Can anyone recommend a good blackout blind that won't break the bank?

[SamJohnsMum]

My journey towards a half-decent night's sleep continues (it must be out there, right?) and I'm now thinking that our blackout blind from Argos is a bit rubbish - it lets in light round the edge.

Any ideas, anyone? Thanks.

Ikea ones are good, if you get a big enough one to overlap your window. they come in a heap of sizes.

I just bought blackout material, cut it to fit, and stick it round the window frame with velcro. Easy to take off in the morning, easy to put up and doesn't let any light in.

Cost me about £10 for two windows.

The curtains hide the velcro during the day.

Which way round does it hang SJM, is it flush to the window? Ours lets light in round the edge if the blind hangs forward over the top, but not if it hangs down the back, IYWSIM

(does that make any sense at all?!)

I too had one from Argos that was a bit rubbish. I have got one from John Lewis now. You could fit it in a diffent way I think so that there are no gaps. You put the fixtures in a different place - I don't know I can't do DIY.

I got some black out blinds for the curtains from e-bay that were cheap.

I got mine on Ebay - they're roller ones. I have a navy one in DD2's room which is really good, and cream ones from the same supplier in DD1's room which are not so good - not sure if it's because they're cream, or because I cut them down too much at the edges.

Also if you're wanting to try out a total blackout, you could try taping black binbags to the windown for a few nights, and then if it works, get a new blind.

I got mine from Next.
They start from £10. The size I needed cost me £14.

But you can't put a price of a decent nights sleep IMO

We use a towel attached to the curtain rail with clothes pegs, or bin bags taped to the window.
Cheap, moi?
Only works if your DC are too little to play in their bedroom in the day though, obviously.

We have inexpensive blackout roller blinds from Ikea in our bedroom - but light does come round the sides a little. They are fitted tightly to the wall above the window aperture and are wider than the windows themselves. Curtains over the top may help keep the blinds in order if there is a small gap to mask or the blind warps a little. External shutters that close down work well as do internal shutters or well fitting venetian style blinds.
In my (ex) job I needed a good blackout and an oversized blackout blind with a heavier base strip is commonly used, sometimes with a removable strap system (like an elastic net curtain bungy thing)to hold the edges securely not to leak light.