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Zebra Room Darkening Roller Shades
Experience the ultimate flexibility in light management with our Zebra Room Darkening Roller Shades. This innovative design seamlessly merges the gentle daytime visibility of a sheer blind with the robust privacy and light-blocking power of...
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Product Information
Experience the ultimate flexibility in light management with our Zebra Room Darkening Roller Shades. This innovative design seamlessly merges the gentle daytime visibility of a sheer blind with the robust privacy and light-blocking power of a room-darkening fabric, giving you total control over your environment at any time of day.
The secret is in the dual-layer fabric. By alternating sheer bands with opaque, room-darkening bands, these shades give you ultra-flexible control over your lighting. Whether you are outfitting a bedroom, a media room, or a contemporary living space that needs added privacy, these shades deliver a minimalist aesthetic with maximum functionality.
Why You'll Love These Zebra Shades
- The Best of Both Worlds: Enjoy the view-through capability of a sheer shade during the day, and easily switch to significant light blockage and privacy when needed.
- Enhanced Light Control: The 100% polyester room darkening fabric blocks out a significant amount of light and helps manage heat gain to make your home more comfortable.
- Minimalist, Modern Aesthetic: The sleek, clean design complements any decor, from contemporary to transitional, providing a polished, built-in look for your windows.
- Child & Pet-Friendly: Motorized and cordless options are designed with safety in mind, completely eliminating loose or dangling cords.
How do Zebra Shades Work?
Zebra shades offer a level of adjustability that traditional roller shades simply cannot match. By pulling your control system, the two layers of fabric glide past each other to create different levels of openness.
- When Aligned (Open): The sheer bands line up, allowing UV-filtered light to pass through and providing a view to the outside (similar to the effect of an open wood blind).
- When Offset (Closed): The opaque, room-darkening bands overlap the sheer bands, blocking nearly all light and providing excellent privacy.
- Partially Raised: You can raise the shade slightly to let light in from the bottom while deciding exactly how much light comes through the top bands—a lot, a little, or none. You still get to look through the sheer bands while the shade is partially raised!
Room Darkening vs. Blackout: What's the Difference?
It is important to note the distinction between room darkening and total blackout:
- Room Darkening: These shades block a significant amount of light (often 90-95%) and provide excellent privacy. However, due to the nature of the dual-layer design and the sheer bands, a small amount of ambient light may still enter the room even when fully closed.
- Blackout: Designed to block 99%+ of all incoming light. If you require absolute darkness for a nursery or day-sleeper, we recommend exploring our Blackout Roller Shades.
Comparison: Zebra Room Darkening vs. Light Filtering
Use the table below to determine which Zebra shade best suits your room's requirements.
| Feature | Zebra Room Darkening | Zebra Light Filtering |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | Block light and provide high privacy | Soften light and provide moderate privacy |
| Light Control (When Closed) | Significantly darkens the room | Diffuses light into a soft glow |
| Daytime Privacy (When Closed) | Excellent | High |
| Nighttime Privacy | High (shadows may be faintly visible) | Partial (silhouettes visible if backlit) |
| Best For | Bedrooms, media rooms, street-facing windows | Living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens |
Explore our Zebra Light Filtering Shades here if you think they may be a better fit for your needs.
Custom Fit & Finishing Options
Tailor your Zebra Room Darkening Shades to fit your exact functional and aesthetic needs. Designed to fit snugly inside or outside the window frame for a polished, built-in look.
- Lift & Control Options: Choose the standard continuous cord loop system (stays at a consistent length for a clean, reliable experience), upgrade to a sleek cordless system, or enjoy the modern convenience of a wire-free, rechargeable motorized lift.
- Color-Coordinated Hardware: Shade hardware, including the cassette and bottom rail, will be color-coordinated to provide a clean, finished appearance. Motorized shades include a matching fabric insert on the cassette headrail.
Pro Tip: To truly feel the dual-layer fabric and see the room-darkening capabilities in your home's unique lighting, we highly recommend ordering free samples before you buy.
