Planning to buy blackout blinds for your home? You should know the pros and cons of blackout blinds before you purchase them.
Blackout window blinds have become increasingly popular in recent years for their ability to block out 100% light, durability, and low prices. Also, there are huge choices of sizes, styles, designs, and colors (sky blue, royal blue, navy blue, burgundy, white, black, gray, red, and blue) on offer. But, unlike window coverings with louvers, they can’t be easily adjusted to let in just the right amount of sunlight.
Read on to learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of blackout blinds.
If you are a day sleeper or want a window treatment for your kids’ room, choose blackout or nightfall blinds for your bedroom and nursery. Blackout blinds provide you with 100% light control, UV protection, privacy, heat insulation.
But they are more expensive than ordinary window treatments. So, it is important to know about the pros and cons of blackout blinds before you buy them.
Think about the last time you tried to sleep in during the day. The sun was beaming in through the windows, making it impossible to enjoy a comfortable sleep. If you’ve ever experienced this, you would know how frustrating it can be. Now imagine never having to deal with that again. Blackout blinds can make that happen.
What are Blackout Blinds?
Blackout blinds are a type of window covering that is designed to block out 100% light. They’re usually made of thicker, heavier fabrics and they fit snugly over your windows.
While roller is the most common style choice for blackout shades, they also come in Roman, solar, light filtering, and woven wood (bamboo) styles.
If you’re considering getting blackout window treatments for your home, you might be wondering about their pros and cons. Have a look at some of the things you should keep in mind.
Key Points
- Blackout blinds are a type of affordable window covering that blocks out all light, heat, noise, and prying eyes.
- The pros of blackout blinds include improved sleep, great affordability, and increased privacy.
- The cons of blackout blinds include discomfort for some homeowners due to total darkness and losing sense of time on wakeup.
- Ultimately, whether blackout blinds are right for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences.
Pros of Blackout Blinds
Blackout blinds for windows can be a great addition to a bedroom, media room, nursery, etc. as they provide a number of benefits that can be enjoyed by homeowners. Some of the key advantages of these shades include:
More Comfortable Daytime Sleep
The primary advantage of installing blackout blinds on your windows is that they completely block out external light, making your room sleep-friendly. They can create a night-like environment in your bedroom even in the midday.
With blackout blinds or shades, you can create a soothing, almost night-like environment along with a substantial degree of privacy in your bedroom.
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Increased Privacy
One of the main benefits of having blackout blinds installed in your home is that they offer increased privacy. This is because they prevent people from peeping into your home, whether it is during the day or at night.
Enhanced Security
In addition to providing increased privacy, blackout blinds can also help to improve the security of your home. This is because they make it much more difficult for potential intruders to see what is going on inside your home, which can make it more difficult for them to attempt a burglary.
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Heat & Cold Insulation
Another great benefit of having blackout blinds installed in your home is that they can help to improve your home’s energy efficiency. This is because they help to keep out the warm sun during the summer months and the cold air during the winter months, which can help you to save on your energy bills.
With heat and cold insulation, blackout shades help you to maintain temperature balance in your room during different seasons in a natural way.
Acoustic Insulation
Most blackout shades or blinds are made of thicker fabric material that are good at keeping noise outside. So, they are a better option for those whose bedrooms face a busy street.
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Fade Prevention
Windows facing south-east to south-west let in plenty of direct light in your room, causing your furniture, carpets, and bedcovers to lose color.
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Affordable
Blackout blinds are one of the most budget-friendly affordable window coverings on the market today. The price ranges from $32 to $550 per set based on size, quality, and cordless (child-safe) motorization option .
Easy to Measure for & Install
They are easy to measure for and install with step-by-step ‘how to’ measurement and installation instructions.
Inside/Outside Mount
Each can be mounted inside or outside the window frame.
Low-Cost Maintenance
Best blackout window blinds require easy and low-cost maintenance.
100’s of Sizes
There are 100’s of sizes, ranging from 12 x 16” to 115 x 120”.
Cons of Blackout Blinds
The cons of blackout blinds are few. If you want to know if blackout window covers are right for the functionality of your room, get in touch with our home improvement advisors. They will be happy to tell you about their practical benefits and provide more information on how they work.
There are few potential drawbacks to blackout blinds that you should be aware of before making a purchase.
Low Level of Light Adjustment
While blackout blinds are excellent at blocking out light, they don’t let you adjust the required amount of light very effectively. Unlined window covers with slats or louvers that can be adjusted to let in the desired amount of light, blackout blinds don’t have in-between open and closed. That is, you can either flood your room with light (when open) or completely block it out (when closed).
So, they aren’t an ideal choice for study rooms, home offices, and children’s playrooms where you need filtered, glare-free light instead of complete blackout.
Total Darkness is Discomforting for Some Homeowners
Light blocking shades make rooms equally dark at midnight and in midday. It is discomforting for some homeowners to stay in a dark room during the day. Also, lack of natural light may cause vitamin D deficiency and makes people prone to seasonal depression.
Losing Sense of Time on Wakeup
Total darkness throughout the night and day may cause individuals to lose sense of time on waking up, especially those who are used to waking up from natural sunlight in the morning.
What is the Downside of Blackout Curtains?
- Less Light Control: Blackout curtains cannot be raised or lowered to adjust the amount of light coming into your room.
- Difficult to Clean:
As the blackout curtains are typically made of a thicker, heavier fabric, they are more difficult to clean than blackout blinds.
- May Not Fully Solve Sleep Issues: They may not fully solve sleep deficiencies and disorders.
- Few Health Disadvantages: Some blackout curtains use polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which may enter and damage the body through direct contact or air particles.
Do Blackout Blinds Make a Room Hotter?
No. Blackout blinds reduce the amount of heat and light coming in through the windows. By keeping the inside of the room dark, they help to keep the room cool.
Are Blackout Blinds Worth It?
Yes! Blackout blinds effectively reduce energy costs and create a healthier home environment. They block out harmful UV rays that can damage your skin and furniture. Plus, they help to regulate the temperature of your room in summer and winter.
Should you Get Blackout Blinds for your Home?
Blackout blinds are great for blocking out light, heat, and noise, which can be helpful for those who need to sleep during the day or want to avoid being disturbed by exterior elements. They can also help keep a room cool in the summertime and warm in the winter time. However, some people find that the blackout fabric makes a room feel too dark and dreary.
If you’re unsure about whether blackout blinds are right for you, it’s worth taking the time to test them out in a room before making a purchase. This way, you can see how much light they block out and how comfortable they are to use.
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Conclusion
Summing up, blackout blinds can be a great addition to any home, as they offer lots of benefits that can be enjoyed by homeowners. Some of the key benefits of blackout blinds include total light control, increased privacy, maximum security, improved energy efficiency, ease of operation, and greater affordability. However, there are a few potential drawbacks of blackout blinds that you should be aware of before making a purchase, such as they create complete darkness which might be disturbing for some people.
Ultimately, the decision of choosing blackout blinds for your home comes down to personal preference, curb appeal, and what will work best for your needs.
Need More Help?
Still need information about the pros and cons and design options for blackout blinds? 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.
