The 9 Best Heat-Blocking Curtains You Can Use Year-Round

Emily Belfiore
·10 min read
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curtains

Courtesy of Amazon

Achieving a uniform temperature throughout your entire home is never an easy feat, especially in the summer and winter months. Instead of turning on the air conditioning or cranking up the thermostat, the secret actually lies in your drapery. For many, opting for a set of thermal curtains can help you keep out the cold and heat—all without adding more money to your electric bill.

Designed with layers of heat-blocking fabrics, these innovative drapes successfully insulate your home by acting as a barrier to prevent air from entering or leaving—keeping your room cool or toasty, depending on the season. This technology also allows them to block out light and minimize noise from outside, making them excellent for bedrooms and nurseries. Thermal curtains can also provide an extra layer of protection for your furniture against the sun's damaging UV rays. Below, discover the best heat-blocking curtains that each have amassed thousands of glowing reviews, and find out how to pick the right ones for your home.

The Best Heat-Blocking Curtains of 2021

What to Consider When Shopping for Thermal Curtains

Like any new addition to your home, finding the best thermal curtains requires careful consideration. These are a few details to look for while shopping to ensure your curtains will fulfill your needs.

Size: Make sure that your heat-blocking curtains fit on your curtain rod as well as within the window frame. Once you've determined the length and width of your window, experts advise choosing a set of curtains that is slightly larger than the actual measurements to ensure that they will effectively block out light, trap in heat, and keep out the cold. Or, you can hang them higher above the window to prevent pooling on the floor.

Related: Easy Rules for Hanging Curtains

Paneling: Those with smaller windows may want to try a single panel heat-blocking curtain first, whereas two-panel curtains will better suit larger windows because they cover more space. A single-paneled curtain is also recommended for sliding doors and windows, as it can be easily positioned in the same direction as the movement. In most cases, opting for single panel curtains will be more cost-effective since you're only buying one unit.

Heading Type: The heading of your curtain is both an aesthetic and functional choice. Many buyers prefer grommet (also known as eyelet) curtains, which have circular openings at the top, because they are easier to feed across the rod and have a quieter and smoother glide when opening and closing the drapes. Other heading types include rod pockets, pleats, tab tops, and concealed back tabs.

Material: From there, it's wise to take the fabric into account as well. For heavy-duty heat blocking, you'll want thermal drapes that are made with thick materials like polyester and microfiber. These also resist moisture and will minimize it from accumulating in between the window and curtain. If you're buying curtains for your patio, make sure you've chosen an outdoor option made with weather-resistant fabrics so it can withstand the elements. The color of the curtains may also play a role in its effectiveness. When choosing a color, it's best to opt for darker hues, as they're stronger sun shields. There's a chance that light may still be able to pass through lighter colors, which is important to take into consideration if you're using it as a blackout curtain for sleep.

Keep scrolling through to explore the best heat-blocking curtains and read the reviews they've received from Amazon and Wayfair shoppers.

Best Overall: BGment Thermal Insulated Blackout Curtain

Available in 22 colors and a variety of sizes, the BGment Thermal Insulated Blackout Curtain seamlessly fits within most design schemes. The curtain features an innovative triple-weave design that blocks 85 to 99 percent of sunlight with its high density blackout yarn. It also balances room temperature, reduces outside noise, and protects furniture from the damaging effects of the sun's UV rays. What's more, its grommet construction allows for easy hanging.

The 4.7-star rated curtain comes in a set of two and has earned nearly 3,000 perfect reviews from Amazon shoppers. One wrote, "It keeps the heat out in the summer and the cold out in the winter, in addition to providing blackout properties for days I have a migraine but still have to work."

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Best Single Panel: Best Home Fashion Thermal Curtain

Thanks to its dense triple-weave construction, this single panel thermal curtain from Best Home Fashion insulates temperatures, blocks out light, and reduces noise. In fact, it shields you from 99 percent of light and 100 percent of UV rays. It comes in 20 colors and three varying sizes, each equipped with bronze-rimmed grommets measuring 1.6 inches in diameter.

"The curtains do really keep the heat out and they do darken the room," a Florida-based reviewer shared. "There is a huge difference between the back and front with heat transfer; the front is still as cool as the house. My electric bill was double the month before I put them up."

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curtains

Best for Sliding Doors: Rose Home Fashion Thermal Curtain

Providing the perfect width to cover your sliding door, the Rose Home Fashion Thermal Curtain is made from a polyester blend that is soft-to-the-touch but heavy-duty enough to successfully insulate your home. In addition to its thermal and temperature controlling capabilities, this pick's microfiber layering doubles as a blackout curtain, reducing light by 99 percent. Plus, it minimizes noises. Choose between 10 colors and six sizes.

