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What is the best material for solar shades that blocks out heat and UV rays, while optimizing view? Among many types of sun shade materials, choosing the best one for your application could be hard. Metalized fabric, woven fabric, vinyl-coated polyester, fiberglass, knitted mesh, and natural wood are some of the popular choices for solar shades.

When choosing the perfect solar shade fabric, you need to consider sun control, insulation, privacy, security, glare control, view through, and decorative appeal. Yet there are other things to consider, such as openness factor, thermal performance, and optical properties.

If you choose metalized fabric, it will reduce heat and glare, while still providing privacy and view through. If you select treated wood products, they are attractive and durable, and resist rot, mold, and pests.

Polyester offers more durability, moisture resistance, and UV protection than cotton. On the other hand, cotton can be a better choice for creating a soft, cozy, and natural feel in the interior of your home or other space.

Scroll on to learn about the best fabrics for solar shades along with things to consider when choosing the right fabric for your home, office, or a rental property.

What are Solar Shades?

Solar shades, also called sun shades, sun blinds, or sun screens, are roll-up window coverings crafted with specifically designed fabrics that are woven just tight enough to protect against UV rays, while still providing privacy and optimizing your views. These affordable window coverings are made from a variety of different materials, but most often a mix of synthetic fibers, such as polyester and PVC.

Solar window shades come with different openness levels, the most popular being 1%, 3%, 5%, 7%, 10%, and 14%. The lower the openness factor, the tighter the weave of the fabric used.

Best Fabrics for Solar Shades

There are lots of practical options when it comes to choosing solar shade fabrics to protect your property from the harsh UV rays, sun damage, and ambient heat, while preserving view.

Metalized Fabrics

The obvious benefit of metalized solar solar screen fabrics is that they increase reflectivity of heat and light when compared with conventional blind fabrics.

Metalized fabrics give homeowners the benefits of both light & dark colors in just one window treatment. If you use aluminum backing, it will reflect the sun, keeping heat out and reducing glare.

Vinyl-Coated Polyester

Vinyl-coated polyester is a sturdy fabric that resists heat, moisture, and corrosion. This flexible fabric material is both durable and low maintenance, thanks to the creative combination of vinyl and fabric. Mostly, you will need water and a little soap to clean your sunscreen.

Fiberglass

Homeowners love fiberglass fabric for its durability, strength, and resistance to warping, cracking, and fading. It offers excellent UV protection properties while maintaining a sleek and modern look. Fiberglass is a popular choice for homes, offices, and other residential and commercial buildings with high sun exposure.

Blended Fabrics

Polyester-cotton, polyester-linen, and other blended fabrics offer a combination of style, durability, and texture for your solar shades for windows. These blended fabric materials for your moveable solar shading devices provide a soft and natural appearance while providing various functional benefits.

Woven Solar Shade Fabrics

Woven fabric is a material that’s flexible enough to roll up or down easily when you want sunshine or shade. The density of the woven fabric will determine how much sun and wind will enter your room. Unlike metalized fabrics, woven fabric sun shades will not rust or corrode.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Suitable Material for Solar Shades

UV Control

Protection are the main reasons people seek out sun shades or blinds. By blocking out harmful UV rays, sun screens can help you protect your furniture, flooring, and art in your home or office. Additionally, these window treatments can help control the light, providing your room with the right amount of glow. Therefore, choose a tightly woven fabric for the best light control.

Glare Reduction

If you are going to buy sun shades for your study room or home office, select a fabric that reduces glare on the screens.

Insulation

If you want to improve the energy efficiency of your home, we recommend an insulating fabric like vinyl-coated polyester that prevents inflow or outflow of heat. It will not only ensure temperature regulation for a relaxing environment, but also improve the energy efficiency of your home.

View Through

If you have a beautiful view outside, you may not want to hide it with window treatments. So, go with a heat-resistant sheer fabric for sun shades, which will let you see outside but prevent passers-by from seeing in.

Privacy

The level of privacy in a solar shade can vary greatly depending on the type of fabric and tightness of weave or openness factor. If you want better privacy, select a sun screen fabric with minimum openness factor, i.e. 1%. It’ll also help you darken your space for sleeping or watching movies.

