesn’t force you to compromise on style.
BGMENT: Get Total Blackout for Your Best Sleep
For some people, light is the primary enemy of sleep. BGMENT curtains are designed with one main goal: achieving 100% blackout. They excel at creating a pitch-black environment, perfect for anyone who is extremely sensitive to light.
These navy blue blackout curtains block sunlight for a darker room and offer thermal insulation to regulate temperature. Each set includes two 42x63 inch panels with easy-to-use grommets.
The happy consequence of this design is effective sound dampening. To block every photon of light, you need incredibly dense, multi-layered fabric, often with a black liner. This heavy construction is inherently good at absorbing sound vibrations from the outside.
These are the ultimate curtains for night-shift workers, urban dwellers with bright streetlights outside their window, or parents trying to create the perfect nap environment for a child. You buy them for the total darkness, and you stay for the unexpected peace and quiet that comes with it.
How to Pick Your Ideal Sound-Blocking Curtains
First, let’s be clear: no curtain is truly "soundproof." That term implies total silence, which is impossible without major construction. The goal here is sound dampening—reducing noise to a much more manageable level.
To choose the right curtain, you need to assess your situation honestly. Your decision should be based on a few key factors:
- Primary Goal: What is your biggest problem? Is it the morning sun, the neighbor’s late-night TV, or a drafty window? Pick a curtain that specializes in solving your main issue.
- Fabric and Weight: The heavier and denser, the better. Look for terms like "triple-weave," "thermal insulated," or multi-layered construction. Materials like velvet or tightly woven polyester are more effective than light cotton or linen.
- Size and Coverage: For maximum effectiveness, your curtains must be wider and longer than the window itself. Aim for them to extend several inches past the frame on all sides and pool slightly on the floor to create a seal against sound and light.
- Installation: A standard curtain rod will work, but for the best results, consider a wraparound rod. This allows the curtain to curve back and touch the wall, sealing the gaps on the sides where sound and light can leak through.
Ultimately, the best choice depends on your specific needs and budget. A premium acoustic curtain might be overkill if you just need to block a streetlight, while a budget option won’t do much against heavy traffic noise. Analyze your problem, then choose the right tool for the job.
Choosing the right curtains is about more than just decoration; it’s about taking active control over your living space. In an apartment, where you have limited ability to make structural changes, these simple fabric panels become a powerful tool for customization.
They are a non-permanent, high-impact upgrade that can dramatically improve your quality of life. By blocking unwanted light and dampening invasive noise, you can transform a simple room into a true sanctuary.
So whether you’re battling city noise, a blazing afternoon sun, or just seeking a bit more privacy, remember that a solution is often as simple as hanging the right piece of fabric. It’s one of the easiest ways to make your apartment feel more like your own.
