The Window Treatment That a Designer Says Can Cool Your House by Up to 15 Degrees

Having a sun-filled apartment can be a dream come true — until it’s the summertime. That summer heat can turn any apartment or home into what feels like a furnace, and make any AC unit work harder and harder to combat it. While blackout curtains do the best job of keeping the sun out of a home, I do still love natural light and don’t want to get rid of it completely. 

So when designer Olga Rechdouni, founder of House of Drapery by Duroque, told me her remedy for her own apartment, I listened in. “I live in a corner condo in West Hollywood with windows on multiple sides, and in the hot summer, the sun pours in all day long,” Rechdouni says. “The solution I rely on the most isn’t a portable AC unit or a fan — it’s window treatment. I use solar shades.” 

Solar shades, also known as solar blinds, are simple: They’re roller shades that are made of a material designed to block UV rays before they come into your apartment. Unlike blackout shades, though, they allow some sunlight to filter in through your apartment, making sure you’re not sitting in total darkness all day long. “They make a huge difference by stopping most of the heat before it enters the room — this means the air conditioning doesn’t have to work as hard, which keeps energy costs down,” Rechdouni explains. 

Rechdouni swears by darker-colored solar shades in particular because they also cut down on glare. And you can’t deny the results: “On hot days, rooms exposed to direct sun can feel five to 15 degrees cooler,” she says. And the difference also shows up in her electric bills. “I don’t use AC as much — my electric bill used to cost $225 in the summer, and now it costs about $180,” Rechdouni says. That’s a savings of nearly 20%.

Rechdouni recommends solar shades with a 1% to 3% openness factor for those dealing with heavy sun exposure. “They do an amazing job reducing heat and UV rays while still letting natural light into the room … staying cool isn’t always about buying another gadget,” Rechdouni says. “Sometimes the most effective solution is simply to manage the sunlight before it has a chance to heat up the room.”

Solar shades can vary widely in price depending on whether you choose a manual, semi-custom, or custom design; a motorized shade with a rechargeable battery; or one that integrates with a smart-home system. How much you want to spend depends on what matters to you. Rechdouni, of course, sells custom shades, but you don’t need to go full luxury, custom install to reap the benefits of solar shades. I did some research based on her recommended specs to look for in a solar shade and found a couple of well-reviewed options myself.

The Home Depot, for example, sells the Aosky Cordless Solar Shade, with prices starting at $33.32 for a 20-by-72-inch shade. It’s manually operated and made of a black woven polyester fabric with a 1% openness factor. It blocks up to 10% of UV rays and heat radiation while still letting in a breeze. Its thermal insulation can keep your home up to 20% cooler and help lower energy costs, according to the product page. You can also adjust the height to let in as much raw sunlight as you want. 

You may see less of the view than you would with a 3% openness shade, but the denser fabric makes it a smart choice for reducing glare in a bedroom, home office, or any room with screens. If you have kids or pets, you don’t need to worry about them getting tangled in cords, making this shade safer than corded options. To install it just mount the included brackets, and you’re basically done.

SelectBlinds sells a Traditional Solar Shade with some customization. You can get it in a 3, 5, or 10% openness and eight different colors, as well as have it inside or outside mounted. What’s fun about the SelectBlinds find is that you can also customize the lift styles: a continuous cord loop or cordless lift for no charge, or upgrade to a pull-wand motorization or wireless pull-wand motorization for an extra fee.

You can customize the size of the shades to be anywhere between 8 inches wide to 120 inches wide, and 20 inches high to 118 inches high, with one-eighth-inch increments. All these customizations will affect the final price tag. Standard and exposed head rail options are free. Like the other options, setup is easy with mounting brackets. If you splurge on a solar shade with a rechargeable battery, it can last up to 12 months and takes about six hours to recharge.