Class 0 acoustic foam and standard acoustic foam are different product grades used for internal acoustic treatment. All Foam currently supplies the Class 0 flat sheet only. The former standard flat acoustic sheet is retained in this guide as a historical comparison for customers replacing older installations or checking an old specification.
If a contractor, venue or project document names Class 0, use the product with the corresponding technical data rather than substituting a standard fire-retardant acoustic sheet.
Quick answer: Class 0 vs standard acoustic foam
Choose the current Class 0 sheet when its stated fire information, size and thickness suit the project. The former standard flat acoustic sheet is no longer supplied by All Foam, so it should not be treated as a current alternative. If an existing installation or specification names standard acoustic foam, compare its historical specification with the current requirement rather than assuming the products are interchangeable.
What both products are designed to do
Both the current Class 0 sheet and the former standard acoustic sheet are open-cell polyurethane treatment materials, but only the Class 0 product remains in the current All Foam purchasable range.
Their job is to absorb some of the sound energy that would otherwise reflect from a hard surface. That can help reduce:
- reverberation
- flutter echo
- harsh wall and ceiling reflections
- unwanted room ambience in recordings
- reflected sound inside suitable enclosures
Neither product should be described as a complete soundproofing wall system.
If you need to reduce sound transmission between rooms, read Does acoustic foam soundproof a room?.
What Class 0 means on the All Foam product
The AFPCLS0 technical data describes an open-cell acoustic and thermal polyurethane foam manufactured with impregnated fire-retardant compounds.
The current data sheet states:
- UK Building Regulations Class 0 to BS 476 Parts 6 and 7
- Class 1 surface spread of flame to BS 476 Part 7
- UL94 V-0
- UL94 94-5V
It also lists a density range of 75 to 100 kg/m³ and a working temperature range of -40°C to +110°C.
These are product data for the foam. They do not mean that a finished wall, ceiling, booth or enclosure automatically complies with every fire requirement.
The broader Class 0 acoustic foam guide explains the test wording in more detail.
What standard acoustic foam means on the All Foam range
The former standard Acoustic Foam Flat Sheet was a charcoal fire-retardant acoustic treatment foam, but it is not currently supplied by All Foam.
Historical All Foam technical information identified it separately from AFPCLS0. Existing product data lists a nominal density of 24 to 27 kg/m³ and describes the former sheet for recording rooms, home cinemas, booths, rehearsal spaces and other internal sound-treatment applications.
Its fire information is not the same as the AFPCLS0 Class 0 data sheet.
That distinction matters. A product can be fire retardant without being the specific Class 0 grade named in another project.
Fire retardant is not another spelling of Class 0
This is the most important buying point.
"Fire retardant acoustic foam" is a broad product description.
"Class 0 acoustic foam" refers to a product with stated Class 0 test information.
If a tender, contractor or responsible person gives you an exact classification, compare the wording with the data sheet for the exact product.
Do not rely on:
- foam colour
- density by touch
- thickness
- product shape
- the word commercial
- a generic fire icon
None of those prove the required classification.
Current Class 0 sizes and thicknesses
The current flat AFPCLS0 range is available as:
Sheet sizes
- 100cm x 100cm
- 200cm x 100cm
Thicknesses
- 25mm
- 50mm
The sheets are supplied unbacked.
This creates a simple four-variant range and allows the installer to select the fixing method separately.
Former standard acoustic sizes and thicknesses
The former standard Acoustic Foam Flat Sheet had a broader size and depth range, but it is not currently a purchasable All Foam product.
Former sheet sizes were:
- 76cm x 100cm
- 230cm x 100cm
- 230cm x 200cm
Former thicknesses were:
- 1/4 inch, listed as 6.3mm
- 1/2 inch, listed as 12.7mm
- 1 inch, listed as 25.4mm
- 1.5 inch, listed as 38.1mm
- 2 inch, listed as 50.8mm
- 3 inch, listed as 76.2mm
- 4 inch, listed as 101.6mm
That wider historical range explains why older All Foam guides or installations may show depths and sheet formats that are no longer offered.
Do not confuse the metric Class 0 thicknesses with the nearby imperial standard-foam sizes. A 50mm Class 0 sheet and a 2 inch standard sheet are close in depth but are still different listed products.
Is Class 0 acoustically better than standard foam?
Not automatically.
Class 0 is primarily a fire-classification distinction in this comparison, not a universal quality ranking for acoustic performance.
