To be disappointed with these blinds?

[Ca2026]

Had blinds fitted throughout the house. Asked for the best blinds for blackout for my DD who works shifts. He said the perfect fit blackout.

We’ve gone ahead with a mix of different types of blinds fitted all throughout.

A different guy fit the perfect fit ones, and as he was fitting I said we got them for the above reason, and he said you will a small band of light around the edge (not mentioned on ordering).

So AIBU to be disappointed with this fit, is this normal for ‘perfect fit’ or a worth a complaint? They are not much better then the black our roller blinds in the other rooms.

Sorry, I don't have any experience but I've been looking at blackout blinds and considering these for complete darkness. That's not how I imagined they'd be either.

I'd be writing a letter to them, yes. You will likely find in the small print though that they don't guarantee complete black out.

I also used to work nights and had wooden blinds with a similar halo to yours. I bought blackout curtains from dunelm and with both, I got as close to true blackout as I could. I realise that is additional expense, but I doubt any blind would be true blackout.

We sell blinds where I work, and you'll always get a small amount of light bleed with a cassette topped blind but perfect fit blinds should give you better light block. The ones we sell are called frame fix and they slot into the glass beading with a frame all round that blocks all light.

I’d complain but not expect to get anywhere. I had a salesman from Hilary’s blinds come round, really nice guy, very helpful, promised lots. Placed the order and never saw him again.
The next guy they sent was rude, aggressive, cancelled the agreed fit date because it was to close to Christmas- I’d been promised it would be done before Christmas as I had family staying in the newbuild. He left all the rubbish behind and a hell of a mess. I complained to Hilary’s and didn’t get anywhere…I am just about to move house again and have another 19 windows to dress… can guess who I won’t be using.

These are the ones on a frame tha fit into the window frame.

This is a small family local business so hopefully would be better at dealing with it then Hillary’s.

I've had blackout blinds which were perfect fit too, they were rollerblinds and a thick material. Are yours rollerblind or slats? They also fitted quite a wide plastic insert round the window which meant minimal light came in at the edge
It still wasn't completely blackout so had to get blackout curtains and with both together it was pitch black. Sorry you were disappointed.

These are frames that clip into the window, they almost like a shutter within the frame, it’s fabric with a foil / metal inside (we got the none blackout perfect fit in the dining room french doors and they let more light through the fabric). It’s not the fabric, it’s the gap around the edge that’s not ideal.

We had exactly the same. The only solution we’ve found is two layers of window covering, so adding curtains or a blind in addition to the perfect fit blinds.

Yeah you are right OP.

I would expect blackout to block all light so the fact they are advertised as blackout is crazy..

When I bought blackout curtains, they do the same and pick up security lighting..

I didn’t think “ black out” related to the amount of light through the window I thought it was the amount of light through the material. I can’t see how any blind that fits within the opening would block light 100% around the edges. I’d have thought they’d have to sit outside the window opening and overlap the edges.

I got these ones from Blinds2go. And they're exactly the same and not a perfect fit at all.
I emailed them several times and they cannot see a problem with them. Also, as they're a big company you just get passed from one member of customer services to another and you have to explain all over again. I suspect they're trained to deflect all complaints. They actually tried to get me to pay more to buy a different type of black out blind that would be better!! I would never recommend them or use them ever again.

We resorted to curtains and blinds in bedrooms - but we don’t bother drawing the curtains all the way across as it’s just the edges.

YANBU to be disappointed but the only solution is curtains too.

We have these and they look the same unfortunately. I have a blackout sheet to go over the top when needed in the summer (trap it in the window to hold it up as windows are top opening) and we had to fit Roman blinds inside the window alcove for daily use as well as the perfect fit blinds

Combined with curtains, these blinds can be quite effective. I have found that the pleated screen blows in and bows if the window is open or there is a channel of air though which can cause crumpling.

You have to use curtains as well, yanbu to be disappointed they should have explained it won't block all light.

Frustrating, had I have known we would still need curtains I would have just got her the same as all the others upstairs.

They are not fit for purpose which is what I would be arguing with them. You wanted complete black out and you haven't got that. We have had Perfect Fit blinds so I know what system you have.

Bloc blinds have rubber seals in their side channels which you attach to the walls of the recess so no light gets through the sides at all. Have a look at this video, but this is what we will be fitting later this year in the bedrooms.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JqqhsS-TmL0

Their website is here https://blocout.com/

We have Bloc Out blinds and they pretty much don’t let any light through the sides, they are total blackout. They’re brilliant, DH fitted them in both kids’ rooms.

I used to sell “window stylings” for a high end company. There is no, one product, that will give you true blackout I’m afraid. It will be a combination of blinds, like you have here, and curtains or roman blind etc.

However, the salesperson should have made that very clear at the appointment.

Why not have them fitted on outside of window alcove? No inside fitted ones will give you total blackout because of the blind mechanism

Very hard to get a picture of darkness but this is DD’s room right now with bright sunshine outside. The light at the bottom is her Yoto.

They had even less side leakage when new but three years of children pulling them open and shut has warped the fabric a bit.

I ordered a cheap version of these online to fit myself...the issue with them is that the blind frame will be perfectly square but the window is unlikely to be the same so there is always gaps even if only mm. Mine came with sticky backed foam tape to fill any gaps (from the back of the blinds so that it is unseen) and it is now true black out.
You can buy similar - www.amazon.co.uk/YIMIKI-Stripping-Insulation-Soundproofing-SoundProof/dp/B09NGQVM4V/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1LWEROI6HL2NW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KkPnNxDgAkahaCjsVFGFi6qt585WbXedDiD1ciwDVOsq-o8cvD4naMmzwbuFNchwJycNIeZ05mdCbgNd9H8mJLmkJdrYhs7C6RAtP0MTfQE7M4ydzoBJzgPdwfhM3rAZ-HDIOTfjP9sBrzatZ5NVnNA_j10U87DhpgZwsx8Z_3xnVOhfVEsKStLTi-98iUxM8TwcuxtySlLVNKLzMUjVbYLGz98gvSOJQVFnCmZciK7bedekpC-VA1P60N7d1ZXXw-K1jhgLHfcRI4CkFdkLq6fUz-3ws-FboXLuud2l3eo.cIYKY6_Pr4-qMDPbH7UilfO2cdRkEaJid6-oxlLS2mk&dib_tag=se&keywords=blackout%2Btape%2Bfor%2Bblinds%2Bfoam&qid=1776172953&sprefix=blackout%2Btape%2Bfor%2Bblinds%2Bfo%2Caps%2C332&sr=8-1-spons&aref=KlZ4efnkxY&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

We have a cartridge blind similar (if not the same) as the Bloc out blind up thread. Really good, no light at edges. Ordered online and easy to fit.