Decorative Appeal

Consider the decor style of your indoor or outdoor space when choosing the color and appearance for the sun blind fabric. Various color options include white, silver, ecru, ivory, taupe, ebony pearl, charcoal, and chocolate.

Wrinkle Resistance

Solar window coverings made from metalized fabrics or vinyl-coated polyester are known for their wrinkle resistance, which means they will maintain a smoother and more uniform look over time. However, pure cotton fabric shades can be prone to wrinkling and may require more frequent maintenance to keep them looking clean.

Openness Factor

Openness factor (OF) or opacity level is the most common term in solar screen fabrics. It is a technical factor that is represented as a percentage. Openness percentage relates to how tightly the yarns are woven, thus explaining the ratio of open space to yarns in the weave.

Smaller numbers (1%, 3%, and 5%) have less space, representing a tighter weaver and letting less light in. The exact opposite is true for larger numbers (7%, 10%, 14%, and 15%).

Better Thermal Performance

Color selection plays a big part in the thermal performance of the solar shade fabric. Always choose a light reflecting color that will prevent the fabric and the interior of your room from heating up. All colors except black reflect light more or less.

With higher reflectivity and lower absorption values, lighter colors, like white and ivory, reflect more thermal energy out of them.

Evaluate the thermal properties of fabrics and their impact on energy efficiency. Fabrics with thermal or reflective potentials can help you to regulate solar heat gain or loss, so you can get a more comfortable environment and save on your energy bills.

Optical Properties

Lighter colors let more light through, resulting in higher glare levels. On the contrary, darker colors absorb more light, thus reducing glare. This also translates to view through.

You will be surprised to learn that dark colors offer superior view through, so they are the best to preserve the view through.

Durability

Polyester fabric offers better durability than cotton. It is hailed for its strength, wrinkle resistance, and ability to withstand wear and tear. Polyester fabrics are less prone to fading, cracking, and stretching, so they are a reliable choice for long-lasting solar blinds.

Moisture Resistance

Are you going to buy new solar shades for your swimming pool? Polyester is inherently moisture-resistant, making it suitable for areas with high humidity or water, such as kitchens or bathrooms. On the other hand, cotton easily absorbs moisture and may not be as suitable for highly damp environments.

Light Control

Both polyester and blended fabric solar blinds offer various levels of light control. Polyester fabric often has a tighter weave and can provide better UV protection and light filtration compared to cotton.

Define the desired degree of light control for your home, office, or other building. Consider whether you want diffused light glow, partial blockage of sunlight, or a complete blackout effect in your bedroom. Choose a fabric with an appropriate openness level according to your needs and preferences.

Maintenance Requirements

Consider the ease of cleaning and maintenance when choosing a suitable fabric for your solar roller shades. Make sure your chosen fabric can be easily wiped clean, spot cleaned, and vacuumed.

Environmental Impact

If eco-friendliness is important to you, explore fabrics made from sustainable materials. Look for fabric materials that ensure low chemical emissions and high-quality standards.

Paying Capacity

Determine your paying capacity and consider the prices of different fabric choices. Keep in mind that higher-quality fabric materials may come at a higher cost, but they often offer better functionality and longevity.

If you are a DIYer, choose sun blinds that are easy to measure for and install.

Note: When choosing the best fabric for your solar shades, you should also consider the cordless, motorized, or smart lift options that offer safety for children and pets in your home.

Conclusion

No single sun screen fabric dominates, so pick the one that prioritizes what matters most. Metalized solar fabrics block heat and glare like champs, fiberglass rocks UV protection and style, vinyl-coated polyester is tough and water-resistant, and fabric blends offer texture and flair.

Weigh factors like UV protection, view through, privacy, and budget to find your perfect match. Don’t forget kid safety features like cordless options for ultimate peace of mind. Choose wisely, and your ideal solar shade will enhance both the functionality of your space and your well-being.

Need More Help?

Still unsure which solar shade fabric will serve your needs best both functionally and aesthetically? Get in touch for help now! Use 24/7 live chat or give us a call at (800) 863-6109 to contact our design experts for custom solutions.

