The best blinds for keeping warm this winter

Your blinds are about more than just aesthetics. They play an important role in insulating your home. In fact, having the right window coverings on your windows can be the difference between shivering your way through winter or staying warm and cosy in the colder months.  

Did you know that your windows can be responsible for almost 50% of the heat loss in your home? Homeowners rarely consider the impact of their windows on the comfort levels in their home during the winter months, but in truth they’re a big culprit for letting the cold air in and driving up the power bill.

The right window coverings can help to reduce heat loss on colder days, and keep things cooler in summer.  When selecting blinds or drapes, it’s important for homeowners to understand the role that different fabrics and styles can play in household insulation.

If heat loss is a concern for you then read about our top picks for the best window coverings to keep things toasty in your space.

Fabric Blinds

Roller blinds, roman shades and vertical blinds are all popular options for your windows. They’ve been long time favourites in many homes and offer a great alternative to traditional drapes.

Modern innovations in fabric technology mean that a well fitted blind can do a lot for insulating the home. Newer fabrics are designed to offer UV protection, reflective properties or total block-out.

We recommend selecting double roller blinds or roman blinds if you want to keep your home nice and warm this winter. Double roller blinds are an amazingly versatile option, adaptable to just about every style and household requirement. Double roller blinds require no compromise!  You could for example, customise your double roller to have both sunscreen and block-out materials – this would allow you to pull both blinds down and optimise insulation on the cold days and enjoy the view on the sunny days!

If you prefer a classic look, then Roman blinds are excellent insulators. The sandwiched layer of fabric will help to keep your home a warm and consistent temperature. Select thicker fabrics and a closer fit for better insulation and protection from the elements.

Cellular Blinds

It might come as a surprise that cellular blinds have great insulation properties; they are designed to be hollow after all! It is the ingenious construction of cellular blinds that help them to control the temperature of the home however. Heat is carried out of the home through the air and the hollow pockets in the honeycomb design of cellular blinds trap the air and prevent it from escaping, effectively keeping the heat inside.

Like most traditional fabric blind options out there, your cellular blinds come in a variety of fabric options, colours and opacities. For additional heat protection consider bulkier block-out fabrics.

It goes without saying that larger windows are the site of the most heat loss and honeycomb blinds are particularly well suited for large spaces or difficult to reach windows.

Fabric choice

With so many fabric options to choose from, is it better to opt for block-out, translucent or sheer fabric when trying to insulate your home?

Block-out fabrics are excellent insulators because they offer total light control and allow homeowners to trap the heat in the winter and deflect the sun in the summer. For rooms that receive a lot of direct light selecting a block-out blind is an excellent way to manage light, privacy and warmth.

Translucent and sheer fabrics on the other hand balance a number of competing needs. Although they offer less insulation then block-out fabrics, they still diffuse harsh light and glare whilst still allowing natural light to filter through. These fabrics allow sunlight into the room to keep it warm, but offer less protection from heat loss. If you want to optimise insulation whilst still allowing maximum light to reach the room, then consider cellular blinds in a light or translucent fabric.

Making your final decision

Your choice of blinds will be dependent on the layout and construction of your home. In all likelihood homeowners will probably want to consider several types of blinds and opacities with different insulation and light control properties in order to determine which rooms are kept warm, which are kept light and airy and which rooms have their privacy maximised.

Cellular blinds are an excellent choice where insulation and energy efficiency are top of mind; however some prefer the more traditional look of roller blinds or vertical blinds. New fabric technologies mean that a well-insulated home can be achieved no matter what your style, so long as the blinds are well made and well fitted.

We offer a top selection of high quality, custom fit products with excellent insulation properties. Find your fit and shop our range of blinds and shades perfect for keeping you warm this winter.