What Is With All The Fuss About Eclipse Kids Curtains?

Eclipse kids curtains are extremely popular. They come in a number of models. Eclipse kids curtains are often sold as single panel. On this page you will find the information you need to purchase the right model. Your kids will thank you by being well rested, more peaceful and happier.

 

As a concerned parent or guardian, you are 100% decided to maximize the child’s comfort and ability to sleep and relax peacefully. When you increase blackout, noise reduction, and thermal insulation, you will help your child sleep well.

We will give you the pros and cons of three models of the very best Eclipse children’s curtains. When you read through, you will know:

First, what qualities of an Eclipse curtain to look for (such as blackout, insulating, or sound reduction).
Second, what different models to pick, and their pros and cons, and.
Third, the right length and quantity of curtain panels to get.
Fourth, where you can get the very best price for your Eclipse curtains for kids.

This useful information will apply just as well whether you are looking for Eclipse nursery curtains, for Eclipse kids room blackout curtains, or maybe even for Eclipse baby curtains. The only difference might be in the color you choose. Keep reading.

What To Look For In Eclipse Kids Curtains

To give the best chance to your kids to sleep peacefully and be comfortable during the night, you need to provide curtains that will do several things well:

Block Out Direct Sunlight

As you have learned, kids need to sleep a lot more than the adults. Below the age of 5 kids need over 12 hours of sleep per day. Blocking out direct sunlight is important especially if your child’s room is facing east. The early morning sun could easily be waking up your kid and make them groggy due to lack of sleep.

In a nursery, kids usually go for an afternoon nap. You want to block the sun rays as much as possible during that time of the day.

To block out sunlight just look for Eclipse Blackout Curtains for kids (below). Also look for thermaback lining. When picking the matching rod, make it extend 10-20 inches beyond the window on both sides, left and right.

Consider getting a “wrap around” rod. This rod closes the gap between the wall and the curtain on the sides. And make sure the curtains cover the wall at least 10-20 inches above and below the window edges.

Provide Thermal Insulation

Thermal insulation is important. Thermal insulation prevents large temperature swings. It is okay for the temperature to drop somewhat during sleep from the evening towards the morning.

It is not okay for the temperature to abruptly increase in the morning while the kid is still sleeping. The kid will feel uncomfortable when the temperature rises too fast and by too much. The kid will wake up too soon and be dizzy and unhappy. And he won’t know why and neither will you.

With thermal insulated curtains, however, the temperature won’t rise as fast, providing more time for the kids to wake up on their own, at the best time for them or on your regular schedule.

To get good thermal insulation look for Eclipse kids curtains with thermaback lining (below).

Maximize Noise Reduction

Especially if you live by a high-traffic street or have noisy neighbors, you will want to maximize the noise reduction. This is often looked as not very important, but some kids are really sensitive to noise.

To get the best noise reduction in Eclipse curtains, look for Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient curtains (below). These reduce the noise the most because of the additional sound reduction property of the suede material. Also very important, get properly sized curtains. As a rule of thumb, make sure that curtains extend at least 10-20 inches above, below, to the left and to the right of the window.

Regardless of what curtains you purchase, you will achieve double or even triple the noise reduction when you make sure that the total combined width of all panels is 2.5 times to 3 times the width of the window. Your curtains should look full when closed. That is exactly what you want to double the outside noise reduction. So, stated simply, purchase 4 panels for a window instead of 2 panels and you will achieve fullness when the curtains are closed. That’s how you will reduce the noise even further.

Bonus: Purchase Matching Curtain Rod

We suggest either a regular or decorative rod that extends 10-20 inches beyond the window width on both sides. Another excellent choice to maximize the noise reduction is a “wraparound rod”. That type will allow you to close the gap between the curtain and the wall, reducing noise escaping into the room even more.

Pros And Cons Of The Three Very Best Eclipse Curtains For Kids

Here are the best Eclipse children’s curtains and their pros and cons. We pay close attention to light blackout, thermal insulation, and noise reduction.

Eclipse Suede Thermaback Blackout Panel Curtains

Eclipse Suede Thermaback Blackout Curtains are our top choice because of the fine look and feel of suede.

They feature unsurpassed noise reduction and noise blocking among the Eclipse curtains for children.

Both are due to added fibers that give suede its characteristic feel.

Pros

• Excellent Blackout.
• Excellent Thermal Insulation.
• Best Noise Reduction.

