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The Spruce / Chloe Jeong
Blinds are affordable, attractive, low-maintenance window treatments. We spent hours researching blinds from the top home brands, evaluating ease of installation, care and maintenance, and overall value.
Our best overall pick, Levelor Real Wood Blinds, are fade-resistant, easy to mount, and available in three slat sizes and multiple finishes.
Here are the best blinds for every budget and style.
Best Overall
Levolor Real Wood Blind
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Lowe's
Made of genuine hardwood for an elegant, upscale look, Levolor Real Wood Blinds are the best of the best. They're custom-made to order and are available in virtually any width and length, and you can choose from 20 different wood grains, stains, and paint colors. And, wood blinds are easy to clean.
You also have the choice of a traditional, transitional, or contemporary wood valance with a complementing wand. Additionally, you can opt for privacy slats, rootless stats, or cloth tapes for extra privacy and light filtration. Beyond that, you have the option to include a cordless control system or a Bluetooth-enabled motorized tilt feature.
Price at time of publish: $112
Best Budget
Wayfair Basics Semi-Sheer Horizontal/Venetian Blind
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Courtesy of Wayfair
For those on a budget, we recommend Wayfair Basics Semi-Sheer Blinds. These cordless, Venetian-style vinyl window coverings have 1-inch slats for optimal adjustability. Choose from 37 different sizes and four neutral colors (black, white, alabaster, or wood tone).
Price at time of publish: $33
Best Blackout
SelectBlinds Premier Blackout Cellulars
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Courtesy of SelectBlinds
SelectBlinds Premier Cellulars are shades; for a blackout effect, you'll have to branch out from blinds. These high-performance window treatments provide privacy, light adjustability, and complete cover from even the brightest outdoor light.
They're entirely customizable too. Choose from single-cell or double-cell construction and standard, cordless, continuous loop, or a motorized lift system. You can also select your size, color, and bracket style.
Price at time of publish: $147
Best Room-Darkening
Symple Stuff Deluxe Cordless Faux Wood Room Darkening Horizontal/Venetian Blind
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Courtesy of Wayfair
If you don't want a total blackout style, room-darkening window treatments are a great alternative. Take a peek at the sleek faux-wood Symple Stuff Deluxe Cordless Blinds. They have SmartPrivacy slats and an easy-to-lift bottom rail, which allow for effortless adjustability.
These horizontal blinds come in a broad range of sizes and four neutral hues. They're the perfect balance of elegance and modern with a minimalist silhouette and a decorative crown valance.
Price at time of publish: $72
Best Motorized
Custom Home Collection 2" Designer Wood Blind
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Courtesy of The Home Depot
Custom Home Collection Designer Wood Blinds are made to order with the option of motorized lift and tilt features and a plug-in cord or a battery wand. This combination makes for a super convenient and luxuriously high-tech design.
With 2-inch real wood slats, your choice of a traditional, modern, or corded valance, and over 100 colors, these beautiful automatic blinds can be made to complement any interior design scheme.
Price at time of publish: $75
Best for Bedrooms
IKEA HOPPVALS Room Darkening Cellular Blind
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Courtesy of IKEA
The energy-saving HOPPVALS blinds from IKEA are ideal for bedrooms. With cellular honeycomb construction and a room-darkening design, they're insulating and effective at dimming your sleeping quarters. These window coverings come in seven sizes and have the option of blue or gray.
Price at time of publish: $40
Best for Bathrooms
Bali Essentials Premium Vinyl Horizontal Blinds
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Courtesy of Lowe's
Made of water-resistant vinyl, Bali Essentials Premium Blinds are ideal for bathrooms and other moisture-prone spaces. They have 1-inch horizontal slats for light filtration and privacy, plus a cordless lift design, and they're easy to install on your own.
These blinds come in virtually any length or width in your choice of white, gray, alabaster, or wheat. Hidden brackets and a valance-free headrail provide a clean, minimalist look.
Price at time of publish: $43
Best Faux Wood
Real Simple 2-Inch Faux Wood Blind
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Courtesy of Bed Bath & Beyond
Real Simple Faux Wood Blinds have a classic, versatile look that'll complement any room in your home while offering privacy and adjustable lighting. The 2-inch slats are resistant to heat, moisture, warping, and cracking.
