Blackout & sleep
Blackout blinds and shades that keep the light out, for bedrooms, nurseries and shift workers. Compare the six dark-room options in one table.
- Darkest
- Blackout roller system
- View by day, dark at night
- Opera system
- Warmest
- Room-darkening cellular
- Skylights
- Skylight shades
The in-home consultation is free. Measuring and installation are quoted with your order.
Six dark-room options, side by side.
Room-darkening fabric stops light coming through the shade. The fit decides how much gets round the edges.
| Question |  DarkestBlackout roller system |
 Day and nightOpera system (two blinds in one) |
 Most fabricsRoom-darkening roller |
 Keeps heat inRoom-darkening cellular |
 SkylightsSkylight shade (framed cellular) |
 View by dayRoom-darkening zebra |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How darkout of 4 | 4 of 4: As dark as it gets | 2 of 4: Dark. Side channels make it darker | 2 of 4: Dark, with light at the edges | 2 of 4: Dark, with light at the edges | 3 of 4: Very dark: framed on all sides | 2 of 4: Dark with the stripes closed |
| See out by day? | No. Raise it for the view | Yes, through the front fabric | No. Raise it for the view | Partly. Day/night puts a light fabric on top | No. Open it to see the sky | Yes. Line up the sheer stripes |
| Keeps heat inout of 3 | 1 of 3: A little | 1 of 3: A little | 1 of 3: A little | 3 of 3: Best: pockets of still air | 2 of 3: Well: cellular pockets | 1 of 3: A little |
| Cord-free option | Yes: cordless or motor | Yes: cordless or motor | Yes: cordless or motor | Yes: cordless comes as standard | Yes: handle, pole or motor | Yes: cordless or motor |
| Motor option | Yes | Yes, each blind | Yes | Yes | Yes, built into the frame | Yes |
| Best for | Nurseries, day sleepers, home cinemas | Bedrooms with a view, TV rooms | Most bedrooms | Cold or noisy bedrooms | Skylights, sloped glass, small windows | Bedrooms that want the view by day |
| More | See the page: Blackout roller system | See the page: Opera system | See the page: Room-darkening roller | See the page: Room-darkening cellular | See the page: Skylight shade | See the page: Room-darkening zebra |
Motors: we choose a motor strong enough for your shade. Somfy motors and hubs available. Everything is made to measure, and we confirm what fits at the consultation.
Find your dark-room pick
Answer three quick questions. We suggest one or two options, with the reason why.
Three quick questions
Step 1 of 3
The quick finder needs JavaScript. Here is the short version.
| If it’s for | Start with |
|---|---|
| A baby or toddler | Blackout roller system, cord-free or motorized. Or room-darkening cellular. |
| A day sleeper or shift worker | Blackout roller system on a motor that closes on a schedule. |
| A light sleeper | Blackout roller system, or room-darkening cellular, which softens sound too. |
| A movie room | Opera system: a view by day, dark for a film. |
| A skylight or sloped glass | Skylight shades (framed cellular). |
| A large window or patio door | A room-darkening roller on the wall, or panel track. |
Close the gaps on the shade you like.
Small add-ons for the top, the sides and the bottom. We show you each one at your window.
| Extra | Top | Sides | Bottom | Works with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Light-gap strip Miracle Fit |
No | Yes | With a sill piece | Most shades that sit inside the window frame |
 Side channels Miracle Channel |
No | Yes | With a sill piece | Roller shades, and two-in-one (Opera) shades |
 Palladian shelf a wood shelf |
Yes | No | No | Shades that hang from it |
 Closed bottom rail fabric-wrapped |
No | No | Neater seal | Zebra shades moved by hand, and roller shades as standard |
 Cassette the cover at the top |
Yes | No | No | Roller and zebra shades; some can be wrapped in your fabric |
Quick picks.
-
A baby or toddler
Blackout roller system
Cord-free or motorized, so there are no pull cords or chains.
Cord-free & child-safe -
A day sleeper or shift worker
Any dark option, on a motor
It closes at any hour on a schedule, or when you say “Goodnight”.
Motorized & smart home -
A movie room
Opera system
Keep the view all day, then drop the blackout blind for a film.
Opera system
In real rooms
Blackout roller system in a child’s room 
Zebra shades in a living room 
Cellular shades in a living room 
Skylight shades on sloped glass
Will blackout blinds make the room pitch dark?
Room darkening or blackout: what’s the difference?
Can I still see out by day?
Is it safe for a nursery?
Is the consultation free?
Do you install across the GTA?
Keep looking
Rooms that need the dark
See how dark your room can get.
We bring samples of every fabric to your windows, so you can see how dark each one gets.
Become a client
Register once and keep your details and saved designs in one place.
Register to see prices in the Blind Builder once we confirm your account.