[yasr_overall_rating]Are you looking for white blackout curtains that won’t cost you an arm and a leg? Then Eclipse Casey white blackout grommet curtains may be your ticket.

Although finding white blackout curtains is not easy at all, we have found a way to maximize blackout even with light color curtains.

We will review Eclipse Casey white curtains in this post.

Finding Lightweight White Blackout Curtains Is Not Easy

Looking for white blackout curtains, especially of the lighter weight, can be quite frustrating, we know. As we have written in this white blackout curtains buying guide, googling for white Eclipse curtains, or for white blackout curtains in general is not a sure way to find curtains you can be happy with.

Why Are We So Discouraging?

First, when looking for in-depth information on Eclipse White Blackout curtains it is hard to find anything besides blatant sales pitches for Eclipse Blackout curtains, and only generic information about their qualities. Like thermal properties, sound blocking, and blackout. We could find nothing really specific to Eclipse curtains in white color. For that matter, we couldn’t find any details specifically about any white grommet blackout curtains, or any other white Eclipse blackout curtains.

Second, even if you are lucky to find a significant number of buyer reviews of Eclipse Casey, even these reviews can be very controversial. Many of them will claim that Eclipse Casey curtains aren’t blackout at all. Others will claim Eclipse Casey in white color aren’t white color at all.

Search for Eclipse blackout curtains in white can indeed be quite frustrating.

However, we have done extensive research to find out exactly what you can expect with Eclipse Casey, which is one of the Eclipse curtains with Thermaback technology, an Eclipse technology that provides blackout, thermal insulation and noise reduction.

Three Things To Be Realistic About When Looking At Eclipse Casey White Curtains

There are three things you need to know when you are purchasing Eclipse Casey in white color.

First, be realistic about your color expectations. When you look for white curtains, you always need to be extra realistic. There is, technically, no such thing as white curtains, because that would imply that all light is 100% reflected from the curtain in a diffuse way.

In reality, all white curtains absorb some of the light, even the whitest ones. That makes them really “off white”, “beige”, or “light gray”, or “ivory”. Numerous merchants designate white curtains that way, which makes a lot of sense. White color is just an ideal.

Second, on the bright side, there are simple ways to improve on the blackout, sound blocking, and also thermal insulation properties. Even though white Eclipse Casey curtains block significantly less light than the stated 99%, they still block a high percentage of outside light. This means that simply doubling the number of panels will significantly improve the effective blackout percentage.

Eclipse Blackout Curtains Blackout Much More Light Than Ordinary Curtains.

Third, don’t expect perfect blackout with white colored Eclipse curtains. Despite the Thermaback technology, and Eclipse Casey being heavier and thicker than other Eclipse curtains, they are not super heavy and thick. Eclipse Thermaback curtains, even in white color, will still blackout more light than ordinary curtains, however.

Best Alternative White Blackout Curtains

We wrote about why white curtains will not blackout as much as black curtains in length here. White or light colored curtains that are not sufficiently thick, will not be perfectly blackout. Some buyers will even describe them as letting 40% of the light through. Others will report a light glow during the day, far from complete blackout. If you are planning to sleep during the day, don’t count on white or light color Eclipse Casey to provide pitch darkness. Instead, look into our reviews of white velvet curtains.

Doubling Up On The Number Of Panels Gets You The Best Of Both Worlds

By doubling the number of panels (from 2 to 4) of Eclipse Casey white, you could go from 80% light blocking to 96% (or from 90% blocking to 99%), a significant improvement. Of course, you will have to get a double rod as well when you double up on the number of panels.

Doubling the number of panels will therefore get you the best of both worlds – you get much improved blackout yet retain the beautiful and versatile white color of Eclipse Casey.

As a side note, by improving blackout you will also significantly increase noise blocking and thermal insulation. Noise blocking will improve by using a double rod and hang the curtain panels one in front of the other. Noise blocking will also increase when you use a single rod and hang, say, 4 panels instead of 2 on that single rod. In this last case, you will achieve a fuller look of the curtains when closed. This will result in a significant improvement in blocking of unwanted noise from the outside.

Similarly, doubling the number of panels and using a double curtain rod will improve thermal insulation, which is helpful in winters and summers.

We have previously explained thermal, blackout, and noise reduction benefits of doubling up on the number of curtain panels in length here based on data from here.

Quick Review Of Eclipse Casey Blackout Grommet Curtains

Features

• Thermaback construction
• blocking over 99 percent of light (not in white, but yes, in darkest colors)
• blocking significant percentage of outside noise
• thermal insulation
• foam back construction allows for luxurious style on the front side
• chevron design style
• 100 percent polyester
• wash in cold water separately
• line dry
• cool iron if needed
• available in 84″ and 95″ length
• use standard or decorative rod up to 1.5″ in diameter

Pros

• lighter curtain than velvet
• stylish grommet style install
• available in white (off white to be exact)
• relatively inexpensive cost per panel
• easy installation
• quality grommets
• great looks

Cons

• white curtain will blackout significantly less than 99%
• white color is often described as “off white”, even “blueish”
• good color fit to most room decorations
• getting rid of wrinkles may require tumble dry plus iron

Accessories

• double rod suggested when doubling the number of panels
• any rod between 1 inch and 1.5 inches in diameter will be sufficient.

Buyer Reviews About Panel Doubling, Thermal Insulation, And Noise Blocking

Some of the buyers are beginning to realize how effective it can be to double up on the number of panels. Since panels are very inexpensive, doubling up is still cost effective. (We have previously explained thermal, blackout, and noise reduction benefits of doubling the number of panels from 2 to 4 in length here.)

Other buyers report significant temperature decrease under the hot Texas sun in the summer.

Still others report appreciable noise blocking (even with single layer) that enables them to sleep well during the day after working 3rd shift at night.

Some buyers complained about insufficient blackout (however, many do not specify what color they bought). Others reported that even beige color Casey curtains were not sufficiently blocking out light.

Finally, two comments on Eclipse Blackout Curtains’ “dramatic looks” and beauty. Buyers commented: “They look dramatic and are perfect for my household.” and “Eclipse Casey makes my room look really lovely.”

Verdict

When you take all the limitations into consideration (in particular that

1) all white curtains are really off white to a degree and that ‘

2) thin white curtains can never completely block out light,

then you will find that Eclipse Casey white blackout curtains are really stylish, a good match to any room decoration. Follow  the suggestion described above and double up on the number of panels. That way you can achieve a solid level of blackout while keeping your favorite curtain color and good looks.

Price And Buying Advice

The Eclipse Casey blackout curtains are relatively inexpensive. We searched across the web and found that at the time of writing, the cost per panel was lowest at Walmart.com by $5 compared with other shops. If you are buying four panels as suggested for a normal size window, that is a savings of $20 or more.

There is another advantage of buying from Walmart.com. In the unlikely case that you don’t like the curtains when you receive them, simply return them to the nearest Walmart store for a refund. You probably won’t be able to find Eclipse Casey white in your local Walmart, but you can certainly return them there.

We will talk about the frustrating search for white blackout curtains.

Curtains that look white AND achieve blackout! We’ll explain where the frustration is coming from.

In the end, we will also show the most beautiful and elegant white blackout curtains with popular, modern looking grommets and in white velvet.

Frustrations When Searching For White Blackout Curtains

If you have been googling to find the best blackout curtains in white, off white or even light gray or beige, then I know the frustrations you must have been going through.

Seller’s descriptions are very brief: You have been shown curtains that have “blackout” in their name. You have seen manufacturers claims that the curtains remove 99.9% of the unwanted light. You have seen all of it. And you have been frustrated because noone explains the blackout property in any more detail.

