Top 6 Soundproof Door Sweep: How to Block Noise Under a Door

Installing a soundproof door sweep is one solution I suggested in a previous post about how to soundproof a door. The gap underneath a door is one of the main offenders for sound transfer in and out of a room.

To follow on from that post, here’s my roundup of the best soundproofing door sweeps. After covering my top picks, I’ll go over how door seals help with soundproofing and the most important things to look for when picking one.

Our Top 6 Picks

Although dedicated soundproofing solutions do exist for door seals, you can get away with using readily-available commercial products. These are what I review below, so hopefully, you’ll find a product that’ll suit your needs.

1. Top Pick for Internal Doors: Holikme Twin Draft Stopper

  • Length: 34″
  • Seal Gap: Up to 1.5″
  • Material: Cloth & Foam
  • Door Coverage: Both side
  • Installation: Velcros

The Holikme Twin Door Draft Stopper is my top pick for internal doors because it adds a draft stopper to both sides of the door. It might not sound like much, but this can be a big help when you’re trying to stop sound from entering and exiting a room.

It consists of foam inside a fabric case, which you install by simply sliding it under the door. The foam not only helps block the door gap but also provides a small amount of sound absorption. Helpfully, one reviewer measured a reduction of 4dB, meaning we have a verified example of how well it works.

The door sweep fits doors up to 34” in width, making it suitable for most standard interior doors. You can make it shorter by cutting the foam before you install it, too. Also, the foam is 1.9” in diameter, so can block door gaps up to 1.5”.

Some reviewers mention that it doesn’t stay in place very well when blocking large door gaps. It only Velcros to one side of the door, but you can solve this by buying a roll of self-adhesive Velcro.

PROs
  • Blocks both sides of a door.
  • Foam provides a small amount of sound absorption.
  • You can adjust it to fit different doors.
  • Suitable for hard flooring and carpet.
CONs
  • Only attaches to one side of the door.

2. Top Pick for Exterior Doors: Ohuhu Door Seal

  • Length: 39″
  • Seal Gap: Up to 1″
  • Material: Silicone
  • Door Coverage: Single side
  • Installation: Adhesive

This Ohuhu Door Seal is meant for use on outside doors, but nothing is stopping you from using it on interior and exterior doors. Unlike the Holikme model above, this is a door seal rather than a draft stopper.

It means it blocks rather than absorbs, but, as it’s made from silicone, it does a fairly mediocre job of this. It has 3 layers of silicone in its door stop rather than 2 like competing models. Although they’re fairly thin, it adds an extra layer of sound blocking material.

Installation is a breeze: you peel off the adhesive strip and stick it to the door. Of course, this rubber door sweep only blocks one side of the door. For best results, you’ll want to buy 2 and stick them to both sides.

It’s 39” long and 2” high, but you can cut it to fit a door of any width. Also, the adhesive strip means you can stick it wherever you want on the door, so you don’t need to worry about big gaps.

The only major downside mentioned by reviewers is that the seals don’t stick to all door surfaces equally. Again, you could solve this by buying some self-adhesive Velcro or sticking it down with glue if you don’t plan to remove it.

PROs
  • Suitable for internal and external doors.
  • Silicone is acceptable for blocking sound transfer.
  • Fits most door widths.
CONs
  • Doesn’t stick to all door surfaces equally.

3. KS Hardware Double Bubble Door Sweep

  • Length: 32″ up to 42″
  • Seal Gap: Up to 1.4″
  • Material: Silicone seal
  • Door Coverage: Under the door
  • Installation: Screws

If you’re willing to spend a bit more on an external door sweep, this KS Hardware model might be the one for you. Unlike other external door sweeps, it has 2 foam strips and 2 fins, meaning it provides double the draft exclusion. Also, it’s an under the door sweep rather than a side of the door sweep.

Obviously, the rubber strip fins don’t do much in terms of soundproofing, but the 2 foam strips are useful. In this way, it pretty much functions like the Holikme draft stopper above but sits under the door frame.

It’s pretty easy to cut to size, as the body is made of plastic. That said, it comes in 3 sizes, so start by choosing the one that’s most appropriate for your door frame. You can adjust the installation height slightly by 0.8”, too, meaning it’s flexible for most external doors.

Some reviewers state that the installation process is difficult, as you’ll need tools for the screws. This might not sound like much, but considering most others stick to the door, it’s significantly more effort. However, this is a heavy-duty door seal designed to last for years in all kinds of weather, so it’s worth the trouble.

PROs
  • Has multiple layers of draft exclusion.
  • Ideal for external doors.
  • Easy to adjust to different door widths.
  • Looks neat.
CONs
  • More difficult to install than other models.
  • More expensive solution.

