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What Is Thinsulate Lining And What Does It Claim To Accomplish?
Season Smart 3M Thinsulate Curtain Lining (sometimes erroneously called “Thinsulate Curtains”) is a thermal curtain liner, pictured on the left, behind the blue curtains. Thinsulate is one of the premiere detachable thermal curtain liners. You simply attach it to the regular curtains and, voila, you have created curtains with thermal lining.
Its primary function is, as an add-on to regular curtains, to provide additional thermal insulation in winter. Company claims the heating loss will be reduced by as much as 89% with Thinsulate compared to just using ordinary curtains.
Season Smart also claims this thermal curtain liner will reduce cooling cost in the summer also, and help reduce temperature swings in the house.
We will investigate these claims below by studying buyer reports in detail. Keep reading!
Who Is Thinsulate Thermal Curtain Liner Intended For?
People all across the nation have been caught in harsh winters (Arctic Vortex, of late!), with heating oil prices sky high. Some of them only have single pane windows providing little insulation and a huge heat leak.
For these people, and, really, anyone who wants to save money, curtain thermal lining is the most inexpensive and easy way to keep warm through the winter. It should prevent your utility bill to go into stratosphere.
As an example (see more below) a person in MidWest keeps saving $20 every month for each window they use Thinsulate Thermal Liner on.
People who love their existing curtains (either for their patterns and colors, or for their sentimental value) and doesn’t want to replace them but wants to just add additional insulation will find Thinsulate curtains liner really appealing.
Season Smart 3M Thinsulate Materials
Thinsulate Curtains Thermal Liner is, as the name implies, using 3M Thinsulate material as its thermal layer. And as the name Thinsulate implies further, thanks to this 3M invention, one does not need thick insulation material to achieve significant heat insulation.
The original 3M secret to avoid thickness yet provide good thermal insulation is in the size of the fiber. The fiber is extremely small, as much as ten times smaller than previous synthetic fiber insulation materials.
Used in winter gloves, caps, parkas before, 3M Thinsulate is now available in Thinsulate curtain lining. Thick curtain lining is no longer needed. Check out the original Thinsulate page at 3M here.
Extreme Ratings
The company contends that the heat loss through the Thinsulate equipped curtain will be reduced as much as ten fold, versus heat loss through the regular curtain alone. Of course this claim on its face depends what a “regular curtain” means. Regardless, buyer reviews (below) seem to indicate significant heat transfer reductions and significant energy savings.
Versatility And Convenience Of Thinsulate Liner
It is easy to place Thinsulate Curtain liner on the existing curtain. Thinsulate lining includes 16 drapery hooks, and tie backs to easily attach the liner to just about any type of curtain or any type of curtain rod (you could even treat it as a Thinsulate Curtain and hang it on a separate rod if you have a double rod. The hook and loop closures are included to seal the liner shut, creating yet another thermal insulating pocket of air between the curtain and the curtain lining.
Season Smart 3M Thinsulate Curtain Lining is conveniently machine washable.
Color And Looks Of Thinsulate
Thinsulate Curtain Lining is white on both sides, which is the best color to reduce radiative heat losses. With its diamond quilting construction, this lining looks good if a bit bulky compared to a curtain. However, in most situations, the liner will only be visible to the outside.
Choices Of Sizes
Thinsulate Curtain Lining comes in two sizes, 78 in by 52 in and 58 in by 52 in. We recommend to get the size that covers most of the back of your curtain, and it should definitely cover the entire surface of the window for best thermal insulation.
The lining comes in a package that includes two panels. The total shipping weight is just 1.75 lbs for the smaller size which puts single panel weight under 1 lbs.
Top Features
- provides significant thermal insulation both in winter and in summer
- reportedly achieves good blackout
- provides additional street noise blocking
Accessories
- hook and loop closures included
- 16 drapery hooks included
- tie backs included
- curtain rod (if desired) sold separately
If hanging the curtain lining onto the existing curtains does not work for you for any reason, we can recommend purchasing a double curtain rod (sold separately) and hang them on the inside, 2nd, rod.
Pros
- claimed up to 90% reduction of heat loss in lab tests
- easily attached and detached
- machine wash separately regardless of curtain maintenance
Cons
- won’t block much light in and of itself
- can look a bit bulky compared to curtains
Buyer Ratings And What Thinsulate Curtain Lining Actually Does For Users
This is a relatively new product and the few buyer reviews available are generally quite positive:
Some buyers report feeling less cold in their room after installation. They also feel less draft from the window after they managed to install the curtain lining flush to the window.
Others report the curtain lining being light enough to be able to hang it on a tension rod (inside the window).
Price
At the time of the review, Season Smart 3M Thinsulate was under Rollback on Walmart.com and could be had for under $30 which was $10 – $16 lower than any other offer anywhere else on the internet. The price advantage was bigger on larger size panels.
Verdict
Based on buyer reviews we can conclude that, when you make sure that your Thinsulate Curtain Lining covers the entire window, it will keep saving you significant heating money day after day throughout the winter.
