Office Pods vs Phone Booths: Sizes, Costs and What Fits
Posted by Panelscreens on 2nd Oct 2026
Office pods and phone booths both give people a quiet, enclosed space inside an open-plan office. The difference is mainly size: a phone booth is for one person, while an office pod (or meeting pod) holds a small group. This guide explains how they compare on size, sound reduction and cost, so you can work out which fits your space.
The short answer
- Choose a phone booth if the problem is calls, video meetings and focused one-person work.
- Choose an office pod if people need somewhere to meet in twos, threes or more without booking a meeting room.
- Many offices use both: a few booths for calls, plus one pod for quick meetings.
What is an office phone booth?
An office phone booth is a small, fully enclosed booth for one person. It usually has a glass door, a small desk or shelf, lighting, ventilation and a power socket. It gives people a private place for calls and video meetings, which keeps that noise away from colleagues at their desks.
A single-person booth needs only a small footprint. Our Zen phone booth, for example, has a small size that is 1200mm wide.
What is an office pod?
An office pod, or meeting pod, is a larger enclosed room that sits inside the office. Pods seat small groups, so they work as quick meeting spaces, interview rooms or quiet team areas. The Zen XL acoustic pod is made for up to five people, and some pods can take a screen and a conferencing device for hybrid meetings.
Size and space
Before choosing, measure the floor area and the ceiling height, and check access routes into the building. Also think about:
- Clearance: leave room for the door to open and for people to walk past.
- Sprinklers and air flow: an enclosed booth sits under its own roof, so check your fire strategy and ventilation with your facilities team.
- Power: most booths and pods need a nearby socket for lighting, fans and charging.
Pods come in a wider range of sizes. The Zen acoustic pod comes in small, medium and large sizes, with the large size over 2.3m wide.
How much noise do they block?
Look for a tested sound reduction figure in decibels (dB). A higher number means more sound is blocked. As examples from our range:
- The Nautilus privacy booth is tested to BS EN ISO 717 with a 30dB noise reduction rating.
- The Ozone privacy booth is rated at 36dB noise reduction.
- Zen booths and pods dampen sound by 31dB.
No booth is completely soundproof, but a good one makes speech outside hard to follow and stops calls from disturbing the office.
What do they cost?
Cost depends on size, finish and extras such as power, lighting and furniture. As a rough guide from our current range, single-person booths start from around £2,700, while multi-person pods typically run from around £10,000 to over £20,000. Check each product page for current prices, or ask us for a quote.
Other options
If a full booth is more than you need, consider:
- Wall booths, which fix to a wall and give one person a semi-private space for calls.
- Acoustic office screens, which absorb noise around desks without enclosing anyone.
Next steps
Browse our full range of office pods and booths, or contact our team to talk through your layout.
