Sleep
Best Blackout Blinds and Curtains UK (2026): Why a Dark Bedroom Matters
Quick answer
For most UK bedrooms, a cordless blackout roller blind such as IKEA TRETUR (from £37) layered with blackout curtains gives the darkest room for the money. Research links light during sleep with poorer sleep and metabolic markers. Renters and nurseries can use the Gro Anywhere suction blind (£19.99), which has no cords.
Our picks
IKEA TRETUR Block-out Roller Blind
IKEA
- • Cordless spring mechanism
- • Widths from 60 to 140 cm
Honest caveat: We verified £37 for the 60 x 195 cm white size. Roller blinds leak light at the sides unless fitted inside a recess with small gaps; pair with curtains for near-total darkness.
ikea.com
Tommee Tippee Gro Anywhere Blackout Blind (Ollie the Owl)
Tommee Tippee
- • Suction cups, no drilling
- • Fits windows up to about 130 x 198 cm
Honest caveat: Suction cups can lose grip and light can leak around the edges where the Velcro sizing overlaps. It is a removable panel, not a fitted blind.
johnlewis.com
Dunelm Luna Brushed Blackout Eyelet Curtains
Dunelm
- • From £23.75
- • Many sizes and colours
Honest caveat: Price starts at £23.75 for the smallest size; larger sizes cost more. Blackout backings are usually a coated layer, so check care labels and air new curtains before hanging if they smell.
dunelm.com
IKEA MAJGULL Block-out Curtains (1 pair)
IKEA
- • Block-out fabric
- • 145 x 250 cm per curtain
Honest caveat: Curtains alone leak light at the top and sides; a ceiling-mounted track or wrap-around pole helps. Fabric is polyester.
ikea.com
John Lewis Loch Blackout/Thermal Roller Blind
John Lewis
- • Blackout and thermal backing
- • Widths 61 to 183 cm
Honest caveat: This is a corded blind: it ships with safety devices and a strangulation warning, so fit them properly and keep cords out of reach. Price runs from £32 to £72 depending on width.
johnlewis.com
Manta Sleep Mask
Manta Sleep
- • Adjustable, deep eye cups so nothing touches the lashes
- • £29 from Manta’s UK store
Honest caveat: No product-level light-blocking test is published; ’100% blackout’ is the brand’s own claim. The cups add bulk, so some side sleepers find them press on the temple. The trial evidence is for eye masks in general, not this brand.
Amazon · mantasleep.uk
We may earn a commission if you buy through our links. How we choose ›
How strong is the research? What our grades mean ›
- Strong research
- Independent certification or lab data for the specific claim.
- Promising research
- The material is well supported, but there is no product-level testing.
- Early research
- Little independent research.
- Mixed research
- Research findings disagree.
- £
- Under £20
- ££
- £20 to £79
- £££
- £80+
Short answer: no single blind makes a room fully dark, because light leaks round the edges. A cordless blind fitted inside the window recess plus wide curtains on top gets closest, and it does not need to cost much.
Our picks at a glance
| Product | Best for | Material/key feature | Price | Evidence grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEA TRETUR Block-out Roller Blind | Best overall fitted blind | Cordless spring roller | £37 (60 cm) | Promising |
| Tommee Tippee Gro Anywhere Blackout Blind (Ollie the Owl) | Renters, travel, nurseries | Suction cups, no cords | £19.99 | Promising |
| Dunelm Luna Brushed Blackout Eyelet Curtains | Budget curtains | Blackout-lined eyelet | from £23.75 | Promising |
| IKEA MAJGULL Block-out Curtains (1 pair) | Layering over a blind | Block-out polyester | £40 | Promising |
| John Lewis Loch Blackout/Thermal Roller Blind | Neat fitted blind, wide windows | Blackout and thermal, corded | £32 to £72 | Promising |
"Promising" here means the case for a darker bedroom is reasonably supported, and these products darken a room well, but none has an independent light-blocking test.