Considering choosing solar roller shades for your home, office, or other residential or commercial building? Just go ahead! UV-protective roller shades are one of the most versatile window treatments, as they can be fully customized for size, style, functionality, lift option, and, of course, color choice.

Like Roman shades, Venetian blinds, and vertical blinds, these custom color shading devices can be chosen in your desired appearance to fit your room’s unique interior decor style. Different color choices for sun protection shades include white, ivory, ecru, silver, chocolate, charcoal, black, gray, beige, blue, green, red, brown, and tan. Reason to learn what are the top 7 colors for solar roller shades along with tips to choose the best color for your unique decor style.

What Are the Top 7 Colors for Solar Roller Shades?

While there are lots of color options for your heat-blocking shades, our top 7 picks include white, gray, ecru, ivory, silver, chocolate, and charcoal.

1. White: White-colored solar roller window coverings are highly effective in reflecting heat and sunlight. They are a good choice for maintaining a bright atmosphere in your home, office, or other structure. White UV-protective shades also offer excellent light diffusion, allowing soft and diffused light to enter the room. They are versatile and work well with various interior styles and color schemes. White shades are particularly suitable for sunrooms where you want to maximize natural light and create a clean, minimalist look.
2. Gray: If you choose a gray color for your solar roller shades, it will offer a modern and contemporary visual interest. This color is effective in blocking sunlight along with UV radiation. In addition, gray shades provide a sleek and sophisticated appearance to add depth and dimension to your space. There are various shades of gray to choose from, which offer a different level of light filtration and privacy to suit your needs.
3. Ecru: Ecru solar blinds offer a warm and inviting ambiance to your home. Ecru color can complement a variety of interior decor styles to create a cozy and comfortable atmosphere in your home. Ecru-colored solar window coverings are especially suitable for sunrooms with an earthy look and feel.
4. Ivory: Ivory solar roller shades have a creamy and slightly yellowish hue, which brings warmth and elegance to your decor style. Like some other colors, ivory effectively blocks sunlight and provides good heat control, which you expect from your solar window coverings. This hue can also help you to maintain a sense of openness in your room’s interior.
5. Silver: Silver-colored solar roller shades have a metallic sheen to add a touch of contemporary style to your living space. These glare-free window treatments are particularly fit for rooms with a modern or minimalist look and they work well with different monochromatic color schemes.
6. Chocolate: Like silver, chocolate is one of the top 7 colors for solar shades in the modern era. Chocolate solar roller window coverings have a rich and deep brown appearance to create a warm and cozy ambiance in your building. They effectively block the sun’s harsh UV rays and provide you with excellent heat control. Chocolate shades also add a sense of luxury to your space. They work well with natural materials and serve to enhance the overall warmth and comfort of your room.
7. Charcoal: Looking for a bold and dramatic look for your interior decor? Go for charcoal. In addition to improving aesthetic appeal, this color can also boost privacy. So, you can use your solar roller shades as privacy-enhancing shades. Charcoal-colored eco-friendly shades are especially suitable for rooms where you want to create a darker, more private atmosphere or for spaces with a minimalist design.

Things to Consider When Choosing the Right Color for Your Solar Roller Shades

The choice of color for your sunlight-blocking roller shades will not only affect your overall interior decor but will also impact the functional potential of your window treatments. For example, lighter colors will reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat to provide better insulation, energy efficiency, and a cozy atmosphere.

Here are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing the right color for your solar window coverings.

1. Visual Interest: Color plays an important role in enhancing the overall visual interest or aesthetic appeal of your home’s decor styles. So, you should choose a hue for your temperature regulation shades that creates a cohesive design and seamlessly complements the existing decor and color scheme of your home.

2. Mood and Ambiance: Different appearances evoke different moods and emotions. The color of your eco-conscious roller shades can help you to create the desired ambiance in your home, office, or other building. For example, warm tones, such as tan or beige can create a cozy and inviting atmosphere. On the other hand, cool tones such as green and blue can promote a sense of relaxation and calmness.

3. Light Reflection: The color of your UV-protective shades can influence the reflection and absorption of sunlight, affecting the functional potential of your window treatments. Lighter colors can reflect more light, while darker hues absorb more light. So, choosing the right color can help you to create the desired level of darkness or brightness in your room.

