The Best Cellular Shades for Looks and Energy Efficiency

Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about The Best Cellular Shades for Looks and Energy Efficiency and hope the blog can help you.

The best cellular shades for your windows are energy-efficient options that can transform the look of your space while preventing too much warm or cool air from entering or escaping.

When you’re looking for an attractive window covering that is also energy efficient, cellular shades are an excellent option to consider. These window shades create small cells between two layers of fabric. These cells, which resemble honeycombs, trap air to provide an additional layer of insulation at a window.

Cellular window shades are available in a variety of colors and styles. Ahead, we’ll highlight several important features to consider before making a purchase, and we’ll name our top favorites among the best cellular shades today.

1. BEST OVERALL: Windowsandgarden Cordless Cellular Honeycomb Shades
2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Bali Blinds 044294 214064 Cordless Cellular Shades
3. BEST BLACKOUT: Sbartar Cellular Shades Cordless Blackout Blinds
4. BEST CORDLESS: Chicology Cordless Cellular Shades
5. BEST TOP-DOWN: Achim Home Furnishings Top-Down Cordless Shades
6. BEST LIGHT-FILTERING: Levolor Light Filtering Cellular Shades
7. BEST MOTORIZED: Serena by Lutron Motorized Cellular Shades
8. BEST INSULATED: Bali Blackout Cellular Shades

How We Chose the Best Cellular Shades

The best cellular shades should be easy to install, simple to use, and customizable enough to fit any size of window. They should also be available in a variety of colors to suit different tastes in decor.

This list of recommendations is based on extensive research into, among other things, the materials used in construction. Many options provide energy-saving technology, varying light-filtering qualities including blackout shades, and sound reduction, and our top picks all provide an impressive mix of these attributes.

In terms of cordless versus corded options, our preference leans toward the more family-friendly side of cordless cellular window blinds. These not only provide a safer environment for children (no cord to get tangled in), they also bring a more seamless and clutter-free look to windows.

Our Top Picks

Discover some of the best cellular shades for windows in nearly any room.

Best Overall

Windowsandgarden Cordless Cellular Honeycomb Shades

See It

These cordless, top-down cellular shades from Windowsandgarden can be mounted inside or outside a window frame. With traditional window shades, people can see into the home if the shades are open. These shades, however, allow users to pull the top of the shade down to let light in while keeping the bottom shade lowered to maintain privacy. Users can also raise the bottom rail of the shades to look outside.

These cellular shades have no exterior cords or cables, so they don’t pose a strangulation risk for young children and pets. The cord system is hidden between the layers of 100 percent polyester fabric and moves easily when users push or pull on the top or bottom rail.

The light-filtering shades are available in numerous sizes to fit nearly any window in a home. Choose from nine color options, including cool silver, antique linen, espresso, and white, to align these cellular shades with the existing room decor. Their broad size range also makes them nearly as good as custom shades for a space.

Product Specs

• Type: Cordless
• Dimensions: 19 inches high by 36 inches wide to 38 inches high by 84 inches wide
• Corded vs. cordless: Cordless
• Ease of installation: Easy

Pros

• Large variety of size options to fit most standard window sizes
• Both neutral and colorful options available to suit a variety of decor schemes
• No cords or cable hazards; suitable for homes with children and pets

Cons

• Color can fade over time; may not be ideal for some buyers

Get the Windowsandgarden cellular shades at Amazon.

Best Bang for the Buck

Bali Blinds 044294 214064 Cordless Cellular Shades

See It

Simply lift or pull on the rail to raise or lower these affordable cordless light-filtering shades from Bali Blinds. When lowered, they allow a little light into a space while still ensuring privacy. Due to the cord-free operation (which does not pose a risk of strangulation), these shades are safest for kids. As these are honeycomb shades, they help insulate the home, making it more energy efficient.

These cordless light-filtering shades are made from polyester and are available in seven sizes to accommodate windows ranging from 23 to 36 inches wide and 64 inches tall. The manufacturer deducts ½ inch from the listed width to allow the shades to be mounted inside a window, though users can also choose a wider size for outside mounting. These shades are a neutral white color to suit different decors and are priced to match a variety of budgets as well.

Product Specs

• Type: Cordless
• Dimensions: 23 inches wide by 64 inches high to 36 inches wide by 64 inches high
• Corded vs. cordless: Cordless
• Ease of installation: Moderate

Pros

• Kid-friendly design; cordless operation means no snagging or catching on pets or children
• Light-filtering, energy-efficient design helps keep desired room temperature
• All mounting hardware included for installation; convenient for DIYers or first- time installers

Cons

• Installation can be tricky; may require more than 1 set of hands to install

Get the Bali Blinds cellular shades at Amazon.

Best Blackout

Sbartar Cellular Shades Cordless Blackout Blinds

See It

Designed with a special liner between the 100 percent polyester fabric layers, these cordless cellular shades from Sbartar block up to 100 percent of sunlight and UV rays from entering the room. These honeycomb shades also provide additional insulation and privacy and absorb noises to keep a home quieter. Users can choose from either an inside or outside frame mount.