Cons

• Lack of Vivid Colors, but stone blue and golden sand colors could work well

 

Eclipse Kids Kendall Blackout Window Curtain Panel

With their excellent blackout and thermal insulation properties, and beautiful choices of charming lively colors, the Eclipse Kids Kendall curtains are our favorite. That is especially true if noise reduction is not a big concern.

Kids will really love any of the vivid colors Eclipse Kendal comes in.

Pros

• Excellent Blackout.
• Excellent Thermal Insulation.
• Good Noise Reduction.
• Wide Choice Of Colors: Denim, Purple, Raspberry, Ruby.

Cons

• Noise Reduction Not As Good As Eclipse Suede.

 

Eclipse Kids Dayton Energy-Efficient Curtain

These come in a large variety of really bright and vivid colors. They could be excellent as curtains for babies and toddlers. There are also a few of the darker colors to choose from.

When sound reduction is not a big concern, Eclipse Kids Dayton curtains will work fine for blackout and thermal insulation. Keep in mind that the darker colors will still block out direct sunlight better than lighter colors. Also, longer curtains will block the light and the sound better as well.

We also love the grommet top on these curtains which gives them quite a modern look overall.

Pros

• Excellent Blackout.
• Excellent Thermal Insulation.
• Acceptable Noise Reduction with longer length models.
• Awesome Choice of Colors: Black, Blue, Chili, Lime, Plum, Raspberry.
• Grommet Top for those who prefer that “clean” style.

Cons

• Noise Reduction not up to par, especially with shorter length models.

 

If you are looking for blackout curtains for a nursery so that that they will block the sun rays and darken the nap room then you are in the right place. We will go over the blackout and other qualities that good curtain panels for nursery should have to allow children to sleep well.

 

Well rested children will have good nursery experience which will make their parents happy too. After all, it’s the parents who are writing you checks, right?

Children Under 6 Sleep Up To 12 Hours Or Longer

Children tend to sleep long hours when they are under 6 years old, as much as 12 hours total, according to the WebMD site.

I still remember how my father drove me to a nursery every day when I was 4 years old. Us children would get there quite early in the morning, as early as 6 AM. Then we would play in the playroom. Then we would eat a meal, and when the weather was nice, go out in the nature for a walk.

Nap Time! When Blackout Curtains For A Nursery Become Essential!

After we got back to the nursery from the trip, or after several hours of play, drawing pictures or just having fun time together, there would always be a scheduled time for the afternoon nap. The toys would have to be put away. The collapsible beds would be spread all across the floor. Then, of course, the room darkening curtains would be closed. They would allow us kids to get some rest and preferably fall asleep.

Sometimes I could not sleep even though I was tired. My eyes would wander across the room, and I was watching the two nursery wardens pace around the room, whispering to each other, watching over kids. I noticed some of other kids also couldn’t sleep. Definitely, the room wasn’t as dark as it could be!

What To Look For In Blackout Curtains For A Nursery

But your nursery can do better. Today, there is a good selection of blackout curtains for nurseries. Such as curtains with blackout lining. Be sure to also look for good thermal insulation and noise reduction in blackout panels for nursery. As for accessories, a wrap-around rod will be beneficial. Let’s look into more details on what to look to improve the children’s experience.

Blackout

What should you look for in blackout curtains for a nursery? You should look for the curtains that have a label “Blackout” on them. Often, these curtains will be heavier than normal, and will have special blackout or thermal lining in the back. Pay attention to the color. Given the same materials, a darker curtain will still take out more light than a light curtain. So go for darker blackout curtain colors and you will allow even the most sensitive child in the nursery to sleep well.

Thermal Insulation

Sometimes you see a label “Thermal” or “Insulating” on the curtain. This means that the special lining on the back will also reduce the heat going in and out of the room through the curtain. This will save energy in the winter and keep the room cooler in the summer. In addition, in a nursery, thermal insulation plays another important role. Thermal insulating curtains will keep the temperature in the room more steady. This is important during the kids sleep. You want to prevent excessive temperature variations during the kids sleep. And by the way, that is true with or without air conditioning, and even when you allow fresh air to come in through the window.

Noise Reduction

Not all curtains will reduce the noise equally. Is your nursery windows are facing a busy street? Then clearly the rush hour traffic can disturb the kids’ sleep. The good news is that, we have found blackout curtains that stop noise the most, see recommendations below.