Buyer reviews are often disappointing: The frustration grows when you read buyer reviews. These will clearly state sometimes that the “blackout curtains” they bought that were supposed to block 99.9% of the outside light, don’t perform at all. And that is not just for white or beige blackout curtains. Buyers report a “green glow” when they buy light green curtains, or that “they can not sleep during the day” because of too much light. They sometimes estimate only 60% of light is really blocked by such light colored curtains rather than the claimed 99.9%.

What is going on?

We’ve scoured dozens of online shops and looked at hundreds of buyers reviews. It is not that online stores are a terrible place to shop, to the contrary, online shops are a great place to shop for blackout curtains, especially white and off white blackout curtains. Online stores have bigger selection and more items in stock than any department store can have available to look at even in their biggest stores.

But the frustration in finding beige, off white, or white blackout curtains persists, even when buying online. The reason, we found, was two fold. First, manufacturers and stores cite 99.9% blackout and cite independent lab testing, but they don’t specify what color curtains they tested!

And buyers complain about curtains not being blackout enough and they often don’t specify what color blackout curtains they own!

We explain everything, right here.

First, a word about color of blackout curtains influences the blackout effectiveness.

Second, a word about proper panel dimensioning and installation to achieve perfect blackout. You will not find this information nowhere else in one place!

Blackout Curtain Color Matters!

It is a simple fact that light color curtains made of the same material than dark color curtains, will block less light. Period. This holds for woven curtains made of white curtain blackout cloth, as well as curtains lined with a special “blackout liner” such as Thermaback by Eclipse that is supposed to block 99.9% of light.

A Quick Reminder From Your High School Physics Class

Dark fabric, or dark plastic appears dark, or black, because it absorbs most of the light that impinges on it.

Diffuse reflection (thin arrows) of incident light (thick arrows) in light color curtain material (depicted as mesh). Note some of the light is reflected in the direction of incident light. Image source Wikipedia.

Light fabric, or white fabric, on the other hand, does not absorb most of the light, but instead reflects it. But not like a mirror reflects light. Rather, it reflects light in all directions. It is called diffuse reflection, and depicted in the image. Yes, some of the light will be send straight back out of the window by a white or light curtain. But some of the light will be reflected sideways, and significant portion of it will be “reflected” in the direction straight into the room, as depicted in the image to the right.

Upshot: Lighter Color Curtain Lets More Light In

So there, a simple explanation why the curtain made of the very same fabric, but lighter color, will let much more light in. Curtain buyers who reviewed white blackout curtains could well be right in saying that white curtains block only 60% of the light, when the darker, or black curtains block 99.9%.

Such a contrast applies especially to lighter, thinner “blackout” curtains. Why? Because their thickness is designed to make them easy to ship, easy to hang. They can not be too heavy. We’ll suggest examples of such thinner blackout curtains below.

However, when we are talking about white or off white velvet curtains, they are usually thicker and heavier. Thicker white velvet curtains will block out more light than thinner white curtains. This is because in such thicker curtains light will have multiple chances to be either absorbed or sent back out of the curtain where it came from before it will find its way through the curtain and into the room. It is just basic physics.

In fact, we have never found a white velvet curtain buyer complaint about curtains not being blackout enough.

There Is No Perfect White Blackout Curtain

Another aspect to look for when buying white blackout curtains is that they you might be disappointed in the “white color” of the curtain. Why? Because, curtains will never be a perfect white. As soon as the fabric absorbs a bit of light, it can technically not be called white. So the curtains that are named “white” are more accurately described as “off white”
“light gray”, even “ivory” or “beige”, depending on the shade of “off white”. This is a fair description in most cases. It will prevent the disappointment for buyers who are looking for the “perfect white” color which, as we say above, does not even exist, technically.

So now we get the difference between thinner white blackout curtains that will never be fully blackout and thicker white velvet blackout curtains. This difference persists for white, off white, beige, light gray and other lighter color draperies. Let’s now look into both types of such drapes, thinner and thicker.

Thinner White Blackout Curtains

Usually these days, thinner blackout curtains are made of 100% polyester. Thinner curtains feature a special thick liner that makes curtains blackout. Because of the blackout liner layer the curtains will provide solid thermal insulation (important in both winter and summer), and noticeable noise blocking.

You can improve on the imperfect blackout provided by these curtains to a large degree by doubling up on the number of panels. You can hang the curtain panels one behind the other using a double curtain rod. This will also improve their thermal insulation and blocking of unwanted noise.

The best example of thinner white and off white blackout curtains is Eclipse Casey Blackout Energy Efficient curtain. Eclipse Casey comes in “White” color, in addition to darker “Cafe” and other color fabrics.

We Review Eclipse Casey Blackout Curtains Here.

Thicker White Velvet Blackout Curtains

White velvet blackout curtains are highly sought after. Interior decorators, professional and do-it-yourselvers like white velvet curtains a lot. Why? Because white and off white velvet curtains will match most interior designs. White blackout curtains will match any color of furniture. They will match any wall color. Similarly, light grey velvet curtains will match any colder colors, like blue or dark green, while light beige velvet will match warmer colors like yellow, orange, pink and red.

White velvet curtains emanate beautiful rich appearance, and softness to the touch. They do not require double layers for solid blackout. However, due to their weight, you will want to use a higher diameter to hold them well. Choose a diameter of 1 inch or a bit bigger.

We Reviewed White And Off White Velvet Blackout Curtains Here.

Eclipse Thermaweave Fairfax Curtains at Target.com

Buying blackout curtains can be very tiring. To ease your search, we compare best blackout curtains at Target, blackout curtains at Walmart, and curtains claiming to be blackout at other top 10 US online retailers.

We will provide links to our own detailed reviews of blackout and noise-reducing curtains, where available.

Light blocking or “blackout” curtains are curtains that you would typically use to block out light in the morning on the east side of the house. They need to allow you to sleep well when you would normally wake up with the sun rays in your eyes. People who work night shifts and need to sleep during the day will buy them to enjoy darkness throughout the day time.

We compare these curtains’ blackout properties as well as their noise reduction effectiveness. The noise reduction is much harder to achieve. Both are important to allow for an uninterrupted sleep. We scoured all the buyer reviews for blackout curtains at Target , Walmart, and other top 10 US retailer sites.

Below, we state clearly what curtains truly deserve the “blackout” label, and what curtains are completely off the mark.

How we decided on top 10? We checked top 10 Google results for search “buy blackout curtains”. That way we got the pages with recommended blackout curtains for some of the top retailers. For largest retailers not listed in the top 10 on Google we used their internal search for blackout curtains to find out what curtains they recommend.

Here is the list of top 10 US retailers and their blackout curtain offers:

Blackout Curtains at Target

Top three Target blackout curtains were:

• Sun Zero Declan Chenille Geometric Blackout Window Panel
• Eclipse Fairfax Thermaweave Window Panel
• Eclipse My Scene Kendall Window Panel

We have previously reviewed both Sun Zero blackout curtains as well as Eclipse Kendall blackout curtains. Eclipse Kendall has no current reviews on Target.com.

Based on buyer reviews that we found elsewhere, we found that Sun Zero curtains, while stylish and elegant, are no match when it comes to blackout effectiveness and noise reduction to Eclipse curtains with Thermaback technology.

There are 50 reviews currently on Target.com for Eclipse Fairfax Light Blocking Thermaweave Curtains. We found that the buyer verdict is highly divided. Some buyers are happy with the blackout, and equally many are not. Some even went as far as taking a photo clearly showing the light coming through. Based on this feedback, we prefer Eclipse Thermaback technology over Eclipse Thermaweave.

Eclipse Thermaback curtains include Eclipse Kendall curtains, and our favorite, Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient Blackout curtains.

