Keep The Cold Out and Block Light With Best Blackout Curtains
One of the things everyone looks for in their home is an abundance of natural light. This makes it a much more desirable place to live, allowing you to connect to the outdoors, even when weather doesn’t permit you being outside. It also better highlights the interior of your home, not just brightening the space but also making colors more vibrant and heightening your mood. However, excess sunlight isn’t always welcome for various reasons.
For example, certain exposures bring in too much sun, which increases radiant heat and increases your electric bill in the summer, when you need to run the air conditioning longer. Others have alternative work shifts and need to sleep during the day. Sunlight pouring into the sleep environment can cause problems with that, keeping your circadian rhythm from adjusting properly so you don’t get proper amounts of solid rest.
Blackout curtains can help with these situations, keeping your home from heating above and beyond what’s normal and allowing you to mimic nighttime so you can get enough rest. Of course, the best blackout curtains will be both functional and fashionable.
Pros:
- Allows you to change your circadian rhythm by blocking daylight for an alternative work schedule
- Some block radiant heat, keeping your home cooler during the heat of the day
- Most offer fashionable and aesthetically pleasing designs to match your décor
- Many are inexpensive, making them more available to the masses
Cons:
- Some absorb rather than block radiant heat
- Quality varies greatly, making the search for the right curtains harder
- High-quality blackout curtains can be costly
What to Look for in Blackout Curtains
When buying blackout curtains, look for fabrics that are still lighter in weight so that you don’t have an issue with bowing of the curtain rod or absorption of heat. Thicker materials won’t block the radiant heat of the sun but rather absorb it, keeping the room from remaining cool. Also, look for those with back paneling of a solid color. This is often required in homeowners’ associations and apartment complexes. Find curtains that are easy to clean and machine washable so that you aren’t constantly dealing with the buildup of dust and dirt.
Make sure they block light fully and also block radiant heat. Not all blackout curtains offer both benefits. Find blackout curtains that are easy to mount so they can be taken down to wash and put back up without hassle. If you’re in the market for the best blackout curtains for your home, take a look at what we’ve found that works so you have a better idea and can narrow down your options.
Top 8 Best Blackout Curtains for your home
1. James Left Velvet Border Solid Color Blackout Pinch Pleat Single Curtain Panel
If you like high fashion design but need something that’s going to completely eradicate sunlight in your space, the Eastern Accents James Left Velvet Border Solid Color Blackout Pinch Pleat Panel is a great choice. The gray coloring of this particular blackout curtain panel is created with lovely woven gold and blue hues that blend to a perfect match, lending an elevated design to your choice of curtains. The blackout curtain is crafted from polyester so it’s lightweight and stays cooler even in the heat of the day, with an ivory white panel lining so that it reflects heat as well as meets the parameters for any HOA or apartment regulation by offering a light, solid color that would show in the window.
If you want to draw the curtains back to let sunlight in, the panel comes with a plush navy velvet ribbon that looks gorgeous when doing so for added aesthetic. The package includes a single curtain panel, complete with the drapery pins for mounting. Depending on the size of your window, you may need two panels to cover the area, and you’ll need to purchase the rod and hardware separately, but this is standard for most curtains. This particular blackout panel requires dry cleaning and cannot be machine washed, but it is easy to dust and keep clean, so you won’t have to take it in very often. This blackout curtain panel comes in multiple lengths, including 40 inches, 84 inches, 108 inches, and 120 inches, and you can purchase in a width of 20 or 40 inches. Weight varies by size between 7 and 17 pounds.
2. Steadman Solid Blackout Thermal Rod Pocket Curtain Panels
The Harriet Bee Steadman Solid Blackout Thermal Rod Pocket Curtain Panel offers more than the average blackout curtains with additional properties that make it great for specialized uses, including use in nurseries and playrooms. Aside from blocking light fully so that your infant can sleep during the day, or so that you can maintain an alternative schedule if you work graveyard shifts, this blackout curtain also holds out heat and reduces noise, so outside noise levels or sudden bursts of noise don’t disrupt sleep.
