Blackout Blinds: What’s Best?

With all of the options you have for blackout blinds, you may be asking yourself what’s the best? Well, of course the answer you don’t want to hear is, it depends. It depends on you, your style, and your needs. But here’s a quick breakdown of your different options and what should consider for each.

Blind Type
You have the option of Faux Wood, Wood, or Aluminum. All are durable and relatively easy to clean and maintain. My favorites are faux wood because they are more affordable (cheaper) than wood blinds and more durable and easier to clean than aluminum blinds. Actually, they’re more affordable and more durable than wood blinds and look exactly like wood blinds. So why pay more?

Slat Size
I suggest larger slats for blackout blinds because the larger the slat size, the fewer chances light has to seep through. Try staying with a 2 inch or more slat. Plus, the larger slats look cleaner and like more of an upgrade than regular mini blinds.

Routeless or Cloth Tapes
Blackout blinds come with a routeless option, which means that the operating strings go around each slat like a ladder rather than through holes drilled into the slat or with cloth tapes that cover the operating strings and holes. Routeless blinds give you a very streamlined and seamless look while cloth tapes can give a more formal or contemporary edge, depending on the type of cloth tapes you choose.

Finish
You’ll need to choose if you want painted or stained blackout blinds and the color. Lighter stains are typical of traditional, country, rustic, and arts and crafts styles, while darker stains care typical of traditional, formal, and contemporary styles. It really depends on what else you have in the room, your blackout blinds won’t make or break your style. Order a color sample (usually free) for the best results.

Overall, what’s best is your opinion. Go with your gut instinct and don’t obsess over it. After all, blackout blinds are just window blinds – and who really pays that much attention to them?