Types of blinds explained: a complete buyer's guide

The main types of blinds for windows are roller blinds, double roller blinds, vertical blinds, panel glide blinds and venetian blinds. Roller blinds suit most rooms, double rollers give you separate day and night layers, vertical and panel glide blinds suit sliding doors and wide openings, and venetians give you fine control over light in kitchens and offices. All of these are indoor blinds, made to your measurements and ordered online.

The main types of blinds at a glance

Each type moves differently, and that movement decides what it does best. Use this table for a first shortlist, then read the section for each type.

Roller blinds

A roller blind is a single piece of fabric that winds around a tube at the top of the window. It is the most flexible blind we make, and our roller blinds are made in Australia. The choices that matter are fabric type, control, fit and extras.

Fabric types

Roller blind fabric does one of three jobs:

• Blockout stops light passing through the cloth and gives night privacy. Light still enters around the edges of a conventional blind. Many people search for "blackout", and it means the same thing.
• Light filter diffuses daylight and obscures the view. At night with the lights on, silhouettes can show.
• SunScreen is a woven fabric in our Screen range that cuts glare and keeps the view. It gives daytime privacy only when it is brighter outside, so it is not a night-privacy fabric.

We offer nine blockout ranges (Shade, Serene, Serene II, Ultra, Array, Allure, Elegance, Lakeside and Opulence), four light filter ranges (Serene LF, Ultra LF, Array LF and Opulence LF) and the Screen range in seven colours. Colours run from whites such as Shade Ice and Ultra Cool White to darker choices such as Array Jet and Screen Charcoal. Most blockout ranges have a white backing, while Shade is the same colour on both sides and Serene II and Lakeside have a colour-coordinated backing.

Our comparison of blockout, light filter and SunScreen explains the differences in more detail, and free samples show you the colours in your own light.

Controls

Roller blinds come with three control systems:

• SunBoss chain drive. The chain hangs on the left or right, with spring assistance on larger blinds. A chain safety device is supplied. Keep chains out of reach of children.
• ZeroGravity cordless. A spring-balanced blind you lift by the base rail. It holds at any height, has no chain and goes up to 3 m wide by 3 m drop.
• Silent Glide motorised. A battery motor is DIY-friendly and needs no mains wiring. A hardwired motor needs a licensed electrician, and C-Bus, for an existing C-Bus system, needs one too. Remotes come in 2-channel and 16-channel versions, and a compatible smart hub adds app control, scenes, timers and voice control through Alexa and Google Home.

For a children's room, a cordless or motorised control is the better choice. See our roller blind controls guide, which also covers motorised options.

Fit and roll direction

A roller blind can be recess fitted, inside the window opening, or face fitted, on the wall or trim around it. Some sites call these inside mount and outside mount. Recess fit looks neat but leaves small light gaps at the sides. Face fit covers more, reduces light gaps and clears obstructions.

Roll direction matters too. A standard (under) roll drops from the back of the tube, close to the glass, and blocks more light. A front (over) roll hides the tube and clears handles and winders but sits farther from the glass. A single blind needs 70 mm of clear depth for a front roll or 45 mm for a standard roll. Our guide to recess fit or face fit helps you decide.

Sizes, tubes and extras

Single roller blinds are made from 250 to 3000 mm wide and 300 to 3000 mm drop. The tube is 38 mm as standard, and blinds wider than 2100 mm use a 50 mm tube automatically. Over 2500 mm wide, the blind gets an upgraded gear-drive clutch at no extra charge.

You can also choose bracket colours (white, grey, ivory, latte or black), chain options including stainless steel, which we recommend for coastal homes, and a base rail in deluxe oval or flat.

Cassette and linked roller blinds

Two variations solve specific problems:

• The Full Blockout Cassette adds a headbox, side channels and a bottom channel to a compatible under-roll blockout blind. It needs 50 mm of clear depth and cannot be retrofitted. It reduces light around the edges.
• Linked roller blinds put two or three blinds on shared brackets for wide windows. The join gap is about 17 mm, compared with 30 mm or more for blinds butted side by side.

Double roller blinds

A double roller blind carries two independently operated fabrics on one set of dual brackets. The daylight layer is Screen or light filter, and the second layer is blockout. That gives you filtered daylight or a fully closed blockout layer for the evening, without changing the blind.

Double rollers use chain, cordless or motorised control, depending on the dimensions. They need more depth than a single blind: 90 mm with both blinds front rolled (the recommended recess setup), or 70 mm with both standard rolled. A curved double fascia can hide the hardware, in a matching aluminium finish or a fabric-wrapped front. If your recess is too shallow, two single blinds, one recess fitted and one face fitted with an under roll, is an alternative.

Double rollers work well in bedrooms, living rooms and dining rooms. Our guide to double roller blinds explained covers pairings, depths and controls.

Vertical blinds

Vertical blinds hang as a row of vanes that rotate to control light and privacy, and stack to the left, right or split. They suit sliding doors, French doors and wide windows because the vanes move sideways, out of the way of foot traffic.

Our vanes are 89 mm or 127 mm wide. Fabric choices are Lakeside and Shade, which are the only ranges available on vertical blinds. Face fit is common, and a recess needs enough room for the vanes to rotate.