Note: One wonderful thing about shopping for curtains at Target.com is that often, you will find a bigger selection of fabric, color, and styles online. In case you find that the style you purchased online on Target.com does not suit you for some reason, you can still return your curtain either via mail, or simply bring it with you to the nearest Target store.

Best Blackout Curtains At Walmart

Top blackout drapes at Walmart were:

• Eclipse Samara Blackout Energy-Efficient Curtain
• Mainstays Solid Room Darkening Curtain Panel
• Eclipse Kids Dayton Energy-Efficient Curtain

We reviewed Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient Curtains and found that a good number of buyers holds them in higher esteem than the (more popular) Eclipse Samara blackout curtains when it comes to blackout and noise reducing effectiveness.

We also reviewed Eclipse Kids Dayton here and found them quite adequate when it comes to thermal insulation, blackout effectiveness, and noise reduction.

Blackout Drapes At Bed Bath And Beyond

Top blackout curtain offers at BB&B are:

• Insola Patio Door Thermal Blackout Curtain Panel
• Sound Asleep Blackout Window Curtain Liner

Patio door blackout curtain panels like the Insola are much wider than the usual window curtain panels. Curtain liners are not curtains per se but are an add-on to curtains that make any curtain block out light as you attach the liner to the back side of the curtain. Neither of these offers are directly comparable to normal blackout curtains.

Best Blackout Curtains At Sears

Top blackout curtains at Sears are:

• Sun Zero Hanson Crushed Room Darkening Grommet Panel
• Colormate Summit Window Panel
• Eclipse Curtains Birgit Blackout Window Panel

We have reviewed Sun Zero here, and found them inferior to Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient curtains as far as blackout and noise reduction. Eclipse Birgit window panels feature the same Thermaback lining as Eclipse Suede. That lining is to a large degree responsible for good blackout and noise reduction effectiveness.

Top Blackout Curtains At JCPenney

JCPenney correctly recommends two velvet curtains as their top blackout offers. Velvet curtains are higher priced however they will be better at blocking out sunlight and unwanted noises. The third place is taken by Eclipse Nolita with the proven Thermalayer technology:

• Royal Velvet Rod-Pocket Encore Window Treatments
• Royal Velvet Grommet-Top Plaza Lined Blackout Curtain Panel
• Eclipse Nolita Grommet-Top Blackout Curtain Panel with Thermalayer

However, checking out the JCPenney’s own buyer reviews, we found that Royal Velvet Encore curtains in the color white would not blackout sufficiently. That is similar to what we found for other light colored modern curtains. They simply allow too much light to come through to be really called blackout. Light sleepers beware of buying blackout curtains in light colors, even the light colored velvet blackout curtains.

Best Blackout Curtains At Wayfair.com

These are the top blackout curtains at Wayfair.com:

• Thermavoile Lined Grommet Curtain Panel by Thermalogic
• Eclipse Curtains Microfiber Grommet Window Curtain Panel

How the Thermavoile curtain panel passes for a blackout panel is beyond us. It can be quite plainly seen in the product image that the white curtain will not be blackout at all. In fact, the verified buyers remark that they “love the way the sun goes through these curtains while the heat doesn’t”. Other complain that “They are NOT black out curtains as they are advertised” and “in fact, they are completely sheer.” Again, buyer beware of the light colored “blackout” curtains. Even more so, you can not expect much of a noise blocking from these either.

Eclipse Microfiber curtains on the other hand are to be had in dark colors and feature thermaback technology. We have seen that Thermaback lining will make for a great blackout. In addition, a good portion of unwanted outside noises will be absorbed.

Top Blackout Curtains At HomeDepot.com

These are the top four blackout curtains at HomeDepot.com:

• Eclipse Cassidy Blackout White Grommet Curtain Panel
• Curtainworks Saville Chocolate Thermal Room Darkening Curtain
• Absolute Zero Total Blackout Stone Blue Faux Velvet Curtain Panel

Again, we find that Eclipse Cassidy White do not meet the standard for blackout curtains, based on buyer reviews. Beware buying white, off white, beige, or other relatively light colored, light weight curtains that claim they will black out the room.

Interestingly, even though the Curtainworks Saville curtains are in Chocolate color, and are not even labeled as “blackout”, but rather “room darkening”, about 40% of buyers still complain about how they do not block the light sufficiently.

While Home Depot has no buyer reviews at this time for Absolute Zero Total Blackout Velvet Curtains, we have reviewed them and found that they have terrific blackout and noise reducing qualities. Check out our review here.

Best Blackout Curtains At Ikea

Ikea offers a single blackout (or block-out) curtain in their stores and online:

• WERNA Block-out curtains

As there are no online reviews at Ikea, we can not comment on the blackout quality and noise absorption of these curtains.

Best Blackout Curtains At Amazon

Amazon comes up with a single blackout curtain in the search results:

• Best Home Fashion Solid Thermal Insulated Back Tap Blackout Curtain

The solid thermal insulated blackout curtain has over a thousand reviews. Most reviewers are quite happy with the light blocking quality. Again, for lighter colors, such as sky blue, buyers are warning others that these curtains do not block sunlight completely.

Overstock Blackout Curtains

Overstock is showing these two top blackout curtains:

• Solid Insulated Thermal Blackout Panel
• Tuscan Thermal Backed Blackout Curtain Panel

The Solid Insulated Thermal Blackout panel is showing predominantly positive reviews as far as blackout. A customer even claims the light pink panels were helpful in blocking out light in her daughter’s room.

The Tuscan Thermal Backed Blackout panel curtain, on the other hand, is not blackout at all, according to their own buyers at Overstock. Some buyers even estimate that light blockage is only 60% and not 99% as stated.

This confirms our finding that light colored curtains (light brown in this case) that are not extremely heavy will not block out light sufficiently for many people. Especially those who must sleep during the day, or those who are woken up by morning sun shining on their beds, will be advised to stick with heavy, dark colored velvet or suede curtains.

Note: The logos on this page are for identification only. They do not constitute authorization by or sponsorship by the trademark owners.

White velvet curtains add immense beauty and elegance to your room. They magically shine and play with light reflections. They ooze softness and comfort. If you’ve been searching incessantly to find the best white velvet curtains to decorate your rooms with, you finally got to the right place. If you are tired of getting just generic information and sales pitches, we understand! There is a lot more to light color velvet curtains than meets the eye!

We will give you an idea of how well your light colored off white or ivory velvet curtains work. We will look into noise blocking, thermal insulation, and blackout. Finally, we will base our conclusions on our research and simple high school physics. Read on!

Beautiful Signature Double Wide Off White And Ivory Velvet Curtains

We have scoured the web for the best places where you can find white, off white, and ivory velvet curtains. Finally we found places with great velvet fabrics, perfect panel sizes, and wide selection of white, ivory, or beige velvet draperies.

You are likely buying white velvet curtains simply because they add immense beauty and elegance to your room. Their shine, play of sun light reflections and inside light reflections off of the smooth pile. The velvet promise of the softness and comfort is to die for.

A Gorgeous Signature White Velvet Curtain Can Be So Much More!

You can do so much more with white velvet curtains than beautify your living room or bedroom. Thanks to the curtain’s noise absorbing properties, light blocking and thermal properties, you can turn your space into an oasis of peace, quietude, and comfort!

Plenty of music schools know that very well. Their large or small rehearsal rooms are lined with velvet curtains. Music schools know how to make sure how to keep the sound of the musical instruments on the low down for the neighbors. But the same technology works for keeping the noise levels down inside your bedroom so you can sleep better.

We will help you find the very best way to turn your bedroom or living room into a quiet place, insulated from the external noises, temperature swings, and bright lights.

