The Best Blackout Shades for 2023
Introduce comfortable darkness and ambiance into your space with light-blocking shades - we've listed the best blackout shades for your room.
Adequate sleep is essential for mental alertness and utmost productivity. So, if you find sleeping difficult, especially in extremely bright rooms, then it’s time to consider getting yourself blackout shades.
Blackout shades can help you get some much-needed sleep — and, perhaps more significantly, keep you asleep. They accomplish this by completely filtering out all exterior light and introducing soothing darkness into your space.
Choosing the best blackout shade can be overwhelming with many options and criteria to consider. This is why we’ve created this best blackout shades buying guide, to simplify the buying process. We have also provided all the information you need to make an informed buying decision.
Everything We Recommend
1. Best Product
iFit Cut-To-Width Roller Shades
2. Runner Up
Cordless Blackout Cellular Shades
3. Cost Effective
Redi Shade Easy Lift Trim-at-Home Blackout Shade
4. Almost Made the Cut
Tonature Custom Cut to Size Blackout Roller Shades
1. Best Product
Best For Privacy
iFit Cut-To-Width Roller Shades
These easy-to-install shades are perfect for bedrooms, promising to block 100% light.
Specifications
- Width
- 45 inches
- Length
- 74 inches
- Height
- 1.75 inches
- Depth
- 2.25 inches
- Inside Mount
- 24 inches x 75 inches
- Warranty
- 1 Year
- Material
- Polyester
Pros
Cordless- UV Protection
- Durable and Long Lasting Aluminium Roller
- Innovative Spring Design
Cons
Returns Not Accepted
Previous Customer Experience
| Overall |   | 4.3 |
Who It's For
These iFit Cut-To-Width Roller Shades come pre-mounted for easy installation and promise to block 100% of light, offering near-perfect blackout and total privacy. These blinds are polyester with a white-coated backside for maximum heat reflection and protection, held from a durable aluminum roller.
Why It's Great
These blinds are cordless, sporting an innovative spring design for slow raising. iFit boasts child-safe with certification for the “Best For Kids” program. The Cut-To-Size program offers quick and easy installation and allows for exact customization without costing custom prices.
Potential Flaws
With an overall rating of over four stars from hundreds of previous customers, this product fits the bill for almost everybody. The main flaw of this pick is that returns are not accepted.
Other Features
This pick comes with a one-year warranty should any damages or issues arise.
2. Runner Up
Best For Precise Customizing
Cordless Blackout Cellular Shades
If you have an eye for detail or have unorthodox windows, Select Blinds have the product to make life easier.
Specifications
- Colors Available
- 10
- Max Size Available
- 84x84 Inches
- Handle Material
- Plastic
- Handle
- Included
Pros
- Several Warranties Available
- Customizable Sizes
- Inside and Outside Mounts
- Easy Installation
Cons
- Does not block 100% of light
- Deductions may vary +/- 1/8
Previous Customer Experience
| Overall | | 5 |
| Appearance | | 5 |
| Construction | | 4 |
| Installation | | 5 |
| Value | | 4 |
Who It's For
These cellular shades from SelectBlinds promise to block 99% of light, making them ideal for bedrooms, home offices, or even nurseries or home theaters. SelectBlinds also offers up to 10 potential colors of varying shades to allow for individual preferences of light reflection and a matching aesthetic to the room. Due to being cordless, this pick is certified child-friendly.
Why It's Great
This product comes in highly customizable sizes and has mounts for inside or outside the window frame. SelectBlinds also offers free samples, which allow you to test the material before purchasing the product. The 3/4" single-cell pleats help save on heating costs and limit outside noise leaking into your home.
Potential Flaws
Previous customers reported expecting a fabric blind rather than the paper-like material sold here. Some feedback also mentioned the blinds being long enough to cover the window but would bounce or the rise of their own accord, leaking in more light.
Other Features
At different prices, SelectBlinds offers a limited three or five-year warranty and an unlimited five-year warranty. These warranties cover defects, bracket issues, or accidents.
3. Cost Effective
Best For Easy Installation
Redi Shade Easy Lift Trim-at-Home Blackout Shade
Make your shades work for you - this product allows easy trimming for an exact fit.
