FocusPod Solo™
FocusPod Solo Plus™
FocusPod Duo™
FocusPod Team™
FocusPod Meet™
FocusPod Max™Air conditioning
For pods that sit where the sun does.
Ventilation handles air quality. Air conditioning handles temperature. In Australia those are two different problems.
An air conditioned office pod adds active cooling on top of the standard ventilation system. Every FocusPod already moves 70 to 327 m³ of air per hour and changes the internal air every 1.6 to 2.4 minutes, which handles air quality. The air conditioning unit handles temperature, which is a different problem — and in Australian conditions, against west-facing glazing or in a Queensland summer, it is the one that decides whether a pod gets used in February. The current add-on is listed for Meet and Max at $2,495 ex GST. Confirm fitting and site requirements in your quote.
Ventilation and cooling are not the same thing
The distinction that decides thisThis is the point almost every pod supplier blurs, ours included until we started installing into Queensland summers.
Ventilation exchanges air. It manages carbon dioxide, humidity and staleness, and it is what stops a sealed booth becoming unpleasant within twenty minutes. Every FocusPod does this as standard, moving 70 m³ per hour in a Solo up to 327 m³ in a Max, with the internal air fully changed every 1.6 to 2.4 minutes.
Air conditioning changes temperature. It is a different mechanism doing a different job. If the air being drawn into the pod is already 28 degrees, exchanging it faster does not cool anything — it just moves warm air around more efficiently.
A pod in a temperature-controlled office in Melbourne almost never needs cooling. A pod against west-facing glazing in Brisbane in February is a different conversation, and it is worth having before the pod is on the floor rather than after.
When you actually need it
Five situationsWest-facing glazing
The most common cause by a distance. Afternoon sun through a window onto a sealed enclosure, and the pod is warmest exactly when it is most used.
Queensland, NT and northern WA
Ambient conditions where the building itself is working hard. If your office air conditioning struggles in February, a pod inside it will too.
Warehouses and industrial sites
Often uncooled, frequently metal-roofed, and the pod is usually the only conditioned space anyone has. Assess cooling needs and equipment suitability before specifying the pod.
Long occupancy
A fifteen-minute call generates little heat. A person plus two monitors for four hours in a sealed box generates a surprising amount.
Four to six people
Each occupant is roughly a 100 watt heat source. A full Meet or Max in a warm room warms up faster than people expect.
When you don't need it
A pod in a climate-controlled office, away from direct sun, used for calls rather than full days. That is most installations, and standard ventilation handles it.
What the unit is
Specification| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Price | $2,495 ex GST for the unit; confirm fitting in your quote |
| Available on | Meet and Max; confirm the selected configuration |
| Works with | The standard ventilation system, not instead of it. Both run |
| Power | Confirm the selected cooling unit’s electrical requirements and any site work |
| Plumbing | Confirm condensate handling and connection requirements from the selected unit’s installation instructions |
| Building work | Check landlord, building and site requirements before installation |
| Retrofit | Subject to the model, configuration and installation requirements; confirm before ordering |
Discuss heat, occupancy and the room location before ordering. Request the cooling unit’s specifications, compatibility and installation requirements alongside your pod quote.
Standard ventilation, for comparison
What every pod already does| Model | Airflow | Air change | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | 0–70 m³/h | ~1.6 min | 1 person |
| Solo Plus | 0–110 m³/h | ~2.3 min | 1 person |
| Duo | 0–110 m³/h | ~2.3 min | 2 people |
| Team | 0–110 m³/h | ~2.3 min | 2 people |
| Meet | 0–218 m³/h | ~2.2 min | 4 people |
| Max | 0–327 m³/h | ~2.4 min | 6 people |
Ventilation also runs a five-minute exchange every thirty minutes when the pod is empty, so it is fresh when the next person opens the door. More detail on the ventilation page.
Ventilation, on every pod
Roof-mounted fans with air channels through the floor and roof modules, so air moves through the space rather than around it. Adjustable, and it cycles when the booth is empty.
