Blackout blinds are a type of window covering designed to do one thing brilliantly - block out light. Made using opaque materials that prevent light from passing through they're ideal for bedrooms, home cinemas, or any space where controlling light is a must.

But the benefits don't stop there! Thanks to their thicker fabrics and specialist coatings and designs, blackout blinds can also help insulate your windows, keeping your room cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Available in a range of styles and colours, they combine functionality with style to complement any room decor! 

Here's a quick lowdown of the blackout styles we offer at 247 Blinds:

• Blackout roller blinds - classic, sleek, and super versatile. Available in hundreds of colours, patterns and prints. Plus handy no-drill Twist&Fit installation options for fuss-free fitting. 
• Blackout Roman blinds - upgrade to blackout lining or opt for inherently blackout fabrics for an elegant finish that's sure to soften up the feel of your space. 
• Blackout pleated blinds - available with free-hanging, Stick Fit, Perfect Fit and Clip Fit installation depending on your windows and needs.
• Blackout vertical blinds - a great solution for wider windows or doors, helping to reduce glare and create a cosy atmosphere.
• Ultra Blackout Blinds - our ultimate blackout solution. Made-to-measure frames with blackout honeycomb fabric for total shade. 

Not quite. While all blackout blinds help keep out the light, not all of them are designed specifically to insulate. That said, with standard blackout blinds, you'll still get heat control in the summer months just by keeping them closed during the hottest parts of the day, preventing the sun from turning your home into a sauna. 

Blinds with blackout linings, like our Roman blinds, will inherently offer better insulation than their standard counterparts thanks to the thicker fabric. On the flip side, blackout roller blinds tend to be coated with a lightweight backing, so while they're brilliant at blocking light, they won't differ too much from their light-filtering cousins when it comes to keeping a room warm. 

Thermal blackout blinds are specifically designed with energy efficiency and insulation in mind. Our blackout honeycomb pleated blinds are a great example - featuring a clever comb-like structure of pleats which trap air (like a foil-lined duvet for your window) helping not only to keep the heat out in summer, but to keep it in during winter too.

Better sleep

No light creeping in, no tossing and turning. Blackiut blinds are perfect for light-sensitive sleepers, shift workers, or little ones that wake up with the sun. They also help to keep bedrooms cool in summer for comfortable, undisturbed rest. 

Lower energy bills

By providing an additional layer of insulation, thermal blackout blinds in particular can help maintain room temperatures, reducing the need for heating in winter or air conditioning in summer. This is because they prevent your home from heating up in the summer by keeping the sun's rays at bay, and reduce heat loss in winter, which windows are a big culprit for! This can lead to noticeable savings on energy bills, making thermal blackout blinds a smart investment in the long-run!

Total privacy

The opaque material of blackout blinds ensures maximum privacy, making them an excellent choice for bedrooms, bathrooms, and street-facing windows. Especially at night-time, light-filtering blinds can reveal silhouettes to nosy passers-by, whilst blackout blinds offer complete peace of mind and security.

UV protection 

Blackout blinds can block harmful UV rays, protecting your skin and preventing furniture, flooring, and artwork from fading. Blackout blinds are especially useful in bathrooms that feature silicone sealants or panels and times made of common materials that are prone to yellowing, such as ABS. Blackout blinds are a smart investment to prolong the life of your furnishings and save money on premature replacements. 

Noise reduction

Some blackout blinds made from denser materials can help absorb sound, helping to create a quiet and peaceful environment in your home. Ultra Blackout Blinds, for example, feature dense, honeycomb pleats and come with a full frame plus foam tape, helping to reduce outside noise. This is particularly helpful if your home is in a busy urban area or near a main road, allowing you to sleep soundly without the need for uncomfortable earplugs. 

Heaps of style

Blackout blinds aren't all function and no form. With Roman, roller, pleated, and more plus hundreds of colours and patterns to choose from, blackout blinds can complement any interior design scheme, enhancing the feel and usability of a room. 

British homes are built to keep heat in, which is great in winter, but come summer? Not so much. If you're tired of roasting at 3 am during a heatwave, it's time to rethink your window dressings.

Whether you want a cooler bedroom, a comfy lounge, or just a space that's bearable when the sun is blazing, blackout blinds can make all the difference.