We will also provide you with an idea how to properly size your signature white velvet curtain for each window and door to achieve the optimal level of light and noise blocking.

Superb Noise Blocking With Velvet Curtains

Velvet is one of the best fabrics for noise reduction and noise blocking in your home. If you have even a slightest echo of the outside noise coming through the windows or doors, open or closed, then velvet curtains, when sized right and completely closed, will provide an effective sound and noise barrierNRC Ratings Site http://www.nrcratings.com/nrc.html reported that Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) can be as much as 0.6 for such heavy velvet drapes. This means that as much as 60% (or more at higher frequencies) of noise will simply be absorbed in the curtain and will never reach your ear. Not a complete soundproofing, but what a relief to your ears this could be. Especially when you are ready to lay down and relax after a tiresome day.

Proper Dimensions Of Curtains For Maximum Sound Blocking And Light Blocking

We have shown elsewhere that high unwanted noise reduction can only happen when curtains are full, or pleated when closed. Then the noise reduction coefficient (NRC) can really be so high.

When you want to further increase fullness of the curtains when closed, and at the same time increase the noise reduction, then we certainly recommend purchasing the total width of the curtain panels to be two and a half to three times the width of the window or door. This is more than the usual recommendation of curtain panel to be two times the width of the window.

Likewise, to absorb the most unwanted noise possible, we highly recommend to purchase curtains to extend all the way to the floor (or even longer, for a dropped look) and to extend at least 10-20 inches above the window or door.

The Signature White Velvet curtains come in panel width of 100 inches and it comes in four length100W x 84L

Light Blocking With White Velvet Curtains

Thick velvet curtains in general will block light well. Dark red or brown curtains are often used in media rooms. Darker colors block the light from the outside. Dark colors also prevent light reflections inside the room and enable maximum contrast on the projection screen or large TV.

White velvet curtains, or even light beige velvet curtains, will certainly not block light as well as darker colored curtains. If you are using light colored velvet curtains for sun blocking purposes then you should follow advice in the above section. Look for section titled Proper Dimension Of Curtains. Similar reasoning applies:

When curtains are hung to be full when closed, they will block significantly more sunlight from the outside. It becomes important for light blocking to get the total width of the curtains be three times the width of the window for maximum fullness. This will also significantly enhance light blocking.

As a side benefit to installing curtains wider, you will make your window look bigger (both when drapes are open and closed). By picking taller curtains (see above), you will also make your room appear to have a higher ceiling.

Excellent Thermal Insulation Of Signature White Velvet Curtains

Thanks to velvet’s dense pile, thick velvet is a wonderful thermal insulator. When you close such thick velvet curtains, you will notice that the temperature in the room will stay warmer in the winter and colder in the summer. The thermal fluctuations will be less. Your AC bill will go down in the summer. Your heating bill will be less in the winter.

The white or off-white color of these curtains makes them even better, more insulating thermal curtains than the same velvet curtains in darker colors. The reason? Their light curtain surface reflects more visible light (that is why curtains appear lighter color!) and also reflects more infrared light. Regular visible light and infrared light transfer a lot of heat to and through the curtain. These type of light, however, will not transfer heat if it reflects off the curtain.

General Buying Information For Velvet Drapes

Velvet curtain production lots can vary slightly in color (which depends on the batch of dye used), and length. Therefore it is imperative to check that all curtain panels are exactly the same length (to the inch), and clearly visibly the same shade. Make sure of that before you hang the drapes for the first time.

Our Top Pick For Off White Velvet Curtains

You will find the best velvet curtains and largest selection in specialized curtain shops online. Here we present our top place to find luxurious and elegant off white velvet curtains,  HalfPriceDrapes. At HalfPriceDrapes, you can find the following light colored Signature Double Wide Velvet Curtains: Off White, Ivory and Silver Grey. If you are more interested in blackout than thermal insulation, HalfPriceDrapes also carries Signature Double Wide Velvet Curtains in these dark colors: Black, Java, Midnight Blue, Eggplant, Amber Gold, and Burgundy.

Signature Off White Double Wide Velvet Blackout Curtain at HalfPriceDrapes

These Off White Velvet Blackout Curtains are an epitome of elegance, style and wealth. Just look at them how they drop to the floor and create an island of elegance.

Their Thermaback lining in addition to poly velvet front side, and light color, are all responsible for superb thermal, blackout, and noise reduction quality. The Off White Velvet Blackout Curtains are already sized properly in double wide (100 inch per panel). They will maximize noise reduction, and maximize daylight blocking.

At the same time, double wide velvet curtains will accentuate the rich, full, and comfortable feel that only light colored velvet can offer.

Buyer reviews are very positive. Buyers love the luxe appearance, soft touch and cottony feel and they love the blackout with such light colored curtains,

Check out detailed buyers reviews of these Off White Velvet Blackout Curtains directly at HalfPriceDrapes website.

Velvet is a really special type of curtain sheet weaving technique.

Why buy thick, heavy velvet curtains? Velvet is a unique fabric that accomplishes complete blackout and significant unwanted noise blocking. We’ll will provide some valuable advice on buying velvet curtains to maximize blackout and noise reduction right below.

Do you just want to find the best choices of velvet curtains for media rooms, TV rooms, or home theaters? Do you just want to make your bedroom or living room an oasis of peace and quiet? Then just go to the bottom of this post for our recommendations. But before that, let’s talk about the properties of velvet weave.

A Special Way Of Weaving Velvet Curtains

Velvet curtains can be made of wool, cotton, silk, and other natural materials. Today a lot of velvet is made out of synthetic materials, typically polyester.

Velvet’s special weaving technique was extremely difficult before the industrial revolution, making velvet the fabric of kings and upper class.

Velvet Warp (from Wikimedia.org)

This weave is depicted in the “Velvet Warp” image here. Velvet is a unique kind of weave where two sheets of fabric are woven in parallel at the same time. These two sheets are then cut away from each other after the weave, and before rolling them in separate rolls. Thick velvet curtains obtained that way will have the  mass and softness necessary for superb blackout, noise reduction, will feel extremely soft to the touch and look shiny.

Heavy Velvet Curtains For Room Blackout

Heavy velvet blackout curtains will do a superb job at darkening the room. This is why home entertainment enthusiasts are purchasing the heavy velvet curtains — to cover the windows in the their media room, or TV room. That way, they are able to watch movies at full contrast, in complete darkness, in the middle of the day.

Thick Velvet Curtains Reduce The Noise Coming from The Outside

It is easy to understand how heavy velvet curtains will reduce the noise from the outside, mostly coming in through the window areas when the media room has windows. What’s equally or more important, velvet curtains will act as the room’s sound treatment too. Let us explain.

Long Velvet Blackout Curtains Will Improve The Sound Of The Room

The professional home theater builders know what amateurs often forget – velvet curtains will improve the sound quality of the home theater.

The pros will pick longest velvet curtain height, as high as the room height allows. Ceiling to floor if possible. Heavy velvet absorbs sound very well. Velvet will absorb any sound wave impinging on the walls significantly. That way the sound reflected from walls covered with the curtains will be much less noticeable. It won’t interfere as much with the sound coming from the speakers directly.

For sure, it is always best for the listeners in the media room to get the sound as intended by the producers. The producers intended for the sound to come directly from the speakers to the listeners.

Don’t Forget The Back Wall And The Front Wall

Lining side walls will do wonders for sound reflection. But there will still be the back wall echo effect. In it, the sound from the speakers in front travels to the back of the room, reflects from there, and bounces off the front wall. This creates an unpleasant delayed sound. You will prevent this effect to the max when you line both the back wall and the front wall with thick velvet curtains as well.

What About The Curtain Width?

