Learning center / Acoustics by building type / Hospital and patient rooms

Where to put acoustic panels in a hospital and patient rooms

Where panels do the most good in patient rooms, in priority order.

2 minute read · Updated Nov 2026

Placement matters almost as much as quantity. A panel in the right spot removes a strong reflection; the same panel in a corner nobody hears may do very little. In patient rooms, start here:

  1. wipeable panels on the wall opposite the bed
  2. cleanable ceiling tiles in corridors and nurse stations
  3. panels in waiting areas

Spread them out

Absorption works best spread across several surfaces rather than all on one wall. Treating two facing walls stops sound bouncing between them (flutter echo). If you only treat one of a pair of parallel walls, alternate panels on each so no strip of bare wall faces another.

Height

Mount wall panels so their center is roughly at the height of the people in the room: about 48 in for seated rooms and 57 in for standing rooms. Higher placement is fine where furniture or impact is a concern.

Wall or ceiling?

For patient rooms we suggest roughly 50% of the treatment on walls and 50% on the ceiling. In larger rooms the ceiling is the biggest surface you can treat, and the closest to every listener.

Try the 3D layout builder to arrange panels on your wall before you order.