The best blinds for blocking out sunlight in bedrooms

Whether you're looking to stop the sun from waking you up at the crack of dawn, or to stop the sun from waking up the tiny human in your house who will then go on to wake you up at the crack of dawn, a blackout blind is your best friend. All of our blackout styles will help you to block light and create a dark and cosy environment that fosters great sleep, but when it comes to your bedroom, Ultra Blackout blinds are the ultimate solution for keeping things ultra dark and ultra cool. If you're searching for a blind with a little more flair, blackout rollers and Roman blinds offer more flexibility in terms of playing with pattern, colour, and texture whilst still being sleep-friendly. 

Do blackout blinds keep your home cool?

Blackout blinds are a great option for keeping your home cool. Whatever the style, these window coverings block out much more light than standard blinds, meaning they're more effective at keeping rooms cool during the day - just remember to keep them closed when the sun's at it's most powerful. Take into account the direction of each room in your home and close your blinds accordingly, east-facing rooms will benefit from a little extra darkness in the early mornings, whilst you'll want to keep west-facingg rooms closed into the late afternoon to keep things comfortable. 

For the ultimate heat-beating solution, thermal blackout blinds are your best option. They not only block out the sun, but also add a layer of insulation, trapping cool air inside and keeping hot air out. These blinds are a great investment as they also keep your home warm in winter, reducing the need for heating and lowering your energy bills. 

These energy-saving blackout roller blinds come with a solar protective coating to reflect the sun away from your home. Available in various shades and wiht our trusty Twist&Fit upgrade, they're perfect for quickly cooling your home while adding style. 

To make keeping your home cool even easier, these shades are available with motorised controls, allowing you to open or close them at the touch of a button. Pair them with smart hubs and set routines to have your blinds take care of keeping the heat out automatically.

Featuring comb-like pleats, honeycomb blackout blinds work to trap air, creating a barrier of insulation at your window's edge. Add to that their blackout functionality, and you have an all-in-one window dressing solution to keep the sun's rays at bay. 

Depending on the style you go for, cordless controls will be available as an option or come as standard, making it even easier to keep those shades closed throughout the day. Add to this multizone controls, which allow you to let light in at the top or bottom of your window, and you have a versatile window covering perfect for blocking out the heat! Available with no-drill installation such as Perfect Fit - offering a framed integrated look for windows and doors, Stick Fit - a versatile adhesive installation method compatible with all window types, and Clip Fit - perfect for bi-folds with a narrow profile. 

For the ultimate blackout solution, Ultra Blackout blinds are the ones to beat. This style features those honeycomb blackout pleats we've discussed encased in a full made-to-measure frame that fits your window recess perfectly. The blind itself is operated with a brush-bottomed bar to stop light seeping through at the bottom, whilst foam blackout tape is included to help you seal off any gaps behind the frame for maximal light-blocking. The thermal plates help keep rooms comfortable whilst the clever frame keeps things as dark as possible. 

If you already have window dressings you're happy with, or prefer non-blackout styles such as Venetian blinds, you can still enhance your window's heat-blocking abilities. Adding blackout-lined curtains will reduce the amount of light that gets in, as well as adding an extra layer to block out the hot air. Plus, you can make a super interesting design feature out of this pairing, coming up with cohesive window dressing combos for a statement look that's fabulous and functional!

Conservatories and sunrooms are lovely - until summer hits and they turn into greenhouses, blackout honeycomb blinds are the answer. They help combat the heat by blocking it out and trapping the cool air inside. The style you go for is up to you, but you're most likely going to find that our no-drill solutions offer the best look and fitting process. For uPVC windows, opt for our Perfect Fit or Clip Fit honeycomb blackout blinds, or for other window types, go for Stick Fit honeycomb blackout blinds. 

For more inspiration on conservatory blinds, check out our Conservatory Blinds Ideas blog. 

When it comes to colour, light is absorbed by darker shades and reflected off lighter shades. This is handy to keep in mind when shopping for your blackout blinds, as those in lighter shades or with lighter backings will give your home a boost when it comes to keeping the sun's rays at bay. You'll find plenty of our blackout roller blinds come with a white backing, regardless of the colour, giving the same benefits. If you do have your heart set on a dark pleated blinds, don't fret - whilst choosing lighter hues might give them a helping hand, the blackout nature of the blind itself will do the heavy lifting to keep rooms cool regardless of the shade of your shade.

Looking to cool your home, block the light, or both? Blackout blinds are the way to go! From classic rollers to ultra-effective honeycomb styles, we've got something for every room - and every budget. Ready to take control of the heat? Explore our blackout blinds collection and find your perfect match today.