Blackout Curtains

Blackout curtains block 90-100% of incoming light: the difference between a normal night-time bedroom and proper darkness. The format suits households with shift workers, parents of young children, and anyone whose bedroom faces street lighting or low sun. Gardenista, Homescapes and La Redoute UK between them cover £5-£190 across the range. Two construction methods: 3-pass coated fabric (a thicker single curtain that blocks light through the weave) and lined blackout (a normal curtain panel with a separate blackout backing). Lined blackout reads better as a curtain (the visible side looks normal); 3-pass coated reads more utilitarian but blocks slightly more light. Look for at least 200gsm fabric weight for true blackout. Side-overlap brackets stop light leaking around the curtain edge; without them blackout-effective curtains can still let a slim light strip through at dawn. Most blackout curtains come with eyelet, pencil-pleat or tab-top headings; eyelet is the modern standard.