Best Conservatory Blinds Comparison Chart

Pleated blinds are normally ideal for any conservatory roof.

There are many different types of pleated blinds to choose from for all budgets and applications, as well as hundreds of fabrics available, including pleated fabrics suitable for solar roof glazing.

Pinoleum blinds are highly suited to timber conservatory roofs and many PVC conservatories.

Our unique pinoleum roof blinds are designed to fit neatly into most complex conservatory roofs.

Solar Design roman blinds can be installed into virtually all conservatory roofs.

Solar Design Roman Blinds are the most advanced purpose-designed conservatory blinds created primarily for stunning appearance using soft solar reflective fabrics.

Roller blinds can be fitted into many conservatory roofs but are never recommended.

Roller blinds are less suited to shaped conservatory roofs than other blind types and normally have gaps between blinds, but are offered with highly reflective dim-out fabric to significantly reduce light and heat.

Vertical blinds are not available as conservatory roof blinds.

Venetian blinds are not available as conservatory roof blinds.

Pleated blinds are by far the most popular conservatory window blinds.

Some pleated blind ranges are designed to be fitted to the glazing beads so that they allow ventilation when the window is open.

Our purpose-designed pleated window blinds are also washable and so can maintain their 'as new' appearance for many years.

Pinoleum window blinds are ideal in a timber conservatory and even many PVC conservatories.

Our pinoleum blinds have a choice of 3 different rails, 6 rail colours, 18 standard pinoleum finishes and can even be motorised.

Our cordlock operation does not need to have gaps for cleats between the blinds creating a safer, neater and much more effective conservatory blind.

Roman window blinds can be suited to conservatories.

Unlike virtually all other roman blinds, our Solar Design roman blinds do not use wooden battens, velcro, cotton fabrics or cord cleats. They are purpose-designed for conservatories using solar reflective fabrics and neat cordlock control.

Roller blinds offer a cheap simple solution to window shade in a conservatory.

Although not the most attractive blinds in a conservatory, roller blinds can be an effective solution. Beware of gaps between blinds and in the corners as well as them swaying in the wind. We normally do not recommend roller blinds on doors.

Traditional dim-out fabrics should be chosen with care unless you wish to darken your conservatory and adjoining room.

Vertical blinds can be a quick, cheap solution in a conservatory.

Vertical blinds take up the 'window sill', will sway in any breeze and are prone to damage, especially over opening windows and doors. Vertical blinds are not purpose designed for conservatories and so do not have UV stabilised components.

Venetian blinds can be a cheap simple solution to window shade in a conservatory.

Whilst they can be attractive, venetian blinds will sway and rattle in the wind and aluminium venetian blinds also conduct heat.

Wood venetian blinds are extremely heavy and the slats will twist because of the varying temperature and humidity in a conservatory.

Pleated blinds normally offer the neatest shaped blinds and can fit any conservatory.

Purpose-designed pleated shaped roof blinds (such as Eos and Solar Design) retract neatly without the fabric 'fanning up' and fill the shape of the roof much better, without sagging along the edges.

Cut-outs and infill blinds around tie bars, box gutters and conservatory mouldings can be achieved very neatly with pleated blinds.

Solar Design pleated blinds offer the neatest shaped blinds.

Pinoleum blinds can be shaped to fit almost any conservatory.

As pinoleum is formed from woven wood it is not quite as adaptable as pleated blinds, but our shaped pinoleum blinds have the narrowest tops to create the neatest possible installation.

Our pinoleum blinds do not need to be 'oversized' to overcome an awkward shaped pane of glazing and can be individually fitted to provide a much more 'built-in' appearance.

Our unique purpose-designed Solar Design roman blinds are the only roman blinds suited to shaped conservatory roofs.

The layout of the roof and installation type (recessed or surface-mounted) are the guiding factors on whether roman blinds are recommended. Irregular shaped roofs with box-gutters tend to be the least suitable conservatories for roman roof blinds.

Shaped roman window blinds have a small non-operational shaped area.

