Both roll up neatly on the same slim tube, but solar shades and blackout roller shades solve opposite problems. One keeps your view and tames glare; the other seals a room into true darkness. Picking the wrong one is the most common roller-shade regret, so here's exactly how they differ and which belongs on each window in your home.
Quick answer: Choose solar shades when you want to cut glare and UV while keeping your daytime view, natural light, and a soft, open feel, ideal for living rooms, home offices, kitchens, and sunrooms. Choose blackout roller shades when you need full room darkening and total privacy day and night, ideal for bedrooms, nurseries, and media rooms. Solar shades do not darken a room or give privacy after dark; blackout shades block your view entirely. If one window needs both, layer them with a dual bracket.
Solar Shades vs. Blackout Roller Shades at a Glance
Here's the fast comparison, then we'll unpack each factor so you can match the shade to the room.
| Factor | Solar Shades | Blackout Roller Shades |
|---|---|---|
| Light control | Filters & diffuses daylight; never fully dark, 60-80% blackout. | Blocks up to 100% of light for true darkness, 100 blackout. |
| UV blocking | Blocks roughly 95-99% of UV rays (depends on openness) | Blocks 100% of UV rays |
| Glare reduction | Excellent, without going dark | Total, but the room goes dark |
| Daytime view out | Yes, you can see through the weave | No, the fabric is opaque |
| Daytime privacy | Partial (harder to see in than out) | Complete |
| Nighttime privacy | Limited, with interior lights on people can see in | Complete, day and night |
| Energy / heat control | Good, reflects solar heat while keeping the view | Very good, opaque fabric adds insulation |
| Best rooms | Living room, office, kitchen, sunroom | Bedroom, nursery, media room |
| Curtarra pick | Leo Custom Weave Solar (1/3/5% openness) | Derick Linen-Look 100% Blackout |
What Are Solar Shades?
Solar shades are roller shades made from a tightly woven mesh fabric. Instead of blocking light, they screen it, cutting glare, heat, and UV rays while letting you keep a clear view to the outside. Think of them as sunglasses for your windows: the room stays bright and connected to the outdoors, but the harsh edge of direct sun is gone.
The defining spec of any solar shade is its openness factor, the percentage of the weave that is open. Our Leo Custom Weave Solar Shades come in 1%, 3%, and 5% openness so you can dial in the exact balance of view versus protection.
Openness Factor: How to Choose the Right Weave
| Openness | View through | UV / glare block | Daytime privacy | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1% | Subtle, softened | Highest (99% UV) | Best of the three | Bright, sun-facing rooms; screens; more privacy |
| 3% | Balanced, clear | High (97% UV) | Moderate | The versatile all-rounder for most rooms |
| 5% | Most open, sharpest view | Good (95% UV) | Least | Rooms with a great view you don't want to lose |
The rule is simple: lower openness means more protection and privacy but a slightly softer view; higher openness means a crisper view but a little more glare gets through. When in doubt, 3% is the safe middle ground.
Leo Custom Weave Solar Shades — a custom-woven solar fabric offered in 1%, 3%, and 5% openness, cut to your exact window and available cordless or motorized. Shop Leo Solar Shades →
What Are Blackout Roller Shades?
Blackout roller shades use an opaque, tightly constructed fabric (often with a coated or foam-backed layer) that blocks essentially all incoming light. Lowered fully in an outside mount, they create true darkness, the kind you want for sleeping in on a Saturday morning, watching a movie mid-afternoon, or settling a baby down for a nap.
Because the fabric is solid, blackout shades also give you complete privacy around the clock. No one can see in during the day or at night, and there's no view out, which is exactly the trade you want in a bedroom but not in a living room. Our Derick Linen-Look 100% Blackout Roller Shades deliver full darkening with the warmth of a natural linen texture, so you don't sacrifice style for function.
Prefer a bit of texture or a wider window? Rowan offers gray-toned linen blackout, and Adrian is built for large windows with custom widths.