With any curtain that stops some of the noise, you can achieve even more noise reduction. Do that by installing more panels, so that the curtain is fuller even when closed. We recommend purchasing total width of the curtain panels to be 2.5x – 3x wider than the window width. This means that you should buy 3-4 panels for your window instead of just 2 panels! By doing so, you can double or triple noise reduction when compared to the curtains that are stretched flat when closed.

The length of the curtains should allow them to extend at least 10-20 inches above and below the window edge.

You can read more about how heavy curtains (like heavy velvet and suede curtains) can dramatically reduce noise. Check out this article: Best Heavy Curtains For Soundproofing Home. Such curtains work best when they are “full” or “pleated” even when closed.

Colors

Surely, in nurseries, vivid shades of pink, purple, yellow or blue are preferred curtain colors. However, as we mentioned earlier, lighter colors may let in more light. Choose darker colors for maximum blackout. In addition, the types of curtains that block the most noise (velvet or suede) may not be available in vivid colors. Just something to consider if sound reduction and complete blackout is important for your kids.

Accessories

If you are getting curtain rods together with the curtains, look into “wraparound” rods. These allow the curtain to wrap into the wall. The curtains will be able to close the gap between the curtain and the wall on both sides. That way, neither the sound nor the light or heat will be able to escape through the air gap on each side of the window.

Reviews Of Best Blackout Curtains For A Nursery We Found

We have searched the largest stores on the internet and found that Eclipse Blackout Curtains (for kids and adults) have good blackout properties. They have good thermal insulation and decent noise reduction as reported by many buyers.

Some Eclipse Blackout Curtains are available in vivid kids colors, take a look at Eclipse Kendall Kids Blackout Curtains review.

When you are really concerned about noise reduction in addition to blackout, but are willing to settle for less vivid color choices. You should look at our review of the curtain model we found has the better blackout, thermal AND sound reduction properties: Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient Curtains review. Even better, and our favorite for sound absorption, are Absolute Zero Velvet Curtains.

While every child is different, children tend to sleep a lot, even during the day. According to WebMD, newborns sleep 15-16 hours a day. The older the children grow the less sleep they need. However, 7-12 years old still need 10-11 hours of sleep every day. Some of that sleepy time will by necessity be daytime.

Making Sure Kids Sleep Well With Childrens Blackout Curtains

Smart parents want their babies and children to sleep regular hours and sleep well. They will assure that direct sunlight will not disturb the kids. Smart parents will try to prevent extreme temperature fluctuations in the kids room, and excessive outside noises. In what ways can childrens blackout curtains help?

Low Light. When parents are searching for girls or boys blackout curtains, or even for blackout curtains for the baby room, their main concern is to prevent direct sun rays or bright sunshine to disturb their children’s sleep. Especially direct sunlight will quickly wake up the child and make them get up groggy.

Low Noise. An equally important concern is to make sure that daytime noises will not disturb the child’s sleep. When the child’s room is facing a busy street, the vehicle noises during the morning rush hour can easily wake the child up, and not allow them to sleep as much as they should.

Minimal Temperature Variation. Small natural temperature drop is okay during the night. Both children and adults will be okay if the bedroom temperature drops by up to five degrees Fahrenheit toward the end of the night. However, again, if the temperature rises suddenly after, say, 7 hours, the child will feel discomfort during the final phases of the sleep. While he may continue to sleep through the discomfort, the sleep just won’t be as pleasant anymore. The child will likely wake up too early and will be dizzy or groggy because of the temperature hike.

Picking The Right Colors For Girls And Boys Blackout Curtains

Often the color is the most important factor in parents’ decision on which blackout childrens curtains to purchase. It is a cliche that girls prefer pinks or purple colors and boys love lighter shades of blue. However, choosing a vivid color curtains is important for the child’s well being during his/her playtime and schoolwork.

What To Look For In Blackout Childrens Curtains?

Blackout Curtains. Clearly, looking for blackout curtains is the step in the right direction. The simplest solution is to find childrens curtains with blackout lining.

Thermal Or Insulated Curtains. When a curtain is named thermal or insulated, this is a good sign. Such curtain will, when closed, help minimize the temperature variation in the child’s room due to morning or afternoon sun rays impinging on the window. Thermal or insulated curtains will be heavier than usual, which will help with environment sound reduction as well.

