Reference
The kinds compared
One row per kind of window treatment: how it opens and where it stacks, what it does for privacy, darkness, glare and heat, how it copes with damp, how it is operated without cords and what a renter can do with it. Filter it by need, room or a child in the home.
Use this table to rule kinds out before you choose between the ones left. Each row says what the kind does when it is closed, what it blocks when it is open, and what limits it: a shallow frame, a damp room, a child in the home, a lease. The reasoning, and how to turn it into a shortlist for one window, is in Curtains, shades, blinds and shutters.
How to read it:
- Privacy by day and at night rest on one rule: people see into the brighter side. A fabric or film that hides the room in daylight shows it after dark once the lamps are on (Privacy by day and by night).
- Heat and cold reports two federal laboratory studies where they included the kind: the Lawrence Berkeley simulation of 2013 and the Pacific Northwest lab homes of 2018. Where neither studied it, the cell says so. Whatever the kind, the Department of Energy's 2022 guide gives the same routine: close coverings at night in cold weather, open them to winter sun, and close them on windows in direct summer sun (Heat, cold and condensation).
- Damp rooms says only what a source says. For most kinds we found no maker or extension source on bathrooms and kitchens, and the cell says that rather than guess.
- Operation without cords says which versions are sold cordless. Under the industry's 2022 standard, a motorized product counts as cordless. What the law requires of stock and custom products is in Cords, children and fire.
- Figures (stack heights, depths, overlaps) are one named maker's, for that maker's product. Your maker's guide wins.
The need buttons narrow the table to kinds a source credits with that job. The room buttons are our own grouping, to shorten the list; they are not a source's recommendation, and a damp room still needs its own column read. Cordless marks kinds sold cordless or made with no cords; Renter marks kinds with a no-holes option.
| Kind | How it opens and where it stacks | Privacy by day | Privacy at night | Darkness | Glare | Heat and cold | Damp rooms | Operation without cords | Mounting and depth | Renter options | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curtains and draperies (lined or opaque) | Hang from the top and slide sideways, stacking on the wall beside the window. A 1977 extension rule puts the stack at about a third of the curtain's width; Kirsch's chart gives about 14 in each side for a 96 in two-way track at double fullness | Yes, when drawn | Yes, when drawn and lined or opaque; the 1971 extension pairing uses opaque draw draperies for night | With a blackout lining (one lining maker defines it as blocking 99 percent or more of daylight). Light still comes round the edges | Blocks it when drawn, along with the view | Not studied in the sources here (the 2013 simulation left drapes out) | No maker or extension source found; for fibers and damp, see Fabrics and linings | Drawn by hand; the industry safety council names curtains as a cordless option | Rod or track on the wall: one seller's range is 4 to 12 in above the window and 4 to 8 in past the frame each side; one Kirsch retailer gives a 3 to 4 in projection for a single layer. No window depth needed | A tension rod inside a deep frame needs no holes; one university housing office notes tension rods are commonly used | Getty AAT: draperies; MSU E-1170 (1977); Kirsch 2024 guide; U. of Idaho (1971); Eastern Accents lining FAQ; Hunter Douglas, light and privacy; WCSC FAQ; SelectBlinds drapery; Drapery Rods Direct (Kirsch poles); Northwest Missouri State housing; LBNL (2013) |
| Sheer curtains | As curtains; light fabrics stack less than heavy ones by the 1977 rule | Yes, while outside is brighter than inside | No: with lamps on, the room shows through. The 1971 extension pairing adds an opaque layer for night | No | No source here measures it | Not studied in the sources here (the 2013 simulation left out drapes and sheer shades) | No maker or extension source found | As curtains | Often on a second rod under a lined curtain; one Kirsch retailer adds about 2 in of projection for each extra layer | A tension rod inside a deep frame | IWFA education guide 2026; U. of Idaho (1971); MSU E-1170 (1977); Drapery Rods Direct (Kirsch poles); LBNL (2013) |
| Café curtains | Short, straight-hanging curtains over the lower part of the window (sometimes the upper part too, in tiers) | The covered part, yes; the sky above stays open | Only below the curtain; the open glass above shows a lit room to anyone looking down or standing close | No | No source here measures it | Not studied in the sources here | No maker or extension source found | As curtains | A rod across the window at the height of the cover | A tension rod inside the frame | Getty AAT: café curtains; IWFA education guide 2026; WCSC FAQ |
| Roller shades | One piece of material on a roller at the top. The Shade Store's chart puts the rolled-up shade at 3 in at every height from 24 to 96 in | Yes, down, in a light-filtering or opaque fabric | Yes, down, in an opaque fabric | Blackout roller fabrics are made (Lutron lists 0 percent openness); light still comes round the edges | A light-filtering or screen fabric (see solar shades) | The 2013 simulation modeled indoor roller shades across a range of fabrics: they saved energy in cooling-dominated climates; in heating climates they were not among the attachments that saved most | No maker or extension source found | Spring rollers are named as a cordless option by the safety council; motorized counts as cordless under the 2022 standard | No depth figure in the sources here; use your maker's guide | No no-holes option in the sources here | Getty AAT: roller shades; Shade Store stacking chart; Lutron selection guide; Hunter Douglas, light and privacy; LBNL (2013); WCSC FAQ; ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022 |
