Did you know roller blinds have been around for nearly 300 years? Originally made from Holland linen sourced in the Netherlands (which is why you'll sometimes see them called Holland blinds) they've been refined over the centuries but remain the most popular choice for our customers.
However, their younger sibling is often overlooked. At just 40 years old, honeycomb blinds are a relatively new addition to the window furnishings family, but they pack a serious punch when it comes to comfort and energy efficiency.
Here we explain the difference between the two and help you decide which is the right option for your home.
Roller blinds
A Roller Blind is a panel of flat fabric that rolls up and down around a tube at the top typically operated by a chain, chord or motor. They are a simple design available in a variety of fabrics types depending on how you want to manage the light in your room.
Honeycomb Blinds
Honeycomb blinds are made of cell shaped pleated fabric that concertinas up or down from the bottom or the top. The hexagonal, cell shaped structure traps air and improves a rooms energy efficiency and heat transfer. They are a modern, stylish solution to manage light and temperature.
Blockout
If blockout is important to you then we would recommend considering roller blinds. Some Honeycomb blinds have small pinholes in the stitching which lets through tiny dots of light even with blockout fabric. It's nothing too drastic but if darkness is at the top of your list then you may want to choose roller blinds instead. To get around this, we offer dual cell and triple cell honeycomb blinds with an aluminium coating on the inside that eradicates the issue with pinhole light coming through.
Moisture Resistance
If the window is in an area that is likely to get a few splashes of water or high humidity then you should definitely consider roller blinds. A lot of our fabrics that include PVC are moisture resistant so I better suited to bathrooms, laundries and kitchen windows above sinks. Honeycomb blind fabrics can be porous so traps moisture and dirt easily.
Cleaning
Most Roller blinds are super easy to clean with a simple wipe down with a damp micro-fibre cloth. If your window is in area where it could get dirty then you will want a roller blind. Honeycomb blinds need a little more care when cleaning due to the delicacy of the honeycomb structure.
Large Windows
Honeycomb blinds work in large windows but Roller Blinds just scale up better due to their weight being managed with a good quality tube and bracket at the top. The weight of a large honeycomb blind can but pressure on the lift mechanism and the rest of the components whereas roller blinds spread the weight better and use a high quality clutch to manage the pressure on the tube.
Budget
Roller blinds are way more cost effective due their simplicity. There is an obvious trade off in terms of energy efficiency but if you just want something simple for the window that wipes clean easily and is easy to operate then roller blinds are the right choice for your.
Energy Efficiency
The most obvious reason you would choose honeycomb blinds over roller blinds is if energy efficiency is important to you. The honeycomb structure traps air and helps keep your room warm in winter and cool in summer.
If you have single glazing windows, and don't want a large curtain taking up your space, then honeycomb blinds are a great option. Even in rooms with double glazing, if your room gets particularly cold then honeycomb blinds make a noticeable difference.
Honeycomb blind are great for rooms with west-facing afternoon sun or north-facing rooms in summer.... or if you just want to stabilise temperature overnight.
Skylights
If you have a skylight then honeycomb blinds are the right choice. Heat gain or loss through skylights are significant so honeycomb blinds are a great solution. This is where the insulation properties really matter.
Day/Night Flexibility
If you want more control over your window coverage then honeycomb blinds are a great solution as they allow you to control the aperture from the top and the bottom. You could choose to have blockout on the bottom half and a more translucent fabric on the top half giving you filtered daytime light but more privacy control. This solution is sometime cleaner than a dual roller blind set up where more space in the reveal is needed to accommodate the larger brackets and the two blinds.
Stacking
Due to the concertina functionality of a honeycomb blinds they stack tighter than some roller-up roller blinds. If you want to keep your blinds out the way when fully open then consider honeycomb blinds instead.
TV and Computer Screens
One of the main reasons we see customers buying new window furnishings is because of the glare on screens. Roller blinds are great at tackling this problem but because they roll down from the top you may sacrifice more light than you would like. Honeycomb blinds with their top down / bottom up functionality give you more control and privacy allowing you comfortably in front of clear screens while the rest of the room is nice and bright.
Kids/Pets
If you have young kids or pets that like to make a mess then roller blinds may be a safer option. They are easier to clean and less likely to get damaged if someone runs or falls into them.
Motorisation
Both roller blinds and honeycomb blinds can be motorised. The convenience of being able to control your blinds from your remote or from your phone is something people don't appreciate until they have it. Once you go motorised you will never go back to chords and chains.
Child Safety
All our products include child safety mechanisms. However, honeycomb blinds are the ultimate child safe option when you choose a cordless configuration.
Dust Allegies and Bugs
This won't apply to everyone but if you have a dust allergy then you may want to consider roller blinds. Honeycomb blinds are great at collecting dust, and although they are relatively easy to clean and maintain, we wouldn't want you to have a sneezing fit every time you open or close your blinds.
It's also worth mentioning that the cell structure of honeycomb blinds is a great place for bugs to crawl into. If your home is prone to a few bugs just keep an eye out!
Humidity
Honeycomb blinds are great insulators so in rooms where humidity can get quite high (think bedroom with ensuite) leave a little gap at night to avoid condensation
At Victory, we pride ourselves on expert advice to help you make the right choice for your home.
Our local team of expert decor consultants have over 100 years of experience between them.... helping customers in Melbourne, Geelong, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Adelaide.
We bring the samples to you so you can see how each fabric works in your home and light setting.
Roller blinds and honeycomb blinds are very different products with different functions and specialities.
Honeycomb blinds will cost more than a simple roller blind due to the added layer of complexity with the design and componentry.
It depends what is important to you. Honeycomb blinds provide better energy efficiency and light control benefits combined with a better stacking system... but if that's not important to you then a roller blind might be better value for your room.
It depends on what you choose. Our installers are pretty quick regardless but if you choose motorisation it might take a little longer to programme everything correctly for you.
If you follow our care guides you can typically get at least 10 years out of both products.
We offer a free in-home quote service with our local decor consultants. They are experts in making the right decision depending on your requirements. Its easy to request a quote and book an appointment for a time that suits you.
