Blackout Curtains

Blackout fabric is only half of a dark room. Most panels leak light down the sides and over the top of the rod, which is why a curtain sold as blackout can still leave a bright rim on the wall at six in the morning. How the panel attaches matters as much as what it is woven from.

Rod hung thermal panels suit a permanent bedroom fit and add insulation against the glass. Velcro and self adhesive versions seal the full perimeter, which is what actually stops the edge leak, and come off without a mark, so they work in rentals and dorms. Magnetic covers grip metal frames for RVs and travel. Choose by how the window is built, not by how dark the fabric looks in the photograph.

If the window cannot be covered, a sleep mask does the same job at the eyes. More bedroom kit in sleep accessories.