4. Heat Absorption

Darker colors for energy-efficient shades generally absorb more heat than lighter ones. If heat control is your priority for your home, selecting lighter-colored solar roller shades can help reduce heat absorption and keep your room cooler in the hot summer.

5. Personal Preference: The color choice for your solar roller blinds is a matter of personal choice. It should reflect your taste, style, and the atmosphere you want to create in your living space. A color that resonates with your taste will enhance your overall satisfaction and enjoyment level of the space.

Considering the above factors can help you select the right color for your sun-protection shades, which will help you to achieve the desired aesthetic, mood, and functionality in your room. You should take the time to explore different options.

At Affordableblinds.com, you can order a free sample of your desired style of a solar roller shade. Other free offers include free shipping, a worry-free fit guarantee, and a free lifetime guarantee.

Note: You should also consider the safety of your children and pets when choosing your favorite-colored solar roller shades.

Summing Up

The top 7 colors for solar roller shades include white, gray, ecru, and charcoal. When choosing a suitable color for your solar window treatments, you should consider your decor style and personal preferences. For further guidance, you can contact us using the 24/7 Live Chat option.

Have a glassed-in living space or sunroom to use during mild weather? Also known as a solarium or conservatory, this extra living space offers lots of advantages, such as providing a room for your hobbies, reducing energy bills, and improving your health by increasing your exposure to natural light. But, as there are harsh ultraviolet (UV) rays in the sunlight, excessive exposure to this light can cause skin cancer.

As you know solar roller shades have a great potential to block out the required amount of the sun’s UV radiation, they are perfect window treatments for sunrooms. Other benefits of solar roller shades include heat reduction, daytime privacy, durability, quick installation, and convenient operation. Read on to learn more about why solar roller shades are perfect for sunrooms.

As a sunroom or sun lounge can be used as a play area for kids and as a home office, you’ll need glare reduction and protection for your young children and kids. Your solar window shades can help, as they provide both these benefits.

Top 16 Reasons Why Solar Roller Shades Are Perfect for Sunrooms

Your sun protection or heat-blocking shades bring in lots of advantages for your home, office, farmhouse, or any other commercial or residential building. For example, they can be used with liners to completely block out light, so you can use them as privacy shades. Below are the top 16 reasons why solar roller shades are perfect for sunrooms. 

1. UV Protection: Solar roller blinds are designed to partially or nearly completely block out harmful UV rays from entering your sunroom. This helps protect your precious belongings, such as furniture, flooring, and other furnishings from fading, cracking, or damage caused by prolonged sun exposure.

2. Adjustable UV Protection

Solar window treatments not only block the sun’s UV rays, but they also give you the freedom to adjust their openness factor or UV protection level. So, depending on your unique requirements, you can choose from 1%, 3%, 5%, 10%, and 14%. If you choose, a 1% openness factor, it will block out 99% of the natural light, while allowing only 1% of it to pass through. Similarly, a 5% UV protection level of these sustainable shades will allow around 5% of the light to pass through while blocking out the rest of the 95%. When it comes to your sunroom, you need an ample amount of natural light, so you can choose solar shading devices with a 14% openness level.

3. Glare Reduction: Sunrooms usually have large windows that can cause excessive glare. Solar roller window coverings effectively minimize glare, so you can comfortably use electronic devices without visual discomfort or eye strain.

4. Heat Control: The solar-reflective properties of solar roller shades are highly effective in controlling the amount of heat entering your sun lounge. These eco-friendly window coverings block a significant amount of solar radiation to keep the room cool, comfortable, and cozy.

5. Energy Savings: By reducing solar heat gain, your temperature-regulating shades contribute to energy savings in your sunroom. These energy-saving shades help you to minimize the need for air conditioning, ultimately saving on energy costs. Similarly, climate-controlled shades can reduce your heating costs during the winter months.

6. An Alternative to Privacy Shades: Though eco-conscious shades are not specifically meant for providing privacy in your sunroom as blackout shades do, they can be customized to serve as privacy-enhancing shades. For example, you can add to them a privacy liner to fill any light gaps. When providing privacy during the day, they will keep letting diffused natural light in your additional living space (sunroom).