Specifications
- Material
- Polyester
- Product Dimensions
- 64"L x 30"W
- Color
- White
- Shape
- Rectangular
- Mounting Type
- Inside Mount
- Number Of Panels
- 1
- Water Resistance Level
- Not Water Resistant
- Item Weight
- 1.15 pounds
- Style
- Pleated Shade
Pros
- Easy, No Tool Installation
- Easy to Trim
- Cordless Lift Mechanism
- UV Protection
Cons
- May Lose Adhesive Strength if in Humid Environment
Previous Customer Experience
| Easy to use | | 4.5 |
| Easy to install | | 4.2 |
| Sturdiness | | 4.1 |
| Value for money | | 4 |
| Sheerness | | 3.9 |
| Adhesion | | 3.5 |
Who It's For
If you’re shopping for blackout shades on a tight budget, you’ll be glad to know that there are several great, reasonably priced options available. One of the best is the Redi Shade Easy Lift Cellular Shades, which are fantastic as well as cost-effective.
Why It's Great
The Redi Shade Easy Lift Cellular Shades' affordability is one of their best qualities. Its cordlessness and satisfying trim-at-home design, which you can personalize to suit your needs in your space, are additional features you'll appreciate.
Potential Flaws
Even though the Redi Shade Easy Lift Cellular Shades are advertised as customizable, they come in a limited number of sizes and colors.
Other Features
The Redi Shade Easy Lift Cellular Shades have a honeycomb construction made of crisp polyester fabric that completely blocks outdoor light and boosts your home's energy efficiency. Thanks to the cordless lifting mechanism and neat, fitted appearance, these blackout shades are also secure and safe in homes with kids and pets.
You should note, however, that only white and beige, in four sizes, are offered for these shades. You can't go wrong, though, if your windows are a typical size and you're looking for a neutral color at a reasonable price. If they aren't the exact right size, the trim-at-home feature allows you to cut them to a bespoke fit.
4. Almost Made the Cut
Best For Light Filtering
Tonature Custom Cut to Size Blackout Roller Shades
If you desire comfortable, natural light during the day, and 80% blackout at night, look no further!
Specifications
- Efficiency
- 70-80% Blackout
- Product Dimensions
- 72"L x 23"W
- Shade Material
- Polyester
- Rail Material
- Aluminium
Pros
- Energy Saving
- UV Protection
- 100% imported polyester
- High-quality aluminum alloy upper rail
Cons
- Not water resistant
- Does Not Darken the Room
Previous Customer Experience
| Easy to install | | 4.8 |
| Value for money | | 4.8 |
| Sheerness | | 4.7 |
Who It's For
These shades from Tonature offer 80% light darkening and have room-darkening alternatives available. The shades are 100% imported polyester and are anti-static, dust-proof, durable, and breathable. Tonature offers ten colors of varying pale and light-reflecting shades to match your preference.
Why It's Great
These Shangri-La-style shades from Tonature combine the control and function of standard blinds while keeping the softness and dimming of sheer fabrics. Unlike other picks on this list, these shades have a chain with applied precision gear for noise reduction. Tonature shades sport an aluminum alloy upper rail and a thickened cassette box to ensure a strong and durable hold of your blinds.
Potential Flaws
These blinds are advertised as ideal for use in a living room or office due to the soft light allowed to come through. Although this may help those who work from home or deal with light sensitivity, these blinds may not be ideal for use in a bedroom or nursery. Due to having a lower blackout rating than our other picks, this option is last on our list.
Other Features
Tonature offers helpful measurement instructions. For an inside mount, for example, the width of your window will be the same as the blind, and the same applies to the height. When purchasing your blind, the window and blind measurements should be the same. For an outside mount, however, you should order an extra 4” blind width and height. Please note that the fabric sent from this product will be 1.2” shorter than your shade size to allow for installation and fitting.
Who This Is For
Typically, the sleep-deprived, night-shift workers, day nappers, and home theater owners are people who will benefit the most from using blackout shades. If you don’t fancy blackout curtains because of the way they appear, you can simply choose blackout shades instead.