As we have previously discussed, curtains will significantly increase sound and outside noise absorption when they are not stretched, but rather full folded. Therefore, the total width of the curtains we recommend for media rooms, TV rooms and home theaters, is three times the total width of the walls that you wish to cover.

Nothing Comes Close To Heavy Velvet

In short, when it comes to noise reduction and improving sound quality of the room, as well as blackout, no other fabric will compare to heavy velvet, even in today’s post-modern era!

Where To Find The Best Velvet Curtains For Your Media Room?

We have searched long and wide and find that Absolute Zero Velvet Curtains are very popular. Homeowners use them in home theaters and media rooms. Absolute Zero also work great for easy sound insulation in apartments and condos where a wall is shared with a neighbor.

Where To Find The Best Velvet Curtains For Your Bedroom And Living Room?

Are you are looking for even more elegance and style? A soft plush is velvet with an even longer pile than usual. A plush curtain will sport a natural luster and a deep color with a polished, incredibly rich and quite a formal look.

Noise Blocking Curtains For Shared Condo Wall And Apartment Walls

Every builder will tell you true sound blocking needs to be done with a drywall construction. While that may be true, who wants the hassle and expense of hiring contractors?

What if there were noise blocking curtains that block out noise? What is there were noise blocking panels that you could install yourself, easily? Keep reading.

Normally noise blocking is done on the apartment wall level. However, if you can loudly hear crying babies through your wall, or can hear through the wall a couple having rough sexual relations, or a couple to the left of you that all too often communicates by yelling and screaming, then your noise blocking by walls is insufficient.

Many newly constructed homes and multi unit buildings have noise-blocking requirements. Just like there’s a fire code, there’s also a noise code.

However, many apartments are built without the regard to the noise code. If you get disturbed by your neighbors noises you know it.

Retrofit The Walls With Sound Dry Walls Is Expensive

Retrofitting the walls with additional sound absorbing dry walls can be expensive. Who likes to pick contractors from yellow pages? And, if you pick wrong, you will have to do it all over again. Who has the money? Who likes to deal with the other HOA members? And then the endless hiccups and delays… And if you are renting an apartment, you will hardly stand a chance at retrofitting anything!

So here we look for less expensive alternatives that you can implement on your own, such as noise proof curtains and noise blocking acoustic panels. These inexpensive alternatives may not be perfect, but they can be an easy way to keep your walls quiet. They will also work for renters!

Easy DIY Options, Noise Blocking Curtains And Acoustical Wall Panels

Compared to hiring contractors, hanging heavy media room noise blocking curtains or lighter noise reduction curtains is as simple as, well, hanging any curtains. And placing acoustical wall panels can be as simple as hanging a painting on the wall! Easy peasy!

Heavy Media Room Curtains That Block Out Noise

Absolute Zero Heavy Velvet Curtains in Stone Blue, Noise Reduction Curtains For Home

Just like in a TV room, media room, or home theater, heavy curtains can be hung on the walls, not just windows. In fact, in media rooms, the best acoustics is accomplished by placing heavy velvet curtains on all four walls.

You can simply start hanging curtains that block the noise on a single wall of your condo or apartment. That will usually be the wall that separates yours from another apartment, or an adjacent condo. The wall where the most noise is coming from. That will already remove a lion share of the neighbor noise.

We will give our recommendations for heavy velvet media room curtains below, but first, just a word or two about dimensioning.

Curtain Height For Maximum Benefit

You want your curtain to cover most if not all of the wall that you want to treat acoustically. Velvet curtains often come in heights between 60 and 120 inches, and you want to pick the height that is the largest that still fits within your wall height.

Wider Curtain Width Helps To Reduce Noise

This is where it gets interesting. We have shown on another page that noise reduction measurements demonstrate just how big the “pleat” effect is. The fact is that, when you add fullness to the curtain by pleating it or simply by buying wider total width, you can increase noise reduction by as much as a factor of 2 – 3.

To achieve the extra noise absorbing factor, just make sure that the total width of the media room curtain is 2.5 times to 3 times wider than your wall width. That way, even when the curtain is closed, it will look full. The already significant noise reduction of a heavy velvet curtain will double or triple!

Rod Size And Thickness

When you are planning for an extra full, extra heavy curtain, make sure your rod will handle it, Pick rods that are sufficiently wide and that have a diameter of 1 inch. Don’t go for anything less than 1 inch diameter and you will be fine.

Lighter Faux Suede Blackout Noise Reduction Curtains

Eclipse Suede Noise Absorbing Blackout Curtains

We much prefer heavier velvet blackout curtains. If, however, you feel that a lighter curtain will block the noise sufficiently, sure, take a look at lighter, blackout, thermal insulating type panels. Thermal insulating curtains will block the noise coming through the window. They will also reduce the noise coming through the walls. Follow the exact same suggestions for curtain width, curtain height as for the heavy velvet curtains above.

Just follow the above suggestions about the proper width (total curtain width 3 times the window/wall width) and length. Even as you close the curtains, you will get fuller, more wavy curtains. You will double or triple noise reduction compared with others who don’t follow this advice and buy only 1.5 times the window or wall width (yet still report significant noise reduction).

Acoustical Wall Panels Alternative For Noise Absorption On Walls

Have you ever hung a painting on a wall?

Acousticolor Eco-c Tex By Audimute Soundproofing

Acoustical Wall Panels are not that different from paintings! Did you know putting acoustical wall panels on the walls for noise absorption is not any more difficult than hanging a painting on the wall?

Noise reduction experts suggest 1-inch-thick fabric-wrapped acoustical wall panels to reduce the noise. They will be solid and be placed on walls like oil paintings. They can be placed in a wall-covering fashion, with sides aligned next to each other.

Or, you can be more creative, and less strict, and simply place them in random spots across the wall, covering most of the wall. Tastefully, of course. That way, your placement will in itself become a work of art.

You can allow your imagination to take you wherever you want. You can choose between acoustic fabric panels and acoustic art panels!

Acoustic Absorption Sheets Or Blankets

Audimute Absorption Sheets

In some cases, you could use less expensive sound absorption sheets for quick and easy acoustical treatment of walls. They look and feel like very heavy and thick curtains. You will not want to be pleat them or compress them into a wave because of their thickness.

However, you can simply hang them on the hooks, and improve noise absorption that way. They won’t look as good as acoustical wall panels but they are highly portable and easy to install,  they will cost a lot less and they will absorb the noise just as well.

I want to rest. Just what are the best noise cancelling curtains? are the best at stopping the noise from the outside as well. In addition, their thickness provides for excellent blackout and thermal insulating properties – you will save money on air conditioning.

Heavy Velvet Curtains – Best Noise Cancelling Curtains

For best sound absorption with a window treatment, there simply isn’t a better solution than Long, Thick, Heavy Velvet Curtains as of today. Perhaps, in the future, specially designed translucent and light curtains will be able to absorb the noise. Scroll down to “Off The Cuff Futuristic Solutions”, below. But currently there just isn’t a way around getting heavy media room curtains.

Lighter Suede Blackout Curtains

Eclipse Suede Noise Absorbing Blackout Curtains

A much lighter alternative is useful when you only need a little bit of extra noise proofing.  In that case you can get thermal insulating, blackout type curtains. These are quite light. They feature a Thermaback liner which stops the sun rays and stops the heat from entering or leaving the room. You will achieve significant darkening of the room even during the day. These curtains will remove noticeable amount of noise as well.

Because you are reading this blog, you will be better equipped with advice on exactly what curtains to buy. You will also know exactly what total width and length to pick to maximize the noise reduction.

More Options For Better Sleep

What if even the best noise cancelling drapes don’t cancel enough of the noise to allow you to fall asleep? You still have additional options! You can use them by themselves or in addition to your noise cancelling window treatment.