It also keeps your home quieter throughout the day for a more pleasant atmosphere. The white cotton liner assists in this while also giving a pleasant exterior appearance. The soft pink of the curtains can blend in with a number of design elements, keeping the space light and airy even while reducing light, heat, and noise. The package includes two panels that mount to the rod with a rod pocket, giving you plenty of material to cover a larger window area.
These panels are machine washable and can be tumbled dry, making them extremely convenient and easy to care for. These blackout curtains have a very traditional appearance for an elegant aesthetic in any home. Each panel is 40 inches wide and 90 inches long for full coverage and weighs 2 pounds. They can be mounted on a rod up to 2.5 inches in diameter.
3. Rhodes 100% Cotton Gingham Single Curtain Panel
If you’re into something a little bit more contemporary, with a sense of style and a cute design, check out the Loon Peak Rhodes Cotton Gingham Single Curtain Panel, which offers a youthful feel to a chic, sleek space. This panel has a checkered pattern that comes in either black or blue to fit your overall theme and bring some funky aesthetics to your home. Installation of this curtain panel is simple and versatile, offering both a rod pocket and a tab top so you can choose a more traditional appearance or a modern vibe.
The blackout curtain panel, as well as the lining, are crafted from 100% cotton, making them light and airy while still maintaining the ability to block out light when needed. It’s important to take note that this curtain is constructed for spot cleaning only, so you’ll want to dust from time to time to maintain the quality of the fabric. In addition, this is a single panel, which comes in multiple size options. All are 50 inches wide, but lengths available are 63 inches, 84 inches, 96 inches, 108 inches, and 120 inches, giving you the opportunity to match the drapes on all windows in your home, regardless of size, for a continuous design. This blackout curtain comes with a 1-year limited warranty that excludes the fabric itself.
4. Solid Blackout Thermal Grommet Curtain Panels
If you’re looking for affordability, high performance, and versatility with size and color options in your blackout curtains, then the Best Home Fashion Solid Blackout Thermal Grommet Curtain Panels are right for you. Start with the fact that you have 30 different color options to choose from, so you get the closest match possible to the rest of your décor with shades such as navy, light gray, stone, beige, olive, black, moss, and more. Add to that the fact that all panels are 52 inches wide but you have a choice of lengths between 54 inches, 63 inches, 72 inches, 84 inches, 90 inches, 96 inches, 108 inches, and 120 inches, and you have a perfect setting to fill your entire home with quality drapes that offer complete blackout.
The polyester construction makes these panels durable and lightweight for long term use, and mounting is easy with grommets to thread through the curtain rod. The panels are sold in packages of 2 for convenient covering of all windows. While there is no lining included, the curtains are triple weaved, making them not only great for blocking light but also for reducing heat and noise in your space for the ultimate comfort. You also get any necessary hardware with the panels, as well as tiebacks so you can let the sunshine in with beauty and grace. These panels are easy to care for, allowing for machine wash and tumble dry so you never have to worry about getting to the dry cleaners or having stains on your panels.
5. Albert Velvet Solid Blackout Thermal Rod Pocket Single Curtain Panel
The white polyester lining of the Albert Velvet Solid Blackout Thermal Rod Pocket Single Curtain Panel makes it an ideal choice for those with regulations on visible colors in their neighborhood while meeting the demands of aesthetics and functionality inside the home. This single blackout panel comes in 25 different colors to make sure you can match it perfectly to your space, with options that include off white, gunmetal gray, java, warm black, and many more. You can also size the panel to meet your needs, with widths of 50 or 100 inches and lengths that measure 63, 84, 96, 108, and 120 inches to fit any window space.
The rod pocket header is a traditional style that keeps your window fully covered from top to bottom. The textured velvet material of the blackout curtain itself lends an elevated design element that is both cozy and beautiful, with a warm feeling that never ceases to comfort. Aside from blocking light, the curtain insulates against heat and cold, and it significantly reduces noise, so you can rest easy if you’re a late sleeper or have an alternative work schedule. You can also help your teen or infant get the extra rest they need to function. This curtain panel requires dry cleaning due to the velvet material, but other than dusting, cleaning is rarely needed.
