Shades · The insulating one
Cellular shades, the quiet workhorse
A honeycomb of trapped air against the glass. The best-value shade we sell, and the one that measurably does something about a cold window.
Why cellular
Air is free insulation.
The pleats in a cellular shade form sealed pockets that sit against the glass and trap a layer of still air. That is the same principle as double glazing, at a fraction of the price, and it is why these are the shade we fit most often in older houses with single-glazed sash windows — the window is the weak point in the wall, and this is the cheapest thing you can do about it.
It will not turn a draughty house warm. What it will do is take the chill off the room nearest the glass, cut the summer heat gain on a west-facing elevation, and pay for itself slowly rather than never. Double-cell fabric insulates more than single-cell and costs a little more; on a north-facing window it is usually not worth the difference.
Options
The three choices that actually matter.
Everything else is color, and color you should pick with a sample in the room rather than from a screen.
- OpacityLight-filtering glows and keeps the room bright while blocking the view in. Blackout stops the light. Blackout in bedrooms, light-filtering nearly everywhere else — a blackout fabric in a living room makes the room read closed even when the shade is up.
- Top-down bottom-upThe single most useful thing on this page. Lower the top of the shade to let daylight in over the top while the bottom stays closed at eye level. It solves the townhouse-facing-a-neighbor problem better than anything else and costs very little extra.
- Cordless or motorizedCordless is the whole range — there is no corded version to weigh up. The only question left is whether to motorize, which is worth it on anything you cannot comfortably reach: see motorized shades. In practice that means stairwells and two-story great rooms.
Compare with
Other shades worth a look.
Cellular is the default, not the only answer.
Questions
Asked and answered.
Do cellular shades really reduce heating bills?
They genuinely help, and most in the houses you would expect — older single-glazed windows where the glass is the coldest surface in the room. The effect on a modern double-glazed window is real but small. We would rather set that expectation now than have you disappointed in January.
Single cell or double cell?
Double cell insulates better and costs a little more. It is worth it on north-facing rooms, on single glazing and on anything you heat hard in winter. On a well-glazed south-facing window it is money you will not notice spending or saving.
Are cordless shades safe with young children?
Yes, and it is no longer a decision you have to make. Everything we hang is cordless — federal safety rules extended the same cord limits to custom window coverings in May 2023. There is no looped cord within reach, which removes the strangulation hazard rather than managing it with a cleat you have to remember to use.
Free & no-obligation
Roll credits on bare windows.
Tell us a little about your project and we'll call to set up your free in-home consultation — usually within one business day. Prefer to talk now? Call (610) 890-3624.
- Up to 30% off current promotions applied to your quote
- Professional measuring included
- Lifetime service warranty on every install
Windows still bare? The consultation is free and the coffee's on you.