This resistance factor means you can install them in a bathroom, laundry room, or another humid space without worrying about damage. They're insulating, too, which can help you cut down on heating and cooling costs.
Price at time of publish: $20
Best Custom
Bali 2 in. Faux Wood Blinds
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Courtesy of The Home Depot
Bali Faux Wood Blinds are made to order with tons of customization options. First, they come in a vast range of precise widths and lengths. You can also choose your mount type (inside or outside) and whether you want 2-inch or 2.5-inch slats.
Additionally, you'll have a choice of headrail style, lift system (corded or cordless), tilt type (wand or cord), ladder style, and valance design. And, of course, there are lots of colors and finishes to choose from. The faux wood slats come in neutral painted tones, realistic-looking wood grains, and various stains.
Price at time of publish: $75
Best Vertical
Orren Ellis Deluxe Adjustable Sliding Room Darkening Vertical Blind
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Courtesy of Wayfair
If you need vertical window coverings for a sliding, streak-free shining glass door that you can clean, french doors, a balcony door, or floor-to-ceiling windows, we recommend Orren Ellis Deluxe Adjustable Blinds. The set comes with four panels, each 23 by 96 inches.
They're made out of a polyester-paper fabric with iron and aluminum hardware. These room-darkening vertical blinds offer impressive light filtration and privacy while enhancing the aesthetic of your space.
Price at time of publish: $154
Our top pick is the Levolor Real Wood Blind. Aside from being made from actual wood, we appreciate the high-quality design and customization options. If you have a more limited budget, the Venetian-style Wayfair Basics Semi-Sheer Blinds are an excellent choice that still looks elegant.
What to Look for in Blinds
Privacy
Blinds are an easy way to provide privacy to a room, but different blinds offer varying levels of privacy. Black-out blinds or thick-slatted ones provide the most privacy, while paper shades provide the least. However, less-private blinds like paper ones also let lots of light in—perfect for making sure a room still feels bright even when the shades are down.
Safety
If you have young children, you may want to consider cordless blinds. The cords on corded blinds can pose a strangulation hazard to small children (and pets), so cordless blinds can bring additional peace of mind.
Style
Your style can show up anywhere in your home, so don't forget to choose blinds that work with your style too! Bamboo or woven blinds give a boho feeling to a room, while thick fabric blinds provide a feeling of elegance and luxury. Looking for something more minimal? Stick with white blinds.
Cleaning
There's no doubt about it—cleaning blinds can be a pretty irritating task. And different types of blinds are more difficult to clean too. As a general rule, wider wooden blinds will be far easier to quickly wipe down than narrow aluminum ones. Additionally, you typically can't use cleaning liquids to clean paper or fabric blinds, so they must only be dusted.
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What are the 3 types of blinds?
There are 3 main types of blinds on the market—aluminum/vinyl, wood or faux wood, and cellular blinds. Aluminum and vinyl blinds are the classic white blinds found in apartment complexes everywhere. They're affordable and easy to find. Wood or faux wood blinds typically feature larger slats and have a more upscale look. Cellular blinds are typically made of paper or fabric, and they're great at insulating a space and blocking out light.
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How much do blinds cost?
The cost of your blinds varies widely depending on the type of blind and how large your window is. Aluminum or vinyl blinds can start at $6-8 for a small window, while faux wood blinds can start at $20 for a window. Cellular blinds, however, can cost around $30-40 for a standard window.
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Which blinds are the best for my home?
The blinds that are the best for your home depend upon what you need out of them. If you're looking for an affordable and easy-to-find window covering, aluminum or vinyl blinds will do the trick. For privacy and insulation, consider cellular blinds. Or for style and ease-of-maintenance, try out faux wood blinds.
Why Trust The Spruce?
Theresa Holland is a freelance content creator with extensive experience covering home improvement, furniture, and interior design. She also specializes in textiles, outdoor living, home fitness, and cleaning products. She has been regularly contributing to The Spruce since 2019, spending countless hours researching furnishings for her own home, and knows what to look for when buying high-quality pieces. Additional reporting was done by Rabekah Henderson, a freelance design and decor writer whose work has appeared on MyDomaine, Atomic Ranch, Cary Magazine, and American Farmhouse Style.
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