Sound Reduction. When a curtain is named both blackout and thermal, then, quite often, it will also help reduce the street noise coming into the room. However, the noise reduction still depends on the exact type of materials that the curtain is made of. Curtains made with suede or faux suede, or velvet curtains will reduce the noises more than curtains made of regular fabric.

If you are concerned with noise reduction, you can double (or triple) the noise reduction by increasing the total width of the curtains, as explained here: Best Curtains For Soundproofing Home. Buying the combined width of the panels to be 2.5 times to 3 times as much as the window width will allow for a fuller look of the curtains when closed and will additionally reduce the noise.

What Brand Of Kids Blackout Curtains Is Best?

We have researched the online marketplace for childrens blackout curtains. We found quite a  selection of childrens blackout curtains that are also insulated and noise reducing. At the same time they offer a good choice of vivid colors that kids love.

We have compared multiple online stores, read through buyer reviews of the most popular kids curtains. We were looking for confirmation of the manufacturer’s claims about blackout, thermal insulating, and sound reduction properties. And we were on the lookout for claims to the contrary as well.

We found that Eclipse Childrens Blackout Curtains were extremely popular. They are inexpensive, and have been reported by the buyers to reduce noise and keep room temperature steady as well. Many parents reported their kids to sleep longer hours and feel better during the day also.

You can check out and compare the choices of Eclipse Kids Curtains through this link.

We really like Eclipse Suede Thermaback Energy Efficient Curtains because of the heavier suede material that stops more noise.

Just how good are Eclipse Suede Thermaback Blackout Panel Curtains as noise reducing curtains?

Eclipse actually markets their Suede Curtains either as Eclipse Suede Thermaback Blackout Panel Curtains or as Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient Curtains. We have previously seen (here: How to Buy Noise Reduction Curtains For Home) that heavier Suede Curtains, Energy Efficient Curtains, and Blackout Curtains all can appreciably reduce unwanted noises as well.

For this Eclipse curtains review we researched further to determine if placing Eclipse Suede on your doors and windows will indeed remove enough noise to be perceptible, and to actually give you a chance to sleep better, and enjoy your living spaces despite the outside noise.

Company Noise Reduction Claims, Are They Confirmed?

While never bragging much about the noise reduction properties of Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient Curtains, the company does claim that their suede energy efficient curtains do “reduce unwanted noise so you can sleep better”. The company further suggests to “experience the silence” with this [Eclipse Suede] line of energy-saving, noise-reducing, blackout panels.

In addition, the company presents a report of the noise reduction test for these curtains. An independent testing lab has confirmed that Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient Thermaback Curtains reduce noise 40% better than regular, sailcloth curtains.

Super Convenient Installation

Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient Curtains come with a pocket that will accommodate an one-inch rod. The rod could be standard or decorative type, straight or wrap-around. The company suggests the curtains are machine washable and tumble dried, and can not be bleached.

To remove creases caused by folding, company suggests to place the curtains in a dryer with a damp clean kitchen cloth and dry on low for 20 minutes, and hang immediately. Sounds easy enough.

Enticing Colors And Superb Looks Of Eclipse Suede Thermaback

Eclipse Suede Curtains come in Stone Blue, Olive, Black, Chocolate and Golden Sand colors. That should be plenty to match any living room or bedroom decor. The reverse side of the curtains facing the window is white.

Buyers report that the curtains “surpassed their expectations for both appearance and insulation” and “have a beautiful suede fabric and come in a nice variety of colors”. Without a doubt, the suede material gives a rich appearance to these curtains.

Dimensions And Achieving Maximal Noise Absorption

Each panel of Eclipse Suede weighs about 1 lb. (Total shipping weight is 1.2 lbs).
The dimensions of Eclipse Suede are 40″ W x 84″ L x 0.25″ D.

Keep in mind that, as we discussed previously, to achieve maximal noise absorption, we recommend to purchase total combined width of the curtain panels of 2.5 times to 3 times the width of the window.

That means that, instead of the recommended two panels per window, you may want to purchase three panels or even four panels for best sound reduction.

Thermal And Blackout Features Of Eclipse Suede

As the name implies, the Thermaback layer in Eclipse Suede curtains is designed to block heat exchange. It also provides blackout. The buyer reviews, below, testify to a satisfying thermal insulation effectiveness and blackout.