Vertical blinds are not used in kitchens. If you want a modern look on a wide opening, compare them with panel glide blinds below. For more current looks across every blind type, see modern blinds: styles and colours that look current.

Panel glide blinds

Panel glide blinds use broad fabric panels that slide along a track. They suit large windows and doors, and they give a cleaner, flatter look than vanes.

• Fabric. All roller blind fabrics can be used on panel glide blinds.
• Fit. Face fit.
• Panels. Panels are typically 500 to 1000 mm wide.
• Opening. A centre opening always has an odd number of panels: a 3-channel track has 5 panels and a 5-channel track has 9.
• Base rail. A flat base rail is available in White, Black or Silver at no extra charge.

Panel glide blinds are not used in kitchens. Track and stack allowances matter on a wide opening, so use the panel glide measuring guide before you order.

Venetian blinds

Venetian blinds have horizontal slats that tilt for light and lift for the view. They give the finest control of daylight of any blind, which is why they suit home offices, kitchens and bathrooms.

We offer three kinds:

• Timber venetian blinds have 50 mm slats and a natural look.
• Fauxwood venetians give the timber look in a faux wood slat and suit kitchens and bathrooms.
• Aluminium venetian blinds come in Cool White, Brilliant White, Warm Pure Silk, Ebony and Sterling, and suit kitchens and home offices.

Fauxwood and aluminium venetians suit kitchens because they are waterproof. Our timber, fauxwood or aluminium venetians guide compares them in detail.

Other window coverings, and what is not in our range

Fascias and pelmets

A roller blind fascia is a blind pelmet. It conceals the hardware, comes with matching brackets and side covers, and is a face-fit system. It is not a cassette and does not remove every light gap. A fabric-wrapped fascia cannot be made in Screen or Shade fabric, and a double roller fascia wraps in the blockout layer's fabric. Bonded pelmets are fabric-covered pelmets that hide the roll or track and frame the window. Our guide on what is a pelmet explains the differences.

Curtains

Curtains are the main alternative to blinds. We make sheer curtains (Cassis, Cassis Volume and Bali, all linen-look polyester) and blockout curtains (Galaxy and Epic), in S Fold, Pencil Pleat, Double Pinch Pleat, Triple Pinch Pleat and Inverted Pleat headings. Our guide to types of curtains covers the choices.

Plantation shutters

Plantation shutters come in timber (paulownia) and PVC. PVC is for interior use only and suits wet areas, but it is not for continual direct soaking. D-mould, the overlap lip that blocks the view between panels, is standard on every panel at no extra charge.

Types that are not part of our range

Some blinds you may see elsewhere are not part of our range: roman blinds, which fold into pleats as they lift; honeycomb (cellular) blinds, built from layers of cells; zebra blinds, which use alternating bands of sheer and solid fabric; and outdoor blinds for patios and cafes.

How to choose the right type of blind

Start with the job the blind must do, then the room, then the window.

Choose by need

Choose by room

Day and night: what each type does

Light and privacy change through the day, so it helps to compare types at both ends of it.

The best type of blinds for a living room

Living rooms usually need to balance daylight, view and privacy through the day. Light filter roller blinds soften daylight and obscure the view. SunScreen roller blinds cut glare and keep the view, but they do not give night privacy. A double roller blind gives you both, and S Fold curtains add softness. Choose the layer that matches what the room does at night.

In the kitchen and bathroom

For kitchens, PVC plantation shutters, fauxwood venetians and aluminium venetians all suit, being waterproof. Roller blinds are fine as long as they do not get drenched, and SunScreen and light filter are the usual fabrics. Check taps and handles before you choose the fit, because a front roll can clear a handle. Cassette systems, curtains, vertical blinds and panel glide blinds are not used in kitchens. In bathrooms, keep roller blind fabric clear of direct spray; PVC shutters and fauxwood venetians are the sturdier choices where the window gets wet.

Fit and depth by type

Depth is what often rules a type in or out for a recess. This table pulls the figures together.

Fit and measuring

Whatever type you choose, decide between recess fit and face fit first, then use the official guides for that product. Every product has its own method, so do not carry a measurement from one type to another.

The measure guides and installation guides pages list the rest, including bay windows, corner windows and doors.

Questions

What are the main types of blinds?

The main types of indoor blinds we make are roller blinds, double roller blinds, vertical blinds, panel glide blinds and venetian blinds. Roller blinds also come as cordless, motorised, linked and cassette versions.

What is the best type of blind for a living room?

Light filter roller blinds, SunScreen roller blinds and double roller blinds all suit a living room, and S Fold curtains are a popular alternative. Light filter softens daylight and SunScreen cuts glare while keeping the view.

Which blinds suit a kitchen?

SunScreen and light filter roller blinds, fauxwood and aluminium venetians and PVC plantation shutters all suit kitchens. Cassette systems, curtains, vertical blinds and panel glide blinds are not used in kitchens.

What is the difference between blockout, light filter and SunScreen?

Blockout stops light passing through the cloth and gives night privacy. Light filter diffuses daylight and obscures the view, and SunScreen is a woven fabric that cuts glare and keeps the view but is not a night-privacy fabric.

Which is better for sliding doors, vertical or panel glide blinds?

Both suit sliding doors. Vertical blinds have adjustable vanes for light and privacy, while panel glide blinds use broad fabric panels for a cleaner look, and linked roller blinds or curtains are other options.