Best blinds

As you well know, blinds are an essential in most contemporary homes. Providing you with privacy and controlling how much light enters the room, blinds are also a neat way to decorate your home. Think of them as a form of self-expression – you can choose a simple and timeless design, or perhaps go for something a little more adventurous. 

Of course, there are a few things you will want to consider when buying blinds. First and foremost is the purpose. For example, are they for a living room, or are they for a baby's bedroom? In the latter case, we'd suggest blackout blinds. Then there's style. Roman, horizontal, cordless... To help make this all a little easier for you, we've picked out some of the best blinds available. 

Our top choice, the Easy Lift Trim-at-Home Cordless Pleated Light Filtering Fabric Shade, is designed with soft-spun lace fabric, which gently filters daylight. If you find it's a little too long, don't sweat it. It can be trimmed as needed using a kitchen knife. To learn more about this delightful product, as well as some other great choices, read on.

The Easy Lift Trim-at-Home Cordless Pleated Light Filtering Fabric Shade is a hardworking, good-looking blind that's super easy to install and operate, and it can be trimmed to the exact size you need using the trimming kit provided. We like the nice, soft fabric that's easy to wipe clean. The only downside is that the adhesive provided isn't great, so reinforce these with some extra glue/tack. 

The Bali Blinds Cordless Light Filtering Cellular Shade is our top pick if you prefer a cellular design, also known as the honeycomb – made from one cut of fabric, rather than strips or slats. There are no cords to pull, so the end result is very streamlined and neat. These blinds are insulating as well as light filtering, which is helpful if you want to retain heat indoors in winter or minimize noise coming in from outside. We do wish the color range was a bit bigger (they come in white and beige), and the installation instructions could have been better written. 

The Radiance Cordless Roman Shade is made from bamboo, which makes it a sustainable choice, and it gives amazing coverage, which makes it our top choice if you want to improve privacy in a bathroom or bedroom – you can't see in with these even at night. The cordless mechanism is maybe not the best – the blind doesn't always push up completely straight – but it's great quality otherwise.

The AmazonBasics Portable Baby Travel Window Blackout Blind is the answer to every exhausted new parent's pleas for the baby not to be woken up by early morning sun. These really do work to black out sunlight completely, and they're portable, so you can take them with you if traveling with the baby. Their only drawback is poor-quality suction cups that will break if you apply too much pressure or pull too hard when trying to remove. Good old-fashioned duct tape may well work better. 

For a no-frills choice that performs, the Achim Home Furnishings Deluxe Sundown G2 Blinds are ideal. With a handy tilt wand to control the level of light in your room, they are easy to use and come in a selection of colors, from classic white to mahogany. Oh, and installation is seamless thanks to the hidden mounting brackets. As well as this, these blinds are a durable option, made from heavyweight PVC, which resists warping, fading, and sagging.  

Our verdict

Have you discovered your next set of blinds? To save you time and hassle, we carefully picked out our favorites. If you're still not decided on your go-to choice, refresh your memory below.

Our favorite pick, commendable for the high-quality fabric, is the Easy Lift Trim-at-Home Cordless Pleated Light Filtering Fabric Shade. We just know you'll love it. After a single-cell blind? Try the Bali Blinds Cordless Light Filtering Cellular Shade, which is both light-filtering and insulating – great for keeping your home warm. 

What about some good old Roman blinds? Well, it has to be the Radiance Cordless Roman Shade, constructed in beautiful bamboo. Does your little one need complete darkness to fall asleep? The AmazonBasics Portable Baby Travel Window Blackout Blind can certainly help. Finally, for something inexpensive that does the job well, go for the Achim Home Furnishings Deluxe Sundown G2 Blinds.