Product Specifications
Control Style Options & Compatibility for this product
| Control Type | Best For... | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Cordless | Child & Pet Safety |
|
| Continuous Cord Loop | Large / Heavy Windows |
|
| Motorwand | Large / Heavy Windows |
|
| Motorized |
|
|
Technical Specifications
| Technical Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Material / Fabric Composition | Polyester |
| Mounting types available | Inside mount, Outside mount |
| Minimum Width | 12" |
| Maximum Width | 94" |
| Minimum Height | 12" |
| Maximum Height | 94" |
Mounting Depth Requirements
(for mounting brackets)
| Mounting Structure | Minimum Depth Requirement |
|---|---|
| Chain Drive with Standard Cassette | |
| Inside Mount | 1 7/8" |
| Inside Flush Mount | 2 1/2" |
| Chain Drive with Fabric Insert Cassette | |
| Inside Mount | 2 5/8" |
| Inside Flush Mount | 3 1/2" |
| Cordless with Standard Cassette | |
| Inside Mount | 1 3/4" |
| Inside Flush Mount | 2 1/2" |
| Motorwand & Motorized with Fabric Insert Cassette | |
| Inside Mount | 2 5/8" |
| Inside Flush Mount | 3 1/2" |
Fabric Deductions
- The fabric deduction makes space for the brackets, clutch or motorization components, ensuring a correct fit
- Please note that the fabric width of the shade will be less than the window measurement provided
- Change in tube sizing along with different clutch/idle end combinations influence these deductions as do other options such as your choice of valance
- The information below is approximate and for guidance only
| Mount Type | Fabric Deduction |
|---|---|
| Inside Mount | 1/8" |
| Outside Mount | 0" |
Important Notes & Product Restrictions
- Standard roll (no cassette valance) shades can be mounted to the top, side or rear.
- Shades with a cassette valance have concealed brackets and can be mounted to the top or rear of your window frame only.
- Motorized not available on widths less than 20"
- Reverse Roll is not available with a Cassette Valance
- Reverse roll must be top mounted (cannot be mounted back to the wall for outside mount).
How to Measure & Install
Taking accurate measurements is straightforward. Let us walk you through the process!
To ensure a perfect fit, keep these essential pointers in mind:
- Always use a metal measuring tape for the best accuracy; fabric tapes can stretch and lead to errors.
- If your width measurement falls on a 1/16" or 1/32" mark, round down to the nearest 1/8".
- If your height measurement lands on a 1/16" or 1/32" increment, round up to the closest 1/8".
- Always consult the Product Specifications for the product you are measuring for. If you have questions, we will be happy to help!
Instructions for Inside Mounted Roller Shades
Depth Requirements: For an inside mount, you'll need to make sure the window frame is deep enough to accommodate the roller shade. Refer to the Product Specifications for minimum depths depending on your chosen valance option.
Measuring the width
- The width measurement is found by measuring the inside of the window frame in three locations: the top, middle, and bottom.
- Choose the smallest of these measurements.
- If you get a 1/16" or 1/32" increment, round down to the nearest 1/8".
- That's your width for your roller shades.
Measuring the height
- The height measurement is found by measuring the inside of the window frame in three locations: the left, center, and right.
- Choose the largest of these measurements.
- If you get a 1/16" or 1/32" increment, round up to the nearest 1/8".
- That's your height for your roller shades.
Instructions for Outside Mounted Roller Shades
An outside mount sits outside of the window and the window frame. Because it is meant to cover the entire space of the window, you'll need to make some additions to the measurements to make sure you order the right size. Please follow the instructions below.
Measuring the width
- Measure the width of the area you want the shade to cover across the top.
- We suggest adding at least 4 inches to the width (2 inches per side) to minimize light gaps.
- That's your width for your roller shades.
Measuring the height
- Measure the height from where you want the headrail to sit down to the window sill or desired length.
- We suggest adding at least 4 inches to the height (2 inches top, 2 inches bottom).
- That's your height for your roller shades.
For detailed step-by-step instructions with videos, visit our Measuring Guide Hub.