Blind cord safety: chains, cords and cordless options
Hanging chains and cords are a hazard for young children. Here is how to remove them, fit the safety device properly and arrange a room around a window.
Blind cord safety comes down to three habits: choose blinds with no hanging chain or cord where you can, fit any safety device exactly as supplied, and keep cots, beds and climbable furniture away from windows. For a child's room, a cordless or motorised roller blind removes the hanging chain altogether.
In short
- No blind with a hanging chain or cord is child safe on its own. Keep chains and cords out of reach and furniture away from windows.
- Our SunBoss chain drive comes with a child-safety device that stops the chain forming a loop over 220 mm. Fit it as instructed.
- ZeroGravity cordless blinds have no chain, and motorised blinds are operated by remote.
- A cord cleat or holder tidies spare cord. It does not replace the safety device that comes with your blind.
Why blind cord safety matters
A loop of cord or chain can wrap around a young child's neck. Small children can reach, climb and get tangled faster than most adults expect, and a window with a chain or cord beside it can be within reach of a cot, bed or sofa.
Australia has mandatory safety rules for corded internal window coverings, and any safety device supplied must be fitted as instructed. The rest comes down to choices you make at home: which control you pick, where the chain sits and what you place beside the window.
The hazard is the loop, so the safest approach is to avoid having one.
Blinds with no cord
Roller blinds are made in three control systems, and two have no hanging chain. The choice matters most in a nursery or a young child's room.
| Control | Hanging chain or cord? | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| ZeroGravity cordless | No | Lift or lower by the base rail. The blind holds at any height. Suits blinds up to 3 m wide by 3 m drop |
| Motorised (Silent Glide) | No | Operated by remote, and by app or voice with a compatible smart hub. Keep remotes and chargers out of reach |
| SunBoss chain drive | Yes | A child-safety device is supplied that stops the chain forming a loop over 220 mm |
| Curtains | Optional wand | A wand clips to the leading edge. Choose 910 mm, 1520 mm or none. Motorised tracks need no wand |
Our cordless roller blinds page explains how the spring-balanced system works, and chain, cordless or motorised compares all three. If you want a hands-free option, motorised roller blinds can be battery powered, which needs no mains wiring.
Which control suits which room
| Room | Suggested control | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery or young child's room | ZeroGravity cordless or motorised | Nothing hangs beside the window |
| Bedroom | Cordless, motorised, or a chain with the device fitted | If you use a chain, choose the side away from the bed |
| Living room with young children | Cordless on windows within reach, motorised on wide or high ones | Cordless suits most everyday window sizes |
| Home theatre | Motorised | Operated by remote from the sofa |
| Wide or high window | Motorised | No chain to reach, and nothing to hang low |
What "child safe blinds" really means
Searches for child safe blinds are common, but no blind with a hanging chain or cord is child safe on its own. Fitting the safety device limits the loop a chain can form, and a cordless blind removes the hanging chain, but neither takes the place of good placement and supervision.
So the useful questions are practical ones:
- Does this blind have a chain or cord, and where does it hang?
- Is the safety device fitted as instructed?
- What is near the window that a child could climb on?
- Could a cordless or motorised blind do the job instead?
For a nursery or a young child's room, we suggest cordless or motorised control. Our guide to blinds and curtains for nurseries covers the rest of the room.
Using the chain safety device
Every SunBoss chain blind comes with a child-safety device that stops the chain forming a loop over 220 mm. It only works if it is fitted properly.
- Fit it before you use the blind, not later. Follow the roller blinds installation guide, which asks you to fit every supplied chain safety device and follow its instructions.
- Keep the loop short. The guide's rule is that a loose cord must not make a loop of 220 mm or longer anywhere below 1600 mm from the floor, and this applies to the control chain too.
- Choose the chain side with care. Pick the side furthest from where children sleep, play or climb.
- Check it regularly. The installation guide asks you to check the chain safety fittings regularly and keep every control chain secured. Our guide to roller blind chain problems covers what to do if a chain needs attention.
- Refit it exactly after any move. If you take the blind down to clean, paint or replace it, follow the installation guide again so the device goes back as intended.
- Contact us if it is missing or damaged, and send your order details.
