What is the difference between blockout, light filtering and sunscreen roller blinds?
Blockout fabric stops light passing through and gives full privacy. Light filtering fabric lets soft daylight glow through but hides the room. Sunscreen fabric is an open mesh that cuts glare while keeping the view out by day, but it does not give privacy at night with the lights on.
| Fabric | Light | View out | Privacy at night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blockout | None through the fabric | None | Yes |
| Light filtering | Soft and diffused | None | Mostly. Shadows can show |
| Sunscreen | Glare reduced | Yes, by day | No |
Blockout
A blockout fabric has a coating or layers that stop light. It is the usual choice for bedrooms and media rooms. The fabric blocks light but the blind does not seal the window: the fabric of a roller blind is narrower than the blind overall, so a strip of light shows down each side.
Light filtering
Light filtering fabric, also called translucent, lets daylight through without a clear view either way. Rooms stay bright and private in the daytime. At night, with lights on, people outside may see shadows and movement but not detail.
Sunscreen
Sunscreen fabric is a woven mesh. It is described by its openness, the share of the fabric that is open: a lower figure means a tighter weave, less glare and less view. From inside you see out through it in daylight. At night the effect reverses and people can see in, so a sunscreen blind is often paired with a blockout blind or a curtain.
Two blinds on one window
A double roller blind, also called a dual roller blind, puts a sunscreen or light filtering blind and a blockout blind at one window, so you can use either or both.
A blind retailer can show you each fabric against a window, in the colours available, and measure and quote. Speedy Blinds makes roller blinds for retailers and does not sell them to the public.
Other ways people ask this
Is a blockout blind the same as a blackout blind?
Yes. The two words mean the same fabric.
Can you see through sunscreen blinds at night?
Yes, from outside when your lights are on.
What is a translucent blind?
Another name for a light filtering blind.
Which roller blind is best for a bedroom?
Blockout, if you want the room dark.
This answer is general information. For your own windows, your retailer's advice and your order with them come first.
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