7. Improving Your Home’s Decor Style

As solar roller shades are available in lots of different colors, fabrics, and styles, you can easily customize them to improve the overall appearance or curb appeal of your room’s interior decor. Popular color choices for solar roller shades include silver, white, beige, ivory, chocolate, charcoal, ecru, gray, tan, black, navy, blue, brown, red, etc.

8. Cordless or Motorized Lift Option

Your sustainable solar window treatments are available with a cordless or motorized lift option, that is not only convenient to operate, but it is also a safe option for sunrooms with children and spaces. In the case of a motorized lift, you can use a remote control or an app on your smartphone to raise/open, lower/close, or adjust your blinds as per your requirements for light control, heat reduction, insulation, privacy, etc. If you go for a smart lift, you can pre-program them for automatic opening and closing in response to the time of the day, light requirements, and heat level in your sunroom.

9. A Better Alternative to Other Windows Treatments for Sunrooms: As solar honeycomb shades provide lots of benefits, they are a better alternative to other window treatments, such as simple roller shades, Roman shades, Venetian blinds, and vertical blinds.

10. Lots of Custom Sizes: Solar roller shades or panels are available in lots of sizes, ranging from as small as less than 2 feet to over 8 feet. So, you can easily get a custom size that can fit the exact dimensions of your sunroom window frames. This ensures a precise fit and a polished look to maximize their sleekness and functional effectiveness.

11. Easy to Install & Maintain

Another strong reason why you should choose UV-protective shades for your sunroom is that they are easy to install with the help of a few DIY tips and some simple tools. The installation process involves fixing mounting brackets with the help of screws, hanging your blinds, installing the motorized lift, and testing their operation.

12. Durability: Solar roller shades are built to withstand exposure to sunlight, making them highly durable. The materials used are often UV-resistant, ensuring their longevity and preventing discoloration or degradation.

13. Light Diffusion: These shades are designed to diffuse incoming sunlight, creating a soft, ambient light in your sunroom. This helps to reduce harsh shadows and create a more inviting atmosphere.

14. Natural Connection: Solar roller shades allow you to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors while maintaining a comfortable indoor environment. The diffused light they provide creates a seamless connection with the surrounding nature.

15. Health Benefits: By blocking the sun’s harmful UV rays, solar roller shades protect your skin and reduce the risk of skin cancer and premature aging. Their other health benefits include reducing the chances of eye strain and discomfort caused by glare.

16. Environmental Impact: Using solar roller blinds enhances the sustainability of your home by reducing the need for excessive energy consumption. By lowering cooling needs, these affordable window coverings help to minimize your carbon footprint.

Summing Up

There are lots of logical reasons to choose solar roller shades for your sunrooms, such as UV protection, glare reduction, heat reduction, energy savings, privacy, versatility, custom options, cordless/motorized lift, ease of maintenance, durability, light diffusion, and a natural connection with the outdoors.

In addition, these glare-free and UV-protective window treatments offer health benefits and they have a mild environmental impact. These qualities make them a perfect window treatment option for sunrooms to enhance both the functionality and the visual appeal of that additional living space in your home.

A precise answer to the question “Solar roller shades vs. traditional shades: which is better?” is: “Solar shades are better”. However, based on your unique settings and circumstances, you might need to go for traditional shades. This article covers an in-depth comparison and contrast of solar roller shades with traditional shades, along with the pros and cons of each. Just go through it before making a purchase.

Unsure which window treatment is a better choice for your home, solar roller shades or traditional blinds? Both solar roller shades and traditional shades are popular window coverings that can provide you with curb appeal, privacy, light control, and other benefits. However, they vary in their structure and the scope or efficiency of functionalities they provide. You’ll need to learn about their pros and cons to decide which one is better for your unique settings.

For example, if you want better control of light filtration, UV protection, and various openness factors, solar roller shades will be a better choice. On the other hand, if you are looking for an inexpensive window covering with a low level of insulation and UV protection, traditional shades will be a better option.

Sollar Roller Shades vs. Traditional Shades: Which Is Better for Light Control?

