As I’m writing this in the middle of a heat wave, I’m feeling extremely grateful for the blackout curtains that are singlehandedly keeping me cool — well, along with my trusty tower fan. And if you, too, are prone to sweating all day like I am, it’s time to invest in a set of these curtains.
Blackout curtains are thicker than regular curtains and are made of tightly woven fabric designed to keep light from shining through. They are often confused with room-darkening curtains, which are also thick and make your room significantly darker but don’t provide a complete darkness like blackout curtains do. You’ll still see a subtle glow from the sun with room-darkening curtains.
Both curtain styles can be particularly useful if you work a night shift, have infants or smaller children who struggle with nap time or have large windows that let in loads of unwanted heat and sunlight. During the winter, these curtains also help keep your energy bill down (and heat inside) as heat is often lost through windows. As for the summer when heat is blazing, these curtains can help keep heat out, reducing the need to crank up the AC.
Below, we rounded up some of the highest reviewed blackout and room-darkening curtains you can shop online. They come in a variety of colors, lengths and designs and are easy to install thanks to their built-in grommet-top curtain rod style. All you have to do is slide your curtain rod through the grommet holes at the top.
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A pair of energy-saving blackout curtains
Promising review: “These thermal blackout curtains instantly block the sun’s heat, they are wonderful! Almost 100% blackout, but the little bit you can see is very muted and they darken the room better than all blackout curtains I’ve tried before. The best I’ve found, and especially with the heat protection! Wowza!” — Julie
A pair of minimal blackout curtains
Promising review: “After many attempts to find a curtain that was truly blackout, I finally found these! Living in Florida the intensity of the sun can heat up the house quickly. These curtains not only block out the sun they also help with keeping the heat from the sun out. I’ve had them for months now and the side facing the sun (or outside) hasn’t even faded. (Very impressed.) They are indeed thick however, they slide easily on the curtain rod. I would definitely recommend these for anyone who is looking for blackout curtains. They arrived quickly and were packaged nicely.” — Merlina
A set of ombré blackout curtains
Promising review: “I’m in love with these. They shield the heat perfectly from the sun, leaving my room at a perfect temp & block out all of the sun in the morning. When I wake up with these closed, it still looks like night in my room. These were worth every penny.” — Nikki D
A set of textured curtain panels
Promising review: “I got these for my toddlers bedroom. We got the natural color so fairly light but it’s still very dark. She’s sleeping one to two hours later now. I couldn’t be more happy with them. They look super expensive and they work. They did come wrinkled but with a quick steam they were perfect. Make sure you get a curtain rod for blackout curtains so they can go all the way to the wall. I also got mine to go floor to ceiling which helps with light coming in around edges. Love them. Buying more. Get them!” — Victoria
A set of multi-colored floral room-darkening panels
Promising review: “I didn’t want total blackout curtains for my living room, these do a great job keeping the hot sun from heating up the room, my AC doesn’t run as much and it keeps the glare off the tv. Still easy for the dogs to look out the window. Washed well.” — E. Johnson
A budget-friendly blackout curtain panel
Promising review: “Bought the gray ones for my daughters nursery. Placed them over a huge window that faces east with a lot of sunlight!! They work!!!! Perfectly dark for the daytime. They look great! Highly recommend!!!” — Sml
A pair of thermal-insulated blackout curtains
Promising review: “I work overnights and sleeping during the day is hard when the light is shining in my window. These blackout light so well that sometimes I wake up and I can’t tell if it’s night or day. They don’t wrinkle easy either. They are constantly being opened and closed, but still look crisp.” — Aliza
A pair of wavy pattern blackout curtains
Promising review: “I needed a blackout curtain for my office, because in the middle of the afternoon the sun is so bright that even with the shade down I couldn’t see my monitor. I purchased these curtains and they are perfect! They do what I wanted them to accomplish, the quality is good, and they are very attractive.” — Barbara Bailor
A pair of blackout curtains with twinkly tulle overlay
Promising review: “These curtains are beautiful. I love them in my daughters’ room. They block out a sufficient amount of light while letting sparkling bits peek through. The fabrics feel heavy and soft. They’re great quality and I’m sure will last a long time.” — S. Lebeouf
A pair of insulated floral curtain panels
Promising review: “I am so pleased with the quality of these curtains! It was exactly what I wanted for our bedroom. There were slight folding creases when they arrived, but 20 minutes in the dryer and they hung perfectly!” — Laura
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