Guides

What are the best occupancy sensors for offices or commercial buildings?

Radar-based occupancy sensors are the best choice for offices and commercial spaces because they combine unmatched accuracy with built-in privacy and real-time performance.

Most traditional methods—like badge swipes, motion sensors, or WiFi tracking—offer only partial or misleading data. Radar sensors, on the other hand, provide precise people counts, work in real time, and don’t collect any personally identifiable information (PII). This makes them ideal for modern workplaces navigating hybrid schedules, rising real estate costs, and employee privacy concerns.

Why radar is the best fit for commercial spaces

  1. Precision in high-traffic areas
    Radar sensors accurately count people moving through doors, lounges, meeting rooms, and open areas—even in large crowds or low-light conditions.
  2. Anonymous by design
    Unlike cameras or WiFi sniffers, radar collects no biometric or device data. Employees remain anonymous while organizations still get the detailed insights they need.
  3. Real-time data
    Radar sensors (like Density’s Waffle) provide instant space usage metrics—ideal for live wayfinding, dynamic cleaning, and energy management.
  4. Proven Results
    Companies using radar-based Density sensors have:
    • Saved millions in unnecessary leases by identifying underused floors
    • Reduced cleaning costs by 30% through targeted service
    • Improved office design based on actual employee preferences

Built for the modern workplace

Today’s hybrid work environments demand smarter tools. You can’t rely on a weekly headcount or hope your badge data tells the whole story. With radar-based sensors, you get high-fidelity data that helps answer:

  • Are we using our space efficiently?
  • Do we need more meeting rooms—or just better scheduling?
  • Where are employees spending time, and why?

And you can answer those questions without sacrificing trust or privacy.

Summary

Radar-based sensors are the most accurate, real-time, and privacy-safe solution for measuring office and commercial occupancy.
They outperform legacy tools and empower workplace teams to cut costs, improve layouts, and enhance the employee experience—without compromising privacy.

Explore more guides

How do I improve the employee experience with workplace analytics?

You can improve the employee experience by using workplace analytics and occupancy sensors to design better spaces, support hybrid work, and make data-driven decisions that align with how people actually use your office.
Workplace analytics helps you understand how your environment supports (or hinders) focus, collaboration, well-being, and productivity—all of which directly impact engagement and retention.

Read more

What are the advantages of occupancy sensors?

Occupancy sensors provide real-time, accurate insights into how spaces are used—helping companies reduce costs, improve office design, and make better business decisions.
They eliminate guesswork from space planning and empower workplace, facilities, and real estate teams to optimize every square foot.

Read more

What are effective workplace strategies for the return to office?

The most effective return-to-office (RTO) strategies combine clear policy, human-centered flexibility, data-driven decisions, and office designs that employees actually want to use.
RTO success isn’t just about mandating a presence—it’s about building a workplace that drives collaboration, morale, and performance.

Read more

How do I know if my office space is being wasted?

You can tell if your office space is being wasted by measuring how often each space is used—and occupancy sensors provide the real-time data you need to find out.
If desks, meeting rooms, or entire floors are consistently empty or underutilized, that’s space (and money) going to waste. Tools like Density’s Waffle and Atlas help companies assess usage accurately so they can cut costs and improve the workplace experience.

Read more