Are Privacy Bed Tents Soundproof?

woman listening to bed tent

Privacy bed tents are excellent for anyone who wants to get a quick snooze and block out the stress and distractions of the outside world.

It is quite the calming experience to crawl into your own darkened space to have some time for yourself. However, you might be interested in knowing if light is the only thing these privacy bed tents block out. People commonly want to know if they are soundproof as well. 

Although there are some exceptions, most privacy bed tents are not designed to be soundproof and in turn, they don’t do much to muffle outside noise.

However, if soundproofing your sleep enclosure is something you are interested in, there are a few ways you can block out noise…

The purpose of privacy bed tents

side view of privacy pop bed tent

Numerous brands, such as Privacy Pop, known to be a leader in the industry, are beloved for their innovative but not overly complicated bed tents. But what is the purpose of these bed tents to begin with? What is the appeal?

Privacy (big shocker)

As you can probably imagine, these bed tents are excellent for creating your own little privacy bubble within your room.

Privacy bed tents are typically made of a mixture of breathable mesh and light fabric that can keep you completely closed off once the flaps of the tent are down. However, most are designed with breathable fabric with strategic ventilation areas around the tent for good air circulation.

The privacy you get from these fixtures makes them great for kids, especially if two children share the same room. The closure that these bed tents provide, helps to give kids sleeping in close quarters a sense of solitude even in a wide-open room.

Reducing light exposure for better sleep

These privacy bed tent models often are designed to be light blocking. In turn, this benefit makes these devices excellent for anyone that is a light sleeper who easily gets woken up by early morning sun or a flash of headlights in the window.

Even if light from the outside world doesn’t necessarily wake you up easily, it’s good to block out anything visually stimulating in your room that can prevent you from falling asleep. 

Finding comfort and de-stressing

One of the greatest appeals of these privacy bed tents is that they are excellent personal spaces for de-stressing.

After a demanding and stressful day, finding comfort in your own little private space is a great way to unwind.

This is particularly true for anyone who has either a sensory processing disorder or anxiety issues. For individuals affected by these conditions, finding peace in a privacy bed tent enclosure can really help.

Why privacy bed tents aren’t soundproof

mesh fabric

Anyone taking a quick glance at these contraptions might assume that they are, in fact, soundproof. After all, they can fully enclose you inside their pod-like structures so naturally, one might think that they can block sound as well.

However, although it would be certainly nice if they could, privacy tent beds do little to nothing to actually block sound.

These contraptions are most often built with wires or poles, thin fabric, and light mesh. Of course, it is incredibly important that you don’t suffocate in these tents so they are built to be completely breathable. Unfortunately, however, none of these materials are soundproof in the slightest. 

However… if soundproofing is important to you… don’t fret quite yet…

Simple ways to block sound when using your privacy bed tent

Although these structures aren’t designed to be soundproof, there are a few DIY methods for reducing noise from the outside world.

Soundproof curtain barrier

soundproof curtains on the ground

One of the best ways to add a little bit of extra noise reduction in your room is by using soundproof curtains.

Installing these curtains over your window can help of course. However, for a more effective soundproof solution, lining your curtains specifically around your privacy bed tent might be more effective. 

First, push your privacy bed tent close to a corner of your room. Make sure that it’s still a few feet away from each wall however for air circulation. Next, you will need to install a bendable ceiling curtain tracks. Position your curtain tracks in an L-shape a few feet from one end of your privacy bed tent, wrapping around to the wall on the other end of the privacy bed tent. From here, attach some soundproof curtains to the ceiling curtain track.

When everything is set up properly, you can completely close off your privacy bed tent from the rest of your room once the curtains are connected. You now have yourself something like a soundproof sleeping chamber.

White noise machine

white noise machine next to a bed

Secondly, if you don’t feel like taking the time to install curtains, you can instead put a white noise machine near your privacy bed tent.

What is this device you might ask? Simply put, a white noise machine is a device that plays background noise so that you can fall asleep easier. If noise such as traffic or loud neighbors keeps you up at night, the gentle background sound of your white noise machine can drown out this outside ruckus.

This method doesn’t block out noise per se. However, it can help to prevent noisy distractions outside from bothering you.

You may simply place your white noise machine below your bed tent or on a night side table, at an appropriate volume level before crawling into the bed tent. To learn more about white noise machines click here!

Heavy blankets

blankets in a pile

This method involves strategically placing heavy blankets over your privacy bed tent.

All you really need to do is drape a blanket, going the short way on your privacy bed tent. Ideally, the blanket should be big enough to hang completely down the sides of your bed tent.

However before laying down your blanket, definitely check where the points of ventilation are on your bed tent. Typically they are on the front and back going the long way. If this is the case, then placing blankets going the short way shouldn’t block any airflow at all. However, if the air vents are on the sides, reconsider the positioning of your blankets.

Heavy blankets laying around the house will generally do well at soundproofing. However, if you want to take noise reduction more seriously, you can even get soundproof blankets. Given that they are specifically designed for soundproofing, soundproof blankets are an excellent choice for this method. However, be sure to pressure test the top of your privacy bed tent before you go out and buy soundproof blankets. Soundproof blankets tend to be a bit heavy and so if you feel as though your bed tent can’t support too much extra weight, perhaps avoid using soundproof blankets. 

Final words

There are only a few practical ways in which you can soundproof your actual privacy bed tent. However, instead of trying to soundproof just your bed tent, you may be interested instead in soundproofing your whole bedroom.

To some, this might sound like an overwhelming burden and an extremely time-consuming task. However, chances are that just a few simple changes can mean the difference between a noisy bedroom and a nearly dead quiet sleeping space. For instance, a soundproof door sweep or window insert can make a world of difference. 

For a thorough guide on how to completely soundproof your bedroom, click here!