Derick Linen-Look 100% Blackout Roller Shades — full 100% light block with a soft linen look, cordless for child safety, made to your exact measurements. Shop Derick Blackout →
The One Thing People Get Wrong: Nighttime Privacy
This is the misunderstanding that leads to returns. During the day, a solar shade is harder to see through from outside than from inside, because the exterior is brighter. That gives you reasonable daytime privacy. After dark, that flips. Once your interior lights are on and it's dark outside, people can see in through a solar shade, especially a 5% openness.
So if a room needs privacy at night, a living room facing the street, a ground-floor bathroom, a bedroom, solar shades alone won't cut it. You'll want blackout (or room-darkening) shades, or a layered setup. Which brings us to the best-of-both option.
Can't Decide? Layer Both
For a window that needs a daytime view and nighttime privacy or full darkening, a dual-shade setup mounts a solar shade and a blackout shade on the same window with a double bracket. Roll the solar down by day to tame glare while keeping your view; drop the blackout at night or nap time for total darkness and privacy. It's the go-to solution for open-plan living rooms, primary bedrooms with a nice view, and home offices that double as guest rooms.
A lighter middle path also exists: if you want softened light and a bit more privacy than solar without going fully dark, Lillian Linen-Texture Light-Filtering shades sit between the two, diffusing daylight into a warm glow while obscuring the view.
Room-by-Room: Which Shade Wins Where
Living room
Usually solar. You want the view, the light, and glare control on the TV. If the room faces the street, layer a blackout behind it for evenings.
Bedroom & nursery
Blackout, every time. Darkness supports melatonin and better sleep, and full privacy is non-negotiable. Go cordless for child and pet safety, see our cordless roller shade guide.
Home office
Solar, to kill screen glare while keeping daylight and a view that reduces eye strain. Choose 1% or 3% openness if you're on video calls a lot.
Kitchen & sunroom
Solar. UV protection guards countertops and furnishings from fading, and you keep the bright, airy feel these rooms are known for.
Media room & home theater
Blackout. Total darkness is the whole point, and it doubles as privacy.
How to Choose in 30 Seconds
Ask yourself two questions about the room:
- Do I need it fully dark, or do I want to keep my view? Fully dark points to blackout; keep-the-view points to solar.
- Do I need privacy at night? If yes and you also want daytime light, layer both or choose blackout.
Whichever you pick, measure carefully first, an outside mount blocks the most light for blackout, while either mount works for solar. Our measuring guide walks you through it, and every Curtarra shade is cut to your exact window with free color-card samples so you can test the weave and shade at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do solar shades provide privacy at night?
Not reliably. During the day, solar shades are harder to see through from outside than from inside, so they offer decent daytime privacy. After dark, with interior lights on, people can see in, more so at higher openness (5%). For nighttime privacy, choose blackout or room-darkening shades, or layer a blackout shade behind a solar one.
Do solar shades block UV rays?
Yes. Solar shades block roughly 95–99% of UV rays depending on the openness factor, lower openness (1%) blocks the most. This protects flooring, furniture, and artwork from fading while you keep your view. Blackout roller shades block 100% of UV because the fabric is fully opaque.
Which openness factor should I choose for solar shades?
1% gives the most UV/glare protection and privacy with a softened view, best for bright, sun-facing rooms. 5% gives the sharpest view with a bit more light and glare, best when you don't want to lose a great view. 3% is the balanced all-rounder most people are happiest with.
Are blackout roller shades good for daytime use?
They're excellent when you need daytime darkness, like a media room or a shift worker's bedroom, and they give full privacy anytime. The trade-off is you lose your view and natural light when they're down. If you want daylight and a view during the day, pair blackout shades with a solar or light-filtering shade.
Can I use solar and blackout shades on the same window?
Yes, and it's the best solution when a window needs both a daytime view and nighttime darkness or privacy. A dual (double-bracket) setup mounts both shades on one window: use the solar shade by day and drop the blackout shade at night or for naps.
Do solar shades help with energy costs?
Yes. By reflecting and screening solar heat, solar shades reduce heat gain through the window in summer while preserving the view. Blackout shades add a bit more insulation because the fabric is opaque and denser, helping in both hot and cold seasons.
Keep Reading
Still weighing solar against blackout? Order free color-card samples and feel the weave in your own light before you commit. Every Curtarra roller shade is made to your exact measurements, cordless or motorized.
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