The best blackout curtains for a UK bedroom are not the thickest or the most expensive. They are the ones that cover the whole window with room to spare, so light cannot creep in around the edges, above the pole or through the gap in the middle. Almost every disappointing blackout curtain fails on coverage, not on fabric.
So the decision is mostly about the window. Curtains hang outside the recess and can overlap generously on all sides. Blinds fit inside the recess and stop the glow at the very edges. Liners turn the curtains you already own into blackout ones. For a genuinely dark room in a house with a street light outside, the answer is often a blind and curtains together.
This guide explains what darkness does for sleep, the difference between the options, how to measure, what to look for on the label, and who each suits. Examples follow the advice.
Why a dark bedroom helps, and where curtains fall short
Your body clock takes its main cue from light. Light in the evening delays it; light in the early morning advances it and starts the process of waking. In the UK that means a summer dawn at 4.30am can pull you awake hours early, and a sodium or LED street light can keep a room in permanent dusk. If you tend to wake too early in May and June, the window is the first place to look.
Blackout curtains fix the room rather than the person. That is their great advantage over a mask: they help everyone in the bed, they need no wearing or washing, and they double as insulation. Their limits are the gaps. Fabric that blocks nearly all light is easy to buy, yet light still finds its way in above the pole, down each edge and between the two panels. Curtains also do nothing for a glowing charger, a landing light or a partner's tablet, and they are a semi-permanent fitting, which matters if you rent. If you are weighing a mask against curtains, sleep mask vs blackout curtains puts the two side by side.
In short: Blackout fabric is standard; coverage is what you are buying. Overlap the frame, deal with the top, and consider a blind inside the recess.
Curtains, blinds and liners
Blackout curtains
A dense woven fabric or a coated backing bonded to a decorative face fabric. They hang from a pole or track outside the window recess and can extend well beyond it in every direction, which is their strength. Thermal versions add extra layers marketed for insulation. Choose a pole that extends 15 to 20 cm beyond the frame on each side, and a drop that reaches the floor or sill, so the edges can be pushed back against the wall.
Blackout blinds
Roller, cassette or honeycomb blinds with blackout fabric, fitted inside the recess. They sit close to the glass and stop the halo of light at the edges that curtains leave. Ordinary roller blinds still leak a little at the sides where the fabric clears the channel; cassette blinds with side channels are darker. No-drill versions attach with suction cups or tension fittings and suit rented homes, travel cots and holiday lets, though they may need re-fixing occasionally and look less tidy.
Blackout liners
A plain blackout layer that hooks onto the back of your existing curtains or hangs from a second track. The cheapest route to a dark room if you like your curtains and your pole is strong enough for the extra weight. Coverage is limited to what the existing curtains already cover.
Eyelet versus pencil pleat
Eyelet curtains thread straight onto a pole and hang in wide, even folds. They are easy to fit and to draw, but the top of the curtain sits below the pole, so a strip of light gets in over it. Pencil pleat curtains hang from hooks on a track or pole rings and can sit tighter to the wall and higher; with a track and a pelmet they close the top gap best. If you cannot fit a pelmet, hang eyelet curtains from a pole mounted well above the frame so the over-the-top light lands on the wall, not the bed.
How to measure
Measure the width of the window including the frame, then add 30 to 40 cm so the curtains can overlap on both sides. Pole width should be that total, with the finials extra. For the drop, measure from the top of the pole (eyelet) or the hook position (pencil pleat) to where you want the curtain to end; to the floor blocks more light than to the sill. For a blind inside the recess, measure the recess width at three heights and use the narrowest; for a blind outside the recess, add at least 5 cm on each side.
Curtain widths are sold per panel, so a pair described as 168 cm wide gives you two panels of that width. For pencil pleat you want total panel width around twice the pole length for good fullness; eyelet needs less, roughly one and a half times.
What to look for
- Coverage first. Enough width to overlap, enough drop to reach the floor or sill, a pole or track wider than the frame.
- Fabric described as blackout, not 'dim-out' or 'room darkening'. Those terms mean partial.
- Thermal lining if the window is draughty or single-glazed; it will earn its keep in winter and help keep sun off the room in summer, which matters when the bedroom is hot.
- Washability. Coated backings usually mean cool wash or dry clean; check the label.
- Heading type to suit your pole or track, and a pole strong enough for the weight of a lined pair.
- Blind side channels if you go the blind route and edge glow is your problem.
- Safety with cords. Any blind with a cord or chain in a home with children needs a cord tidy or a cordless design.
Who they suit, and who should look elsewhere
Blackout curtains suit anyone whose bedroom faces a street light, a security light or the sunrise, shift workers who sleep in the day, and anyone sharing with a light-sensitive partner. They are also worth it for insulation alone in a cold or draughty room.