Noise Cancelling Headphones

AudioTechnica ATH-ANC23 Quiet Point Noise-Cancelling In-Ear Earbuds

The only type of true noise cancellation you can really achieve is by noise cancelling headphones. Up to 90% of external noise reduction or sometimes more can be achieved with current readily available consumer technology.

Noise cancelling headphones, currently available, are not perfect. However, they work. According to manufacturer’s measurements, they cancel as much as 85% or more of the incoming noise. There are two types. The first type is the over-the-head noise cancelling headphones. These, however, are quite bulky (due to the limitations of the noise cancelling technology).

For better sleep, your best bet is to use noise cancelling in-ear headphones instead. With these you will be able to turn and toss on your side. Especially when you are a side sleeper, you will prefer in-ear headphones. We like Audio Technica Quiet Point In Ear Earbuds.

But I Need Noise To Sleep! We Have You Covered Too!

Dohm-DS by Marpac. The Original Sound Conditioner, formerly known as the Sleepmate

You are not alone. A lot of people just can’t fall asleep in complete silence. They’ll be disturbed by the sudden loud noise from the street. And when they try to fall asleep the deafening silence feels uncomfortable also. If you are like that, there are several possibilities. Instead of reducing the outside noise, you introduce a manageable additional noise. You can have a standing fan humming near you, or keep an air conditioner on. Either will keep fresh air circulating and allow you to fall asleep.

If neither of the above is an option, Dohm-DS by Marpac, the Original Sound Conditioner, is a white noise sleep machine. It produces noise similar to the sound of the rushing wind. This helps people who can’t stand too much silence fall asleep. Also, it helps drown low level external noise coming in from the outside.

Off The Cuff Futuristic Solutions, Far Into The Future

For your entertainment, we present some additional noise cancelling and noise reducing technologies.

Active Sound Cancelling Solutions

Sono Noise Cancelling On Your Window

Active sound cancelling solutions can be applied as window treatments for noise. Sono Window Treatment, currently in concept phase, can reportedly cancel street noises by 12 dB and still allow bird chirps through. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv6sBuwzLhk. Initially, this product is not expected to work perfectly. You can still supplement its noise reduction by using noise cancelling curtains such as our favorite Absolute Zero noise reducing curtains.

Rock-It 3.0 by OrigAudio is similar to Sono. Rock-It turns any surface into a speaker. It is a promising technology, both for windows and for walls, when coupled with noise canceling software like Sono.

Passive Solutions: Sound Cancelling Curtains

Annette Douglas Textiles Sound Absorbing Curtains

Special new curtain textile designs by Annette Douglas are lightweight and translucent. Yet they absorb up to 80% of the sound, which is incredible. We have seen installations around the world, mostly in Europe. However, to date, we have not seen any independent verification of her claims of 80% sound reductions with extremely lightweight curtains that are also translucent. We have also not seen how deep into the low frequency spectrum, for example below 400 Hz – 600 Hz range, will these curtains work. We suspect these curtains will not work well below that range. Check out the following sources to find out more.
http://phys.org/news/2011-05-curtains-quench-noise.html
http://www.douglas-textiles.ch/en/home.html

We’ll update this page if any of the above solutions become viable, proven, and commercially available at a reasonable cost. Check back here. When the Sono, or the Rock-It concept the Annette Douglas curtains become available and affordable, you will be the first to know.

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Do Best Sun Zero Curtain Models Stand Up To Their Claims?

Sun Zero Curtain claim to fame is 99% sunlight blocking. They claim that the curtain is woven so tightly that the sun rays can not go through it. Therefore achieving light blackout.

But are Sun Zero Curtains really zero light curtains? The company specifically claims that their best curtains like Sun Zero Affinia filters 99 percent of light while enhancing privacy.

We have set out to check buyer reviews to verify whether the best Sun Zero Curtains according to buyers, Affinia, Caleb, and Emmett, stand up to their claims.

Best Sun Zero Curtain Models: Affinia, Emmet, Caleb

You are going to like the Sun Zero Curtains if you like inexpensive, yet good looking curtains with reasonable light and sound blocking features. Curtains that don’t just come in a solid color, but have a touch of pattern and style to them.

Sun Zero Affinia Curtains

Sun Zero Affinia has a nice dark shiny vertical wave pattern to it.

Affinia comes in four colors, Ecru, Barley, Shiraz, and Frost.

Even the darkest color, Shiraz (which is dark burgundy red color) will not block the light completely, according to buyers.

Sun Zero Afiinia comes with large, modern looking grommets on top.

Sun Zero Emmett Curtains Red

Sun Zero Emmett comes in Taupe and Brick (red) color.

Its printed pattern consists of randomly placed circles of different sizes.

It features a rod pocket on top.

Sun Zero Caleb Plum Curtains

Sun Zero Caleb comes in colors Plum, Silver, Chocolate and Linen.

It features a subtle geometrical pattern and large grommets on top.

Sun Zero Curtain Materials

Sun Zero Curtains are made of 100% Polyester which is tightly woven. This allows for good sun blocking and provides limited noise reduction.

Light Blackout Claims Overrated

When you see the term “Blackout” in the title of Sun Zero curtains, as well as the claim of 99% sun ray blocking, you need to take this with a grain of salt. It is unreasonable to expect of such thin curtains to provide nearly 100% light blocking.

Indeed, buyers of Sun Zero Affinia which is marketed as a “Blackout” curtain, complain about this not being so. The light is coming straight through the curtain they say!

However, other buyers contend the Sun Zero curtains “block most of the light”. That might be the most accurate description.

Fortunately, the Caleb and the Emmett do not carry the adjective “Blackout” in the title.

Convenience Of Install, Hanging And Washing

Sun Zero Curtains reviewed are easy to deal with. After you receive them in the mail, just pull them out of the bag, and place them in the dryer together with a damp kitchen cloth for 20 minutes. Then hang them immediately to remove the folds.

All three models are machine washable.

Large Grommets in Affinia and Caleb make opening and closing of the curtains easier than the rod pocket in Emmett.

Dimensions

The Affinia, Caleb, and Emmett come in lengths of 63 and 84 inches. The width of Emmett is 54 inches, Affinia 52 inches, and Caleb 40 inches.

Best Features Of Sun Zero Curtains

All three best Sun Zero models will block sunlight significantly, will somewhat reduce the noise and will reduce the summer heat caused by direct sunlight protruding into the room and heating up the carpets and walls. They will all also keep the room warmer in the winter as windows are the main cause of heat loss from the room.

Buyer Ratings

Buyers of top three Sun Zero curtains Caleb, Affinia, and Emmet are looking for stylish, good looking curtains that are easy to maintain and won’t break the bank.

Buyers feel that Affinia has “rich color and satiny finish” and is overall “rich looking”.  One buyer found the dark brown color of Caleb curtains “just perfect”. One reviewer said about the Sun Zero Emmett: “material is silky, yet sturdy, wrinkles come right out. I also love the colors and patterns.”

However, when you are looking for curtains with best blackout, noise reduction, and thermal insulation properties, we suggest to look instead into Absolute Zero Velvet type curtains which will provide better blackout and remove more of the unwanted noise according to buyer reviews.

If your budget is lower you could also look into Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient Curtains. These, according to buyer reviews, will block the light better than Sun Zero, and provide better noise reduction.

Price

Top Sun Zero models reviewed, Affinia, Emmett and Caleb, are currently available exclusively at Walmart.com.

Absolute Zero Curtains are a modern example of good form and function. Made of 100% Polyester, they imitate rich natural velvet (Absolute Zero are actually faux velvet) in function, touch and feel, but weigh much less. Absolute Zero Blackout Curtains are about twice as heavy as the Eclipse Suede Thermaback curtains.

