Honeycomb blinds and where the insulation comes from
The cell structure does the work. Here is what that means in practice, and which rooms it suits.
Honeycomb blinds look like a pleated fabric blind and behave like something quite different. The difference is entirely structural, and it is worth understanding before you compare them on price.
How the cells work
Viewed end-on, the fabric forms rows of hexagonal cells. Each cell holds a pocket of still air between the room and the glass.
Still air is a poor conductor of heat — which is the entire principle behind double glazing, insulation batts and a wetsuit. The blind is not blocking heat so much as putting a layer of trapped air in its way.
That works in both directions. It slows heat coming in through the glass in summer, and slows warmth escaping through it in winter, without you doing anything differently.
Blockout or light filtering
Blockout honeycomb
Foil-lined fabric, which adds a reflective barrier on top of the trapped air. The most thermally effective internal covering we make. Bedrooms, media rooms, anything west-facing.
Light filtering honeycomb
Keeps the insulating structure but lets soft light through. Living areas and anywhere you want the room bright without the glare or the heat load.
Where they suit, and where they do not
Good for: rooms with a real temperature problem, tall or awkward windows, and anywhere you want a clean uninterrupted look — a raised honeycomb blind stacks into a very small headbox.
Less good for: anywhere you want to see out while covered. Unlike a shutter louvre or a venetian slat, a honeycomb blind has no tilt — it is up or down. If the view matters through the day, that is the trade.
They also do not ventilate. If the aim is shade with a breeze, that is a shutter question rather than a blind one.
The practical note
Fit matters more here than on any other product. The insulating value lives in trapped air, and air escaping around the edge of a badly fitted blind takes the benefit with it. Ours are measured to the opening for exactly that reason.
Over 32 fabric and colour options, and they pair well with shutters elsewhere in the house without clashing.
Free in-home measure and quote
Brisbane and the Gold Coast. No obligation, and we do the measuring.