"Oh my goodness, what a difference it has made with keeping our dining room cooler in the evening," raved one customer. "The other day it was 90-plus degrees [Fahrenheit] outside and I pulled the [curtain] aside to open the door and I couldn't get over how much heat it was keeping out of our house. Has really helped with our heating and cooling bills also."

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Best with Grommets: Utopia Bedding Grommet Thermal Curtain

Fans of grommet-style curtains will definitely find the Utopia Bedding 2-Panel Grommet Thermal Curtain to their liking. Lined with eight bronze rust-resistant grommets measuring 1.6 inches in diameter, the insulated drape securely glides across your curtain rod and adds an elegant touch to your home. This thermal curtain blocks 99 percent of light and up to 60 percent of outside noise from entering rooms and is available in eight classic colors. You also have your choice of three different sizes to best suit your window.

"I stopped on these because of the huge grommets that would make putting them on a rod so much easier, as well as opening and closing them without having to use a drawstring setup," admitted one Amazon shopper. "These look nice, too. The material is soft and absorbs noise on the bedroom side."

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Best Blackout: Lark Manor Solid Blackout Thermal Curtain

Touting an impressive 4.7-star rating from Wayfair reviewers, this blackout thermal curtain from Lark Manor is made with a dense three-weave material to adequately block light and keep your room dark, making it ideal for bedrooms. The grommet-lined pick's silky soft fabric comes in 30 colors and dresses up windows while providing quality noise reduction and temperature regulation—two things sensitive sleepers will benefit from. Choose between eight different length options to ensure a perfect fit for your space.

"I'm redoing my room and was looking for some simple curtains," explained one customer. "As a night shift nurse, I need total darkness to sleep in the morning. I've been getting the best sleep ever."

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Best Outdoor: RYB Home Thermal Patio Curtain

Enjoy your time al fresco with this single panel patio curtain, which happens to be Amazon's best-selling outdoor curtain. It blocks 85 to 95 percent of light and is lined with insulating materials to balance the temperature. For added durability, the thermal outdoor drape has a weatherproof exterior and rust-resistant grommets. It's also machine washable, fade-resistant, and available in 10 colors.

"We put these up on our patio to block the sun from shining on us at the table," explained one reviewer. "It does a fantastic job of blocking the sun and heat." Another added, "With the rain and sprinkler system these do a great job keeping our furniture from getting soaked."

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Best Noise Reducing: NiceTown Thermal Insulated Curtain

The NiceTown Thermal Insulated Curtain's double-sided microfiber design amps up its insulation capabilities when compared to its counterparts. It's not hard to see why it has more than 11,300 five-star customer reviews. This heavy-duty material easily blocks out outdoor noise like cars, and intercepts 85 to 99 percent of light and UV rays. Shoppers have their choice of 35 colors and 10 length varieties, each of which is wrinkle-resistant and lined with durable grommets.

"I have never slept better as it keeps the room 'nighttime' dark until you choose to open the curtains, and keeps the noise from our neighbor's four-wheeler truck tolerable," one shopper said. "The four-wheeler used to wake up my baby during naptime, but no more all thanks to these curtains."

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Best for Small Windows: Deconovo Thermal Curtain

Better suited for narrow windows, the Deconovo Thermal Curtain is available in shorter lengths to help shoppers achieve the perfect drapery for their space. It's made from soft polyester and coated with a reflective triple-pass material for insulation, blocking out light, and reducing outside noise. The two-paneled curtain's grommet construction guarantees an easy setup. Reviewers were delighted to find that the set comes with matching hook-and-loop tie-backs.

"This 'silver coating' variety is the real deal," one reviewer praised. "Of course, some light goes through around the edges, but I bought this set to help reduce the intense heat that radiates through a west-facing sliding glass door. It helps immensely!"

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Best for Winter: H.Versailtex Thermal Insulated Curtain

Among its 2,900-plus five-star reviews, a common praise among shoppers was this heavy-duty curtain's ability to keep the cold out during the winter months. The secret lies in its triple-layered fabric, which is designed with a sun-reflecting layer and high-density blackout silk layer that blocks out 99 percent of light for optimal insulation and temperature regulation.

"We had a snowstorm that moved in last night and I was eager to see how warm my office would be with these curtains," one reviewer began. "This room is always cold and I was so surprised how warm it felt this morning when I woke up to check if the curtains blocked out the cold and kept the room from becoming cold. Well, they did! The room temperature felt the same as the rest of the house. Nicely done!"

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