What do people use or need blackout shades for?
Blackout shades can virtually darken any space, even during the brightest parts of the day. They completely block all types of light, whether natural or artificial light.
If you wish to reduce light, blackout blinds are the perfect solution for bright homes. And thanks to recent developments, you can now get blackout shades that are both useful and beautiful, giving your interior decor another level of beauty.
Why You Should Trust Us
While compiling this guide, we looked at editorial reviews from reputable platforms. Also, to focus our search on the most effective shade types, we made sure to evaluate reports from interviews with experts. Additionally, we made sure to omit models with outrageous price tags and those with either little ratings or a considerable amount of unfavorable ratings.
How We Picked
After all our meticulous research, we can confirm that below are some of the most important factors to take into account when selecting the best blackout shades.
Material
Blackout shades feature tightly woven polyester fabric that blocks sunlight and ambient light with the help of an insulating, typically invisible black lining.
Blackout shades can be made from a variety of materials, including synthetic materials like polyester and natural textiles like cotton and linen. Although linen and cotton tend to have a little more upscale appearance, you can also get superb imitation silk and textured poly blends.
We kept this factor in mind when suggesting our top picks, so you can get the best light-blocking shades with great material.
Style/design
Your blackout shades will be something you have to look at on a daily basis, so you must appreciate the way they look. Based on this, we made sure to suggest shades with appealing materials and contemporary designs.
Price vs quality
The shades that strike the ideal mix between price, aesthetics, and functionality, in our opinion, are the most ideal ones. As such, we recommend options that are reasonably priced and still offer a lot of value in terms of quality and usefulness.
How much light gets in
Quality blackout shades will effectively block the advertised amount of light, but appropriate installation is essential. The infamous “light halo,” which happens when tiny slivers of light leak in around the sides of a shade, can compromise even the best blackout shades.
Most times, the best light-blocking shades are cellular shades. These blinds have a single layer or two layers of hollow cells, which block light while simultaneously enhancing insulation and reducing noise.
In this guide, we made sure to suggest options that effectively block out light to guarantee the utmost convenience for you.
Easy to install
We recommended shades that come with easy-to-install mounting hardware. Due to the excess fabric’s tendency to obstruct mounting hardware, roman shades might be trickier to install than roller or cellular shades. Although some people charge for expert installation, we didn’t find any blinds that would be particularly difficult for customers to install themselves.
Color
Color is important for two reasons when selecting a blackout shade: light-blicking and aesthetic appeal. While subtle neutral colors like white, beige, or gray can significantly reduce light, the strongest blackout effects come from dark gray, navy, and black.
Furthermore, the majority of the shades we looked at come in a variety of colors. The shade might not function as well in your home if it has a smaller selection of sizes and/or colors. Therefore, bear this in mind when making a decision.
Easy to open and close
In houses with young children or animals, certain types of shades (especially those with continuous loop lift mechanisms) provide safety risks because kids and pets could accidentally strangle themselves while playing with the cords. They might also be harder to open and close.
The majority of the professional reports we consulted suggested cordless lifts if you can’t afford motorized lifts. Most people will find cordless lifts to their liking. We made sure to consider this when suggesting our top picks for you.
Privacy
In addition to blocking out light, a good blackout shade should also offer the right amount of privacy. As such, we prioritized this feature when suggesting options for you to pick from.
Airflow
A good blackout shade should not impede airflow into the space in which it is being used. The insulating effect expected from blackout shades should also not translate to a deterioration in airflow. This is why we prioritized options that facilitate sufficient ventilation while blocking out light effectively.
Thickness and weight of the shade
Effective light-blocking is also a function of how thick and heavy the shades you choose are. We understand this, and so we suggested window shades with adequate thickness and weight that blocks out light without introducing stuffiness into your space.
How We Picked
Size and Light Porosity
The right blackout shade should be properly sized and porous enough to allow airflow while effectively blocking light rays. This is important as it keeps the room conveniently dark but well-aerated. This is why we prioritized this criterion during our selection.
Material
Blackout shades are made with different materials, each offering different benefits. While they all block light adequately, it’s important to pick a material that suits your space and everyday life.