Does a dark bedroom really make a difference?
The NHS sleep advice suggests a quiet, dark and cool room. The research behind "dark" is growing:
- In a controlled lab study, one night sleeping with a dim overhead light (about 100 lux) raised night-time heart rate and next-morning insulin resistance in healthy adults, compared with sleeping in near darkness.
- In UK Biobank, people whose wrist sensors recorded brighter light at night had a higher later risk of type 2 diabetes, even after accounting for many other factors.
- A Japanese study of older adults found bedroom light at night was associated with later depressive symptoms.
The observational studies cannot prove light is the reason, and street light through a gap is far dimmer than 100 lux. But blocking light is cheap, low risk and also helps on bright summer mornings, when UK sunrise can be before 5am.
How we chose
- Cordless or safety-compliant. RoSPA reports that nine children died from blind cord strangulation in the UK between April 2019 and March 2022, and advises never fitting a looped cord or chain blind in a child's bedroom. We prioritised cordless options and flag the one corded pick.
- Real blackout fabric rather than "dim-out" or thermal-only linings.
- Mainstream UK retailers with verified prices in October 2026.
- A mix of fixes: fitted blinds, curtains and a renter-friendly option.
IKEA TRETUR: best overall fitted blind
The TRETUR is a cordless spring roller blind: you pull the bottom rail down and nudge it to release, so there is no cord or chain at all. IKEA says the block-out fabric blocks all light, using a polyester face (mostly recycled) with a polyethylene inner layer. We verified £37 for the 60 x 195 cm white size; it comes in widths up to 140 cm. Caveat: fixed widths mean gaps on non-standard windows, and every roller blind leaks some light at the sides, so pair it with curtains for the darkest result.
Tommee Tippee Gro Anywhere: best for renters and travel
The Gro Anywhere blind attaches straight to the glass with suction cups and Velcro to size, fitting windows up to about 130 x 198 cm. It costs £19.99 at John Lewis, packs down for holidays and has no cords. Caveat: suction cups can let go in warm rooms, and the edges are rarely perfectly sealed. It looks like what it is: a removable panel.
Dunelm Luna Brushed Blackout Eyelet Curtains: budget curtains
Dunelm's Luna Brushed Blackout curtains start at £23.75 for the smallest size, with many colours and widths. Buy them wider than the window so they overlap the frame, and hang the pole high. Caveat: blackout curtains usually rely on a coated backing; air new curtains for a day if they have a smell, and expect some light over the top unless the pole sits close to the ceiling.
IKEA MAJGULL: cheap layering curtains
MAJGULL block-out curtains cost £40 a pair (145 x 250 cm each). Hung over a recess-fitted TRETUR, they cover the side gaps that a blind alone leaves. Caveat: polyester only, and the heading tape needs a track or hooks.
John Lewis Loch Blackout/Thermal Roller Blind: for wide windows
The Loch roller blind comes in widths from 61 to 183 cm (£32 to £72) and combines a blackout and thermal backing, useful on draughty windows. Caveat: it is corded. It comes with child safety devices and a strangulation warning, which you must fit. In a child's room we would choose a cordless option instead.
How do I get a room properly dark?
- Fit the blind inside the recess if you can, with the smallest side gaps the bracket allows.
- Add curtains on a pole wider and higher than the window, so fabric overlaps the frame by 10 to 15 cm each side.
- Seal the top with a pelmet or a ceiling track if light spills over.
- Deal with small lights: standby LEDs on chargers, TVs and smoke-alarm lights add up. Tape over them or switch off at the wall.
- Use a mask for the last bit of darkness on summer mornings or when travelling. See our sleep mask guide.