Who Are Absolute Zero Blackout Curtains For?

Absolute Zero Velvet Blackout Curtains are marketed as luxurious home theater curtains. Indeed, they work well in home theaters, media rooms, or TV rooms, to darken the room and improve video projector movie viewing or large screen TV viewing during the daytime. When placed over windows they also reduce outside noises significantly.

The other important effect these curtains have is to sound treat the room, which means that they will reduce sound reflections from the wall. This will allow for a better definition of the loudspeaker sounds. This means less echoes, fewer distortions and less interference, and, as the end effect, the sound in the room will be easier on the ears, and offer more enjoyment of the soundscape of the movies, video and audio.

What About Their Use In Regular Living Rooms And Bedrooms?

Noise Blocking

When you are serious about blocking noise from the outside, Absolute Zero Velvet Curtains will work better than the lighter, Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient Curtains. They are both made of the same material, 100% Polyester, and both have extra fibers giving them the characteristics textures. However, they differ in weight and the amount of extra fiber. The Absolute Zero Velvet Blackout Curtains are nearly twice as heavy as Eclipse Suede Curtains for the same size.

There is something called “mass effect” in acoustics. For noise absorbing curtains it simply means that, the heavier the curtains, the lower frequency of sound they will absorb. So they will absorb more unwanted noises overall. Which includes street traffic noises, noisy neighbors outside, loud machinery, etc.

Another important reason why Absolute Zero Velvet curtains are superb in absorbing noise is the special velvet weave itself. The dense velvet pile of fibers acts as a strong noise absorber.

Light And Heat Blocking

When used in bedrooms and living rooms, the excellent light and heat blocking of Absolute Zero curtains is equally important as sound blocking. When closed, these curtains will prevent any heat shocks and any intrusive lights that would interfere with your sleep.

Absolute Zero Velvet Blackout Curtains will work wonders in living rooms and bedrooms to imbue your space with a peaceful, relaxed, low-noise feel.

Softness Of The Natural Velvet Feel But Not The Velvet Weight

The rich velvet feel in old fashioned velvet curtains that are made of natural materials such as silk, linen, mohair, wool, or cotton, is matched with the modern polyester material feel.

However, the curtains do not feel heavy and they can be conveniently hung on standard diameter rods (one inch diameter recommended).

It is slightly inconvenient that the curtains will have to be placed in a dryer together with a damp cloth. After 20 minutes of tumble drying they should be immediately hung so to take out the folds and any wrinkles. The curtains will then straighten out further while being hung.

Color And Velvet Looks

Absolute Zero Heavy Velvet Curtains in Stone Blue, Noise Reduction Curtains For Home

Absolute Zero Velvet Curtains come in several colors: The Standard Velvet Red, Black, Stone Blue (a washed-out light blue), Chocolate (darker brown) and Cafe (lighter brown). Important tip: While the first order of business when picking color should be to match curtain color to the rest of the decor in the room, it is also important to realize that, lighter colors will black out slightly less light than the darker colors.

A buyer of the (light brown) cafe color indeed reports that these blocked at most 80% of the sunlight. However, you can increase this to 90% and more if you follow our advice below for doubling the number of panels. Which will also improve noise reduction.

Regardless of the color, curtain buyers report that the curtains have very nice soft feel to them.

Sizing Absolute Zero Curtains

Absolute Zero Blackout Curtains come in three heights, 63″, 84″ and 95″. All panels are extra wide 50″ width. The shipping weight for one panel will be between 2.2 lbs and 3.2 lbs depending on the height.

Absolute Zero Curtains Width

Are you serious about maximizing the sound absorption to achieve superb outside noise reduction such as traffic or machinery noise that can seep even through the closed windows? By picking up Absolute Zero Velvet curtains, you are already half way there! But to maximize the noise absorption, and improve blackout as well, we recommend to purchase 2.5x to 3x the width of the window you are covering.

Why? By doing so, your velvet curtains will be full even when closed. We have shown elsewhere that full folding of curtains can increase noise reduction by as much as 3x.

This only pertains to sizing the curtains that cover a window. Window is the biggest source of noise from the outside, even when closed. When you are purchasing these Velvet Curtains for a media room to cover the wall, you can go with the standard advice to purchase the total curtain width to be just 2x the width of the wall.

Individual Absolute Zero curtain panels are all extra wide at 50 inch width.

Absolute Zero Curtains Length

What about the right curtain length? First off, be sure not to purchase curtains taller than your ceiling. If you are purchasing these for your media room, consider the tallest height that will still fit. This will acoustically treat your room, reduce echoes and interferences.

Absolute Zero velvet curtains come in three lengths: 63 inch, 84 inch and 95 inch.

If you are purchasing Absolute Zero Curtains for a living room or bedroom, at least make sure that curtains go 10-20 inches above and below the window, to maximize the noise reduction.

Accessories

You will want to make sure that you get the thickest rods that you can get. For most purposes, 1 inch diameter rods will be perfect. You will be able to hang them either using the backtabs or the rod pocket. If you decide to follow our advice and go for the 3x the width of the window, consider purchasing a double rod and use both rods for additional noise reduction and blackout.

Quick Pros

• Velvety Feel
• Adequate sound treatment for a media room and impressive noise reduction
• Blackout is optimal even during daytime with darker colors
• Thermal insulation prevents fast heating of the room and saves on cooling and heating costs
• Machine washing is okay

Quick Cons

• Need initial dryer treatment (follow directions, please) to remove wrinkles and folds
• Relative heavy weight and possible wide width requires the highest diameter rods, 1 inch diameter minimum suggested, curtain tabs and rod pockets will accommodate up to 2 inch diameter rods
• Lighter colors like cafe or stone blue do not adequately block sunlight for daytime sleepers or highly sensitive sleepers

Buyer Ratings

Buyers give 4.5 to 5 star average reports, which is excellent. Buyers appreciate the Absolute Zero Velvet Curtains for their blackout, noise reduction, heat insulation, and sound treatment properties in TV rooms and media rooms, or living rooms. Darker colored curtains also live up to 99% daytime light blockage according to buyers. Which is great for the bedrooms of light-sensitive sleepers or daytime sleepers.

Real Life Reports

Some buyers report having best sleep in years after installing Absolute Zero curtains which is something to celebrate for sure!

Others reported that sun would still shine through at the edges in the morning when the sun is low. These folks apparently did not come across our recommendations under the subsection “Dimensions”. If you want really good blackout, make sure to get darker colors. Then make sure you buy extra panels, and also optionally get double rods. Don’t be the person who has to resort to taping the curtains to the wall!

Quite a few buyers expressed their relief finally stumbling across the Absolute Zero Velvet Blackout Home Theater Curtain. They had bought models other than Absolute Zero previously. Then they found these other curtains not to be blackout curtains at all.

Energy savvy buyers are expecting to lower their energy usage this winter by buying extra curtain panels and making sure that they cover their windows thoroughly.

Price

Absolute Zero Velvet Curtains, Dark Brown

Absolute Zero velvet curtains will typically cost double to triple the cost of other blackout curtains. Comparison shopping definitely pays. We found best prices at the time at Walmart.com. If you are serious about noise reduction and blackout, and are buying several panels at the time, the Walmart.com price advantage adds up.

Eclipse Kendall, Blackout Curtains For KidsEclipse Kendall Curtains are for kids. In contrast to Absolute Zero Curtains (our fav) and Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient curtain that come in the more toned down pastel, dark and brown colors, Eclipse Kendall comes in colors that are lively, bright, and really suitable for kids rooms, and will brighten up the kids rooms.