When you cover your window openings with a traditional shade, it will likely block out most of the natural light entering your room when it is closed or lowered. And when it is opened or raised, it will all light, including the sun’s harsh UV radiation. On the other hand, solar roller shades provide you with complete control of light so, you can easily control the flow of natural light into your room.

One special functionality of solar roller shades is that they come with different UV protection levels or openness factors, such as 1%, 3%, 5%, 10%, and 14%. Roller blinds can gently diffuse natural sunlight and provide your room’s interior with a gentle and soft glow. With their UV protection functionality, they help you to protect your skin against cancer. According to the Cancer Institute NSW Government, shade is one of the best means to minimize the risk of skin cancer.

12 Ways Solar Roller Shades Are Better Than Traditional Shades

Solar roller shades for homes, offices, and other structures offer several advantages over traditional shades, making them a better option in many scenarios. Here are 12 reasons why solar roller shades are often preferred over their traditional counterparts.

1. Reduced Heat Gain: Solar blinds are specifically designed to block and reflect solar heat. It will keep your indoor temperature cooler. On the other hand, traditional shades may provide some insulation benefits, but they are not as effective in reducing heat gain from sunlight through the window opening.

2. Glare Control: Solar roller window treatments have a special coating that filters and diffuses sunlight to minimize glare while still allowing natural light to enter your room. Traditional shades, on the other hand, may offer varying degrees of light control, but solar roller shades excel in reducing glare without sacrificing brightness level.

3. Preventing Damage to Furniture: Solar window coverings are effective at blocking out harmful UV rays, which can cause fading and damage to furniture, flooring, and other interior furnishings. On the contrary, traditional shades may not provide the same level of UV protection unless you specially design them with UV-blocking materials.

4. Energy Efficiency: By reducing solar heat gain, solar roller blinds contribute to your energy savings by reducing the need for air conditioning in your home. Their heat-blocking potentials can help you to lower cooling costs and make your indoor environment more energy-efficient compared to traditional blinds.

5. Improved View Preservation: Solar shades allow you to enjoy the outside view while still getting enough privacy during the day. Their unique fabric design ensures visibility while reducing glare. On the other hand, traditional shades, depending on their opacity level, may obstruct the view more significantly when closed.

6. Enhanced Aesthetic Appeal: Solar roller shades have a sleek and modern look that can complement different interior decor styles, including contemporary and minimalist settings. Traditional shades, on the other hand, offer a wider range of fabric choices, patterns, styles, and textures, but solar roller shades provide a more streamlined appearance.

7. Custom Options

Solar roller shades for windows come in various colors, opacity levels, and openness factors, allowing you to customize the level of light control to suit your needs and preferences. Traditional shades, however, may have fewer custom options in terms of opacity levels and light control.

8. Durability: Solar blinds are typically made with durable materials that can withstand prolonged exposure to natural light. They are resistant to fading and cracking and can maintain their functionality and appearance for a long period. Traditional shades, however, may be prone to wear and tear over time, especially if they are exposed to direct light.

9. Easy Maintenance

Solar roller shades are relatively easy to maintain. Regular dusting or vacuuming is usually enough to keep them in good condition. Traditional shades, on the other hand, depending on their material and design, may need more frequent and specialized cleaning steps.

10. Environmental Benefits: Solar shades contribute to a more sustainable living atmosphere by reducing energy consumption and dependence on air conditioning. Their energy-efficient properties harmonize with green building practices and eco-friendly styles.

11. Motorized and Smart Lift Options

Solar roller shades offer motorized or automated lift control options. This feature allows for convenient adjustment of the shades, either through a wall switch or a remote control device. Traditional shades, on the other hand, may not offer the same level of automation and ease of use.

12. Enhanced Comfort: By reducing solar heat gain and glare, solar roller shades create a more comfortable indoor space. They help regulate indoor temperature, improve visual comfort, and promote a pleasant living or working environment.

Summing Up

Considering these benefits, solar roller shades are often a better option than traditional shades when it comes to heat reduction, UV protection, glare control, energy efficiency, aesthetic appeal, custom options, durability, and ease of maintenance.