The Best Blockout Curtains For Summer and Why You Need Them

As temperatures start to climb in the latter half of the year, we begin to start looking for ways to cool our homes from the relentless Australian summer heat. And while everyone loves a bit of air conditioning, there are ways to improve the efficiency and natural cooling of your home to reduce air conditioning usage.

The best summer curtains will have your home feeling cooler while helping you save money on energy bills. Discover Spotlight's quality collection of blockout curtains for a great range of summer blackout curtains that offer exceptional light blocking and insulation properties. Our blockout curtains come in a great range of colours and header types including eyelet curtains, pencil pleat curtains, pinch pleat curtains and rod pocket curtains - so you're sure to find a set you'll love that suits your home.

Read more about the best blockout curtains for summer and their benefits below.

Quick Links

• Block Light And Heat
• Contain Cool Air
• Save Energy From Cooling
• Help Improve Your Sleep
• How Should I Hang Blockout Curtains?
• Blockout Curtains Vs Thermal Curtains
• Which Rooms Are Blockout Curtains Suitable For?
• How To Layer Blockout Curtains

How Can Blockout Curtains Help Me In Summer?

Blockout curtains (also known as blackout curtains) are specially designed to almost completely block light from outside penetrating into your home. This makes them an extremely helpful summer curtains option, as they help keep your home cool - and provide a few handy benefits at the same time!

Block Light And Heat

Strong sunlight through glass windows can heat your house up very quickly - there's a reason your pets love to lounge in a sunny spot indoors! Blocking this direct light can help keep your home cool, although you need to make sure your summer blackout curtains are drawn well before the day starts to heat up. Blocking out sunlight can also help reduce the amount of colour fading your indoor carpet and furniture may experience from the sun. White rugs may benefit though, as the sun can bleach them to a brighter shade of white!

Contain Cool Air

Window furnishings, especially ones set close to the glass, block heat transference between the outside and inside. So if your house is nice and cool, keeping the curtains closed will prevent the warm air from outside from intermingling with your cool air and heating it up.

Save Energy From Cooling

While air conditioning is expensive and a welcome relief on hotter days, it can be costly to run for long periods of time. By cooling your home with the air conditioner, drawing your blackout curtains and then turning off the air conditioner, you can trap the cool air inside and prevent it from leaching out of your windows. Alternatively, you could also keep your blackout curtains closed all day, and you may not need to turn on the air conditioning at all!

Help Improve Your Sleep

Longer days mean shorter nights, and if you need to sleep while there's daylight around, blockout curtains and are your tickets to improving your sleep. They block out enough light for a dark and peaceful environment, ensuring that you can sleep comfortably at any time of day! This is especially effective for people who need to sleep at odd hours, like shift workers, or families with young babies who sleep on and off all day.

How Should I Hang Blockout Curtains?

Created from a fabric with an acrylic or silicone blockout backing, our blockout curtains, when hung correctly, will block out almost all light that would otherwise come through a window. The curve of a curtain means you can hang it to block out any light that could creep through from the sides of the curtain, and hanging them from above your window (which we recommend, as it makes the room look taller) will block light from the top of the window as well! Because of their heavy make and thickness, there are a few things you need to keep in mind when hanging blackout curtains:

• Use a medium to heavy-weight curtain rail when hanging blockout curtains to ensure it won't bend under the weight of your window furnishings. We recommend a rod with a diameter of 19/22mm, up to 33mm, which can easily hold the heavier curtain weight. Curtain rods made of thick wood or metal are also ideal.
• Using sheer curtains provides daytime privacy while filtering the sun and light - they are a great way to soften your window. If you want complete control over how much of that summer sun you let into your home, consider layering your blockout curtains with sheer curtains using a double rod set or curtain track.
• Avoid hanging them in humid areas - because they are so thick, blockout curtains retain moisture easily, so avoid hanging them in areas like the kitchen and bathroom where they can become damp from steam.

Find out more on how to hang curtains by reading through our trusty guide!

How to Hang Curtains

Blockout Curtains FAQs

Blockout Curtains Vs Thermal Curtains

Which Rooms Are Blockout Curtains Suitable For?

Blockout curtains are an excellent choice for bedrooms, as they block out sunlight to ensure a good and restful sleep. They are also one of the best summer curtains options for living rooms and other areas where you wish to relax and unwind during the warmer months without feeling the heat.

How To Layer Blockout Curtains

You can layer your blockout curtains with sheer curtains to create a luxurious look that creates a sense of depth. This also allows you to switch between functions for the desired amount of light, making it perfect for those days where you want natural light to brighten your space.

You may also layer blockout curtains with a blockout blind behind in order to further reduce light from entering your space. This also provides additional insulation benefits making the combination of both blockout curtains and blinds a great option for summer.

Find Great Value Ready To Hang Blockout Curtains At Spotlight

Keep your home cool and comfortable all summer long with any of Spotlight's blockout curtains. View the entire range online or head into your local Spotlight store and check out our best curtains for summer in person! We offer ready-made curtains in all sorts of colours and styles, so you're bound to find a set that suits your home perfectly. If you're feeling up to a DIY challenge, Spotlight stocks all the blockout fabrics and extra accessories such as curtain tracks, curtain rods and curtain tiebacks, to make your own blackout curtains.

We also offer a free measure and quote with Made to Measure services that we encourage you to take advantage of if you need custom window solutions, as well as helpful curtains buying guides on everything curtain-related you need to know. Discover more great curtains content including How to Create a Summer Look With Sheer Curtains, 5 Curtain Trends to Transform Your Home and How to Choose and Style Bedroom Curtains