Choosing blinds or shades for your home is about more than just comfort. Yes, blinds, whether motorized or otherwise, are fantastic for keeping light out of your home, blocking out harmful UV rays, keeping prying eyes at bay, and even keeping your home at a good temperature.
However, there is a bit more to it than that, with eco-friendliness being at the forefront. The fact of the matter is that the type of shade you choose determines just how eco-friendly your home is.
There are many different types of blinds available, including cellular, sheer, blackout, roller shades, and vertical shades too, each of which have slightly different benefits and drawbacks as far as eco friendliness is concerned.
Let's find out what the most eco-friendly types of shades are, and how they can benefit your home.
Eco-Friendliness of Cellular Shades
One of the most popular types of shades you can purchase is the cellular shade, also referred to as the honeycomb shade. When it comes down to it, these are the number one most eco-friendly type of window shades available, which is due to their energy saving properties and overall unique design.
As you might be able to tell by the name, cellular shades feature small pockets in between layers of fabric that trap air. This creates an insulating barrier between the room and the window.
This is ideal for preventing heat loss in the winter, and also prevents heat from coming in during the summer. This can greatly reduce the overall heating and cooling costs of your home, in some cases by up to 20%. Overall, this means that your carbon footprint is lower, and you end up spending less money too.
Even better is the fact that cellular shades generally offer great UV protection and light control as well, two more benefits you can reach with this simple yet effective type of shade. Overall, cellular shades help regulate indoor temperatures and create a more comfortable living environment, they look good, and they reduce the amount of energy your home consumes as well.
Eco-Friendliness of Sheer Shades
Next on the list, we have sheer shades, which are also known for being quite eco-friendly, as well as stylish. If you want to reduce the amount of energy you use, but also maintain a bit of natural light in your home, then sheer shades are a great way to go.
For those who don't know, sheer shades feature fabric veins that are suspended between two or more layers of sheer fabric.
This allows for good visibility control and gentle light diffusion. These shades are environmentally friendly because they allow your home to use natural daylight, therefore reducing the need for artificial lighting. By reducing the need for artificial I think, you help cut down on your energy costs.
What also needs to be said is that there are plenty of sheer shades out there that are made with eco-friendly fabrics, such as recycled polyester, cotton, or linen. What's also great about sheer shades is that they help filter out light, but don't block air flow completely, therefore contributing to better overall indoor air quality.
Overall, sheer shade can help you save energy due to reduced lighting needs while also enhancing natural lighting.
Eco-Friendliness of Blackout Fabric
We then have blackout shades, which are a special type of blind made with blackout fabric, and as you can tell by the name, these are meant to block out 100% of light. Indeed, high end blackout shades can block out 100% of light from a home, and this is thanks to light blocking or opaque fabrics.
They're ideal for nurseries, media rooms, and bedrooms. Now, what makes them so eco-friendly is the fact that they help you conserve energy by blocking out the sunlight from your home.
They help keep your home cool during the summer and warm during the winter, offering a good deal of natural insulation from the light. However, what you also need to consider is that blackout fabric can also be quite thick and heavy, which therefore means that it can also insulate for temperature.
Even better is the fact that many different blackout shades can be made with a variety of recycled fabrics, therefore improving the overall eco friendliness of the product that you buy. Blackout shades are ideal for temperature control, light control, privacy enhancement, and more. There's some of the best options you have as far as eco-friendliness is concerned.
Eco-Friendliness of Roller Shades
Next on the list, we have roller shades, which are extremely popular. Roller shades are very popular because they come in many different materials and types, which you can easily customize to promote light control, privacy, insulation, and more.
Aside from the fact that you can generally choose the type of fabric you want for your roller shades, something else that makes them so eco-friendly and energy efficient is that they can generally be programmed.
When you can program your shades, it means that you can program them to raise or lower as you see fit. For instance, you can program them to lower when the sun comes up and raise when the sun goes down, therefore allowing for greater energy efficiency.
Eco-Friendliness of Vertical Shades
Finally, we have vertical shades. These are very customizable, and they can be adjusted to control both privacy and light. They are ideal for allowing a bit of filtered light in the room, which reduces the need for artificial lighting.
When you close them, they can also provide a bit of insulation. With that being said, vertical shades generally aren't the most eco-friendly of all, and you're much better off going with one of the above options.
Final Thoughts on Eco-Friendly Shades
Whatever the case may be, as you can see, there are many different types of eco-friendly shades. BlindsMagic actually has virtually all of these shades available, including sheer shades, roller shades, blackout shades, cellular shades, zebra shades, and more. This means that the selection is nearly endless, and you can choose the ones that are best suited for your home and your environmental goals.