Style and Design
Apart from blocking out light, a good blackout shade should also have a great aesthetic appeal that blends well with the decor of the intended space. You’ll have to look at the shades on most days, so we prioritized this criterion.
Cost-Effectiveness
The best blackout shades are affordable without compromising quality or functionality. This is why we suggested options that offer high value at reasonable prices.
Care and Maintenance
Installation
Installing blackout shades will depend on whether you decide to mount them from the inside or the outside of your window.
Inside mount installation
Measure inward from each of the window frame’s upper corners. For precise measurements, check your owner’s manual as the distance will vary between models. Place the brackets in the desired location above your markings, and then drill pilot holes for the screws. Next, incorporate the brackets with screws.
Hooking the headrail into the front of the brackets will allow you to install the shade. When you hear it lock into place, rotate back. Finally, lower your new shade and test it.
Outside mount installation
Place the shade in the desired mounting location on the wall’s surface. Make pencil marks along the top of your headrail where the bracket installation locations will be. For precise measurements, check your owner’s manual as the distance will vary between models.
Next, drill pilot holes where the screws should go after aligning the first bracket with the first marking. Then, screw the brackets into position after repeating the procedure for the second bracket.
Use the center support bracket that came with your window treatment if necessary. Hooking the headrail into the front of the brackets will allow it to be installed. When you hear it lock into place, rotate downward. Finally, lower your new shade and test it.
Measure windowsill/frames before purchasing
As we stated earlier, you must measure the windowsill or frame correctly before you buy and install blackout shades. Doing this is necessary to get blackout shades that fit correctly, and don’t let light flood in through any uncovered corners.
Always round your measurements to the nearest 1/8″. Avoid rounding to a half-inch or inch.
For width, take three measurements across the top, center, and bottom of the window frame. This is because not all windows are made perfectly. The narrowest of the three widths should be measured. At the left, center, and right sides, take height measurements. Note which of the three measurements is the longest. To determine how deep the shades can be, measure the depth of the window.
Consider making the width and height three inches larger for optimum privacy and light control. Extending the shades outside the window will also help create the necessary space for the mounts while giving the illusion that the window is larger than it is.
Make room for potential obstructions such as doorknobs, deadbolts, or molding. There are spacer blocks and extension brackets that can enable your shade to extend far enough to avoid protrusions if there are any impediments.
Do I need to clean my blackout shades?
If you clean your shades at least once a month, the dust won’t build up too much. Well-maintained shades ought to last for many years (even though most of them only have a warranty of around five years).
How to clean
To get rid of as much dust as you can from the outside of your blackout shades, use the brush attachment on your vacuum. You can use your hairdryer to blow the dirt and dust out of the cells in a cool setting. You can also remove any extra dust by vacuuming. Use a moist, clean cloth to spot-clean any stains.
Pro tip: To remove dust and debris from fabrics, use a rubber sponge, commonly referred to as a dry sponge. The majority of hardware stores sell these. They are non-greasy, residue-free, and kind to delicate surfaces because they are made of vulcanized rubber.
Also, refrain from putting your heavily soiled fabric shades in the washing machine. Instead, take them to a dry cleaner to ensure they receive a thorough cleaning without being harmed.
Deciding how dark you want the room to be before purchasing
It’s important to decide how dark you would prefer your space to be before you choose a shade. Some shades will typically offer more coverage and privacy than others (although this also depends on you getting the right size for your window to properly block light from any corners).
So, keep this in mind when making your purchase so you buy the shades that work best for your needs.
Sources and Research
Further Reading and Similar Topics
August 15, 2024
National Relaxation Day
Sometimes, you just have to stop and smell the roses.
February 28, 2025
National Public Sleeping Day
Grab a pillow and be prepared for that magical moment when you doze off in public.
November 30, 2024
National Stay at Home Because You’re Well Day
You don’t need to call in sick or fake it; take a day off for being well.
January 17, 2025
National Lose the Jet Lag Day
Shining a light on jet lag science and helping travelers adjust rapidly to new time zones!
November 3, 2024
Daylight Saving Day
Not only do you get an extra hour of sleep, but it will become darker earlier.