Note! There are a few caveats when buying Eclipse Kendall Curtains, especially because a lot of outlets will market them as “Blackout”. It is true that, because of the Thermaback lining, all Eclipse Kendall curtains will have excellent insulating properties, however, they will not all equally block the sunlight. It really depends on the color!

So read this review carefully to prevent disappointment.

Eclipse Kendall Materials And Noise Control

Compared with Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient Curtains, Eclipse Kendall are made of similar material, including Thermaback layer. They don’t have the “faux suede fiber” so their noise control will be lacking quite a bit compared with Eclipse Suede Curtains.

However, you can, by buying two and a half times the window width to three times the window width, make sure that the curtains will look full even when closed. As we discussed elsewhere, this will increase noise control by as much as 3x, based on research and data from a famous music school.

Look below under Dimensions, for how to measure your window properly for size, and how to pick the exact number of panels to buy.

Convenient Installation And Maintenance

The Eclipse Kendall curtains are packaged as single panels. So you can buy exactly the number of panels you need to maximize fullness and noise control. They are easy to unfold and you must put them in the dryer (together with a large damp cloth) as soon as you unpack, to remove creases and folds. Then prepare to hang them immediately for best results (look into curtain rods under Accessories, below, to be ready to hang them right away).

The curtains are easy to hang because they have a 3 inch hem on both ends which will let you hang them either way on even the thickest of curtain rods (the 1 inch diameter ones which we recommend).

Since the Thermaback layer is a part of the curtain itself, it is easy to make curtains look good when hung. No need to mess with extra liners.

Every few years you can conveniently machine wash these curtains. Make sure you use the cold temperature setting. You can tumble dry on low, and we recommend to place moist kitchen cloth in the dryer for better crease reduction. We recommend dry cleaning, however, to be on the safe side. Especially if curtains have been exposed to strong sunlight daily for a year or longer.

Kendall Curtains Come In Lively Light And Darker Colors

Eclipse Kids Kendall Curtains – Denim Color

Due to lack of extra (faux) fiber texture, the Eclipse Kendall are perhaps a bit more industrial feeling than Eclipse Suede.

But the wonderful lively colors they come in make up for that in the child’s room.

When you are considering buying light color Kendalls, such as Lime, Turquoise, Ivory (dark white), or Artichoke (medium to light green), beware that the Eclipse Kendall will not really block 99% of the sun rays. If your window is facing the sun at any point during the day when kids want to sleep (like east facing windows for example), we recommend to install extra blinds on that window, or change your Eclipse Kendall order to a darker colors, below, for maximal, nearly 99% outside light blocking.

Dark colors choices for Eclipse Energy Efficient Kids Kendall curtains include Raspberry, Denim, Ruby, Purple, Aubergine (dark purple-brown eggplant color), Cafe, Black, Stone Blue, and Chocolate. You will be really happy with both the thermal insulation, light blocking, and noise blocking, especially if you double up on the number of panels, as described in Dimensions, below. By doubling on the number of panels, your curtains will look fuller too when closed.

Sizing The Curtains, How To Measure The Window Or Door

Eclipse Kendall curtains come in two panel dimensions, 42″W x 84″L and 42″W x 63″L. Their packing weight per panel is 1.76/1.5 lbs.

The Curtain Length

First off, for better sound reduction, light blocking, and thermal insulation, we suggest to pick the longer, 84 inch length, instead of the shorter 63 inch length. That is unless your radiator is right underneath the window in and you don’t want to cover it.

The Curtain Total Width

Now let’s talk about width. As we have recommended above under Materials And Noise Control, if you are really concerned with doubling or even tripling the noise reduction (as if you living by a noisy street or having noisy neighbors or need to sleep or relax in peace during the day), you will want to have the total curtain width be 2.5x – 3x the width of the window.

How to measure the window? As for the height, you can choose to have a few inches of space between the bottom of the curtain (the 3 inch hem area on the bottom) and the floor. You may want to achieve the flooding effect by letting the curtains spread down on the floor, but we don’t recommend that with the Kendalls, especially because of the kids.

So be sure that the center of the curtain rod is installed at least 85-86 inches above the floor. Then measure your window side to side. (See also the distance A-B here: http://eclipsecurtains.com/guides/how-to-measure/). Multiply the window width by 3 and get total recommended width of the curtains. Then divide that total width by 42 inches, round up to the higher whole number. This will be the number of 42 inch panels you want. Usually, you will want to get 4 panels for a regular size window for extra noise control and sun ray blockage. And for the extra full look when curtains are closed.

If you are getting a double rod to hang Eclipse Kendall on (see Accessories below), you can purchase even more panels and increase the light blockage and noise blockage even further.

Top Quick Features Of Eclipse Kendall Energy Efficient Curtains

• Many beautiful colors kids will love (but beware that lighter colors will not be as light blocking)
• Blocks up to 99 percent of outside light in lab tests. Note: In tests, 99 percent is only achieved by the darkest color choices
• Patented Thermaback technology keeps hot sunrays out and conserves costs of cooling and heating
• Noise reduction not as high as but similar to Eclipse Suede
• Made of 100% Polyester

Much Needed Accessories

You can buy matching curtain rods either as single rods or double rods. Double rods will allow you to block sunlight and noise better. Two reasons. First reason: one of the curtains will be close to the wall, which is good for noise and light blocking. Second reason: you will be able to hung more curtain panels. You will achieve solid light blocking even with the lighter color panels. The double rod brackets are usually made stronger. Stronger curtains can only be a bonus in a kids room, especially if you have active boys playing there!

If you are buying single rods, make sure that they extend at least 10-20 inches to the left and to the right of the sides of the window. Many curtain rods will be extensible so you will be able to achieve that easily. Especially for single rods, be sure to go with the thickest, 1 inch diameter is preferred. You will be able to choose decorative and standard rod endings. Just be sure they match the room decor as well.

Mostly Positive Buyer Ratings

It is hard to please all buyers. For instance, the blackout property. The lighter colors of Eclipse Kendall will not block the sunlight, not even close to 99%. Some people hate that, as they expected 99% blocking even from the lightest model. That’s not happening. On the other hand, a few buyers love the special “yellow glow” that the light yellow curtains impart on the whole room. So there. Know what you want.

Some buyers complained that the curtains stay creased when they hang them! But they didn’t follow directions and tumble dry them in a dryer for 20 minutes together with a damp cloth! Don’t be that gal!

A lot of buyers compliment the bright colors. They find them to cheer up the toddlers rooms!

Parents have indeed found that the kids sleep much better and longer when curtains are closed. Even some adults had no trouble sleeping till noon on Sundays!

Some buyers complain that the curtains are not blackening enough. Just follow directions in the section “Dimensions” above. You will see there how you can improve blackout by doubling up on the number of panels. This simply means you should buy 4 panels instead of only 2 panels. You should do that for sure if you choose to pick one of the lighter colors.

Price Research

We found that Walmart.com has the prices of a single panel that is $4 less than any online competitor. Walmart.com’s price is $10 less than the price at the physical Wal-Mart store. When you purchase 4 panels as recommended, you will save $16 in total. In addition, you will get free shipping right to your door. Something to consider.

Verdict

Eclipse Kendall Blackout Curtains For Kids – Denim

We like Eclipse Kendall Energy Efficient curtains. We find them a good match for any colorful kids room or nursery. Even the adults who want to liven up their bedroom a bit will find a color that will match their decoration idea. When you follow our advice on doubling up on the number of panels, you will get a simple, inexpensive window treatment with terrific blackout. Noise reduction, thermal insulation, and energy savings will not disappoint either.

Check out the current price and color availability of Eclipse Kendall Energy Efficient Curtain here at Walmart.com.