FocusPod Solo™
FocusPod Solo Plus™
FocusPod Duo™
FocusPod Team™
FocusPod Meet™
FocusPod Max™FocusPod Solo Review
Review
The FocusPod Solo, honestly.
Written by the people who sell it, which is a reason to read it sceptically. Here is what it does badly as well as what it does well.
The FocusPod Solo is a one-person acoustic booth at $10,730 ex GST delivered, measuring 1080 × 1000 × 2338 mm with 942 × 960 mm of floor inside. It is rated Class A under ISO 23351-1 at up to 30 dB, changes its air every 1.6 minutes, and runs from a standard power point. It is sized for calls rather than full working days — for that, the larger Solo Plus is the right choice.
What it does well
Three thingsIt contains a call. Class A speech level reduction means a normal speaking voice inside is not intelligible outside. This is the entire job and it does it properly, which is more than can be said for a lot of what gets sold as an office booth.
It stays usable. Airflow up to 70 m³ per hour, air fully changed every 1.6 minutes, and — the part most suppliers skip — ventilation cycles for five minutes every half hour when the booth is empty. A stuffy booth is an unused booth, and this is what prevents it.
It goes in without a fuss. Flat-packed, two people, two to four hours, no floor fixings, no electrician, no approval. One standard power point runs the lighting, ventilation, outlets and USB.
When the Solo is the wrong choice
Buy the right oneIt is not a room to work in all day. At 942 × 960 mm inside, it fits a person, a laptop and a stool comfortably. Two monitors and a proper office chair is tight. If someone will be in there for three-hour stretches, buy the Solo Plus — the extra $3,000 buys space they will actually use, and buying the Solo to save it is the mistake we see most often.
Weight is concentrated. 290 to 335 kg over roughly one square metre works out around 310 kg/m², marginally above the ~306 kg/m² a 3.0 kPa floor is designed for as a uniformly distributed load. Not a problem on modern commercial floors, but on older stock it is worth a conversation with the building manager rather than an assumption.
There is no technology in it. No touchscreen, no booking system, no occupancy analytics — deliberately. The money goes into acoustics, ventilation and build quality instead, which is what decides whether a booth gets used twice.
The number worth asking about
Whoever you buy fromOurs is Class A to ISO 23351-1, and the report reference is available on request. A decibel figure with no standard behind it has not been measured the same way. Class A under ISO 23351-1 is the answer you want, and it is what every FocusPod model is rated to. A dB claim with no standard attached can be measured any way the supplier likes.
The specification
Factory figures| Model | Solo | Solo Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 1 person | 1 person |
| Exterior W×D×H | 1080 × 1000 × 2338 mm | 1600 × 1375 × 2338 mm |
| Interior W×D×H | 942 × 960 × 2146 mm | 1462 × 1335 × 2146 mm |
| Floor space | ~1.0 m² | ~2.2 m² |
| Weight | 290–335 kg | 442–502 kg |
| Ventilation | 0–70 m³/h | 0–110 m³/h |
| Air change | ~1.6 min | ~2.3 min |
| Power draw | 40 W | 52 W |
| Price from | $10,730ex GST, delivered | $14,505ex GST, delivered |
| Installation | + $1,145 ex GST | + $1,490 ex GST |
Solo or Solo Plus
The only real question| If | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Calls between meetings, 10–30 minutes | Solo | Sized exactly for it, and $3,000 cheaper |
| Focused work, an hour at a time | Solo | Comfortable with a laptop and a stool |
| Full days, dual monitors, office chair | Solo Plus | The Solo will feel tight and people will stop using it |
| Tight on floor space | Solo | One square metre against 2.2 for the Solo Plus |
| Two people, ever | Neither | That is the Duo or the Team |
What Solo owners say
Named, with permission★★★★★
“We added a FocusPod Solo because private phone calls were becoming difficult in our open-plan office. It gets used constantly for client calls, Zoom meetings and focused work. It looks professional, takes up very little space and has freed up our meeting rooms for larger groups.”
Emily Carter
Harbour Lane Finance
★★★★★
“We originally purchased one FocusPod Solo to see how much use it would get. Within the first week, staff were booking it throughout the day. It has given everyone a quiet place to take calls without interrupting the rest of the office.”
Daniel Brooks
Westbridge Property Group
★★★★★
“The Solo has been a great addition to our studio. We have a collaborative workspace, which is excellent most of the time, but it can be difficult when someone needs privacy or complete concentration. The pod solves that problem without taking over the room.”
Sarah Mitchell
Coastline Creative
Common questions
Is the FocusPod Solo any good?
It does the job it is built for, properly: containing a phone call on an open floor. Class A speech level reduction under ISO 23351-1, ventilation that changes the air every 1.6 minutes and keeps cycling when the booth is empty, and it runs from a standard power point. For full working days with dual monitors, the Solo Plus is the right size.
How big is the FocusPod Solo inside?
942 × 960 mm of floor with 2146 mm of internal height. Externally it is 1080 × 1000 × 2338 mm, taking about one square metre of floor. Enough for a person, a laptop and a stool comfortably; tight with two monitors and a full-size chair.
What are the downsides of the Solo?
It is sized for calls rather than full working days. If someone will be in there for hours with dual monitors, the Solo Plus is the right pod and the extra $3,000 buys space they will use every day. It also concentrates its weight over one square metre, so on older floors it is worth confirming with your building manager — we supply the figures.
How loud is it inside?
Quiet enough that people notice the difference the moment the door closes. The measure that matters is speech level reduction under ISO 23351-1, where every FocusPod is rated Class A — a normal speaking voice inside is not intelligible outside.
Is the Solo worth it over a cheaper booth?
Depends what the cheaper booth cuts.Ours are published: Class A to ISO 23351-1, and 70 to 327 m³/h depending on model.
How long does the Solo take to assemble?
Two people, two to four hours, basic hand tools supplied. No floor fixings and no electrician. Professional installation is $1,145 ex GST if you would rather not.
See one-person pods, phone booths generally, every model compared, or the buyers guide for what to check on a quote.
Sit in one before you decide.
Molendinar on the Queensland or Newport in Wellington, by appointment. Ten minutes with the door shut tells you more than this page can.