What is the difference between a sprung and a chain operated roller blind?

A roller blind is raised by turning the tube its fabric winds onto. Two ways to turn that tube are a spring inside it and a loop of chain at one end.

Sprung and chain operated blinds

A sprung blind has a spring inside the tube that does the lifting. A chain operated blind has a loop of chain that turns a control at one end of the tube, and the blind stays where you leave it.

Speedy Blinds roller blinds are chain driven or motor driven. They are not sprung. If you are comparing a sprung blind from another maker, ask the retailer selling it how it works and how to look after it.

Chain driven or motor driven

A chain driven blind needs no power and suits most windows you can reach. On a very wide or heavy blind the chain takes more effort.

A motor driven blind has a tubular motor inside the roller. It runs from a handheld remote or a wall control, and some systems add a phone app. It has no chain loop, and it suits high, wide or hard to reach windows. A battery motor needs recharging from time to time. A wired motor runs from a power supply, and mains wiring is a job for a licensed electrician.

The tube inside the blind is chosen by its width and by whether the blind is chain driven or motor driven.

Chain safety in Australia

This is general information, not legal advice, and it follows the Federal Register of Legislation as read on 6 October 2026. The Competition and Consumer (Corded Internal Window Coverings) Safety Standard 2014 began on 1 January 2015. It applies to installations carried out in trade or commerce in domestic dwellings, other than caravans, mobile homes and boats. A cord means any rope, strap, string, chain, line or wire used to work the covering, so the chain on a roller blind counts.

Under the standard, a loose cord must not be able to form a loop 220mm or longer at less than 1,600mm above floor level. That usually means a tension device fixed to the wall or frame. A person fitting blinds in their own home is not installing in trade or commerce, but the same heights are the safe ones to follow.

In Victoria, since 1 December 2025, rental providers and agents must make sure the internal window coverings in a home they advertise or let have anchors fitted to secure the cords. A motor on a blind has no chain loop.

What to ask your retailer

Ask your retailer whether chain or motor suits the window: chain for one you can reach, motor for one that is high, wide or hard to reach. If you choose a chain, ask what will be fitted so the chain cannot form a loose loop. Blinds fitted before the standards began may have loose cords. If you aren't sure yours are safe, ask a retailer or installer to check them and fit the right devices.