A room that is actually dark.
Most blackout blinds block light through the fabric and leak it around the edges. This one runs in side channels, so the gap is covered rather than narrowed.
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Made to your exact window size. Prices shown for a 36" × 60" window — your size is priced live in the next step.
Quick answers
Is this actually 100% blackout?
With side channels, an enclosed headrail and the bottom bar seated, there is no direct light path into the room — that is what the phrase means. We would rather describe the construction than publish a percentage for a fabric we have not measured ourselves. If a supplier quotes you a number without saying how it was measured, treat it carefully.
Why isn't a blackout blind on its own enough?
Because an inside-mounted shade has to be cut narrower than the opening to travel freely. That clearance is where the light comes in. The fabric is doing its job; the edges are not covered. This is the single most common disappointment with blackout blinds.
How much do the channels add?
Side channels are $100 per blind on top of the shade. They are available on 11 of our ranges and are specified when the shade is made, not added afterwards — the shade has to be sized to the channel.
Blackout is a fabric. Darkness is a window.
A blackout fabric is coated or foam-backed, and effectively no light passes through it. That part is easy, and almost every blackout blind on the market does it.
The disappointment comes from the edges. An inside-mounted shade must be cut narrower than the opening so it can move, so there is a clearance of roughly a quarter of an inch down each side. On a bright morning that clearance reads as two vertical lines of light, and the room is not dark.
Side channels solve it by changing where the fabric edge sits. Instead of running beside the gap, the edge runs inside an aluminium track fixed to the jamb. There is no longer a gap to leak through.
Against the alternatives
Where the light gets in is the whole decision, so it is the first three rows.
| Total blackout system | Ordinary blackout blind | Blackout curtains | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light at the edges | Covered by the channel | Leaks down both sides | Leaks everywhere |
| Light over the roll | Enclosed headrail | Passes over the top | Over the pole |
| Light under the hem | Bar seats in the channel | Bright line on the floor | Gap at the floor |
| Fit | Cut to your opening | Cut to your opening | Stock widths |
| Best for | Nurseries, shift sleep, cinema | Bedrooms, general darkening | Decorative softening |
Check the window first
Channels are rigid, so the shape and depth of your opening decide what is possible. Two minutes now beats a shade that does not fit. Arched windows, shallow recesses and casement cranks all need a different answer.
Will it fit my window?What makes it total
Side channels
Aluminium tracks on both jambs. The fabric edge runs inside the track, so the side gap is covered — not merely made smaller.
An enclosed headrail
A cassette boxes in the roll, so light cannot pass over the top of the fabric and down its face.
A seated bottom bar
The bar comes to rest in the channel or against the sill, closing the bright line across the floor.
Made to your opening
Cut to your measurements, because a channel only seals if the shade is the right width for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Total blackout, answered honestly
Is this actually 100% blackout?
With side channels, an enclosed headrail and the bottom bar seated, there is no direct light path into the room — that is what the phrase means. We would rather describe the construction than publish a percentage for a fabric we have not measured ourselves. If a supplier quotes you a number without saying how it was measured, treat it carefully.
Why isn't a blackout blind on its own enough?
Because an inside-mounted shade has to be cut narrower than the opening to travel freely. That clearance is where the light comes in. The fabric is doing its job; the edges are not covered. This is the single most common disappointment with blackout blinds.
How much do the channels add?
Side channels are $100 per blind on top of the shade. They are available on 11 of our ranges and are specified when the shade is made, not added afterwards — the shade has to be sized to the channel.
Is there a size limit?
The channel is one cut length of aluminium, so the drop is capped at 110 inches. Width runs 12 to 96 inches. The shade on its own can go taller than 110 inches; the channels cannot.
Inside mount or outside mount?
Outside mount is darker. The shade overlaps the opening rather than sitting inside it, so there is no recess gap to seal. Inside mount looks neater and needs at least 2.5 inches of depth, or 1.5 inches for cellular shades.
Can I retrofit channels to a blind I already own?
Usually not well. The channels have to be sized to the shade and the shade cut to the channels. Retrofitting normally leaves the fabric either too narrow to seal or binding in the track.
Does it help with anything besides light?
Yes. A shade running in channels sits closer to the glass with less air movement around it, which helps with heat in summer and cold in winter. It also cuts some noise. Those are side effects of sealing the edges, not the reason to buy it.
Which rooms is it worth it in?
Anywhere the light actually matters: a nursery at nap time, a night-shift worker's bedroom, a home cinema, or a bedroom with a street light outside. In a living room, ordinary blackout fabric is usually enough.
See it priced for your window
Enter your measurements and the price updates as you choose. Check the window first if you are unsure.