Do Bamboo Blinds Keep Heat Out? Shading, Privacy, and Style

Direct answer 

Bamboo blinds keep some heat out, but not all of it. A closed bamboo shade stops direct sun before it reaches your floor and furniture, and a tighter weave stops more. Value Blinds Classic and High Shading woven bamboo shades are rated from 50 to 95 percent shading. Because the shade hangs inside the glass, some heat still enters the room.

Table of Contents

1. Shading Ratings for Our Bamboo Weaves

2. Bamboo Blinds vs Woven Bamboo Shades

3. What Keeps More Heat Out Than Bamboo?

4. Are Bamboo Shades Private at Night?

5. Sizes, Lift Options, and Prices

6. Caring for Bamboo

7. Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Summary

Shading Ratings for Our Bamboo Weaves

Our Classic and High Shading woven bamboo shades list a shading rating for each weave. A higher number means the weave blocks more light, and with it more direct sun.

For a sunny west or south window where heat is the problem, start with a 95 percent weave. For a room where you want soft daylight and some view, a 50 or 60 percent weave lets more light through and blocks less heat.

Order free samples of two weaves and hold them in the window at the hottest part of the day. You will see the difference in light, and you can feel the difference in heat on your hand behind each one.

Bamboo Blinds vs Woven Bamboo Shades

"Bamboo blinds" covers two products that handle sun differently:

• Bamboo blinds have 2 inch bamboo slats that tilt, like wood blinds. You can angle the slats to send light up to the ceiling and keep direct sun off the floor while light still comes in.

• Woven bamboo shades are a flat panel of woven reeds that raises and lowers. They do not tilt, so the shading rating of the weave sets how much sun gets through when the shade is down.

Tilting slats give you more control over the light. A tight woven shade gives you more consistent shade when fully lowered.

What Keeps More Heat Out Than Bamboo?

If a room still overheats with a bamboo shade down, the sun is reaching the glass and the heat is already inside. Two options work better:

1.  An exterior shade.  Mounted outside the window, it stops the sun before it reaches the glass. Our exterior shades are listed by openness, with fabrics from 1 to 30 percent open plus blackout options. Lower openness lets less sun through. See our  exterior shades   and the guide to  solar shade fabric and openness factor.

2.  A cellular shade behind or instead of bamboo.  The cells hold a layer of air against the window. In a U.S. Department of Energy test home, cellular shades saved up to 15 percent of total heating and cooling energy compared with no window covering.

 Are Bamboo Shades Private at Night? 

 By day, bamboo gives good privacy. The outside is brighter than the room, so people outside see the weave, not the room behind it. 

At night the light reverses. With lamps on inside, a 50 or 60 percent weave can show shapes and movement to someone outside. For bedrooms and street-facing rooms, choose a 95 percent weave.

Sizes, Lift Options, and Prices

Our listings set different size limits for each lift:

As an example of price, our 2 inch bamboo blinds were listed at $435.39 for a 36 by 60 inch window, before sale pricing, at the time of this update. Price changes with size, so set your own window size on the product page.

 For homes with children or pets, choose cordless or motorized lift. Our guide to  corded vs cordless blinds  explains the safety rules.

 Caring for Bamboo 

Dust bamboo with a soft cloth or a vacuum brush attachment. Wipe marks with a cloth that is barely damp, then dry it right away. Do not soak bamboo or let water sit on it. In bathrooms and kitchens, keep the room ventilated and wipe splashes promptly. Our blind cleaning guide  covers each material.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do bamboo shades keep heat out better than bamboo blinds?

A tight woven shade gives more consistent shade when fully lowered. Bamboo blinds let you tilt the slats to direct light instead.

What shading rating should I choose for a hot window?

Choose the tightest weave available. Our High Shading woven bamboo shades are rated at 95 percent shading.

Do bamboo blinds help in winter?

Very little. The woven gaps let air move through. A cellular shade is the better choice for holding in heat.