Roller blinds can be fitted to simple shaped roofs but are unsuited to complex roofs or where cut-outs are required as the blinds require "stiffeners".

Roller blinds are not available for shaped windows.

We do not recommend any roof roller blinds in a conservatory.

Vertical blinds are available as shaped window blinds, normally in a lean-to conservatory.

The steeper the pitch of the roof, the more 'staggered' the vertical louvres will appear. Shaped vertical blinds always retract from the shortest to the longest side.

Whilst we do not normally recommend vertical blinds in a conservatory, they are probably the cheapest solution.

Venetian blinds are available as shaped window blinds, but can only be tilted rather than retracted.

We do not normally recommend venetian blinds in a conservatory.

The two genuine purpose-designed pleated conservatory blind ranges (Eos and Solar Design) are easy to clean and are washable (subject to fabric selection).

Solar Design pleated blinds are also easy for customers to remove and refit.

Pinoleum is made from woven wood and so is normally cleaned by regular dusting but it is also possible to wipe pinoleum blinds.

Solar Design roman blinds can be simply dusted but for any accumulated dirt they normally require specialist cleaning as they can be damaged if handled incorrectly.

When cleaned correctly they can maintain their apperance for years.

Cleaning roller blinds normally relies on the fabric selected. Some fabrics can be wiped clean, whilst others can only be dusted.

You cannot wash roller blinds.

Cleaning vertical blinds normally depends on the fabric selected. Some fabrics can be wiped clean, whilst others can only be dusted. Wooden blinds can be dusted and wiped clean.

You cannot wash vertical blinds.

Aluminium venetian blinds can be cleaned with care using a duster or even a wet cloth, but are extremely time consuming and are easy to damage.

Wood venetian blinds are easier to dust and wipe clean if required.

Most pleated blinds are cord-tensioned which means that they can be easily operated without the need for hanging cords.

But only the two purpose-designed ranges for conservatories (Eos and Solar Design) have adjustable handles and adjustable tensioners for roof blinds with silicone impregnated stainless steel micro-cables that are wholly intended for conservatories.

Pinoleum blinds are available in a number of ranges, but our Solar Design pinoleum blinds are designed for conservatories and so are very easy to operate.

Pinoleum roof blinds have adjustable handles and tensioners as well as silicone impregnated stainless steel micro-cables that are intended for ease of use in conservatories.

Pinoleum window blinds have a choice of 3 different cordlocks for differing situations which means that blinds do not need to be supported by tying the cords off to cleats.

Our unique Solar Design roman blinds use the same operating system as our leading pleated blinds and so are purpose-designed for use in a conservatory making them very easy to operate.

Although simple to use, roman window blinds are not quite as easy to operate as pleated blinds and any freehanging cords are a potential safety risk to very young children or small pets.

Roller blinds come in two types; spring operated or with a side chain. Spring operated roller blinds tend to be the hardest to operate and are available as roof blinds and window blinds.

Roof blinds require cords to be tied off to a cleat to hold a blind in position and are not recommended. If buying window roller blinds we normally recommend side chain operation for ease of use, but beware of allowing small children to play with them unsupervised.

Vertical blinds normally have chain operation to retract or extend them and a cord to tilt the blinds. They can become intertwined and caught in doors/windows. They are easy to operate but should only be pulled downwards rather than at any significant angle.

From a safety point of view we do not recommend vertical blinds where young children or small pets are unsupervised.

Venetian blinds use a clear plastic 'crystal' wand to tilt the vanes and a cord to raise/lower the blind. These cords can become twisted resulting in only one side of the blind being operated which can also create problems with the cordlock.

If operated correctly, venetian blinds are easy to operate but are not recommended where young children or small pets are unsupervised.

Pleated blinds normally offer the best appearance in any conservatory.

If you select a pleated blind range that has been designed for conservatories (Eos or Solar Design) with an appropriate blind layout and suitable fabric, then the finished appearance is exceptional and can completely transform a conservatory.

Purpose-designed pleated blinds can neatly fit absolutely any shape or design of conservatory.