Air conditioning, where it is warm
Active cooling on top of the ventilation. Specified most often on pods against glazing, in warehouses, and anywhere north of about Brisbane.
The rest of the range
Every model can have it
Solo
Calls and deep focus. Fits where a desk would go.
- Exterior
- 1080 × 1000 × 2338 mm
- Interior
- 942 × 960 × 2146 mm
- Floor
- ~1.0 m²
- Acoustic
- Up to 30 dB · Class A
Solo Plus
One person with room to move. Dual monitors, long sessions.
- Exterior
- 1600 × 1375 × 2338 mm
- Interior
- 1462 × 1335 × 2146 mm
- Floor
- ~2.2 m²
- Acoustic
- Up to 30 dB · Class A
Duo
Two-person calls, pair work and one-to-ones.
- Exterior
- 1600 × 1375 × 2338 mm
- Interior
- 1462 × 1335 × 2146 mm
- Floor
- ~2.2 m²
- Acoustic
- Up to 30 dB · Class A
Team
Two people, long and narrow. Sits against a wall where a square pod cannot.
- Exterior
- 2300 × 966 × 2338 mm
- Interior
- 2162 × 926 × 2146 mm
- Floor
- ~2.2 m²
- Acoustic
- Up to 30 dB · Class A
Meet
A real meeting room. Client meetings and video calls.
- Exterior
- 2300 × 1785 × 2338 mm
- Interior
- 2162 × 1745 × 2146 mm
- Floor
- ~4.1 m²
- Acoustic
- Up to 30 dB · Class A
Max
Boardroom and workshops without building a boardroom.
- Exterior
- 2600 × 2605 × 2338 mm
- Interior
- 2462 × 2565 × 2146 mm
- Floor
- ~6.77 m²
- Acoustic
- Up to 30 dB · Class A
Common questions
Asked by real buyersDo office pods need air conditioning?
Not usually. Standard ventilation moves 70 to 327 m³ of air per hour depending on model and changes the internal air every 1.6 to 2.4 minutes, which handles air quality and stops a pod going stuffy. Air conditioning is about temperature, and it matters when the pod sits somewhere that already runs hot — west-facing glazing, a top floor, a warehouse, or a Queensland or Northern Territory summer.
How much does the air conditioning unit cost?
The listed unit price is $2,495 ex GST. The current add-on is listed for FocusPod Meet and Max. Confirm fitting, delivery, compatibility and any site work in your itemised quote.
Do office pods get hot?
They can, in the wrong position. A sealed enclosure with glazing on one side, occupied by a person and their laptop, gains heat. In a temperature-controlled office in a mild climate that is rarely noticeable. Against a west-facing window in a Brisbane February it is very noticeable by three in the afternoon.
Is ventilation the same as cooling?
No, and it is the most common misunderstanding about pods. Ventilation exchanges air, which manages carbon dioxide, humidity and staleness. If the air being drawn in is already 28 degrees, exchanging it faster does not make the pod cooler. Cooling requires refrigeration.
Can air conditioning be added to a pod later?
Check the pod model and configuration with FocusPod before planning a retrofit. Compatibility, installation work and cost need to be confirmed for the specific unit.
Does the air conditioning need plumbing or a condensate drain?
Ask for the selected unit’s installation instructions and condensate requirements before ordering. Confirm where the external unit and any drainage or connections will go.
Does it still run from a normal power point?
Confirm the electrical requirements of both the pod and the selected cooling unit. Have any required changes to the building supply assessed by a qualified electrician.
Which pods can have air conditioning?
The current FocusPod air-conditioning add-on is listed for Meet and Max. Do not assume compatibility with Solo, Solo Plus, Duo or Team; confirm the exact model and configuration with your quote.
See how standard ventilation works, every add-on priced, or the full range. In a warm climate? The Brisbane and Gold Coast pages cover positioning in Queensland conditions.
Not sure whether you need it?
Tell us where the pod is going — which way the glazing faces, what floor, how many people and for how long. We will tell you honestly whether the standard ventilation covers it.