The right office pod depends on four things: what people will do inside it, how many people need to fit, how long they'll typically be in there, and what the space around it demands. Get those four answers right and the decision becomes straightforward.
This guide works through each factor in order and maps them to the Alcove lineup. If you'd rather answer five quick questions and get a recommendation directly, the pod finder on the Store page does exactly that.
1. Start with the primary use case
Different pods are built for different uses. A phone booth that works well for quick calls may not be the right choice for a three-hour focus session. Before comparing specs and prices, anchor the decision on what the pod will primarily be used for.
If your primary need is... | Start here | Why |
Certified acoustic performance at a direct price | | STC 30dB, UL certified, five models from $5,199. The pod that does the work without overhead in the price. |
Extended individual work sessions and employee wellbeing | | ISO 23351 acoustic performance plus CRI 92 lighting, balanced-pressure ventilation, and auto air-refresh. For organizations that hold the quality of time inside the pod to the same standard as the spec. |
The highest acoustic and material specification available | | ISO 23351 Class A certified. Bodaq interior finish, OSRAM CRI 90+ lighting, UL GREENGUARD. The flagship series, built without compromise. |
A pod that belongs in a design-led space | | Arched silhouette, fully upholstered fabric exterior in nine colorways, ash wood throughout, lounge seating. For spaces where the pod is part of the design language. |
Confidential 1:1 conversations, HR, or sensitive calls (lighter use) | Arc or Aura Solo | Arc Solo for light, design-led use. Aura Solo where comfort during the session matters as much as the privacy. |
ADA-compliant accessible workspace | Element ADA | The only ADA-compliant pod in the Alcove lineup. 4-person capacity, same STC 30dB acoustic performance. |
2. Decide on capacity
Pod capacity is stated by seated use. A 1-person pod is designed for individual use. A 4-person pod is a team meeting space. A 6-person pod functions as a full meeting room alternative.
Alcove offers pods across all four capacity tiers in three of the four series (Arc goes up to 4 people; Element, Aura, and Atom all go up to 6). If you're planning a multi-pod deployment, consider a mix: 1-person pods for focus work and calls, 4-person pods for team meetings, and a 6-person configuration where you need a full meeting room substitute.
3. Understand the acoustic certification
Acoustic specs are the most commonly misread part of a pod comparison. Two pods can both list "30dB" and be measuring entirely different things under different standards. Here is what each certification means:
Certification | What it measures | Alcove series |
ISO 23351-1:2020 Class A | Speech level reduction of 30dB or more, reverberation time under 0.4 seconds. Designed specifically for freestanding pod enclosures. The highest classification in the ISO framework. | Atom |
ISO 23351-1:2020 | Speech level reduction greater than 29dB, independently verified. Same international standard as Class A, measured to the same methodology. | Aura |
STC 30dB | Sound Transmission Class — a US standard originally designed for walls and partitions. Widely used and legitimate, but measures differently from ISO 23351. STC 30 indicates strong acoustic performance for the majority of office use cases. | Element |
>30dB noise reduction | Greater than 30dB noise reduction, reverberation time under 0.5 seconds. Comparable acoustic performance to the rest of the Alcove lineup, suited to lighter use patterns. | Arc |
For most office deployments, STC 30dB (Element) or ISO 23351 greater than 29dB (Aura) delivers the acoustic privacy needed for calls, focus work, and team meetings. ISO 23351 Class A (Atom) is the right choice where specification leadership is a procurement requirement, or where the environment demands the highest available standard.
4. Think about how long people will be inside
This is the question most buyers skip, and it's the one that separates Aura from the rest of the lineup. For short sessions, acoustic performance and seating are what matter. For sessions over an hour, the quality of the lighting and air management inside the pod has a real effect on how someone feels.
Typical session length | What matters | Series to consider |
Under 30 minutes (quick calls, brief check-ins) | Acoustic privacy and ease of access. Environmental factors are less critical for short sessions. | Element Solo, Arc Solo |
30 minutes to 1 hour (regular calls, focused work blocks) | Acoustic performance and comfortable seating. Lighting and air quality begin to matter over this duration. | Element Focus, Aura Solo, Atom Solo |
1 to 3 hours (extended focus work, long sessions) | Lighting quality (CRI rating, flicker-free output) and air management (balanced pressure, CO2 exhaust) make a measurable difference to how someone feels during and after a long session. | Aura Solo, Atom Solo |
Variable and high-frequency (heavy daily use across many users) | Durability of finishes, auto air-refresh between sessions, ease of repositioning. Certifications matter for procurement sign-off. | Atom, Aura, Element |
Aura's CRI 92 OSRAM lighting, balanced-pressure ventilation, and auto air-refresh are not comfort upgrades. They are engineering decisions made for the person who will spend meaningful time inside the pod — not just 20 minutes on a call.
5. Consider the environment the pod sits in
Not every space calls for the same pod. The right choice for a corporate hybrid floor is different from what works in a hospitality environment, a wellness zone, or a co-working social area.
Corporate hybrid office: Element or Atom as the primary series. Both are built for high-frequency use, carry the certifications facilities teams need for procurement sign-off, and come in a range of exterior finishes that work in professional environments.
Wellbeing or focus zones: Aura. The human-factors spec (lighting, air quality, auto air-refresh) makes Aura the right choice for environments where the quality of the working environment is the brief, not just the acoustic isolation.
Co-working social zones, executive floors, or wellness environments: Arc. Nine colorways, ash wood detailing, lounge seating, and a silhouette designed to be part of the space around it.
Mixed-use deployments: Most larger environments work well with more than one series. Element or Atom as the main acoustic workhorse, Aura in focus or wellness areas, Arc in social zones or executive spaces. The series are designed to work alongside each other, not to compete.
6. Check which certifications your procurement process requires
Some procurement processes have specific certification checkboxes. Here is what each Alcove series carries:
Element: STC 30dB acoustic performance, full UL certification (fire safety and electrical standards).
Aura: ISO 23351-1:2020 acoustic certification, UL 962 (commercial safety), UL GREENGUARD Gold (indoor air quality).
Atom: ISO 23351-1:2020 Class A acoustic certification, UL 962, UL GREENGUARD Gold.
Arc: Greater than 30dB acoustic performance. Carries UL listing. For ADA requirements, the Element ADA is the dedicated compliant model in the lineup.
Alcove series selector
A summary of all four series for side-by-side comparison:
Series | Ideal for | Capacity range | Acoustic cert | From |
Arc | Design-led spaces, co-working social zones, wellness areas, executive floors | 1 to 4 people | >30dB noise reduction | $4,999 |
Element | Hybrid office deployments at scale, facilities buyers who need proven performance at a direct price | 1 to 6 people | STC 30dB, UL certified | $5,199 |
Aura | Employee wellbeing programs, extended individual work, organizations where quality of the environment inside matters | 1 to 6 people | ISO 23351 >29dB, UL GREENGUARD | $5,499 |
Atom | Enterprise and co-working buyers with premium specification requirements. Framery-comparable spec at a lower price. | 1 to 6 people | ISO 23351 Class A, UL GREENGUARD, UL 962 | $6,199 |
Still not sure? Use the pod finder
The pod finder asks three quick questions: how many people will use the pod at once, what the pod will primarily be used for, and what matters most to you. It takes under a minute and returns a series recommendation with pricing.
If you're specifying a larger deployment or have a specific floor plan in mind, get in touch with us and the Alcove team will take it from there.
Alcove Pods. Great office pods. Honest price.
