IKEA GUNNLOG Curtains Review: Sound Absorption That Stays Subtle

Introduction

Curtains are not the first thing most people picture when they plan a room treatment, yet IKEA sells the GUNNLOG as a sound absorbing curtain that also filters daylight, provides privacy, and softens the sound of everyday activity. At roughly 50 euros per pair, it is one of the least expensive ways to cover a large exposed surface such as a window, and IKEA supports the acoustic claim with a reference to ISO 354, the internationally recognised method for measuring sound absorption in a reverberation room.

That combination of a low price and an official sounding standard is exactly why the GUNNLOG is worth a closer look. The interesting question is not whether the fabric absorbs any sound at all. It is how much it absorbs, and at which frequencies, in an ordinary room.

IKEA describes the fabric as a combination of chenille yarn and a special weave construction, and states that it absorbs sound in the medium and high frequency range, covering roughly 300 Hz to 4 kHz. The same product description notes that the curtain filters daylight, provides privacy by preventing people outside from seeing directly into the room, and softens sound caused by everyday activities such as clattering dishes or chairs being moved.

Who These Curtains Are For

The GUNNLOG makes sense for a fairly specific set of priorities. It is a good match if you want a curtain that still lets daylight into the room when it is closed, because that is where the design is strongest. It is also a reasonable choice if you dislike traditional net curtains but like the idea behind them: you can see out, while people outside have a much harder time seeing in.

It is a sensible option for renters and apartment dwellers who want to cover large windows without spending a four figure sum, and for listeners who want to take a little energy out of the very top of the treble without installing dedicated acoustic panels.

It is not the right product if your goal is to block outside noise. Nothing about the design suggests it will silence road works, traffic, or a railway line, and that expectation is the most common reason buyers end up disappointed.

Main Strengths: Light Control and Everyday Living

The strongest argument for the GUNNLOG has little to do with acoustics. The fabric is light in weight, and when the curtains are closed they still let a useful amount of sunlight through. In a room that receives direct sun for part of the day, that means you can tame the glare without turning the room into a cave.

The material also has a pleasant, slightly textured look that reads as more contemporary than a classic net curtain, and the price is genuinely low: a pair costs about 50 euros, so covering two windows came to roughly 100 euros. IKEA offers the curtain in grey as well as a lighter tone, which gives a little flexibility in darker interiors.

Length options vary by market. In the UK, a 2.5 m version is available off the shelf, while in Portugal and Germany the curtain is sold in a 3 m length. If your windows are shorter than the standard length, plan for the cost and the hassle of having the panels shortened.

How Well Do They Absorb Sound?

This is where expectations need to be managed carefully. The ISO 354 reference does not mean the curtain meets a particular absorption rating. It means the fabric has been measured using a recognised method for sound absorption in a reverberation room. The claim is that the curtain absorbs sound, not how much it absorbs.

Before and after measurements taken in a treated listening room, with the curtains open and then closed, tell a consistent story. The frequency response of the system barely changed, and the differences were small enough that they would be difficult to attribute to the curtain with any confidence.

Reverberation time told a similar story. The changes were minimal and inconsistent across the spectrum: marginally better at 100 Hz, 400 Hz and 800 Hz, marginally worse around 300 Hz and 1 kHz, and a slightly more consistent improvement above roughly 4 kHz. In other words, there is a small effect at the very top of the treble, and very little evidence of meaningful change through the mid range.

Listening confirmed the measurements. With the curtains open and closed in turn, the difference was negligible, and covering the windows did nothing to reduce the sound of nearby drilling.

What Buyers Report

Customer feedback on the product listing is mixed, and it mirrors those findings. One buyer living a couple of blocks from an active railway line reported that the train was still audible but noticeably less high pitched, and praised the weight, the light transmission and the appearance. The same buyer noted that the available length was not sufficient for their room, leaving the curtain awkwardly between the floor and the windowsill.

Other buyers were far less convinced. One three star comment states plainly that the sound absorption could not be felt, and another simply says the product does not reduce sound at all. Taken together, the pattern is clear: people who bought the curtain for its looks and its light control tend to be happy, while people who bought it expecting a meaningful reduction in noise tend to be disappointed.

Things to Consider Before Buying

• Sound absorption is limited. Expect a small effect at the very top of the treble and essentially nothing through the mid range.
• It is not a noise barrier. External noise such as traffic or construction is not meaningfully reduced.
• Length varies by market, and a standard panel may need shortening, which adds cost.
• Colour options are limited to a lighter tone and grey.
• It is a light filtering curtain, not a blackout curtain.

Buying Advice

Buy the GUNNLOG for what it does well. If you want a light, modern curtain that keeps daylight in the room, gives you privacy from the street, and costs about 50 euros per pair, it is an easy recommendation. Two pairs came to roughly 100 euros, which is a small fraction of what purpose built acoustic treatment costs.

Do not buy it as an acoustic solution. If your goal is to reduce reverberation through the mid range or to block noise from outside, the money is better spent elsewhere. Treat any absorption benefit above 4 kHz as a small bonus rather than the reason to buy.

That said, if you were already planning to hang curtains on a large window, the GUNNLOG is a low risk choice: it looks tidy, it is easy to live with, and it will not darken the room.

Conclusion

The IKEA GUNNLOG is a well priced, good looking light filtering curtain with a sound absorption claim that is technically supported but modest in practice. Measurements and listening both point to a very small effect in the uppermost frequencies and little else, and buyer feedback reflects the same split between people who wanted a curtain and people who wanted a treatment. Judge it as a curtain first, and it holds up well.