What type of blinds are best for bedrooms?

For bedrooms, almost every Australian home should go with blockout roller blinds, or day & night dual rollers if you want flexibility. Here's why:

• Blockout fabric stops 99%+ of light. Critical for shift workers, new parents, and anyone trying to sleep in past 6 am in an Aussie summer.
• Roller mechanisms are simple, reliable, and child-safe (with the right chain or motorised). No slats to dust, no breakable cords.
• Day & night dual rollers give you a sunscreen blind for daytime privacy with views, plus a blockout for sleeping. Two blinds in one bracket. Slightly more expensive but worth it for the master bedroom.

Other contenders and when they make sense:

• Honeycomb / cellular: exceptional insulation (great for cold-climate Hobart/Canberra bedrooms), softer aesthetic. $50-$150 more than roller. Worth it for energy efficiency.
• Roman blinds: beautiful, soft fabric look. Genuinely blockout versions exist but check before buying. Many "Romans" are decorative only.
• Plantation shutters: top-tier aesthetic and light control, but only true blackout if you have an aftermarket blockout liner. Expensive ($600-$1,200 per window).
• Venetians: fine in spare rooms; not great for bedrooms because blades let light leak in around the edges.

Things to combine with bedroom blinds for proper darkness:

1. Side channels or wraparound brackets. Stops the strip of light down each side of the window.
2. Pelmets or recessed mounting. Stops the strip of light at the top.
3. Blockout curtains layered over the blind. Belt-and-braces approach for true cinema darkness.

For street-facing bedrooms, also consider external roller shutters alongside the blinds. The shutter handles heat and security, the blockout blind handles aesthetics inside.