Blindster's Blog
What are Routeless Blinds?
You've seen the standard wood or faux wood blind many, many times. But how closely have you observed them?
If you look at the lift cords near the ends of the blinds, you'll see a hole that allows the lift cords to pass through. Blinds with that feature are called "routed." So naturally, "routeless" blinds do not work this way. Instead, the lift cords run outside of the slats through small notches in the slat.
Why Should You Care about Routeless Blinds?
Well, the main reason is that your slats give you additional privacy. Someone passing by could theoretically still peek through your routed blinds, even when they're pulled shut.
Also, they control light a little better because of the lack of holes. And because they control light effectively, they reduce glare better than routed blinds. So if you like your room a little more on the darker side, they help keep light out versus routed blinds.
If you are in a room where you like to be in the morning when the sun rises, you can catch a quick glare in your eyes. This is common in offices if you have to come to work early. But routeless blinds eliminate this problem because they don't have holes for the lift cords.
Finally, they also look a little more decorative than routed blinds.
Can You Use Routeless Blinds in Windy Conditions?
You can, but only if the wind isn't all that strong. If your blinds are banging around in the wind, then the wind is too strong for routeless blinds. You can still install them, but you'll have to either raise your blinds or close your windows to protect them.
Don't Use Routeless Blinds If...
You're a homeowner and you have pets or kids. They do cost a little more than routed blinds – usually 10-15% more. So if they get broke, they're a bit more costly to replace.
And they are slightly more fragile than routed blinds. Because of the small notches that hold the lift cords, it takes very little force to knock one of the slats out of the blind.
However, that idea is somewhat questionable. Even the best routed blinds over time will succumb to the same shifting problem. And if one slat goes flying out in your routeless blind, it's not that difficult to put it back.
If Cost is an Issue, and You Really Like Routeless Blinds...
Then consider adding them only to rooms where light control is most important to you, like your bedroom. And you usually don't allow kids to play in your bedroom anyway, so they would be protected from damage too.
Most importantly, now you know the ins and outs of routeless blinds, and when and when not to use them.
If they make sense anywhere in your home or office, you can find exactly what you want online in the custom blinds section of Blindster.com.