Eclipse Suede Thermaback Quick Features

• fashionable fabric
• enticing colors and finish
• double pass white foam Thermaback coating
• reduces noise
• blacks out up to 99% of light
• saves energy

Recommended Accessories

Rods and rings for Eclipse Thermaback curtains can be purchased separately. The curtains accommodate up to 1 inch diameter rods. Look into straight regular rods, straight decorative rods, and wraparound rods.

If you decide to double up the number of panels for noise reduction, then pick double rods instead.

Pros

• pleasant, beautiful look of suede
• wide range of colors
• easy to wash and maintain
• good thermal insulation
• good noise reduction
• excellent blackout effectiveness
• heavy weight relative to other Eclipse curtains
• durable

Cons

• must follow a very strict procedure to remove folding wrinkles or be disappointed
• do not come in 120″ height at the moment
• actual color sometimes does not match the images exactly

Buyer Reviews

The Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient Curtains are one of the Eclipse bestsellers on Walmart.com. The star rating is 4.5 Stars at Walmart, and there are 57 mostly highly positive reviews.

Many reviewers praise the noise reduction of these curtains. We can imagine these reviewers would feel even much better about reduced noise if the knew what you know now about maximizing sound absorption – something that you have read in the section Dimensions And Achieving Maximal Noise Absorption above!

One reviewer reports purchasing these curtains for her mother who started working on the 3rd shift and couldn’t fall asleep during the day both due to light and street noise. After Eclipse Suede curtains were installed, reportedly both the sunlight and the street noises were sufficiently reduced so that the room felt as it was night time.

Some reviewers praise elegant looks, and report the curtains to gracefully endure 2.5 years of service. Others enjoy their thermal blocking, noise reducing, and sun rays blocking properties.

It is unfortunate that some reviewers report difficulties in getting the creases and wrinkles out of the curtains after “specifically” not following the directions, and using an iron to try to remove the wrinkles.

Some buyers were extremely pleasantly surprised when their package arrived in the mail. They found the curtains to be extraordinarily thick and beautiful looking. A lot of buyers are planning to purchase more curtains for additional rooms in the house after seeing the curtains live.

Many buyers do praise the thermal insulating properties of these curtains in winter cold and summer heat. Some buyers have noticed reduction in their electricity bill due to lower use of air conditioning.

Overall, 86% of buyers would recommend Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient Curtains to their friends.

Verdict

Based on our research presented above, we find that Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient Curtains indeed do what they say they do:

• Turn a bright room into a dark space in the middle of the day,
• Insulate the space from outside heat or cold, and, most importantly,
• Noticeably reduce the levels of noise from the outside.

Price

While slightly more costly than other Eclipse curtains of the same size, the added weight, great looks, and noise reduction, thermal and light blackout properties seem to justify the slightly higher price point. At the time of writing, Walmart.com had the best online price on these curtains, as much as $10 per panel lower than their in-store price, and Walmart.com was $15 cheaper than Amazon.

Street noises can be hateful when you are trying to relax at home. See below for noise reduction curtains.

Do you live in the city and are tired of the street noise during the rush hour? Perhaps you live on a street where your neighbors on the left decide they need to throw a loud party every weekend night. Perhaps your neighbors on the right are going after a loud house renovation project every other week. Or maybe a garage band across the street keeps the garage door open while they rehearse, “for a better sound”. And you just wish some peace and quiet to unwind after a tiresome week.

When the above situation describes you then buying noise reduction curtains can be the best investment you will ever make.

How To Find Noise Reduction Curtains

Often times noise reduction curtains are termed noise blocking curtains. The designation “noise blocking” is a bit over the top. You will never be able to find curtains that would both look good in your home and completely block the noise from the outside.

Reading through this article, however, you will be able to reach a great compromise. You will find here advice to get beautiful looking and very effective noise absorbing / dampening curtains for the home. You’ll get workable directions to pick such curtains on your own. You will know how to select your noise dampening curtains. You will know the right height and width of these curtains.

As soon as you receive your curtains delivered to your home and install them you will immediately experience added peace and quiet. You will realize how easy it is all of a sudden to relax in your home. You will be astonished at how much difference a well selected and properly sized (or, rather, oversized) curtain can make in your house.

