Certifications: what do you look for?

Labels say a lot, but experience sometimes says more.

When choosing a booth or pod, not only design and comfort play a role. Also certifications are important: they provide assurance about the quality, durability, health and accessibility of a product.

Still, numbers and labels don't say everything. After all, a booth that scores extremely well on paper may feel very different in practice. That is why we link our own findings to the official certifications. We do not check the labels ourselves, but we do test the user experience. How do the acoustics really feel? How comfortable is the ventilation during a longer call? And does the design match what employees actually need?

A certificate helps to assess the quality of a product, but you won't make the best choice until you tailor that information to the needs of your office and team.

What certifications tell you

For example, they help you understand:

• How well a booth reduces sound.
• Whether materials are sustainable and healthy.
• To what extent the booth is accessible to all users
• How the manufacturer handles quality and environmental impact.

Below we list the most important certifications:

Noise reduction

• ISO 23351-1: This certificate measures the sound insulation capacity of acoustic spaces such as call boxes. It indicates the degree to which sound is attenuated in workspaces, and helps users understand how effectively a room blocks sound from inside or outside.
• ISO 11957: This certificate is related to the acoustic performance of bubble cells and other sound absorbing structures. It measures sound absorption capacity, specifically targeting applications where noise reduction is important for working comfort and concentration.

Wood

• PEFC™ (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification).: An international label that guarantees that the wood comes from sustainably managed forests. It assures that the product meets environmental and social criteria and comes from responsible forestry.
• FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council).: A label that guarantees that the wood is produced in a responsible and sustainable manner and that the forest is managed with respect for ecological and social concerns.

Acoustic foam

• M1 Emission Classification: This is an emissions certification for building materials, testing materials for their emissions of pollutants. An M1 certification means that the material meets strict low emission requirements, which contributes to the air quality inside the bellwell.

Business processes

• ISO 14001: This is an internationally recognized certificate for environmental management systems. It shows that an organization is actively taking measures to reduce its environmental impact by monitoring and improving, for example, waste, water consumption and energy use.
• ISO 9001: This certificate focuses on quality management systems and states that the organization is committed to consistent quality improvement. It emphasizes customer satisfaction, process optimization and continuous improvement.

Inclusiveness

• DDA Compliant Accessible Options: This seal is in line with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and ensures that call boxes are also accessible to people with physical disabilities by adjusting door widths, handles and accessibility options, for example.
• ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).: This is an American accessibility standard and sets requirements for accessibility of products for people with disabilities. Bell cells that meet ADA guidelines are designed to be user-friendly for people with mobility or other disabilities.

Other certifications

• GREENGUARD Gold: This is an emissions certification aimed at air quality in indoor spaces. It sets strict limits on the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in products and is ideal for use in sensitive areas such as offices and schools.
• FCC (Federal Communications Commission): In the United States, this certificate requires that electrical devices do not cause excessive electromagnetic interference. It is an important certification for electronic products used near other electronic devices to minimize interference.