Baffles vs Clouds

Open ceilings — exposed structure, ductwork, and deck — look great but sound terrible. All that hard surface reflects noise back into the space. Baffles and clouds are the two main solutions, and they work in fundamentally different ways.

What's the Difference?

Baffles are vertical panels that hang from the ceiling structure. They're typically 12–48 inches deep and spaced 12–24 inches apart, creating a series of fins. Sound waves hit the baffles from multiple angles as they travel upward and bounce between them.

Clouds are horizontal panels suspended below the ceiling structure. They look like floating ceiling sections — flat rectangles, circles, or custom shapes hung on cables at a set height. Sound hits the top and bottom surfaces.

Acoustic Performance

Baffles absorb sound from both faces plus the edges. A 24-inch-deep felt baffle has roughly 8 square feet of absorptive surface per linear foot of baffle. When spaced properly, baffles can achieve equivalent NRC performance of 0.85–1.0 for the treated area.

Clouds absorb sound from the top and bottom faces. A 2×4 cloud has about 16 square feet of absorptive surface. But because sound also bounces off the exposed deck between clouds, you need more surface area coverage to achieve the same absorption as baffles.

Rule of thumb: baffles provide more absorption per square foot of floor area because of the vertical surface exposure. In a 20-foot ceiling with lots of hard surfaces above, baffles typically outperform clouds for the same material cost.

Cost Comparison

Baffles are generally cheaper per unit of acoustic absorption. Clouds cost more but create a different visual — some projects need that floating ceiling look, and the extra cost is a design decision, not a performance one.

Installation Differences

Baffles hang from two points (top corners) on aircraft cable. They're lighter than clouds, and the repetitive spacing makes installation efficient. A crew of two can hang 30–50 baffles per day depending on height and access.

Clouds hang from four points (corners) and need to be level in two directions. They're heavier, especially in larger sizes, and getting them perfectly flat takes more time. Expect 15–25 clouds per day for a two-person crew.

Both require above-ceiling attachment points — deck inserts, beam clamps, or toggle anchors depending on the structure. If the deck is corrugated metal, baffles are easier because they need fewer attachment points per unit.

Visual Impact

Baffles create rhythm and directionality. The vertical fins draw the eye along their length, which works well in corridors, open offices, and long spaces. Colored baffles (felt comes in dozens of colors) create dramatic visual patterns.

Clouds create defined zones. A cluster of clouds over a conference area or reception desk says "this is a space within the space." They work well for breaking up large rooms into visual zones without walls.

Mixing both is common in large projects. Baffles over the open office, clouds over the breakout areas, nothing over the circulation paths.

Materials

Both baffles and clouds come in the same material options:

• Felt (PET) — most popular, NRC 0.85–1.0, dozens of colors, lightweight, Class A fire rated
• Metal — perforated aluminum or steel with acoustic backer, NRC 0.70–0.85, durable, modern look
• Wood — solid or veneered panels with perforations or slats, NRC varies widely, premium look
• Fiberglass — Armstrong Soundscape and similar, NRC 0.85+, fabric-wrapped or painted

When to Use Each

• Baffles when you need maximum acoustic bang for the buck, when the ceiling is very high (20+ feet), when you want a rhythmic/modern look, or when the structure makes horizontal mounting difficult.
• Clouds when you want to define zones, when the space needs a more traditional "ceiling" feel despite the open structure, when the ceiling height is moderate (12–16 feet), or when the architect wants specific shapes.
• Both in large open-plan spaces where different areas have different functions and visual needs.