The 10 Best Blackout Curtains For Better Sleep

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One hundred percent of nights, I'm trying to sleep through them. My dreams, both simple and always just beyond reach. Setting up your bedroom for sleep success is one of the best things you can do for your health (turns out, good sleep is good for your brain, among other stuff) and also one of the very things that makes you feel instantly old. The kind of old that feels like, I used to be able to pass out while standing up and now if it's not 68 degrees, pitch black, and absolutely silent, there is no hope for me.

Blackout curtains help immensely. Also, they've gotten much better. When I first began my own blackout curtain search some years ago, they all looked stark and heavy and like they belonged in a dorm room, or they were otherwise stupid expensive. But now, home brands have gotten on the blackout curtain wave, mostly adding a blackout lining to the back of a normal curtain. Simple but effective. This also means your curtains don't have to be a distinctly dark color to block the light; that impenetrable back layer does all the blocking for you. As a bonus, most liners also absorb sun and block strong scents, making for an all around pleasant sleep experience.

From Pottery Barn's luxe velvet curtains in pretty jewel colors to Parachute Home's signature airy neutrals, we've rounded up 10 of the blackout curtains that do their jobs best. To make any of them their most effective, hang them high above a window and make sure the panel is wide enough to cover your whole window, plus a few inches. This will help ensure you don't need to toy with the panels to get them to cover the light. Happy sleeping.

Washed Linen Blackout Curtain

Parachute Home's washed linen curtain matches the dreamy, gauzy look and feel of the brand's duvet and sheet sets. It blocks the light without cramping the whole space with a dark color. For a solid hotel-like sleep, this is for you. It only comes in two neutral colors, which are one, very pretty, and two, sell out quickly and often.

Heavyweight European Linen Blackout Curtain

Cheap-looking curtains tend to look wrinkled and flimsy, and the heavy weight of Quince's blackout curtain ensures that never happen. It drapes nicely, and the linen outside looks elevated, while a polyester blackout lining does all the light-blocking work.

Velvet Twill Blackout Curtain

For luxe-looking curtains in a slew of jewel-tone and neutral colors, Potter Barn's 100 percent cotton velvet blackout curtain is as elite as it gets. These feel purposeful and dramatic, best for blocking light in rooms with high ceilings and big windows.

Crossweave Blackout Curtain

For more of a lightweight feel, West Elm makes a crossweave curtain that looks deceptively airy. The light, heathered colors make a room feel bright when you want it to, but the sewn-in black liner blocks light from all directions. Buy a panel individually or as a set of two.

Blackout Linen Window Curtain Panel

For a blackout curtain that puts function first, it's this insulated blackout curtain from Target. It has a rather stark look, but it's cheaper than most styles and blocks light, heat, and smells from coming inside. Excellent choice for a kid's bedroom or a playroom.

Basketweave Blackout Window Curtain Panel

CB2's basketweave curtain would never have you know that it is designed for blacking out the light. It looks cool, modern, and drapes well when open in the day and pulled shut at night. These are great for bedrooms that get a lot of eyes on it, especially in city apartments that get light peeking through at all hours of the day.

Merrow Stitch Cotton Blackout Curtain

If blackout curtains are a nonnegotiable and you're willing to shell out for the best, Crate and Barrel makes an easy trimmed cotton curtain that blocks all sources of life and looks pretty doing it. There are three hanging options, depending on your window needs: a rod pocket, back tabs, or curtain clips (you'd have to get those on your own, though). A great choice for most rooms and styles.

Velvet Curtains

If you are trying to two-day Prime ship yourself blackout curtains, well, we've been there. These are inexpensive but, be warned, they can look it up close, too. (It's not as clean of a drape and tends to get wrinkly.) You'll have to rely a bit on the dark color itself to block light, but for $40 and in a pinch, it gets the job done.

Universal Blackout Curtain Liner

Instead of buying brand new curtains, you can turn your own curtains to blackout. This universal curtain liner is made with the same 100 percent polyester makeup as nearly all of the light-filtrating curtains are, but it's tacked onto the back of your curtains to do the job. It's easy to install with options: use a grommet, ring, tab top, or fabric loop. Those little hooks are easy to put on behind and bulk up the curtain you have already.

Portable Blackout Curtain Shades

These blackout curtains might just save your life. If you travel a lot, need to sleep beyond the confines of the nighttime, or have a baby who naps (also, if you're the baby), these portable blackout shades will make sleeping in places beyond your home much easier. Buy in a pack of one or two and use the suction cups on the backside to stick right onto a window.

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