Wondering if blackout roller blinds are worth it? Blackout roller blinds are an ideal choice for people who want to sleep in complete darkness or who have light sensitivities. These window coverings can block out as much external light from coming into your bedroom, kid’s room, or media room (home theater) as possible.
Blackout window coverings are highly effective in spaces where you want to block out 100% light. If you want to block out 85% to 98% light, go with room darkening roller shades, a close relative of blackout roller blinds.
Blackout roller shades are the most black out, safest, and sleekest window treatment options for homes, home theaters, and other spaces where you need complete darkness.
We tested Blackout Roller Blinds Elite to find their effectiveness in keeping light at bay and create a comfortable sleeping environment during the day. The results were amazing. They blocked out 98% to 99% of the external light, creating nearly complete darkness or nightfall effect in the room. We selected the best designs to block out maximum light and preserve the aesthetic appeal of your room’s decor.
Plus these window treatments can also save energy and keep your rooms cooler in the summer, cutting down on your home’s cooling costs.
Scroll on to learn more about the benefits of blackout roller blinds, how to maximize their effectiveness in blocking out light, best blackout roller blinds on the market, and more!
What are Blackout Roller Blinds?
Blackout roller blinds are a type of affordable window treatment that is designed to completely block out light. These window treatments are often used in bedrooms or other spaces where people want to sleep or relax during the day.
The tightly woven fabrics of blackout roller shades have minimum openness percentage (usually less than 1%) to prevent light from coming in through the windows and making the whole of the inside of a room totally dark.
When you close (fully lower) the blinds, they block out the sun to the extent that you wouldn’t know if it was day or night outside. In more practical terms, you won’t wake up at 5am in summer and 6am in winter just because the sun decided you ought to.
How to Test If Your Roller Blind is Truly Blackout
To test if your blackout roller shade really does what it claims to be, just hold a bright torch flat against the pane of glass with the blind’s fabric between the two. If no light comes out on the other side of the fabric, the blind’s fabric has passed the 100% opacity test!
If the light leaks through the fabric or around the edges, there will be a question mark on its effectiveness as a blackout blind.
What Are the Benefits of Blackout Roller Blinds?
They’ll Help You Sleep Better
As blackout roller window treatments keep external light at bay during the day and night, they’ll help you to sleep better. They’ll be particularly beneficial if you are night-shift work and need to get a restful sleep during the day.
Improve Viewing Experience in Media Rooms
Blackout roller shades are also installed in media rooms where they can be used to improve the viewing experience. They will create a 100% pitch dark media room but also prevent glare on the screens.
Seal Against UV Rays
As blackout roll-up window treatments keep almost all light at bay, they provide a good seal against the harsh UV rays, preventing your furniture from fading and your skin from cancer. According to the Cancer Council NSW, shades are one of the easiest ways to protect against the UV rays. A good-quality blackout roller shade (with 1% openness factor) can reduce UV exposure by up to 99%.
Complete Privacy
Blackout roller blinds will keep prying eyes away, making your room a completely privacy space .
Boost Energy Savings
Blackout roller shades can also insulate your windows against the transfer of light or heat into or out of your room. It will help to keep your room cooler in summer and warmer in winter, reducing your home’s cooling and heating costs.
How to Fit Blackout Roller Blinds to Make Them More Effective
To maximize the impact of your roller blind’s black-outing, select the 100% opaque fabric and fit the blind with avoiding light leakage around the edges in mind.
When it comes to fitting a window blind, there are two basic locations/positions to choose between:
- Inside of the window recess (inside mount) or
- Outside of the window recess (outside mount).
In the case of outside mount, the roller blind is mounted on the wall around the frame or over the front of the window. If you fit it inside of the window recess, you’ll get a small amount of light filtering out around the sides, top, and bottom of the window blind.
So, to maximize the effectiveness of your blackout roller blind, fit it outside the recess. Additionally, buy a blind that is 10 cm to 12 cm wider and longer than the window frame. The additional fabric on either side and at the top and bottom of the window will act as a buffer. It will prevent a lot more of even the most determined of the sunbeams from escaping around the edges of your roller blind’s fabric.
Best Roller Blinds for Blackout Applications
Popular models of roller blinds that are highly effective for blackout applications include:
- Blackout Roller Blinds Essential (best seller)
- Blackout Roller Shades Exclusive
- Blackout Roller Shades Elite
- Room Darkening Sheer Shades Zebra Elegance
- Motorized Sheer Horizontal Room Darkening Roller Blinds Elite
- Elite Solar Roller Blinds 1% Openness – Indoor and Outdoor
Conclusion
In short, blackout roller blinds are a good choice for people who want to block out light and create a night-like environment during the day in a room. These window coverings are very effective at 100% blocking out light, but their effectiveness can vary depending on the quality of the product and how well it is fixed to the window frame. With the right size and perfect fit, they’ll also promote the privacy and energy efficiency of your home.
FAQs
Do blackout roller shades really block out 100% light?
Yes, they do, if you choose the fabric with maximum opacity and hang them properly. A tightly woven fabric will block out more light than the one with a looser weave. If you mount them with perfect edge-to-edge alignment with the window frame, they will provide maximum light control, virtually blocking out 100% external light, even fully blinding the harsh summer sun.
Are blackout roller blinds effective?
Yes! Blackout roller blinds are extremely effective at blocking out 100% light during the day or night, providing you with a perfect, restful environment when your bedroom, kid’s room, media room, or living room window faces east or west.
Do blackout roller shades work?
The answer is ‘yes’. Modern blackout roller shades work very well in bedrooms, as they can help you to get better sleep by blocking out all the external light from streetlamps at night and the sunlight during the daytime. So, you can enjoy a restful sleep during the day if you work night shifts.
What are the disadvantages of blackout blinds?
- As blackout blinds are installed on the window, they can be more difficult to clean compared with curtains.
- Blackout blinds may not provide as much insulation as blackout curtains or cellular shades.
- Unlike blinds with louvers, blackout blinds cannot be easily adjusted to let in just the right amount of natural light.
- As blackout blinds completely rob themselves of daylight, some homeowners may find it discomforting to stay in a dark room during the day.
Can you see through blackout roller blinds?
Depending on the type of fabric, the answer can be both ‘yes’ or ‘no’. If the fabric is thinner with a looser weave and there’s enough light in your room, people in the street will be able to see through them at night. If you are looking for complete privacy, choose blackout roller blinds with a thicker fabric, which will prevent passersby from peeping into your room.
Need More Help?
Still unsure if blackout roller blinds will really be effective in blocking out light in your unique circumstances? Get in touch for further help now! Use 24/7 live chat or give us a call at (800) 863-6109 to contact our experts for custom solutions.