6. Clem Solid Max Blackout Rod Pocket Single Curtain Panel
For an affordable but luxurious option for any room in your home with great sun exposure, the Three Posts Clem Solid Max Blackout Rod Pocket Single Curtain Panel will do the trick. Whether you’re looking for the shade of your panel to stand out or blend in, you can opt for any of the 23 available colors to meet your needs, with choices like oyster, dark gravel, butterscotch, cardinal, gray, Tuscan green, indigo, and more. These 100% polyester panels are also offered in 4 lengths, including 84, 96, 108, and 120 inches, so you can match them to any window in your home, giving every room a consistent design element and a warm, cohesive feel.
You have 3 different mounting options so you can also inspire traditional or modern design by opting for using the rod pocket or back tabs, or you can use the hook belt for rings, which are not included but are a viable option. The hem is weighted so your curtains don’t flutter around and let light and heat in when you don’t want them. There is no lining, but the panel achieves blackout status without this extra piece. This blackout curtain panel requires dry cleaning, so intermittent dusting and spot cleaning can keep it nice for long periods of time between cleanings. If you use the rod pocket, the panel can accept a maximum rod diameter of 1.5 inches.
7. Scarsdale Extra Solid Blackout Thermal Grommet Single Curtain Panel
With the Alcott Hill Scarsdale Extra Solid Blackout Thermal Grommet Single Curtain Panel, you can have all the benefits of a blackout curtain without the typical stiffness that comes with the territory. That’s because the material is constructed in a way that a stiff liner isn’t needed to provide complete shut out of the sunlight. Each panel is offered in a wide width of 80 or 100 inches, so you aren’t purchasing multiple panels for every window, helping ease your cost, and the panels are highly affordable to start with.
They’re also offered in lengths of 84, 96, and 108 inches for optimal coverage. The grommets on these panels make for easy mounting with a clean line in the way that the drapes fall, and a choice of 18 different colors allows you to showcase the best color for your space, either to set it apart from the rest of the décor as an accent piece or have it blend in perfectly. Choose from green, lavender, chocolate, cardinal, beige, burgundy, and more.
The triple weaved polyester construction is durable and lightweight, and it’s crafted so that you get true blackout in your room, as well as heat resistance and noise reduction. A tieback is included so you have the option to beautifully arrange the panel and allow sunlight to filter through. Best of all, the panel is easy to care for, rated for machine washing and tumbling dry.
8. Ardmore Solid Blackout Single Curtain Panel
The Astoria Grand Ardmore Solid Blackout Single Curtain Panel offers excellence in quality for those seeking privacy on zero lots with close neighbors, as well as reduced heat and light in your space. These panels are also excellent at reducing noise, so you get incredible rest and peacefulness in your home no matter the hour of the day or how much noise there is in your neighborhood. They are constructed for durability and longevity from 100% polyester but have the softness, look, and feel of silk for an elevated design element.
They are lined to help keep out sunlight and noise, and while not rated for heat reduction, do allow for some resistance to heat. Sold as a single panel, these blackout curtains are 52 inches wide with a choice of 84, 95, and 108 inches in length so you can fit to any window in your home with a beautiful result. Not only are these blackout curtains easy to maintain, as they are rated for machine wash and dry, but they are also iron safe so you can get any potential wrinkles out after laundering.
Conclusion
Blackout curtains have a lot of value to them, considering that they can improve a great deal of things in your life. If you live in a noisy neighborhood, they can help reduce noise, and when you have vast sun exposure, you can block out radiant heat – or hold it in during the winter. You have the option to use these in nurseries or teenagers’ rooms to help them get the extra rest they need, to assist if you’re a late sleeper, or to help you maintain your schedule if you work a night shift, allowing you to sleep peacefully during the day. They can even assist in creating a sensation of greater privacy if you’re very close to your neighbors. Finding blackout curtains that work for your space, style, and budget is entirely possible. With this guidance, you can get a long way in determining what works best for you.