Black out blinds

[TheJingleMumsRush]

I can't find "chat" on my app! I want black out roller blinds as I'm enjoying DS sleeping in these dark mornings :) do they work? Is it really black out?

[CrohnicChristmas]

No light comes through the actual blind, but if you want it to be 100% dark you need to buy blinds much bigger than the window and put it above the window, if you fit it inside the recess then light leaks round the edges.

[wheresthelight]

they are brilliant although expensive if you have big windows (stay away from linens limited on ebay and Amazon, they are crap and very rude staff). dunelm sell black out linings for curtains which are much better imo

[greenbananas]

Yes, I'd buy blackout lining and make real curtains, I think. I made some for a friend, and hers work really well.

I bought a cheap blackout blind from eBay. It broke within a week. Also, I made the mistake of getting one that only just fitted the window, so quite a lot of light leaked around the edges.

[Pico2]

We have blackout blinds fitted into the window recess - so do get some light around the sides. Then we have curtains (normal lined, not blackout) ove the top. That gets the room pretty dark, though not perfectly. Our blackout blinds are from John Lewis and DH cuts the to size. The childrens ones are good because they don't have a cord. Please be aware of the danger of blind cords.

[GlaceCherries]

Light will leak in around the sides with blinds (unless as Crohnic says, you buy bigger than the window).

We used blackout lining, with a wire (the kind you hang net curtains on) stretched across the bottom of the window to tuck the curtain in. And velcro / tack pins along the sides to prevent light leakage. That made the room practically 100% pitch black, it was very dark even in the middle of summer.

I highly recommend blacking out, the little blighters won't be able to tell whether it's light enough / what time of day it is and so will stay in bed longer..!

[Kittykatmacbill]

Dh used to work nights so we a blackout blind from John Lewis, and then I lined the curtains with thermal blackout fabric from ebay. It made our bedroom pitch black and side benefit really toasty too!

[HeyMacWey]

I was obsessive about dc's room being dark purely to avoid early wakings.
We had a wooden blind and black out lined curtains.
Waste of bloody time now as they've slept with a nightlight on for the last 5 years.

[issynoho]

Dunelm blinds now come with a winder mechanism instead of cords.

If you have big or non-standard windows I can recommend 247 blinds online for well priced blackout blinds and decent service.

[whois]

Black out curtains are better than blinds as it's easier to get a good fit to not had any cracks of light around the edges.

[ShesAnEasyWuffer]

Dh and I put these up in dd's room about 6 months ago. Cut to size, stick the velcro on and away you go. They've barely moved and let in very little light. Definitely worth it bearing in mind they don't cost much.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B002Q04RVA/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1419029199&sr=8-2&pi=SL75&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[ShesAnEasyWuffer]

Linking to the correct product would help

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B002WCGBSY/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?qid=1419029370&sr=8-15&pi=SL75&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[QTPie]

Yes, have been great for DS (now almost 5). We also have massive blackout curtains in our room - the light really disturbs DH in the Summer. Sadly I sleep like the dead and could do with sunlight to wake up...

[MakeMeWarmThisWinter]

This is the bees knees

No faffing with making curtains or cutting to size - it has suction pads all the way round so just stick it up and you're done. Plus you can take to hotels / grandparents etc too.

[backtowork2015]

I bought black out linings from ebay which you attach to the back of existing curtains using curtain hooks. They were cheap and were pre cut to the size i specified. Make sure you buy '3 pass' fabric. Its truly black out.

[ShesAnEasyWuffer]

We tried that one first MakeMe but found it let some light in as the suction pads have large spaces between them. However, we did try in the height of summer when everything was really bright. It's a definite bonus that they're portable though!

[OneHorseOpenSandwich]

we have ikea blackout blinds, quite cheap and come in black, white or grey. No cord, just a pull tab, cut to size yourself. I like them in the recess so have normal curtains on top. Works well.

In another room I have blackout curtains from Dunelm which are nice. Probably not quite as dark as the blind though.

[bahfinghumbug]

I got Ds black put blinds from Argos and they work brilliantly (had to get two for his 8ft window) no light comes round them or through them even though they are lime green , Also has black out curtains from Next as he will only sleep in the pitch black

[SnookyPooky]

I got mine from Ikea. They are great.
I live in Cyprus, it was like sleeping in a lightbulb without them.

[Jenny2014]

We have a gro anywhere black out blind which sticks to your window using auction cups. Truely amazing and would totally recommend.

[maras2]

We bought a fairly cheap pair of curtains from Wilkinsons as they were just right for our living room.When DGD age 15 months stayed over recently we put her travel cot in there as it's next to our bedroom.I was amazed at just how good the £20 ish pair of curtains were at blacking out the room.They are just black with an embossed Shirley frenzy pattern.

[maras2]

Damn auto correct ferny pattern not frenzy.

[tracyrobo]

Just be aware that your child will probaby never be able to sleep anywhere without them even when they are adults

[maras2]

FFS. swirly ferny pattern

[chrome100]

I clicked on this thread wondering who on earth needs black out blinds the day before the winter solstice

(Me clearly, as although it's going to be dark for another 3 hours yet I am still up and awake at 5:30 on a Saturday)

[LowLieTheFields]

In my experience they work well for babies but once they get to a certain age (3 ish?), they wake anyway. Our kids room has a blind which completely blocks out any light but they get up at the same time now as they did in the summer ??