| Solar shades (screen fabric) | A roller shade in an open-weave screen fabric; the same 3 in roll on The Shade Store's chart | Yes in daylight, and a dark fabric keeps more of the view out | No: with lamps on, the room shows through the weave | No: openness of 1 to about 13 percent passes direct light by design | What they are made for. Color matters as well as openness: one 3 percent fabric passes 19 percent of visible light in its light color and 8 percent with its dark face. In one office study a smaller openness still gave more glare | Within the 2013 simulation's indoor roller shades, whose range included open weaves: saved energy in cooling-dominated climates. The same 3 percent fabric reflects 62 percent of solar energy in the light color and 40 percent with the dark face | No maker or extension source found | As roller shades | No depth figure in the sources here | No no-holes option in the sources here | Draper, view-through (2022); SheerWeave 2703 spec sheet; Lutron and Purdue (2015); Shade Store stacking chart; LBNL (2013) |
| Roman shades | Fabric raised in horizontal folds. The Shade Store's chart: 7 3/4 in of stack on a 24 in shade, 10 3/4 in on a 96 in shade. Styles: flat, cascade, relaxed and hobbled (names vary by maker) | Yes, down. A top-down bottom-up version covers the lower window and leaves sky light | Yes, down, lined or opaque | One maker says most of its styles darken fully with blackout lining; the edges are a separate question (light gaps) | A top-down shade shields a room from afternoon sun while keeping some view, in one maker's guide | Not studied in the sources here (the 2013 simulation left Roman shades out) | The Shade Store says fabric folds make them not the best choice for a bathroom with a lot of moisture | Bali's guide lists cordless and cord-lift versions; motorized counts as cordless | Bali Classic: 1/2 to 3/4 in for a partial recess; 1 7/8 to 5 1/8 in to sit flush, by lift and fold; outside mount 1 1/2 in overlap each side | No no-holes option in the sources here | Shade Store, Roman styles; Shade Store stacking chart; Hunter Douglas, top-down bottom-up; Bali Classic Roman guide (2017); LBNL (2013) |
| Cellular shades (honeycomb) | Fabric formed into cells, raised to the top. The Shade Store's chart: 1 3/4 in on a 24 in shade to 3 1/2 in on a 96 in shade (3/8 and 3/4 in cells, cord lock) | Yes, down, in the chosen opacity | Yes, down, in an opaque fabric | Room-darkening versions are made. Levolor's inside mount leaves a 3/16 in gap each side by design; Hunter Douglas sells side channels for its own cellular shades | Light-filtering versions; no figure in the sources here | The 2013 simulation ranked them among the most effective in heating climates. In the 2018 lab homes, used the typical way (some up, some down), they saved no significant heating energy against no shades; with shades down they cut heating and cooling system energy 25 percent in the cooling season; savings depended on raising the south and west shades by day and lowering them at night | No maker or extension source found | Levolor lists cordless, cord loop and motorized versions | Levolor: 1/2 in minimum depth (cordless or loop), 5/8 in corded, 2 in motorized; 2 1/8 to 3 in to sit flush; outside mount at least 1 1/2 in overlap each side | No no-holes option in the sources here | Hunter Douglas, single and double cell; Shade Store stacking chart; Levolor cellular guide (2022); Hunter Douglas, light and privacy; LBNL (2013); PNNL-27663 (2018) |
| Woven shades (bamboo, grass, woven wood) | Woven natural material raised to the top. The Shade Store's chart: 7 3/4 to 10 3/4 in for natural woven woods; 9 to 15 in for bamboo and grass with a cord lock | No source here measures it | No source here measures it | No source here measures it | No source here measures it | Not studied in the sources here | No maker or extension source found | The Shade Store's chart lists cord-lock and loop versions; no cordless version appears in the sources here | No depth figure in the sources here | No no-holes option in the sources here | Shade Store stacking chart |
| Horizontal blinds (1 in metal or vinyl mini blinds, Venetian blinds) | Overlapping slats that tilt, and raise to gather at the top. No stack figure for mini blinds in the sources here | Yes, with the slats tilted or closed | With the slats closed; no source here measures what shows between them | Federal shift-work guidance says blinds can let too much light filter in for daytime sleep | Tilting the slats moves the light; we found no study of this in homes | The 2013 simulation modeled them as 1 in mini blinds: they saved energy in cooling-dominated climates and were not among the best in heating climates. The 2018 lab homes used vinyl Venetian blinds as the baseline | No maker or extension source found | Stock blinds must be cordless or have short or inaccessible cords; the 2022 standard does not allow a continuous loop on a custom horizontal blind (Cords, children and fire). Old imported vinyl mini blinds carry a 1996 lead finding (same chapter) | No depth figure for mini blinds in the sources here | Often the landlord's. One university housing office requires blinds taken down to be re-hung before checkout | Getty AAT: venetian blinds; NIOSH, sleep environment; LBNL (2013); PNNL-27663 (2018); ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022; CPSC lead in miniblinds (1996); Northwest Missouri State housing |