These honeycomb blinds are very easy to operate: Simply pull up or down on the rail at the base to set it at the ideal position for how much light users want to permit to flood their space. Since the blinds are cordless, they won’t present a strangulation risk for children and pets.

Choose from over 20 size options for windows, from 22 to 58 inches wide and 36 to 64 inches tall, in addition to six color options: cool silver, white, ivory beige, ocean blue, coffee, and wine red. If satisfied with the performance of these blackout cellular shades, they are also available in a light-filtering model for rooms in which users would like to let in a bit more light.

Product Specs

• Type: Cordless
• Dimensions: 22 inches wide by 48 inches high to 58 inches wide by 64 inches high
• Corded vs. cordless: Cordless
• Ease of installation: Easy

Pros

• Blocks both sunlight and UV rays while providing insulation; energy-efficient construction keeps heat in or out, as desired
• Noise-reducing technology integrated; blocks ambient noise from the street
• Easy to use—simply pull down or lift upward to operate

Cons

• May be difficult to lift up once down; may take a couple of tries the first time
• Some users report poor construction; may break down with wear and tear

Get the Sbartar cellular shades at Amazon.

Best Cordless

Chicology Cordless Cellular Shades

See It

These cellular shades from Chicology are free of any dangerous, unsightly, or frustrating cords. Rather, they are designed with a cordless lift system that makes raising or lowering them as simple as pushing or pulling on the handle. The shades are available in a wide range of sizes to fit windows from 18 to 72 inches wide and 48 to 84 inches high and allow for both inside and outside mounts. Both the light-filtering and blackout shades feature honeycomb cells that trap air and provide additional energy-saving insulation.

The shades are made from 100 percent polyester. Shoppers can choose from several different color options for either cordless light-filtering or blackout models, depending on both the privacy required and the amount of light users want to let into the room. Light-filtering shades offer more available options in muted shades: morning mist, morning croissant, morning fog, morning pebble, and morning ocean. Blackout shades are available only in the evening mist.

Product Specs

• Type: Cordless
• Dimensions: 18 inches wide by 72 inches high to 48 inches wide by 84 inches high
• Corded vs. cordless: Cordless
• Ease of installation: Moderate

Pros

• Simple push-and-pull design is easy to use and shades stay in place
• Several filtering options available: light filtering or blackout colorways provided
• Energy-saving honeycomb blinds keep heat in or out per user preference

Cons

• Filtering quality varies with color; lighter colorways do not provide total blackout

Get the Chicology cellular shades at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Overstock.

Best Top-Down

Achim Home Furnishings Top-Down Cordless Shades

See It

These top-down cordless cellular shades from Achim Home Furnishings allow users to customize which parts of their windows are covered, with the option to either lower the shades from the top or raise them from the bottom. If users want to let light into their room while preventing anyone from peering in from outside, they can simply leave the bottom of the shades all the way down while lowering the top.

Made from a nonwoven polyester fabric, these cordless light-filtering shades effectively resist fading and sagging, and they are mountable either inside or outside a window frame. Available in 11 size options and five colors, they’ll fit windows from 23 inches wide and 64 inches tall to windows 45 inches wide and 64 inches tall. The shades come in white, alabaster, mocha, dove gray, and wheat.

Product Specs

• Type: Top-down
• Dimensions: 23 inches wide by 64 inches high to 45 inches wide by 64 inches high
• Corded vs. cordless: Cordless
• Ease of installation: Moderate

Pros

• Great for large windows; available in a variety of large size options
• Versatile for privacy and light; comes in room-darkening shades and colors to keep light out
• Fade-resistant construction; can provide years of use

Cons

• Can be difficult to install; may take more than 1 pair of hands to install

Get the Achim Home Furnishings cellular shades at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Lowe’s.

Best Light-Filtering

Levolor Light Filtering Cellular Shades

See It

Anyone who might prefer a pull-down blind may give Levolor’s light-filtering cellular shades some thought. These shades allow sunlight in to heat the room while keeping cold air outside, offering warmth and light during the winter months. And with a top-down, bottom-up design, users can lower the top of the shade or raise the bottom of shade to allow light in. However, this design does often result in a small gap at the top of the shade, for which Levolor suggests additional pleats.

These shades are available in more than 350 colors and cell sizes as well as overall sizes ranging from 6 to 144 inches wide and long, which should allow most users to find the right size, color, and amount of filtering for their needs. They’re also available in both cordless and cord-loop designs, depending on the size and weight of the fabric chosen.

Product Specs

• Type: Top-down
• Dimensions: Lengths and widths between 6 to 144 inches wide, ⅛-inch increments
• Corded vs. cordless: Both options provided
• Ease of installation: Moderate

Pros

• More than 350 color and cell-size options offered for ample customization
• Top-down design allows light to enter from below or above
• Available in both cordless and cord-loop designs depending on the options chosen

Cons

• Design often results in a small gap at the top of the blind; may not keep all sunlight out
• May be tricky to install; manual may be difficult to follow for first-time installers

Get the Levolor light-filtering cellular shades at The Home Depot or Wayfair.

Best Motorized

Serena by Lutron Motorized Cellular Shades

See It

In addition to keeping harmful UV light out and helping maintain a desired interior temperature, Serena by Lutron motorized cellular shades are