4. Holikme 2 Pack Door Draft Stopper

  • Length: 32″ up to 42″
  • Seal Gap: Up to 1.4″
  • Material: Silicone seal
  • Door Coverage: Under the door
  • Installation: Screws

This Holikme door draft stopper basically combines the functionality of the top 2 picks. It consists of foam strips like the other Holikme model but uses Velcro to attach to the door, like the Ohuhu model. But, unlike the Ohuhu, you get 2 draft stoppers in this pack.

The product suggests you can use it on external doors as well as internal, but I wouldn’t recommend it for outdoor use. There are far better products to use outdoors, such as a silicone or vinyl door sweep. As this is foam, you’d be best keeping it for internal doors.

This draft stopper is suitable for under-door gaps up to 1.3”, meaning it’s smaller than the other Holikme model. However, the Velcro means you can be more flexible with how you stick it to the door, so it could work on bigger gaps. The maximum length is 36” but it’s easy to cut down smaller.

Some reviewers state this isn’t a great option for use on carpets because the Velcro isn’t super secure. For smooth surfaces like tiles or hardwood, it shouldn’t cause any issues. If you think this might grip on your carpet floor, I’d recommend going for the other Holikme above, as this stays in place a bit better.

PROs
  • Easy to install and cut to size.
  • Foam helps absorb sound as well as block the gap.
  • 2 pack means you can block both sides of the door.
CONs
  • Doesn’t stay in place too well on carpeted floors.

5. MD Building Products Vinyl Door Sweep

  • Length: 48″
  • Seal Gap: Up to 1″
  • Material: Silicone and Aluminium
  • Door Coverage: One side
  • Installation: Screws

Another option at a higher price point is this door sweep from MD Building Products. The body is aluminum and the door sweep itself is solid rubber (vinyl). Although designed to keep out cold air, it’s fairly good at blocking sound emissions, too.

It’s designed to be an external door sweep but nothing is stopping you from using it indoors. The only issue from this perspective is that it’s not the nicest thing to look at.

At 48” wide, it’s by far the widest on this list. You can cut it to size but you’ll need a saw, as the aluminum is sturdier than the silicone or foam models suggested so far. Considering you’ll also need tools to install it, this isn’t as simple an option as the others.

Other than slightly complicated installation, a few reviewers suggest adding more screws at each end to stop the door sweep from bending. This isn’t a massive issue but is worth noting before you buy.

PROs
  • Thick vinyl door sweep is good for blocking sound.
  • Can be used inside or outside.
  • Will fit very wide doors.
CONs
  • Installation is a bit of a pain.

6. Grotheory 2 Pack Door Sweeps with Weatherstripping Tape

  • Length: 39″
  • Seal Gap: Up to 1″
  • Material: Silicone
  • Door Coverage: One side
  • Installation: Adhesive

This rubber door seal from Grotheory is suitable for door gaps up to 1”. While this is less than other models on this list, it should still be enough for most internal doors. Also, the adhesive strip on the back means you have some leeway with how low you attach it to the door.

It’s 39” but is easy to cut to size, as it’s made from rubber. The adhesive backing is super strong, so, unlike the Ohuhu door sweep, it’ll stick easily to all door materials. However, be careful when removing it, as some reviewers stated it ripped the paint off! You might want to run a hairdryer over the adhesive if you ever want to remove it.

One big advantage of this door seal over others is that it comes with 2 rolls of weatherstripping tape. As I mention in my door soundproofing article, you can use this around the rest of the door frame to block gaps. Again, it’s meant for heat insulation, but it helps to block sound, too.

Some reviewers state it’s not a great choice for uneven floor surfaces (such as concrete). But this is true of all rubber door seal kits, meaning you’d be better with a foam one in these situations.

PROs
  • Strong adhesive.
  • Comes with 2 rolls of weather stripping.
  • Silicone helps block sound under the door.
CONs
  • Not great for uneven floor surfaces.

Do Door Sweeps Block Noise From a Door?

Soundproof door sweeps can help block noise escaping through the gap under a door in as much as they seal the air gaps. Much like heat transfer, sound waves can escape through even tiny gaps, meaning blocking the gap under a door is arguably better than nothing.

Soundproofing Principles of Door Sweeps

Sound blocking is mainly achieved using the soundproofing principles of mass. In an ideal world, we’d use mass to block the gap under a door, but this is rarely the case.

This is because door sweeps and draft stoppers don’t fit into the principle of mass. They’re not heavy, thick, or stiff. If we look at a common soundproofing material like mass loaded vinyl, we can see the difference between something that blocks sound and a door sweep.

