Blinds Buyer's Guide
From helping you decide what type of blinds to buy to suggesting reputable suppliers, our site aims to help you buy blinds easily, confidently and at great prices.
Our featured suppliers offer a wide range of blinds including ready made blinds in pre-set sizes plus custom, made-to-measure blinds that can be individually tailor made to fit the specific dimensions of your windows, doors or conservatory.
Whatever types of blinds you're looking for and whatever colours, patterns or types of material you'd like them to be made from, there's a very good chance that our featured blinds suppliers have it covered.
Blinds suppliers directory - view all featured UK blinds companies and buy online.
What style of blinds?
One of the first decisions to make is what type of blinds you'd like. Blinds can make all the difference to a home's ambience and visual appeal, so it's well worth considering which of the wide range of styles would best suit each particular room.
Choices include roller, vertical, venetian, roman, wooden, skylight and pleated blinds. Specialist products include conservatory blinds and blinds that are specifically designed for skylight / Velux windows. Click on a name in our blinds style guide (right hand menu) for more information about some of the most popular types of blinds.
Buying blinds on a budget
Style preferences aside, your budget can also be an important factor when deciding which blinds to buy. Some types of blinds are cheaper than others, with price differences normally driven mainly by differing costs of component materials and manufacturing. For covering the same size of window, roller blinds, for example, will typically be much cheaper than, say, wooden blinds.
However, buying blinds is all about choices, so bear in mind that a roller blind made using a specialist or luxury fabric could work out more expensive than buying a budget-priced wooden blind.
As with all purchases, shopping around can help to keep costs to a minimum. When buying blinds online, get prices from a few different suppliers. For made to measure blinds, you can get quotes online by entering your window opening's dimensions (see each supplier's measuring guide) and specifying any applicable options (eg for fitting inside or outside the recess). Look out too for special offers like sales, multi-buy discounts and free delivery.
Requesting blinds samples
You may want to request samples of blind fabrics or slats before buying in order to be fully confident in your choice of materials. This is especially important when buying made-to-measure blinds, as these can't be returned if you decide upon receiving them that you don't like the material / colour / shade / etc.
Most online blinds suppliers will send out samples on request, whether of fabrics or of slats depending on the type of blinds. Samples won't be very big, but should be adequate for getting a clearer idea of what your finished blinds would look like. Keep in mind that wooden blinds use natural materials, so a degree of variation in colours and shades should be expected in the end products.
Some blinds companies make a small charge to cover their postage costs when sending out samples, whilst others may be happy to send out a few samples at no cost.
If you'd prefer to look at a wider range of samples, you may prefer to use a fully inclusive blinds supplier like Hillarys, which offers free home appointments. Hillarys representatives bring plenty of samples (including of blind mechanisms, not just materials). See below for other benefits of using suppliers like this.
Measuring up for and fitting blinds
Perhaps the biggest decision to consider is whether you're happy to take on the responsibility of taking the measurements for and fitting your blinds yourself, or whether you'd prefer to have everything done for you.
If you prefer the DIY option, you can buy ready made and made-to-measure blinds at low, online prices. Delivery options range from same day despatch to delivery in five days or longer.
Online blinds suppliers provide easy to follow instructions on their websites for measuring up before ordering. They also provide clear, step-by-step instructions for fitting your new blinds.
Alternatively, you may prefer to buy your blinds from a fully inclusive provider. This could actually work out cheaper than buying online, especially if you take full advantage of special offers. And it could definitely prove much easier in terms of overall time and effort.
Hillarys, for example, will visit you at home and support you throughout the whole decision making process. They'll measure up, advise you on suitable blinds, help you to select fabrics / materials and give you a quote that will include not only the cost of the custom blinds, but also fitting by an expert fitter. All of this comes free, without any obligation or pressure to buy. Hillarys blinds are often available at discounted prices, including through sales and multi-buy offers. You may even be able to negotiate an extra discount with your representative, especially if you're placing a large order.
