Blackout blinds · Heat blocking

Heat blocking blinds that cool your home before the aircon kicks in

Q: Will heat blocking blinds make my room too dark?

The whole window goes dark when the blind is fully down, that is the point. But you control when. Drop them when the sun is on the glass and lift them once the room is in shade. Many customers run the motorised version on a timer so the blinds drop before the western sun hits, then lift again at sunset.

Stop solar heat at the glass with blockout, foam-backed thermal blinds. Sealed side channels, no installer required — you measure and install yourself.

Design your blind →Order free samples

Need a hand? Call 1800 482 777

Foam-backed blockout blind sealing a sunlit window against summer heat

How a heat blocking blind actually works

In an Australian summer, the biggest source of indoor heat is not the air outside. It is the sun coming directly through your windows.

Solar gain — the heat that radiates through glass and lands on your floors, walls and furniture — turns north and west-facing rooms into ovens by mid-afternoon. The aircon then has to fight not just the outside temperature but the heat already loaded into your room.

A Coverlight heat blocking blind stops the heat at the glass. The 100% blockout Evolution fabric has a universal white back engineered to reflect sunlight outward, bouncing a large portion of the solar energy back through the window before it can be absorbed. What does get absorbed is held in the foam-backed fabric and the still-air pocket between blind and glass, and never makes it into your room.

The seal is the multiplier. Side channels, brush-sealed top and bottom, and a tight cassette mean no hot air leaks around the blind to bypass the barrier. The room stays cooler, the aircon runs less, and the bill is smaller.

Summer: block solar gain at the glass

The 4pm problem is universal in Australian homes: living rooms with western-facing windows turn into greenhouses, and the aircon kicks into overdrive trying to drag the temperature back. By the time it catches up, you have already paid for the heat to come in — and now you are paying again to push it out.

Closed Coverlight heat blocking blinds intervene before the heat lands. The reflective white back bounces solar energy outward, the foam backing absorbs what gets through, and the sealed pocket of air against the glass stops radiant heat crossing into the room.

You feel the difference fastest in:

North-facing living rooms in the late morning
West-facing rooms from 2pm onward
Bedrooms that do not get cool overnight
Anywhere with floor-to-ceiling glass or sliding doors

Drop the blinds before the sun hits. Lift them once the room is in shade. Your aircon runtime drops noticeably.

Winter: the same blind, doing the opposite job

Heat blocking blinds are not just for summer. The same sealed pocket of still air that keeps solar heat out in January keeps room heat in during July.

In winter the blind reverses role. Warm air from the room hits the blind and stays. The trapped layer between fabric and glass slows heat loss, and the seal stops air leaking around the edges. Your heater runs less.

You buy the blind once. It earns its keep year-round.

Why a foam-backed blockout beats sunscreen for blocking heat

Sunscreen blinds are the most common recommendation for hot rooms. They reduce glare, hold the view, and cut some of the solar load. They are not bad — but for actual heat blocking they have two problems.

Sunscreen lets light through, which means it lets heat through. A 5% openness sunscreen blocks roughly 90% of solar radiation; a 100% blockout foam-backed fabric blocks effectively all of it. The difference at 35°C with the sun directly on the glass is not subtle.

Sunscreen does not insulate. It is a single layer with no still-air pocket behind it, so heat that hits it transfers straight through. A sealed blockout blind traps a layer of still air against the glass and slows heat transfer in both directions.

If you want to keep the view during the day, run sunscreens on the windows you watch. For heat blocking on the windows that bake your living room, run a sealed blockout blind. Most homes need both, on different windows.

Shop heat blocking blinds

Two formats, same Evolution fabric, same insulation performance.

Manual — Soft-Touch Spring

Cord-free Soft-Touch Spring operation. Choose your frame in Monument, White Gloss or Satin Black. Configure and price in under two minutes.

Motorised

Schedule them to drop before the western sun hits and rise once the room is in shade, so the cooling effect happens automatically. Tuya and Zigbee compatible.

Both options use the same 100% blockout Evolution fabric in 12 colours, all with the same soft foam backing and the universal white back that does the heat reflection.

Measure, order, install — no trades needed

You measure it. You install it. You save.

1. Measure your window. Our DIY measuring guide walks you through inside and outside mount in under five minutes.

2. Order online. Pick your fabric colour, frame finish, and manual or motorised drive. Configure on the product page, see the price, hit checkout.

3. Install it yourself. Two screws each side, the blind clicks into the brackets, and the side channels seal it shut. Our installation guide shows the full process — most rooms take 15 to 20 minutes.

No installer fee. No three-week wait. No specialist trades. Order on a Tuesday, install on a Saturday, feel the difference that afternoon.

Common questions

FAQs

Do blackout blinds keep heat out?

Yes, when they are properly sealed. A blackout fabric blocks the light and reflects most of the solar radiation. The seal — side channels and brush seals top and bottom — stops hot air leaking around the edges. Together they create a still-air pocket against the glass that slows heat transfer into the room.

What is the best blind for blocking heat?

A 100% blockout, foam-backed fabric in a sealed cassette with side channels. The blockout fabric reflects solar radiation outward, the foam absorbs residual heat, and the sealed channels prevent hot air bypassing the blind. This combination outperforms sunscreens, vertical blinds, and unframed roller blinds for keeping rooms cool.

Are heat blocking blinds the same as thermal blinds?

Effectively yes. Both names describe blinds that reduce heat transfer between the room and the window. “Heat blocking” tends to be used in summer, “thermal” in winter, but the engineering is identical — a sealed blockout blind blocks summer heat from entering and winter heat from escaping using the same trapped-air principle.

Will heat blocking blinds make my room too dark?

The whole window goes dark when the blind is fully down — that is the point. But you control when. Drop them when the sun is on the glass and lift them once the room is in shade. Many customers run the motorised version on a timer so the blinds drop before the western sun hits, then lift again at sunset.

How much will heat blocking blinds save on my aircon bill?

It depends on the room, the orientation, and how long the aircon used to run. Realistic outcomes: shorter aircon cycles, lower run-time, and the unit not having to fight a sun-loaded room from cold. On a hot western-facing living room, customers often report the aircon turning on hours later than before, and turning off sooner.

What colours do heat blocking blinds come in?

Twelve colours in the Evolution range: White, Egg Shell, Angora, Mist, Pepper, Bisque, Blanched, Light Grey, Dark Grey, Thundercloud, Shale and Sepia. All have the same universal white back that does the heat reflection, so the colour choice is purely aesthetic — the thermal performance is identical across the range.

Are these PVC and lead-free?

Yes. Evolution fabric is independently tested for harmful substances, contains no PVC and no lead, and carries a 5-year fabric warranty. Safe for bedrooms, living areas, kids’ rooms and nurseries.

Ready when you are

Stop paying to cool a sun-loaded room

Configure your heat blocking blind, see your price, and have it delivered ready to install.

Design your blind →Order free samples

Or call 1800 482 777