Most rubber door seals are hollow, but even a solid rubber sweep won’t do loads. You’ll find that most are around 2mm thick, which is nothing in the soundproofing world.

A foam draft stopper, however, is probably more comparable to something like acoustic foam or EVA foam. While it’ll block the gap under the door, we could argue that a foam strip will absorb some level of noise.

Image showing acoustic foam.
Acoustic foams
Image showing EVA foam.
EVA Foam

But, considering how little it’ll be, and how reducing echo isn’t sound blocking, this isn’t a super helpful point to make either.

Overall, we shouldn’t dig too deep into principles when talking about soundproof door sweeps. The most important thing is to choose one that creates a tight seal around the bottom of the door. Also, use it alongside other soundproofing materials, such as covering the door.

Measuring Soundproofing

I recommend checking out this video on door sweep testing, which looks at different products, how they work, and how much sound they block.

You can download a sound meter app on your smartphone to test yours once it’s installed. Also, make sure you look for user reviews that mention sound blocking, as someone might have already tested it!

What to Look for When You Prospect

While the main thing we’re looking for is a good seal around the bottom of the door, there are other factors to consider. Here’s what you should look at when choosing the best soundproof door sweeps for your needs.

Material

We have 3 main materials when choosing a door sweep: foam, silicone, and vinyl. You’ll find foam in draft stoppers, whereas silicone and vinyl are usually labeled as door sweeps.

Silicone and vinyl are more common for external doors seals, as they’re more weather-resistant. Foam is better for indoors because it works better on carpets and fits smaller gaps.

That said, you can use rubber door sweeps indoors. The main deciding factor will be the size of the gap under your door. Rubber door seals can usually be fitted over much bigger gaps than foam draft stoppers.

Installation

Regardless of which material you choose, having to install door seals isn’t a challenge. Foam draft stoppers basically slide under the door, making them the easiest to install.

Rubber door seals might have an adhesive backing or Velcro, both of which are super easy to use. You just peel it off and stick it down. However, you might find over time that the adhesive loses its stick and that Velcro isn’t strong enough. It’ll mainly depend on the surface it’s running over.

Other rubber door seals have an aluminum strip that you screw to the door. Overall, these are the hardest to install but still aren’t difficult. Providing you have a screwdriver, you’ll be fine.

Another aspect of installation is cutting to size. Most door sweeps are sold at a standard size, which you can reduce. Obviously, something like foam or silicone is easy to cut with scissors.

Again, the hardest to work with are the door seals with aluminum bodies. You’ll need a saw or snippers for these.

Durability

Durability should be fairly obvious to anyone who’s come across these materials before. Foam is the least durable, although most draft stoppers come in a fabric case that you can wash and theoretically replace if needed.

Silicone and vinyl are fairly durable materials and it’s like the adhesive will give out long before they do. One thing that might be worth considering is that a dog could chew through silicone more easily than vinyl.

Finally, aluminum door sweeps are the most durable, as you’d expect. Most are designed for use on external doors, meaning they’ll last for years. If you want a soundproofing door sweep that’s built to last, this should be your choice.

Budget

For the most part, there’s really no need to spend loads on a soundproofing door sweep. Considering it won’t be a revolutionary product that completely blocks sound transfer through a door, you’ll be wasting your money if you overspend.

The most expensive door sweep on this list is still less than $50, but most are under $20. I wouldn’t recommend going any higher than that.

If soundproofing your door is a top priority, there are better things to spend your money on. A soundproof blanket, for example, would be a better use of money. I’ve written a roundup of my top picks, which you can check out for more information.

In my door soundproofing article (which I’ve linked above), there are 9 solutions for soundproofing a door. I’d recommend using a door seal as part of a wider approach if you need good levels of soundproofing. As such, don’t bother spending loads of money on this one (fairly minor) part.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you’ve now got a better idea of what to look for when choosing a door sweep to reduce noise.

For internal doors, my top pick is the Holikme Twin Draft Stopper, as it’s cost-effective and easy to use. For external doors, it’s the Ohuhu Door Seal for the same reasons.

If you have a go-to door sweep that I haven’t mentioned, let me know in the comments below!

Ludovic
Ludovic
Ludovic is a Mechanical Engineer and Founder of ZenSoundproof. For 7 years, he designed parts for aircraft engines. The last 2 years, he's been designing consumer electronics. Very ear sensitive, his background helps him use soundproofing techniques or look for low-noise appliances for his home. You'll also often find him meditating since his travel to India.

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