Pinoleum blinds are manufactured from woven-wood and so offer a unique appearance that is not just suited to timber conservatories.

Pinoleum blinds are not recommended in extremely complex conservatories where there are lots of small shaped roof panels, unless the blinds can be laid out with the correct proportions without being too small or too large.

If fitting pinoleum roof blinds to a UPVC conservatory with lots of tie bars we recommend cut-outs to the blinds so that they limit any light gaps. If the tie bars intersect the rafters at any height much above the fascia then we would normally not recommend pinoleum roof blinds.

Our Solar Design roman blinds are most ideally suited to a conservatory with a regular shape without steep valleys or box gutters.

Our roman blinds generally create a very unique modern appearance with the soft look of pinoleum but with a light fabric finish. Our unique Solar Design roman blinds are purpose-designed for conservatories and can sometimes be the only option for appearance.

Roller blinds can create a modern appearance in some conservatories but equally can often appear to smother the glazing and make the conservatory feel smaller.

A carefully selected blind layout and fabric can make roller blinds a good choice.

Vertical blinds can be used with good effect over wide glazed doors or in very tall windows, but they are not recommended for their aesthetics in a conservatory.

Vertical blinds are least suitable in a victorian style conservatory or any layout where there aren't very wide runs of glazing. Vertical blinds also tend to occupy the full depth of the window sills and so can appear very stark, as well as getting dirty where doors and opening windows are operated.

Venetian blinds can look very effective when they are first installed but are never recommended for conservatories as they are very quick to lose their appearance.

Aluminium venetan blinds attract dust and, as the vanes are not robust, can be easily buckled. Wood venetian blinds can be visually stunning but the timber slats will inevitably twist with changes in the heat and humidity.

Pleated blinds are available with a wide choice of fabrics. Most pleated fabrics offer an excellent balance between heat loss and heat gain whilst also reducing glare and UV without darkening your conservatory.

Other pleated fabrics are available if you prefer to significantly darken your conservatory or specifically insulate against noise but these are not purpose-designed for UK conservatories.

We also have fabrics with specialist reflective treatments suitable for solar glazing.

Heat insulation is most noticeable with roof blinds. Window blinds also contribute a significant amount of insulation, but it is roof blinds that are most important.

Pinoleum blinds are made from woven-wood and as wood is an excellent insulator then pinoleum blinds are often a good idea in a conservatory.

Our unqiue Solar Design pinoleum blinds also have an optional Solar Lining which creates the highest performance for heat insulation possible.

Heat insulation is most noticeable with roof blinds. Window blinds also contribute a significant amount of insulation, but it is roof blinds that are most important.

Our Solar Design roman blinds use the same solar reflective fabric as our most popular pleated blinds and so offer an ideal balance between heat loss, heat gain, glare and UV whilst retaining a high degree of natural light in a conservatory.

Roman blinds are often fitted further away from the glass than pleated blinds and so tend to be slightly less effective at insulation.

Window blinds contribute a significant amount of insulation, but it is roof blinds that are most important.

Roller blinds are available with highly solar reflective laminated fabric which can be effective with some forms of glazing, but are inadvisable with solar glazing.

Window blinds can contribute a significant amount of insulation, but roller blinds are fitted further away from the glazing and have unavoidable gaps and so are not recommended in a conservatory.

Vertical blinds with fabric louvres offer shade and an element of insulation, however as it is the roof of a conservatory which is the main cause of heat loss or heat gain then vertical window blinds cannot contribute much to insulation.

Vertical blinds with wood louvres are generally more effective at heat insulation, but are only available as window blinds.

Window blinds can contribute a significant amount of insulation, but there are noticeable gaps at the top/behind vertical blinds and so they are often less effective than other blinds.

Aluminium venetian blinds are available with solar reflective coatings but as aluminium is an extremely effective conductor, venetian blinds are far from ideal for insulation although they can offer significant shade and light control.

Wood venetian blinds are very effective at insulation but are only available as window blinds.

