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Office4Pod

Guide · · 4 min read

Garden office pod or indoor pod? Which to choose

Garden office pod or indoor acoustic pod? How they differ on planning rules, space and access, and which suits your home. Our pods are indoor only.

Black work pod with yellow upholstered bench seat and desk

Search for “home office pod” and most results are garden pods: insulated cabins that sit at the bottom of the garden. Our pods are different — they're acoustic pods for indoor use only. Here's how to decide which one you need.

Garden pods are outbuildings

A garden office is an outbuilding. In England, many can be put up under permitted development, without a planning application, as long as they stay within the limits. The Planning Portal sets these out: for example, a maximum height of 2.5 metres for a building within two metres of a boundary, and outbuildings can't cover more than half the land around the original house. Listed buildings and designated land have tighter rules.

Check the Planning Portal's outbuildings guidance before you buy a garden pod.

Our pods are for indoor use only

An indoor pod is a room inside a room: somewhere quiet to take calls or focus when the house is busy. Our pods are for indoor use only, so they can't go in the garden, a car port or anywhere open to the weather.

What to check before an indoor pod goes in your home

  • Headroom: our phone booth is 224 cm tall and our other pods are 220 cm. Measure the ceiling, and watch out for beams, pendant lights and smoke alarms.
  • Floor space: the booth needs 1.10 m² (105 × 105 cm), plus room for the door to open.
  • The route in: the booth arrives assembled at 105 × 105 cm and 224 cm tall, so every door, hallway, staircase and turn from the front door to its spot has to take it. Measure carefully — our guide on how to measure for an office pod shows how — and tell us on the call.
  • A socket: the phone booth plugs into a standard wall socket.
  • The floor: ask us about the pod's weight if you're putting it upstairs.

When a garden pod is the better choice

  • You have no spare corner indoors — even the booth needs 1.10 m² plus door space.
  • You want a workspace completely separate from the household.
  • Your ceilings, stairs or doorways can't take an indoor pod.

If an indoor pod suits you, see our indoor home office pods, start with the Solo Phone Booth, or compare all our office pods and their sizes.

Sources

Pods mentioned in this guide

Solo Phone Booth in black with yellow interior, door open, in an open-plan office
1 person105 × 105 × 224 cm

Solo Phone Booth

One-person booth with a standing-height desk and bar stool. For calls and video meetings.

In stock · ready to deliver
Focus Work Capsule, black shell with orange acoustic interior, shown with desk and office chair
1 person126 × 160 × 220 cm

Focus Work Capsule

A roomier one-person capsule, 126 × 160 × 220 cm, for a full stretch of desk work and long calls.

Ask about availability
Black work pod with yellow upholstered bench seat and desk
1 person

Solo Work Pod

One-person pod with an upholstered bench and desk. For focused work and longer calls.

In stock · ready to deliver

FAQ

Quick answers

Can I use your pods in the garden?

No. Our pods are for indoor use only. For a garden office, you need an outbuilding designed for outdoor use.

Will an office pod fit in my house?

Check three things: ceiling height (our pods are 220–224 cm tall), floor space (from 1.10 m² for the phone booth) and the route in — the booth arrives assembled at 105 × 105 cm.

Does a garden office need planning permission?

In England, many can go up under permitted development within limits set out by the Planning Portal, such as a 2.5 m maximum height within two metres of a boundary. Listed buildings and designated land have tighter rules.

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