Room Darkening vs. Blackout Blinds: The Difference Explained

For environments such as your primary bedroom, guest room, nursery or media & entertainment room, you may be looking for window coverings that will enable you to darken and then re-lighten the space as you desire. This search will inevitably bring you to room darkening vs. blackout shades, a comparison which our Philadelphia area window treatment company frequently receives questions about. Let’s dive into how they differ.

Room Darkening vs. Blackout Blinds: The Difference Explained

Is there actually a distinction between room darkening vs. blackout? Indeed, these two opacities are separate types of blinds, although they’re often referenced interchangeably. Here are some details on what sets them apart, as well as how they overlap:

• Room darkening shades will block out 95-99% of light, while blackout shades will block out light completely, if installed properly. If you don’t need or want quite this much light control, light filtering shades may be a better bet.
• Both room darkening and blackout shades provide a good amount of privacy, with blackout offering a slightly higher level due to a thicker material being used. Same goes for heat & draft blocking and noise control. 
• Blackout shades are suitable for situations where you may want total darkness, such as for sleeping soundly or watching a movie. Meanwhile, room darkening will be more appropriate if you’d like to let in a small amount of light during the daytime while enjoying privacy at night.

In terms of both how they work and how they look, the performance of your window treatments depends on carefully taken measurements and professional installation. So, if you want your window coverings to fit properly and serve the function of controlling light to any extent, it’s crucial to work with trained installers like the Blinds Brothers crew.

Schedule Your Free Consultation 

Eager to learn more about the different window treatment opacities that are available and get our expert advice on what will best fulfill your particular wants and needs? Reach out to Philly & NJ’s Blinds Bros. at 215-789-4600 to arrange a no-cost consultation at your home. If you decide to go with us for your new blinds, you’ll enjoy professional sizing and installation included with your order!