Do not remove the device because it is inconvenient. If it gets in the way of using the blind, the answer is a different control, such as cordless or motorised.
Cord cleats, holders and anchors
Searches for blind cord anchors, a blind cord holder or a blind cord cleat are common, so it helps to know what each one is. These descriptions are general, because products differ.
- A cleat or cord holder is a small hook or bracket fixed to a wall or frame, used to wind up spare cord and keep it tidy.
- A cord anchor or tensioner holds a looped cord or chain in place so it cannot form a free loop.
- A cord shortener or tie-up keeps cord short, so that less hangs down.
These products can help with older blinds, but they only suit blinds designed to work with them. Use the safety device supplied with your blind, follow its instructions, and keep the chain or cord well out of a child's reach. We supply a safety device with our chain blinds, and we do not sell separate cords, cleats or anchors. For a blind from another supplier, ask that supplier which device suits it.
Setting up a room around a window
Placement matters as much as the blind. These steps apply whichever control you choose.
- Move cots and beds away from windows, ideally to an inside wall.
- Keep climbable furniture away, including chests, shelves, sofas and toy boxes.
- Keep remotes and chargers high if you have motorised blinds.
- Tuck spare chain or cord out of reach, using the method in the instructions.
- Check every window, including older blinds and curtains with wands, not only the ones in the nursery.
Look again whenever you move a cot, bed or sofa, when a child starts to climb or walk, after you take a blind down and put it back, and when you move house and fit blinds in a new room. Take a minute to check the safety device, the position of the chain and what stands beside the window.
Curtains, wands and remotes
Curtains have no blind chain, but a few things are worth a look.
- Wands. A wand clips to the leading edge of a curtain and hangs beside the window. You can choose 910 mm, 1520 mm or no wand at all. In a child's room, no wand and drawing the fabric by hand leaves nothing dangling. Motorised tracks need no wand.
- Remotes. Motorised blinds and curtains are run by remote, and a compatible smart hub adds app control. Keep remotes where small children cannot get them.
- Chargers. Battery motors are rechargeable and need a charger, which means a lead and a plug. Charge somewhere out of reach, and put the charger away afterwards.
- Hardwired motors. These connect to the mains, and a licensed electrician must install them, so the wiring is out of sight.
Older blinds and rental homes
If you have moved into a home with existing blinds, look at every cord and chain. Check for fraying, damage and missing safety devices, and check that nothing hangs low enough for a child to reach. Venetians and older roller blinds often have cords or chains, and how they are controlled depends on the product, so look at the one you have.
If a blind has loose loops and no way to secure them, replacing it with a cordless or motorised blind is the safest fix. In a rental, ask your landlord or agent in writing.
Questions
Which blind control suits a child's room?
ZeroGravity cordless, which has no chain, or a motorised blind. Keep any remote and charger out of reach, and keep cots and climbable furniture away from the window.
What does the roller blind chain safety device do?
It is supplied with SunBoss chain blinds and stops the chain forming a loop over 220 mm. Fit it exactly as the instructions show.
Can a chain blind be made child safe?
No chain or cord blind is child safe on its own. Fit the supplied safety device, keep the chain out of reach and keep furniture away from the window. For a young child's room, choose cordless or motorised.
Do I need a blind cord anchor or cleat?
Use the safety device supplied with your blind and follow its instructions. A cleat or holder tidies spare cord, but it does not replace the device that suits your blind.
Which roller blinds have no cord?
ZeroGravity cordless roller blinds have no chain and lift by the base rail. Motorised roller blinds are operated by remote, app or wall switch, so they have no hanging chain either.
Choose a blind with no chain
ZeroGravity cordless roller blinds lift by the base rail and hold at any height. Build yours and see the price.
Keep reading
Room ideasBlinds and curtains for nurseries and kids' roomsCordless blockout blinds, cassettes and curtains for a nursery, with practical steps on chains, cot position and colours that still work as your child grows.
BlindsChain, cordless or motorised: choosing roller blind controlsChain, cordless or motorised? How each roller blind control works, what limits apply and which suits a bedroom, nursery, home theatre or wide window.
BlindsMotorised blinds explained: battery, hardwired and C-BusBattery, hardwired or C-Bus? A plain guide to how motorised blinds are powered, how remotes and hubs work, and what to check before you order.