Which option suits which room?
| Situation | What we would choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Child's bedroom or nursery | Cordless blind (IKEA TRETUR) or Gro Anywhere, plus curtains | No looped cords; layered for summer evenings |
| Rented flat, no drilling allowed | Gro Anywhere suction blind, or tension-rod curtains | Removable, leaves no marks |
| Wide bay or patio window | Blackout curtains on a ceiling track | Blinds in many widths get expensive |
| Draughty single glazing | Thermal-backed blind plus lined curtains | Adds some winter warmth |
| Shift worker sleeping by day | Recess blind, overlapping curtains and a mask | Daylight is far brighter than street light |
For shift workers, daytime sleep is fighting bright sunlight, which can be hundreds of times brighter than indoor light. Every gap matters, so it is worth combining all three layers. Also keep the room cool, because sunny bedrooms heat up quickly in the afternoon.
For babies and toddlers, a dark room can help with early waking in summer, but there is no need for total darkness at bedtime in winter. If you use a night light for feeds, choose a dim, warm one and place it low and away from the cot.
What the evidence says
| Claim | Evidence grade | Best evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Light during sleep affects heart rate and insulin resistance | Promising | Mason et al., PNAS 2022 |
| Brighter nights linked to higher diabetes risk | Promising | Windred et al., Lancet Regional Health Europe 2024 |
| Bedroom light linked to depressive symptoms in older adults | Early | Obayashi et al., 2018 |
| Thermal blinds cut heat loss | Not graded here | Manufacturer claims only |
What to avoid
- Looped cords or chains in children's rooms. RoSPA says to check blinds in every room a child spends time in. Blinds sold since 2014 must come with a safety device, but many older blinds do not have one.
- "Dim-out" fabric sold as blackout. Check the description says blackout or block-out.
- Night lights that are bright or blue-white in bedrooms. If you need one, choose a dim, warm or red light placed low.
- Overheating. Thick thermal curtains help in winter but can trap heat in summer. For babies, the Lullaby Trust recommends a room temperature of 16 to 20°C.
Bottom line
A dark bedroom is one of the cheapest sleep upgrades with sensible evidence behind it. Fit a cordless block-out blind (IKEA TRETUR), hang wide curtains over it (Dunelm or IKEA MAJGULL), and use the £19.99 Gro Anywhere for rented rooms, travel cots and holidays. Avoid looped cords anywhere a child sleeps or plays.
Frequently asked questions
Do blackout blinds help you sleep better?
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They help by keeping light off your eyes, especially on early summer mornings and under street lights. Lab and population studies link light during sleep with higher heart rate, worse insulin markers and higher diabetes risk, though the population studies cannot prove cause. The NHS suggests a dark, quiet, cool bedroom for better sleep.
Are blackout blinds or curtains better?
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Used together they work best. Blinds fitted in the window recess block most light but leak at the sides; curtains hung wider and higher than the window cover those gaps. If you can only buy one, a recess-fitted blackout blind is usually darker than curtains alone, while curtains add warmth in winter.
Are corded blinds safe in a child's bedroom?
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RoSPA advises never fitting a blind with a looped cord or chain in a child's bedroom, and checking blinds in every room a child spends time in. Nine UK children died from blind cord strangulation between 2019 and 2022. Choose cordless blinds, or fit the supplied safety devices and keep cords well out of reach.
Can I put up a blackout blind without drilling?
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Yes. Suction-cup blinds such as the Tommee Tippee Gro Anywhere stick straight onto the glass and resize with Velcro, so they suit renters and travel. There are also no-drill 'perfect fit' blinds that clip into uPVC window frames. Both block light well but can leak at the edges.
What colour blackout blind is darkest?
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Colour matters less than the blackout layer. A true blackout fabric blocks light in any colour, though darker faces hide pinholes and edge glow better. Pale blinds reflect more light back into the room in the morning, which some people prefer. Check the product says blackout, not dim-out.
Do blackout curtains keep a room warm?
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Heavier lined curtains can reduce heat loss through windows a little, especially if they are close-fitting and tuck behind a radiator shelf rather than over it. Thermal claims on curtains are usually manufacturer tests. In summer, closed blackout curtains on a sunny window during the day can also keep a bedroom cooler.
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