Guide
How to Choose Blackout Curtains for a Dubai Bedroom
What blackout lining really blocks, and why it matters more here than in cooler climates.
3 min read
Quick answer
Choose a curtain with a genuine blackout lining or blackout fabric, then hang it so light cannot leak round the edges: a ceiling-mounted track that extends past the frame, a drop to just above the floor and overlapping arms in the middle. In a Dubai bedroom, pairing blackout with a sheer on a double track gives you daylight by day and darkness at night.
Dubai sunrise arrives early for much of the year, and many bedrooms here face glass towers, street lighting or a neighbour's floodlit pool. A good blackout curtain is the difference between waking with the sun at five and sleeping until the alarm. But "blackout" covers a wide range of products, and the label alone tells you very little about how dark the room will actually get.
This guide covers the three things that decide how well a blackout curtain works: the fabric or lining, how the curtain is hung, and what you pair it with.
Blackout fabric or blackout lining?
There are two common ways to make a curtain block light. The first is a blackout fabric, where the light-blocking layer is woven or coated into the curtain itself. The second is a normal decorative fabric sewn onto a separate blackout lining.
Lined curtains give you far more choice, because almost any face fabric can be lined: linen, velvet, a textured weave or a printed design. The lining also adds weight, which helps the curtain hang in straighter folds. A blackout fabric on its own is lighter and simpler, which can suit a minimal room or a tight budget.
- Hold the fabric up to a bright window. If you can see the shape of the sun through it, it is dim-out rather than blackout.
- Light colours on the room side are fine, as long as the lining behind them is genuinely blackout.
- A pale lining facing the window reflects more heat back out than a dark one.
Where the light really gets in
Most people who are disappointed with blackout curtains bought a perfectly good fabric. The light is coming in around it: over the top of the track, down the sides and under the hem. Fixing those gaps matters as much as the fabric itself.
Mount the track as close to the ceiling as possible, or use a ceiling-fixed track, so light cannot spill over the top. Extend the track past the window frame on both sides, so the curtains overlap the wall when closed. Let the curtain finish just above the floor rather than at the sill. And choose a track with overlapping arms in the middle, so the two curtains close over each other instead of leaving a line of light where they meet.
Pair blackout with a sheer
A blackout curtain on its own leaves you with two settings: fully dark or fully exposed. In a Dubai bedroom that often means sitting in the dark during the day just to keep the heat and the neighbours out.
A layered setup solves this: a sheer curtain on the window side for daytime privacy and softened light, and a blackout curtain on the room side for night. Both run on a double track, so you can use either or both. It is the most popular combination we fit in bedrooms across the city.
Motorized blackout curtains
If you like to wake with daylight but sleep in total darkness, a motorized track lets you set the curtains to open at a fixed time. It also makes very wide or very heavy blackout curtains effortless to operate. If you are considering it, mention it before measuring, because a mains-powered motor needs a power point near one end of the track.
Getting the measurements right
Because so much depends on track position, overlap and drop, blackout curtains are the hardest kind to measure yourself. On a free home visit we bring blackout samples to your bedroom, measure each window and recommend where the track should go to keep the light out. You get one written quotation with fabric, lining, track and installation included.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do blackout curtains make a room completely dark?
They can come very close, but only if light cannot get round the edges. Most leaks come over the top of the track, down the sides and under the hem, so a ceiling-mounted track that extends past the frame and a curtain that reaches near the floor matter as much as the fabric.
What colour blackout curtains suit a Dubai bedroom?
Any colour works on the room side, as long as the lining behind it is genuinely blackout. A pale lining facing the window is worth having in Dubai because it reflects more of the sun's heat back out, while the face fabric can simply match your room.
Can I fit blackout curtains in a rented apartment in Dubai?
Yes. Drill-free fixings are possible for rentals in most cases, so you can usually have a track fitted without drilling into walls or ceilings. Mention that you rent when you book the free home visit, and the consultant will check what works for your windows.
Should blackout curtains reach the floor?
Yes, in most bedrooms. A curtain that stops at the sill lets light spill underneath and tends to look short. A drop that finishes just above the floor blocks more light, hangs in straighter folds and still moves freely when you open and close it.