Heat insulation is most noticeable with roof blinds. Window blinds also contribute a significant amount of insulation, but it is roof blinds that are most important.

Pleated blind fabrics are generally designed to reduce glare whilst still retaining a high degree of natural light.

Some general pleated blinds have very large gaps at the tops of shaped blinds, along the edges and even through the oversized cording holes and so glare will still occur. Equally some of the cheaper pleated fabrics reduce glare by blocking the overalll light transmission and so are not ideal for a conservatory.

If selecting purpose-designed pleated conservatory blinds and fabrics, you can ensure a significant reduction in glare.

Pinoleum blinds are made from woven-wood and so create a dappled shade rather than a uniform reduction in glare.

Our unique Solar Lining can reduce glare completely from roof blinds, as well as increase the thermal resistance of the blind, without darkening the conservatory.

As pinoleum blinds are made from wood they are not quite as adaptable to complex shapes as pleated blinds and so cut-outs and the top apex widths of shaped blinds are not quite as snug fitting. Whilst this is very minor, it stops us from giving pinoleum blinds the highest rank.

Our Solar Design roman blinds are purpose-designed for conservatories and are highly effective at reducing glare, UV and solar gain without darkening your conservatory.

The unqiue solar reflective soft fabric is also UV colourfast to a bluewool scale of 6 and so will not fade or degrade like cotton based fabrics.

Roller blinds are generally very effective at reducing glare and you don't need a dim-out fabric to accomplish this unless you are using the conservatory as a TV room.

Roller blinds have unavoidable gaps at the edges because the roller mounting is wider than the fabric and so are not ideal in a conservatory.

Vertical blinds are generally very effective at reducing glare and you don't need a dim-out fabric to accomplish this unless you are using the conservatory as a TV room.

Vertical blinds can sway in the wind or become overlapped quite easily, as well as create small gaps in the corners where two blinds meet and so may not always be ideal in a conservatory.

Venetian blinds are generally very effective at reducing glare by tilting the louvres against the sun.

Venetian blinds can sway in the wind and often have cording holes that can let some light through, but generally speaking are an excellent way of controlling glare in a house, if not always ideal in a conservatory.

Pleated blinds provide excellent privacy with the correct fabric selection.

Privacy from being overlooked from above means that roof blinds are also an essential point when comparing blind types and pleated blinds are perfect for this reason.

Pinoleum blinds are made from woven-wood and so day time privacy is normally excellent, however when it is dark outside pinoleum is less effective.

Our optional Solar Lining creates the highest level of privacy possible for any type of conservatory blinds, but adds to the cost.

Roman blinds provide excellent privacy with the correct fabric selection and installation.

Privacy from being overlooked from above means that roof blinds are also an essential point when comparing blind types and roman blinds are also perfect for this reason.

Roller blinds can provide very good privacy with a suitable fabric selection and if the blinds are surface-fitted with a significant fabric overhang. If a fabric overhang cannot be achieved then the gaps between blinds may compromise privacy and security.

Roof roller blinds are available but we do not recommend them in a conservatory.

Vertical blinds are effective at providing window privacy but as vertical blinds can sway in the wind or become overlapped quite easily, as well as create small gaps in the corners where two blinds meet, they may not always be ideal in a conservatory.

Obviously vertical blinds are not available as roof blinds which limits their effectiveness.

Venetian blinds are generally very effective at creating window privacy by tilting the louvres against the line of sight.

Venetian blinds can sway in the wind and often have cording holes that can let some light through, but generally speaking are an excellent privacy blind, if not always ideal in a conservatory.

Obviously venetian blinds are not available as roof blinds which limits their effectiveness.

Pleated blinds are available in many ranges to meet almost any budget with hundreds of fabric options suitable for virtually any conservatory.

Purpose designed pleated blinds (Eos and Solar Design) generally offer the best value for money (quality, suitability, appearance and cost) compared to all other blinds.

Pinoleum blinds are the most popular choice in timber conservatories as well as creating a unique appearance in many UPVC conservatories.

