The Ultimate Shopping Guide For Blackout Blinds

How To Choose Between Blackout Blinds, Blackout Shades & Blackout Curtains

Blackout blinds are a hot topic lately and we've noticed that there can be some confusion as to what you should be looking for when shopping for blackout blinds. We've compiled the top things you need to consider when purchasing blackout blinds, the differences between blackout blinds, blackout shades, and blackout curtains, and how to measure for blackout blinds.

The Top 3 Things To Consider When Purchasing Blackout Blinds

When you're looking at blackout blinds, there are some major things you need to take into consideration before you make your purchase. Here are the top three things we at Impact Blinds think you need to consider:

How much light do you want to block out? Blackout blinds won't block out all of the light that is coming in through the window because of the slats: some light will always be able to seep through. So, if you want to block out all of the light, blackout blinds may not be the right choice for you.
How much control do you want over the natural light in your room? A huge benefit blackout blinds have over other options is that they allow you a great amount of control in how much, or how little, natural light comes in through the window. So, if you want to keep the light out in the early morning so you can sleep in, but want to let in some light in the afternoon, blackout blinds would be the perfect solution for you.
How important is your privacy? Blackout blinds gives you the above benefits while allowing you to maintain some privacy by just tilting the slats. If you aren't concerned with lookey-loos or don't have neighbors close by, you won't need to worry about this, however, if you're not that lucky, blackout blinds block out most of the light and give you privacy while not turning your room into a cave.

The Two Big Differences Between Blackout Blinds, Blackout Shades, & Blackout Curtains

Design
The first difference between blackout blinds, blackout shades, and blackout curtains is how they look. Blackout blinds are horizontal blinds that are routeless or have cloth tapes. They typically have larger slats (2 inches or greater) and these slats typically have a slight curve to help reduce the amount of light that leaks in through the slats.

Blackout shades can be made from a paper-like fabric with a metallic coating to a thick, light impermeable fabric. Typically, blackout shades are considered to be double cell honeycomb shades, roman shades that are labeled as blackout shades, or roller shades. If you are looking to block out 99%+ of light, make sure your shades are labeled as blackout shades.

Blackout curtains are the typical first thought for most people who are looking to significantly reduce the amount of light coming into their room. You can find some beautiful blackout curtains, however, for the best design, be sure to check the fabric type and weight because blackout curtains often look heavy, the pattern on the fabric, and how they attach to the curtain rod. You will also need to purchase the curtain rod and possibly hooks to hang the curtains.

Flexibility, Control & Privacy
Blackout blinds give you the most control and flexibility over how much light enters in through the window at a given time. You can adjust the tilt of the horizontal slats to let in as much, or as little, light as you want while still maintaining your privacy. In addition, you can lift the blinds completely to enjoy your entire view uninterrupted. You can further reduce the amount of light that comes into the room by choosing to mount your window blinds outside of the window casing.

Blackout shades don't give you the same amount of flexibility of adjusting your lighting. Typically, blackout shades can be open or shut. While you can lift the shade to let in more light and have the ability to adjust the height of the shade, once lifted, you lose all privacy to your room. There is an option that comes with many blackout shades called the Top Down/Bottom Up option. This allows you to adjust how the blackout shade operates. So, if you want to pull the shade down from the top and block the top portion (or the entire) window, you can. But, you can also choose to pull the shade down from the top, letting in light but blocking the bottom portion of the window and not allowing anyone to see in. You want to make sure that you are choosing blackout shades that are meant to fit right up to the edge of your window or that are mounted outside. Otherwise, you may have light leaking in from in between the side of the shades and the window casing.

Combinations
You can always choose to combine various window treatments for the best results. Blackout blinds have the most flexibility and are the easiest to clean and maintain, but don't offer complete blackout protection. You can combine blackout blinds with blackout curtains to block out any light that leaks in: that way you get the flexibility of window blinds and the benefits of blackout curtains. Or, you can choose to combine blackout shades with various types of curtains. Light filtering or sheer curtains can add privacy to your room while your blackout shades are open.

Another option is to use blackout curtains with regular window blinds or a light filtering or room darkening window shade. This gives you the flexibility and privacy from traditional window blinds or shades in addition to getting the benefits of blackout curtains. And finally, you can choose blackout curtains and add sheer curtains to add privacy when you want to let light into the room.

How To Measure For Blackout Blinds

Getting the right size of blackout blinds is the most important thing you can do in order to block out the most amount of light entering through a window. Just follow these easy steps and you'll have the perfect fitting blackout blinds.

First, you need to decide what type of mount you want. An inside mount fits inside the window casing but needs 1/8" of clearance on each side for operating the blackout blinds. So, you'll have up to a 1/4" total that light can seep through. For the best blackout blinds, you'll want to choose an outside mount, however, this can make it difficult to combine the blackout blinds with curtains.
For inside mounted blackout blinds, measure the width of the window casing to make sure you have enough clearance to mount your window blinds inside the casing. See the installation instructions for your specific blackout blinds to see how much clearance you will need (typically you will need 1 - 3 inches). If you decide to mount the window blinds on the outside, you will want to look at the installation instructions to see how many inches you need to add to each side of the blinds to effectively block out the light and cover the window.
Now you want to measure the height of the window in 3 different sections. Take the left measurement, center measurement, and right measurement, choosing the longest measurement to ensure that your blackout blinds will go to the bottom of the window casing.
Measure the length of the window in 3 different sections, taking the top measurement, the center measurement, and the bottom measurement. Be sure to choose the shortest length to make sure your blackout blinds have enough clearance to work within of the window.
Always be sure to see the specific instructions for measuring your blackout blinds. Different brands and sizes may require slightly different measurements that can make a huge difference in how your blackout blinds operate or fit your window. In addition, you should always use a metal measuring tape and be sure to always check your measurements and numbers.

To download a printable PDF version of this guide, please click here: The Ultimate Shopping Guide For Blackout Blinds.