Light Filtering Blinds and Shades

Window coverings can be divided into two broad types: those made with some type of fabric, and those made of from a hard material like wood, faux wood or aluminum. Fabric shades can be made with material that completely blocks any light from passing through (blackout shades) or they can be made with fabrics that still allow some light through but still prevent anyone from seeing into your home (light filtering or semi-opaque). These light filtering fabrics can dim the room slightly and cut down harsh direct sunlight.

Although wood and vinyl blinds don't have different opacities per se, you can still get the effect of a light filtering shade by adjusting the amount of light that these blinds allow into the room. When fully closed, hard blinds don't block 100% of incoming light but they still significantly darken the room. Some light can still sneak around the slats or vanes of these blinds, and by opening the blinds slightly you can gradually increase the brightness while keeping the room private from the outside.

As mentioned above, fabric shades are more often considered to be light filtering since the fabric material itself is semi-opaque, allowing some diffused light to pass into the room while blocking the rest. Here is a quick rundown of the light filtering shades we offer:

• Cellular shades – shades with light filtering fabrics reduce incoming light while insulating your home again temperature exchange at the window.
• Roller shades – choose a light filtering fabric to dial down the amount of light entering the room and full privacy when the shade is down.
• Roman shades – luxurious fabrics are crafted into soft folding shades with a variety of customizable options including lift style, backing liner and pleat design.
• Bamboo shades – as the name implies, these shades are made from bamboo and other organic materials woven together to form different patterns and weaves
• Sheer shades and Zebra Dual Shades – sheer material softens light and disperses it more evenly into the room; can be adjusted to provide more privacy and additional light filtering.
• Solar shades – these unique roller-style shades have a woven fabric with small openings that blocks a lot of sunlight while still letting you see your view through the shade.
• Pleated shades – crisp fabric pleats are the hallmark of pleated shades, providing great privacy and a distinctive look while gently filtering the incoming light.

There is no standard level of opacity when it comes to light filtering shades – some let in significantly more light than others. That's why our free samples program is so helpful to our customers! You can request up to 10 free color samples for any of our products, so you can see the actual material in person. You can use these samples to check not only the color but also the opacity and how much light blocking you can expect from each product.

Still have questions about light filtering shades and window treatment opacity? Our friendly customer service team is ready to help you get the perfect light-filtering window blind!