How To Maximize Noise Reduction With Curtains In Your Home

Noise reduction is relatively hard to achieve in home curtains. Thus, it will be difficult for you to find noise reduction curtains by searching on Google. There are no curtains named “Noise Reduction Curtains” or “Noise Blocking Curtains” or even “Noise Absorbing Curtains”. But there are other qualities that you should look for to make sure that your curtains will reduce the noise significantly. These qualities are: The Weight, The Width, The Length, The Materials Used, and finally, The Hanging Rod.

Best Weight For Noise Reducing Curtains: Heavy

When you are buying curtains, just the weight alone per panel can tell you a lot about their sound absorbing quality. The higher the weight, the more outside noise the curtain will reflect, and the more it will also absorb. So, overall, there will be less outside noise in the house. In addition, the heavier the curtain, the more absorbing it will be for the lower frequencies of the sound, or noise. This will additionally remove some of the low frequency noise. Examples of low frequency noise include heavy machinery noise, large car and low frequency motorbike noise.

Find more information on curtain weight on the Best Heavy Curtains For Soundproofing Home page.  That page will explain how doubling the weight of a curtain can reduce the noise two or even three times. This is a huge noise reduction.

Best Width For Noise Reduction Curtains: Extra Wide

What does it mean for curtains to be extra wide? The total combined width of the curtains needs to be two and a half to three times wider than the width of the window. Why are such extra wide curtains the best? Simple. You can only achieve the curtains to look “wavy” or “full” when they are closed if the total width is twice the window width. 2 1/2 to 3 times wider curtains will be “super wavy” or “extra pleated” or “super full” when they are closed. Pleated or wavy curtains have been shown to as much as double noise reduction, which is awesome.

In addition, our recommendation is to allow curtains to extend 10 – 20 inches to the left and to the right of the window. The extra curtain on the side of the window will cause more sound absorption into the curtain. The sound will not “leak” into the room on the side of the curtain.

Bottom line, your curtains should hang to look “super wavy” or “extra pleated” or “extra full” even when they are closed. Thus, we recommend the total width of curtain panels to be between 2 1/2 to 3 times the width of the window.

Best Curtain Length: Buy Them Tall, Hang Them High

You can just about guess now what I was going to say. Yes. To maximize sound reduction, you want the curtains to cover the area well beyond the top and the bottom of the window. The best solution would be to simply get floor to ceiling length curtains. That way you would completely prevent any “leakage” of sound through the space between the ceiling and the curtain or the floor and the curtain.

If floor to ceiling length of the curtain is not feasible for you, go for the Plan B. Don’t buy the curtains that only cover the window height. Get the longer/taller version of the curtains. It should stretch from well above the window top to well below the window sill.  We recommend at least 10-20 inches or more overhang of the curtains above and below the window opening. This will achieve a reasonable noise reduction.

Best Materials For Noise Absorbing Curtains: Extra Fibers

There are three ways curtains can add fiber to increase noise absorption:

First, velvet or suede: velvet curtains and suede curtains naturally contain extra fibers protruding out of the curtain. This extra fibers gives the curtains a special “soft”, or “velvety” touch. It just so happens that such fibers cause extra sound absorption. This is why you will find velvet curtains in theaters, media rooms, and vocal booths. But they can be just as easily used in your living room and bedroom. They will really help you reduce the noise.

Second, extra curtain filler: the fiber can be added inside the curtain as a filler. The “Thermal” or the “insulated”, “thermalayer” or “thermaweave” or the “energy efficient” curtains will have a layer of extra fiber. That extra fiber will increase the noise reduction of the curtains. That is in addition to providing thermal insulation, that is, preventing the heat from escaping and entering through the window.

Third, extra lining: the extra fiber can be added in the form of extra lining. Look for “curtain liner”, or “window liner” or “blackout liner”. All of these will reduce the thermal losses but they will also reduce the noise protruding in through the curtains.

Best Curtain Rods: Wraparound Rods And Double Rods

By far the best curtain rods you can get, if you want to maximize noise absorption from the sources outside, are the wraparound rods. A wraparound rod will curve into the wall at the ends. It will attach itself with a few screws to the wall.

Why is wraparound rod the best for the noise reduction? Because that way, you will be able to avoid the gap on the side of the curtains between the wall and the curtain edge. You will be able to curve the curtain on the sides and allow it to touch the wall. That way sound will have no direct air path into the room on the sides of the curtain, between the curtain wall and the curtain. You will maximize sound absorption into the curtain material that way. As an added benefit, the blackout effect and the thermal insulation will be enhanced as well.