As pinoleum conservatory blinds generally have a similar total cost to pleated blinds (but with a different blind layout) they remain very popular.

Roman blinds have a minimalist appearance and our Solar Design roman blinds are suited to conservatories where a modern design is paramount above all else.

As Solar Design roman blinds are the only purpose-designed roman blinds for conservatories, they are highly sought after, but as they are extremely time consuming and costly to manufacture and install, they have a higher cost that makes them less popular in typical conservatories.

Roller blinds can be designed to create either a minimalist appearance or a traditional look and so are quite popular for these requirements, despite the compromises in a conservatory.

Roller blinds can also offer a cheaper cost solution to wide areas of glazing and so are also sometimes popular where budget is limited.

Vertical blinds generally offer the lowest possible cost solution to wide areas of glazing which makes them popular where cost is the over-riding factor.

Venetian blinds are available as freehanging blinds, which are not ideally suited to most conservatories, or as part of a 'Push Fit' blind system like Perfect Fit by Louvolite or Intu by Eclipse.

The suitability of these blinds varies with conservatory and customer use, but as they are not purpose-designed for cosnervatories they are more popular as DIY blinds or fitted by general blind retailers.

Many pleated blinds are available with different types of remote control operation.

Our unique SOLO remote control system allows you to operate blinds individually, in zones or all blinds together simultaneously.

Pinoleum blinds are available with different types of remote control operation.

Our unique SOLO remote control system allows you to operate blinds individually, in zones or all blinds together simultaneously.

Roman blinds are available with our unique SOLO remote control system which allows you to operate blinds individually, in zones or all blinds together simultaneously.

Roller blinds are available with 230v Somfy Altus motors with integrated receivers.

Vertical blinds are not available with remote control operation.

Wood venetian blinds are available with 230v Somfy Altus motors with integrated receivers.

Purpose designed pleated blind ranges (Eos and Solar Design) offer excellent value for money for all conservatories, which is why they are so overwhelmingly popular.

Pinoleum blinds are quite difficult to manufacture and install properly in a conservatory and so they offer very good value for money.

The cost of manufacturing and installing genuine Solar Design roman conservatory blinds is prohibitive and this is not entirely reflected in the price. For that reason our roman blinds offer very fair value for money.

Roller blinds are relatively cheap to manufacture and install if the conservatory is suited to roller blinds. Because roller blinds can be very simple to make the cost of the specific fabric can vary the total cost of the blind significantly.

Vertical blinds are comparatively very cheap to manufacture and install, therefore the cost of a specific fabric can vary the total cost of the blind enormously.

Were it not for the fact that vertical blinds are so relatively cheap compared to the area that they can cover, they would have a lower ranking.

We do not recommend vertical blinds ian conservatory.

Aluminium venetian blinds are relatively cheap blinds compared to others. From bad experiences with the cheapest ranges we now only recommend Hunter Douglas venetian blinds because they are much more robust.

Wood venetian blinds are much more expensive to manufacture and install. We offer cut-down wood venetian blinds as a cheaper cost option, but only recommend made-to-measure wood venetian blinds.

Perfect Fit venetian blinds are more expensive because they require frames, but can be cheaper because they are ideal for a small number of DIY house blinds.

Pleated blinds are generally the best all-round solution in a conservatory and our purpose-designed ranges are normally the technically superior choice.

Pinoleum blinds are often the best choice in a timber conservatory, however they are also suitable in many UPVC conservatories, especially with Solar Lining.

In the right size, shape and design of conservatory where a modern appearance is paramount our Solar Design roman blinds are ideal, albeit less practical than pleated blinds.

Roller blinds are only really suited to wide windows. There are some exceptions but we do not recommend roller blinds in a conservatory unless the layout is suitable and you have expressed a preference.

Vertical blinds can be suited to certain situations (such as patio doors) but generally speaking they are simply the cheapest solution to shading. We do not normally recommend vertical blinds in a conservatory.

Venetian blinds can have an attractive minimalist appearance and are excellent at controlling shade by tilting the louvres but are not recommended for use in conservatories.