| Wood and faux wood blinds | Wider slats that tilt and raise. The Shade Store's chart for 2 in slats: 5 in of stack on a 24 in blind to 11 in on a 96 in blind, about an inch per foot of height | Yes, with the slats tilted or closed | With the slats closed; no source here measures what shows between them | As horizontal blinds: light filters in for daytime sleep | Tilting the slats moves the light; we found no study of this in homes | Not studied as such: the 2013 simulation's horizontal blinds were 1 in mini blinds | No maker or extension source found | Bali's guide lists cordless wand-tilt and cordless cord-tilt versions of its 2 in wood blind | Bali: 3/4 in minimum inside-mount depth; 3 1/16 to 4 1/4 in to sit fully recessed, by blind and control; outside mount 1 1/2 in overlap each side and at least 2 in of flat surface for brackets | No no-holes option in the sources here | Shade Store stacking chart; Bali wood and faux wood guide; NIOSH, sleep environment; LBNL (2013) |
| Vertical blinds | Vertical slats that turn and draw to the side. No stack figure in the sources here | Yes, with the slats turned or closed | With the slats closed; no source here measures what shows between them | No source here measures it | Turning the slats moves the light; we found no study of this in homes | The 2013 simulation found little or no benefit in heating-dominated climates, and some cases used more energy than an uncovered window; they saved energy in cooling-dominated climates | No maker or extension source found | Under the 2022 standard, custom products are cordless, have a short static cord or inaccessible cords, or use one of the systems the standard lists | No figure in the sources here. For a patio door, Bali's vertical cellular shade (a different product) asks 3 in of overlap each side on an outside mount | No no-holes option in the sources here | LBNL (2013); ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022; Bali VertiCell guide |
| Shutters | Panels on a frame that swing open on hinges; nothing stacks at the top | Yes, closed | Yes, closed; no source here measures what shows through the louvers | No source here measures it | No source here measures it | Not studied in the sources here (the 2013 simulation left shutters out) | No maker or extension source found | The safety council names shutters as a cordless option | One seller: inside mount needs at least 2 1/4 in from the glass to the outer edge of the casing; an outside-mount frame adds 4 or 5 in to the width | No no-holes option in the sources here | SelectBlinds shutter measuring; WCSC FAQ; LBNL (2013) |
| Decorative film (frosted, patterned) | Applied to the glass; nothing opens. Comes diffuse (from partial to full whiteout or blackout), patterned with clear areas, or custom | Yes, where light is wanted and no view is needed | Yes: a film maker points to frosted film for privacy day and night | Only a blackout film | No figure in the sources here | Not studied as decorative film; the 2013 simulation modeled films by their solar properties (see reflective film) | No maker or extension source found | No cords | On the glass. A conservation body notes that films may void the warranty on sealed insulating glass | Needs no holes. Ask in writing before applying film to glass you do not own | IWFA education guide 2026; LLumar reflective film; CCI, light |
| Reflective film (mirror) | Applied to the glass; nothing opens | Yes, while outside is brighter | No: the trade body says the daytime privacy virtually disappears once the room is brighter than outside | No; visible light transmission is usually 15 to 70 percent | Reduces it; the lower the visible transmission, the more heat it rejects and the more it reflects | Some dark reflective films reject over 80 percent of solar radiation (trade body's figure). The 2013 simulation: all attachments saved energy in cooling-dominated climates; exterior films gave little or no benefit in heating climates | No maker or extension source found | No cords | On the glass; the same insulating-glass warranty note applies | Needs no holes. Ask in writing first | IWFA education guide 2026; IWFA residential; LLumar reflective film; LBNL (2013); CCI, light |
| Valance or cornice (lambrequin, pelmet) | Fixed across the top of the window to hide curtain tops and hardware; a lambrequin is a stiff, shaped valance that comes down each side. Does not open | Not on its own | Not on its own | Not on its own | Not on its own | Not studied in the sources here | No maker or extension source found | No cords | One Kirsch retailer gives a 5 1/2 to 6 in bracket to clear a drapery underneath. We found no proportion rule from a maker, workroom or extension source | No no-holes option in the sources here | Getty AAT: valances; Getty AAT: lambrequins; Drapery Rods Direct (Kirsch poles) |
Two kinds that fit nowhere above: motorized versions of the shades, whose power (battery, rechargeable, solar, plug-in or hardwired) decides who installs them, are in Hardware and installing; temporary covers for the first nights are on Bare windows tonight.
Limits
This table compares kinds by how they work. It does not rank brands, and it does not say one kind is best. Stack heights, depths and overlaps differ by product and are labeled with the maker that published them; your maker's guide wins. The energy findings come from a simulation and from two matched lab homes, under their own climates and schedules; they are not a forecast for your bill. Where a cell says no source was found, we did not fill the gap with a retailer's claim.