Double rods are also a good alternative. When you double up on the number of panels as described above, you can use both rods. Using double rod will also reduce the gap between the curtain and the wall and prevent noise and light from escaping to the sides.

Bottom Line, What Noise Reduction Curtains Should You Look Into?

When you follow the above recommendations for oversizing the width of the curtains, you can make even a regular blackout curtain into a curtain that removes a significant amount of noise. Quite likely it will be enough for you to enjoy your day and sleep undisturbed.

So you got this idea that heavyweight curtains will help sound proof your home.

You are quite right! On this page you will find two types of sound absorbing curtains: Really heavy weight, and medium weight. Here: Heavy Velvet Blackout Curtains like Absolute Zero (heavy weight) and Thermal Insulating Blackout Curtains like Eclipse Suede (medium weight). Both will help sound proof your home. Plus, you will find below very useful tips on how many curtain panels to buy and how to hang the curtains to maximize blocking of unwanted noise.

Living In The City Can Make You Go Crazy!

Perhaps you and your family is inundated with the traffic noise coming into your living room? That loud noise a car engine roaring past your home makes suddenly breaks your concentration when enjoying a book, or playing with the kids?

Or, worse, you are trying to lay down on bed and fall asleep but the lights and noises from the outside are causing you to stay awake, unable to take the moment of rest. You finally fall asleep just because you are so tired. When the alarm clock wakes you up the next day, you are not refreshed, and not quite ready to start your new day. You are groggy and unhappy driving to work through traffic, and your performance at work suffers too.

Searching Online For Heavy Curtains For Soundproofing

You are hoping to find some advice about heavyweight curtains that you can use right away. But what do you find? You find advice that points to industrial soundproofing curtains that require a crane just to put them in place and a super heavy-duty rod just to hang them across the window. Then you learn about “mass loaded vinyl” which scares the heck out of you. You find advice about home theater curtains that span the whole wall… But you have no intent whatsoever to turn your bedroom into a home theater or an industrial plant any time soon. You say to yourself:

“I Just Want A Little Peace And Quiet – I Don’t Need Anything Special, Just Some Sound Absorbing Curtains That I Can Buy Today And Will Reduce The Noise Just A Little Bit, So I Can Sleep”

Design Your Perfect Soundproofing Curtains

Do not despair, there is hope and “sound” advice just for you in this very article. We will show you places online where you can look at heavy weight curtains for home, like heavy blackout curtains, or heavy winter curtains, which are readily available, and can be shipped to you today, without delays and unneeded customizations! We will also explain how to pick the right width and length for the curtains to maximize the noise reduction. But first we must make a little trip to get some data about the noise reduction coefficient (NRC). If you want to skip this “theory”, you can, just go to the bottom of the article and get our recommendations.

Charts Of Noise Reduction Coefficient by SAE Institute

SAE Institute For Creative Media Education comes to the rescue! SAE is an international, worldwide music school. These musicians know everything about the noise and the practical ways to eliminate it! SAE  presents a chart of the Noise Reduction Coefficient, NRC, for drapes. For now, it doesn’t really matter what NRC is exactly. The important thing is that it tells you how much a certain material like drapes or curtains will reduce noise. And that is what you are after, reducing the noise with heavy weight curtains.

If you study the NRC coefficient for drapes closely, you realize that you can achieve a significant noise reduction with the drapes by doing two things right:

Two Ways To Reduce Noise With Curtains – Weight And Width

1.) Get drapes or curtains that are heavy weight. You already knew that. But now you know that you will achieve up to three times the noise reduction with drapes twice as heavy.
2.) Get drapes or curtains that are pleated. Pleated curtains can double and triple the noise reduction compared to flat curtains of the same weight.

So you can conclude, by getting curtains that are twice as heavy and much wider than needed (so they are “pleated” or “full”, not flat, even when they are covering the window, not only when they are pulled back), you can achieve up to nine times the noise reduction. That is Nine Times less noise from the street! Such noise reduction could save your sleep and sanity!

How Does The “Pleat” or “Fullness” Help Reduce The Noise?