Look elsewhere if you rent and cannot fit a pole, in which case a no-drill blind or a sleep mask does the job without holes in the wall. If the light in your room comes from inside, such as a landing light, a router or a charger, curtains will not fix it; our guide to bedroom lighting for sleep covers bulbs, lamps and the small glowing things.
If you rent
Most tenancy agreements allow small fixings, but check yours before drilling. Without drilling you still have options. A no-drill blind held by suction or tension inside the recess is the neatest. Blackout liners can be attached to existing curtains with hooks or clips without touching the wall. Tension rods sized to the recess hold a lightweight curtain or liner. Adhesive hook-and-loop strips along the top of the frame hold a cut-to-size blackout panel that peels off at the end of the tenancy. None of these looks as good as a fitted pair of curtains, but for a bedroom that faces a street light they make a real difference, and they leave with you.
Blackout options compared
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| Product type | Best for | Key feature | Worth knowing | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal blackout curtains (eyelet)e.g. Various UK retailers' own brands | Bedrooms with street lights or early summer dawn | Multi-layer or coated fabric marketed to block most light and reduce heat loss | Light still leaks around the edges and top unless the curtains overlap the frame generously; measure carefully. | Check current availability on Amazon |
| No-drill blackout blinde.g. Various (temporary or suction-fit blinds) | Renters, travel cots, and windows where curtains leave gaps | Fits inside the window recess without drilling | Suction fittings may need re-fixing; less tidy-looking than fitted blinds. | Check current availability on Amazon |
Examples of each type
Blackout curtains and blinds by type
Examples of the two main types described above, included to show what each looks like in practice; measure your window before choosing a size.
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Thermal blackout curtains (eyelet)
Example: Various UK retailers' own brands
Blackout curtains use a dense or coated backing to block light. Thermal versions are also marketed for insulation, which can help in winter and keep rooms slightly cooler in summer when closed during the day.
- Best for
- Bedrooms with street lights or early summer dawn
- Key feature
- Multi-layer or coated fabric marketed to block most light and reduce heat loss
- Why it may help
- Curtains address the room rather than the person, so they help everyone in the bed and do not need to be worn.
- Worth knowing
- Light still leaks around the edges and top unless the curtains overlap the frame generously; measure carefully.
No-drill blackout blind
Example: Various (temporary or suction-fit blinds)
Portable or no-drill blackout blinds attach with suction cups or tension fittings and are marketed for rented homes and travel. Some are cut to size.
- Best for
- Renters, travel cots, and windows where curtains leave gaps
- Key feature
- Fits inside the window recess without drilling
- Why it may help
- Fitting inside the recess blocks the edge glow that curtains let through. Combined with curtains, the room can get very dark.
- Worth knowing
- Suction fittings may need re-fixing; less tidy-looking than fitted blinds.
Free ways to close the gaps
Before spending anything, pin the outer edges of your existing curtains to the wall with a clip or a strip of hook-and-loop tape so they lie flat. Overlap the two panels in the middle with a clothes peg or a curtain magnet. Fold a towel along the top of the pole to catch the light coming over it. Move the bed so the glow from the edges does not fall on your pillow.
Then go round the room: charger lights, the standby LED on the television, the router, the gap under the door. The full checklist is in how to make your bedroom darker.
Where to go next
Measure with overlap in mind, choose curtains for coverage and insulation or a blind for edge glow, and if the room still is not dark enough, add the other. A mask remains the portable back-up for travel. For the rest of the bedroom, browse the sleep products guides.
Frequently asked questions
Do blackout curtains really block all light?
The fabric blocks almost all of it, but light still enters around the edges, over the top of the pole and through the gap where the two curtains meet. A room with blackout curtains is much darker, not pitch black, unless you also close the gaps with overlap, a pelmet or a blind in the recess.
Are blackout curtains or blinds better for a bedroom?
A blind fitted inside the window recess blocks edge glow better; curtains outside the recess cover a wider area and insulate more. The darkest result is a blackout blind inside the recess with curtains over the top. If you can only have one, choose by which gap bothers you most.
Can I make my existing curtains blackout?
Yes. Blackout linings clip onto the hooks or hang from a second track behind your curtains and turn any fabric into a light-blocking one. It is the cheapest route if you like the curtains you have. Check that the pole or track can take the extra weight.
Do blackout curtains keep a room warmer or cooler?
Thermal versions reduce heat loss through the window in winter, which most UK homes will notice. In summer, closing them during the day keeps direct sun off the room so it starts the night cooler. They do not cool a room that is already hot; for that you need airflow.
Sources and further reading
- NHS Every Mind Matters: How to fall asleep faster and sleep better
- NHS: Sleep and tiredness
- Sleep Foundation: Sleep Foundation
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Written and reviewed by the Quiet Mind Sleep editorial team in line with our editorial policy. Spotted an error? Let us know.