Acoustic results depend on factors including:
- material properties
- thickness
- treatment area
- mounting
- air gaps
- room dimensions
- placement
- frequency range causing the problem
- other absorbers or diffusers in the room
A historical standard acoustic sheet may have behaved differently from a thinner Class 0 sheet because thickness and material properties both matter. A correctly placed absorber can also be more useful than a larger quantity installed in irrelevant locations.
Choose from the actual project requirement, not from the assumption that a higher-sounding label must give better sound.
Which is better for a home studio?
If the room is a private domestic home studio with no named Class 0 requirement, the current All Foam acoustic sheet option is still the Class 0 flat grade. It can be considered where its technical data, 25mm or 50mm thickness and sheet format suit the room. The former standard sheet is no longer supplied.
The Class 0 home studio guide explains how to make that decision without over-specifying the room.
Which is better for a commercial project?
Start with the project documentation.
Commercial and public settings can have requirements that go beyond the foam itself. The correct product depends on the fire strategy, surface location, fixing method and complete installation.
If the specification explicitly calls for the Class 0 information stated on AFPCLS0, standard acoustic foam should not be substituted simply because it is also described as fire retardant.
Likewise, do not assume Class 0 is suitable for every commercial environment. The complete application still has to be checked.
Which is better for machinery and enclosures?
Both the current Class 0 product and the former standard product were intended for internal sound treatment, but an enclosure adds extra considerations:
- operating temperature
- airflow
- high-velocity air
- vibration
- service access
- contamination
- moving parts
- electrical clearances
- fire specification
AFPCLS0 technical data includes information relevant to enclosure work and All Foam has a separate Class 0 machinery enclosure guide.
The foam should still be selected as one part of the enclosure design.
Is standard acoustic foam safe because it is fire retardant?
Use more precise language.
The former standard sheet had its own fire-retardant product information. It is no longer supplied, and its historical data should not be used as permission to substitute another material for Class 0 when a different classification is specified.
Similarly, avoid calling any acoustic foam fireproof.
Fire performance is based on stated test information under defined conditions. The complete installed system can include adhesives, timber, fabric, wall linings and other components with their own behaviour.
Fixing and backing
The current flat Class 0 sheets are unbacked.
The former All Foam standard acoustic sheet was also supplied without factory-applied self-adhesive backing, but it is no longer a current product.
That means the fixing system is a separate part of the installation.
For walls, ceilings and enclosure panels, select a fixing method that is compatible with:
- the foam
- the substrate
- the orientation
- the expected temperature
- vibration
- maintenance requirements
- fire and project requirements
See How to install Class 0 acoustic foam for the Class 0 fitting checks.
A simple decision process
Choose Class 0 when:
- a project specifically names the Class 0 fire information carried by AFPCLS0
- the technical data matches the required specification
- 25mm or 50mm flat sheets fit the available space
- the 1m x 1m or 2m x 1m format suits the layout
If an older job specifies the former standard flat acoustic foam:
- treat the old dimensions and fire information as historical reference only
- confirm whether the current project can use the Class 0 sheet instead
- check whether 25mm or 50mm fits the available depth
- obtain approval before substituting any material named in a project specification
- contact All Foam if you need help comparing the old requirement with the current range
Stop and check before ordering when:
- the specification uses unfamiliar fire wording
- the room is safety-critical
- the foam will be overhead
- the material is near heat or machinery
- a decorative facing will be added
- the product is being used as part of a finished certified assembly
Quick answers about Class 0 vs standard acoustic foam
Is Class 0 acoustic foam better?
It is different, not automatically better. Choose it when its documented fire information and available sizes suit the project.
Is standard acoustic foam fire retardant?
The former All Foam standard Acoustic Foam Flat Sheet was described as fire retardant and had separate technical information; it is not currently supplied. That is not the same as saying it carries the AFPCLS0 Class 0 specification.
Can I use standard acoustic foam when the specification says Class 0?
Do not substitute it without approval. Compare the exact requirement with the correct data sheet.
Does Class 0 foam soundproof better?
Class 0 does not by itself mean better structural sound isolation. Both products are absorptive treatments rather than complete soundproofing barriers.
Which has more thickness options?
The former standard flat acoustic sheet had seven imperial thickness options. The current AFPCLS0 range is offered at 25mm and 50mm.
Choose by specification and acoustic job
The useful comparison is not "premium vs basic". It is "which product data, format and depth match this job?"
Read the fire requirement, identify the acoustic problem, plan the treatment area and then choose the sheet.
View the current Class 0 Acoustic Foam Sheets range for AFPCLS0. The former standard flat acoustic product is no longer supplied by All Foam.
