Cubicle Panel Heights Explained: Low, Mid, and High — Which to Choose

Low Panels: 90–100cm (Seated Privacy Only)

Low panels provide privacy when seated but allow full visibility when standing. They create an open, collaborative feel while still defining individual workspaces. Natural light flows freely across the floor, and supervisors have clear sightlines to all agents. The trade-off is acoustic performance — low panels provide minimal noise reduction and no visual privacy for standing employees.

• Best for: Back-office teams, data entry, email support, creative teams
• Acoustic benefit: Minimal (2–4 dB reduction)
• Natural light: Excellent — no obstruction
• Supervisor visibility: Full sightlines when standing
• Collaboration: Easy — agents can see and speak to each other
• Not recommended for: Voice-heavy call centers, sensitive data handling

Mid Panels: 120–140cm (Standing Privacy)

Mid panels provide privacy when both seated and standing, significantly reducing visual distraction and noise. They're the most versatile option and the most commonly specified for Philippine BPO and corporate offices. Supervisors can still see over panels when standing, and the floor retains a sense of openness while providing meaningful acoustic and visual separation.

• Best for: Inbound call centers, general corporate offices, mixed-use floors
• Acoustic benefit: Moderate (6–10 dB reduction)
• Natural light: Good — some obstruction at seated level
• Supervisor visibility: Supervisors can see over panels when standing
• Collaboration: Moderate — requires standing to communicate across panels
• The most popular choice for Philippine BPO operations

High Panels: 150–180cm (Full Privacy)

High panels provide near-complete visual and acoustic privacy. They're appropriate for environments where confidentiality is paramount — financial services, legal, HR, or executive support functions. The trade-off is a significant reduction in natural light penetration and a more enclosed, potentially claustrophobic feel. Supervisor visibility is limited to walkways.

• Best for: Financial services, legal, HR, executive support, sensitive data handling
• Acoustic benefit: Significant (10–15 dB reduction)
• Natural light: Limited — panels block most natural light at workstation level
• Supervisor visibility: Limited to walkways only
• Collaboration: Minimal — fully enclosed individual spaces
• Not recommended for: Teams that need frequent collaboration or supervisor oversight

Mixed Heights: The Hybrid Approach

Many modern Philippine offices use a hybrid approach: mid-height panels (120cm) for the main workstation rows, with higher panels (140–160cm) on the sides facing walkways for additional privacy, and lower panels (90cm) between adjacent workstations within a team cluster to facilitate collaboration. This approach captures the benefits of multiple heights while managing the trade-offs.

Other Factors That Affect Panel Height Selection

Beyond work type and supervision model, consider these factors:

• Ceiling height: Low ceilings (below 2.7m) make high panels feel oppressive — use mid-height instead
• Window placement: If natural light comes from one side, avoid high panels on that side
• HVAC: High panels can interfere with air circulation — check with your building engineer
• Fire code: Some jurisdictions require sightlines for fire egress — confirm with building management
• Team culture: Collaborative teams often prefer lower panels even if the work type would support higher