Grommet Blackout Curtains

Grommet blackout curtains in 3-pass acrylic-foam coated cloth at 290 gsm — white face, black core, coloured back — with eight 1.6 in. internal-diameter rings per 52 in. panel and a 2.5 in. chain-weighted hem. Our grommet blackout curtains use spectrophotometer-verified under 0.5% light transmission cloth and pair with a ceiling-height rod plus return brackets to close the gaps grommets inherently leave.

Why grommet blackout curtains are the easiest to hang and hardest to make dark

Grommets are the most popular curtain heading and, on a blackout curtain, the weakest. It is worth knowing why before you buy, because nobody else in this category will tell you: the rod passes through rings set into the fabric, so the cloth scallops away from the rod between each grommet. Every one of those scallops is an open gap at the top of the window, and light comes over the rod through all of them.

That is not a defect in these panels. It is what a grommet heading is. And it is entirely fixable, which is the part that matters: mount the rod at ceiling height rather than just above the frame, and the light coming over the top has nothing to fall on but the wall above the window instead of into the room. Add a return bracket so the panel wraps back to the wall at each side and you have closed the two side gaps as well.

The cloth: 3-pass coated 290 gsm, black-core construction

The cloth is the part that does the actual blocking. 3-pass acrylic-foam coated at 290 gsm — white face, black core, white or coloured back — measuring under 0.5% light transmission through the cloth by spectrophotometer at 550 nm. The black middle pass is what stops light; a 2-pass coating without it lets a visible glow through and we do not stock one.

Grommets: eight per panel, rust-proofed, colour-matched

Eight grommets per 52 in. panel, 1.6 in. internal diameter, which takes any rod up to 1.5 in. and slides without catching. Rings are rust-proofed and colour-matched — in Ink, Antique Brass and Brushed Nickel — because a mismatched ring is the first thing the eye finds on a dark panel.

Sizes and colours

Lengths 63, 84, 96, 108 and 120 in. Hem is 2.5 in. double-turned with a sewn chain weight, which is what stops a coated panel swinging away from the wall. Colours: Alabaster, Bone, Fog Grey, Sable, Ink, Clay, Sage, Indigo, Blush, Ochre, Moss and Rust.

How to hang grommet blackout curtains so they actually work

Buy panels totalling at least twice your window width — 2.5 times is better — or the curtain hangs flat and light finds the edges regardless of the cloth. Machine wash cold, hang to dry; do not tumble a coated blackout, ever.

If you want the darkest possible room, the pinch pleat heading on a track with overlap arms is the one to look at instead.

Grommet blackout curtain size guide

How to care for your grommet blackout curtains

• Machine wash cold on a gentle cycle
• Hang to dry — never tumble a coated blackout (heat cracks the coating)
• Iron on the reverse of the face only, cool
• Skip fabric softener — degrades the acrylic-foam coating

Frequently asked questions

Are grommet blackout curtains really blackout?

The cloth is — under 0.5% light transmission by spectrophotometer. The heading isn’t — grommets scallop away from the rod, so light comes over the top. Ceiling-mount the rod and return-bracket the sides and you close those gaps.

What size grommet fits a standard curtain rod?

Our 1.6 in. internal diameter fits any rod up to 1.5 in. and slides without catching.

How many grommet blackout curtain panels do I need?

Panels totalling at least 2× your window width; 2.5× is better. Less than 2× and the panels hang flat and light finds the edges.

Can I wash grommet blackout curtains?

Yes — cold machine wash, hang to dry. Never tumble; heat cracks the coating.

Complete the darkroom

For the darkest room specify our pinch pleat blackout curtains on a track with overlap arms, add a blackout curtain liner for extra insulation, and layer with sheer curtains for the daytime.