When it comes to choosing window blinds for your home, it’s more than just finding a colour or pattern you enjoy. Different styles of blinds can offer various degrees of light control and privacy, which increases the functionality in your home. If you’re the type of person that’s sensitive to light during sleep or someone who has an office and is looking for ways to prevent glare, a blackout blind may be the right choice for you.
Blackout blinds use opaque fabrics to block out light. They provide a dark, peaceful environment that keeps prying eyes out of your space. Best of all, there are several types of blackout blinds so you can choose the one best suited to your home. Here, we’ll go over the basics of blackout blinds, point out their main benefits and show you the different types you can choose from.
Understanding the Basics of Blackout Blinds
Blackout blinds are made of tightly woven opaque fabrics and materials that work to boost privacy and block out light. The thickness and weave of the materials keep light rays from penetrating through, providing a dark environment inside your home. They’re ideal for spaces such as bedrooms, theatre rooms, offices, and classrooms.
While most blackout blinds are made from fabrics, some styles including vertical blinds feature rigid materials such as PVC instead. These blinds use opaque slats to block out light and boost privacy. One thing to note is that slats can move, especially if you have the window open and there’s a breeze. This minimizes the light control capabilities of this blackout blind style.
Blackout blinds come in a huge range of styles — including Perfect Fit blinds and conservatory blinds — making them an ideal choice whether you want a sophisticated and modern look, Scandi style or something more classic or bold. Since blackout blinds are often made of fabric, they come in a large range of colours as well as patterns. From geometric prints and vibrant colours to neutrals like duck egg, taupe, biscotti and light grey, there are design options for everyone.
Types of Blackout Blinds
There are five main types of blackout blinds: roller blinds, roman blinds, vertical blinds, Day & Night blinds and skylight blinds. In addition, there are flame retardant, thermal and waterproof styles. Here, we’ll give you a quick rundown of each style and show you how to pick the best one for your home.
Roller Blinds
Roller blinds are among the most common blackout blinds on the market. These blinds feature a piece of fabric that rolls up into a cassette. They offer a clean and minimal appearance, making them ideal for small spaces and modern homes. They’re available in colours from dark grey to muted teal and vibrant pink as well as various patterns.
Blackout roller blinds are suitable for most rooms including entryways, dining rooms and conservatories. For wet spaces such as bathrooms and kitchens, choose a roller blind made with waterproof or moisture-resistant fabric to prevent mold damage.
Double roller blinds are designed to hold two different blind fabrics on one blind. They’re typically made with both a translucent fabric and a blackout fabric. The translucent fabric allows gentle light filtering while still maintaining a degree of privacy. The blackout fabric can then be lowered when you want to block out light. It’s a great option for people who want the best of both worlds, but don’t want to install two different blinds.
Roman Blinds
Roman blinds are made of one strip of fabric that delicately folds in layers when the blind is raised. It provides a pleated look that offers depth and texture to rooms. These pleated blinds are a great style for large spaces and for areas where you want to create an elegant atmosphere. They come in a range of plain fabrics as well as pastel and vibrant hues that complement a variety of home furnishings.
Many blackout roman blinds also offer thermal properties that can help you save money on energy bills by trapping heat inside in the winter and keeping it out in the summer. Roman blinds are ideal for entryways and formal living rooms and can also be used to add sophistication to a bedroom. You can also use them to liven up the space by choosing vibrant patterns such as our MissPrint Saplings Sunflower or the Orla Kiely Hydrangea Jade.
Vertical Blinds
Vertical blinds are different from horizontal blinds in that they feature slats that run from top to bottom rather than side to side. These blinds are made with vertical vanes that block out light. They’re ideal for use on bifold and patio doors as well as in offices where you have to contend with glare from the sun throughout the day.
Vertical blinds are also easier to clean compared to other blind styles. The vertical vanes don’t collect as much dust as horizontal styles, meaning you’ll have to dust and vacuum less often. Plus, with vertical blinds, it’s easy to open and close windows without having to constantly adjust the blind mechanism.
Blackout vertical blinds are a great choice for people who need blinds to add light control and privacy to glass doors. They’re also a good option for people who want low maintenance blinds and for rooms that have tall windows.
Skylight Blinds
Blackout skylight blinds are available for Dakstra, Fakro, Velux and Rooflite skylight windows. These blinds feature a side rail that secures the fabric to prevent it from hanging down. The rail also ensures that no light filters through the edges, providing a complete blackout experience.
Blackout skylight blinds are ideal in bedrooms, particularly if your home is dwarfed by taller buildings with bright lighting or if you struggle to get sleep thanks to the moonlight. The opaque blackout fabrics also feature thermal properties. That means you can prevent heat loss through high windows by using blackout skylight blinds. In addition, you can keep heat out during the peak summer months by keeping the blackout blinds closed.
Day & Night Blinds
Day & Night blinds also offer blackout properties, but not for the entire blind. That’s because this blind style features two fabric layers that are laid on top of one another. The layers are made of alternating opaque and voile fabrics. When you raise or lower the control mechanism, the layers move in opposite directions. This means you can easily adjust the amount of light that filters into the room by adjusting the blackout or translucent layers.
This blind style is ideal for individuals who want the greatest possible light control options. The different fabrics enable you to let light stream in when you want to enjoy a sunny morning or to block out light completely when you want some rest. Best of all, you don’t have to fiddle with multiple blackout curtains and window dressings to get a high degree of light and privacy control. These blinds are a great choice for living rooms, bedrooms and offices where different lighting is useful throughout the day.
How Blackout Blinds Benefit Your Home
The main benefit of blackout blinds is that they offer exceptional light control and increase privacy in your home and office. In addition, these blinds provide a beautiful style element that you’ll love to look at each day. They help to frame in windows, add colour and provide texture to a room while offering excellent functionality. Here are the main benefits of blackout blinds and why you should get some for your home.
Provide a Custom Fit
Made to measure blackout blinds are custom made to fit the exact dimensions of your windows. That means you won’t have tons of fabric gathering on the floor or draping over the edge of your window frame. With bespoke blinds, you’ll get a snug fit that boosts light control and a sleek look that screams sophistication.
Simply take measurements using our measuring guide and enter the information when ordering your blackout blind. When you receive the blind, follow our installation guide to mount the blind properly. In minutes, you’ll be able to enjoy stunning blackout blinds that enable you to control light throughout your home.
Aid Sleep Quality
Blackout blinds can help improve sleep quality, by providing a dark environment that is conducive to deep rest. Sleep experts argue that a dark room can support your natural circadian rhythm. This process controls your sleep cycles and lets you know when it’s time to feel sleepy and when it’s time to be alert. Blackout blinds are especially useful for getting a great night’s sleep during the summer months when the daylight hours are longer than usual thanks to early sunrises and late sunsets.
Blackout blinds block out 100% of the light that filters through your windows. This includes bright lights from passing cars, stoplights and the moon that can disrupt sleep. It’s important to note that when blackout blinds are installed inside the recess, some light may filter through the edges. If you’re looking for a complete blackout effect for sleeping, mount your blackout blinds outside the recess.
Boost Privacy and Control Light
Blackout blinds are designed to keep light out and increase privacy. The opaque fabric makes it near impossible for passersby to peer into your home. It also enables you to block out light that causes glare on your TV or computer screen and to keep light from filtering into your bedroom early in the morning or late at night.
While most window blinds offer some degree of privacy and light blocking capabilities, blackout blinds are king when it comes to functionality. With high-quality blackout blinds, you’ll have complete control over how much people can see inside and when you want to shut the light out.