This is no place to go into the acoustics of the “pleat”. However, it is easy to see there are two ways in which the pleat will help reduce the noise. First, the pleat effectively increases the thickness of the curtain. The sound must pass through several layers (typically 2) of the curtain to come out on the other side. Second, the pleat will create “wedges” in the curtain which will cause sound to reflect off of the wedges and impinge erratically on various curtain surfaces, and get absorbed. This effect will cause further noise reduction.

Next we investigate what types of curtains you can readily buy to use for your home noise reduction.

Two Types Of Heavy Sound Absorbing Curtains For Noise Reduction

We have scoured the web and found two types of heavy curtains for home that are available in longer widths (remember, the longer the curtain, the more you can “pleat” it, the “fuller” it will be when closed and the better the noise reduction). These 2 types are blackout/thermal insulating/energy efficient curtains, and heavy velvet/suede curtains.

Blackout, Thermal Insulating,  Energy Efficient Curtains

Any of these types of curtains will be heavier weight because more mass is needed for the curtains to not allow the heat to get into the room and to prevent the heat from escaping out. Also, as we see elsewhere, certain thickness is required for a curtain to block out light from the outside.

Thermal Insulating or Energy Efficient curtains are sometimes referred to as heavy curtains for winter because they will keep the house warm when it is cold outside. However, they are useful in the summer as well because they prevent the room from heating up too much too quickly.

Blackout curtains will block up to 99% of direct sunlight and will keep the room dark. The best blackout curtains will be made of thick material which will make them heavier.

Right Curtain Width

If you want to maximize the sound absorption of any of these curtains, the combined curtain width must be twice the width of the window even for normal curtains. This way you will achieve the “normal pleat” effect. For the “super pleat” effect that will maximize the sound reduction, you simply need to buy even longer total width of the curtains, between 2.5x – 3x the width of the window.

Three times the width of the window as total curtain width recommendation is over and beyond the standard recommendation. Standard recommendation calls for total combined curtain width of two times the window width. Resources recommend curtains of two times the window width even when there is no concern about noise absorption. See Additional Resources, below.

Pleating enhances the blackout effect. This is particularly important when you are buying lighter-colored blackout curtains. These, by their nature, will black out less light than dark colored curtains made of the same materials.

When installing, extend the curtains well beyond the window edge on the left and right. If possible, go as far out as 10-15 inches on each side.

When purchasing your chosen curtain panels for a normal size window, you would have to go with four panels instead of the usual two for maximum noise absorption effect.

Right Curtain Length

Keep in mind that it will benefit noise reduction and light blocking when you extend the curtains well below and above the window. So look for longer lengths when purchasing.

We reviewed a great example of an inexpensive, thermal insulating energy efficient blackout curtain here: Eclipse Suede Energy Efficient Blackout Curtain Review.

Curtains Made Of Heavy Velvet And Suede Type Materials

The materials used in curtains that best absorb the sound include suede and velvet. The natural heaviness of these materials provides for sound absorption in and of itself. Additionally, the micro fibers sticking out of the base give more opportunities for sound waves to reflect within the curtain. The micro fibers found in velvet and suede curtains further increase the noise absorption of these curtains.

Right Curtain Width

Sound absorption of velvet and suede type curtains will also be improved by the “pleat” effect. As we have shown above, when curtains or drapes are pleated, the sound absorption will increase. Sound absorption will be as much as a factor of 2 or more!

You can easily accomplish this pleat effect. Simply purchase the total width of the curtains of double to triple the width of the windows you wish to cover. To be exact, we recommend the combined width of the curtain panels to be 2.5x – 3x the width of the window. By doing so, when the curtains are closed, they will not be flat. Instead, they will be “super wavy”, “full” or “super pleated”. This will give additional sound/noise reduction and further increase your comfort. The super pleated look will add to the rich and full feeling that these curtains emanate naturally.

In practical terms, buying the right curtain width usually means purchasing four instead of two curtain panels for a normal size window or door.

Right Curtain Height

If possible, install curtains that extend from ceiling to floor for maximum noise blocking. At least make sure that curtains reach 10-15 inches beyond the edges of the window above and below.

To see if Heavy Velvet Absolute Zero Curtains are right for you, checkout our Absolute Zero Velvet Curtains Review.

 

Additional resources:
http://www.dunelm-mill.com/info/how-to-measure-for-curtains – How to measure for curtains. This source recommends total width of curtains twice the width of the window, with no concern for the noise reduction. We recommend up to 3x the width of the window for maximum blackout and noise reduction.