What Are Solar Shades and How Do They Work?
Solar shades are roller shades made with a see-through screen fabric. The weave cuts glare, UV and solar heat while daylight and much of your view still come through. They aren't made for darkening a bedroom, and they can't keep a lit room private after dark.
How Solar Shades Work
A solar shade works by putting a screen fabric between the sun and the room. The weave screens the sunlight instead of blocking it, which cuts glare, UV and heat, while small gaps in the weave let daylight and a softened view through. The share of open space in the weave, its openness factor, decides how much gets through.
What makes a roller shade a solar shade is its fabric: a technical screen weave, often PVC-coated polyester. The same product is also sold as solar screen shades or solar blinds.
Openness Factor: How Much View You Keep
Openness factor is the percentage of the fabric's surface left open between the yarns. Common choices include 1%, 3% and 5%. Check it first when you compare solar fabrics, because it decides how much sun you block and how much view you keep.
| Feature | 1% openness | 5% openness |
|---|---|---|
| View out | Softer, more muted | Clearest |
| Room brightness | Dimmer | Brighter |
| Glare, UV and heat control | Highest | Lower |
| Daytime privacy | Highest | Lower |
| Privacy at night with lights on | Low | Lower still |
A 3% fabric sits between the two. Color changes the result as well. Darker screen fabrics tend to be easier to see through and cut more glare than light ones, and visibility drops slightly as the weave gets denser. For a closer look at each level, see our guide to roller shade openness factors.
Solar Shades by Day: Glare, UV and the View
Daylight is when a solar shade does its best work:
- Glare: the fabric cuts glare from direct sun, which helps in rooms with a TV or a desk near the window.
- UV and fading: the weave screens out most UV, and a 1% fabric blocks more than a 5%. That slows fading on wood floors, rugs, upholstery and artwork.
- Daylight and view: the room stays lit, and you can still see the yard, the street or the skyline.
- Daytime privacy: it's brighter outside than in, so it's harder for people outside to see in. Lower openness gives more cover.
Solar Shades at Night: Why Privacy Flips
After dark, the light balance reverses. With your lamps on, the room is brighter than the outdoors, so people outside can see in through the weave. They see in more easily through a 5% fabric than a 1%. A solar shade dims a room without being a room-darkening shade, because the same openings that let in daylight also let in streetlight and early morning sun.
For a bedroom, a bathroom or a street-facing room you use after dark, pair the solar shade with a blackout shade on the same window, or pick a different shade for that room. Blackout fabric stops far more light than a screen fabric, though small gaps along the sides still let some through.
Solar Shades and Heat in a Sunny Room
Solar shades reduce solar heat in a sunny room, and lower openness gives more heat control. If cold windows bother you more than glare does, read our comparison of cellular shades vs. solar shades before you choose.
Best and Worst Rooms for Solar Shades
Solar shades make the most sense in rooms you use during the day and want to look out of.
| Room | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Living room | Strong | Cuts TV glare and slows fading while you keep the view |
| Home office | Strong | Takes glare off monitors; choose lower openness if sun hits the screen directly |
| Patio door or sunroom (upright rectangular windows) | Strong | Cuts glare across a lot of glass without closing off the view |
| Bedroom | Weak alone | Not a room-darkening shade; pair with a blackout shade |
| Bathroom or street-facing room used at night | Weak alone | People can see in once the lights are on |
AOSKY Roller Shade Options, Sizes and Returns
Our roller shade options here are Driftwood Screen View Light Filtering Roller Shades, 1% Openness Premium Light Control shades and Ready Made 5% Openness roller shades. You can also compare them with the rest of our light filtering shades.
| Shade | Sizes | Returns |
|---|---|---|
| Driftwood Screen View roller shades | Custom, 23 to 96 in wide and 24 to 96 in tall | Made to order, not returnable |
| 1% Openness Premium Light Control shades | Custom, 20 to 77 in wide and 20 to 72 in tall | Made to order, not returnable |
| Ready Made 5% Openness roller shades | 156 fixed sizes | Returnable within 7 days of delivery; you pay return shipping |
Seagrass Screen View and Bamboo Screen View are fabric names, not materials: neither is woven from seagrass or bamboo. Our woven wood shades are a separate product.
Check each product page for the fabric's openness and details before you order. If you're looking at our Driftwood screen view roller shades, you can finish them with a fabric-wrapped or aluminum-alloy valance.
Both custom shades can be mounted inside or outside the window frame. A measuring mistake within ±1 inch per dimension may qualify for one free remake if you report it with photos within 21 days of delivery, up to 3 shades per order. We sell online only, so you measure and install the shades yourself or hire an independent installer. Our how-to-measure guide walks through each step.
FAQ
How much do solar shade screens cost?
Price depends on the product and your window size. Check the product page for the current price at your size.
What are the different types of solar shades?
Solar shades mainly differ by openness factor, commonly 1%, 3% or 5%, and by fabric color. Lower openness gives more sun control and daytime privacy, while higher openness gives a clearer view and a brighter room.
Are solar shades blackout shades?
No. The open weave lets daylight through, so for sleep, choose a blackout shade, which blocks far more light but still leaves small gaps along the sides.
What's the best window covering to block sunlight?
It depends on the goal: a blackout shade for sleep, or a 1% solar shade to cut glare, UV and heat while keeping a softened view.
Before you choose an openness, look at the window at the time of day the sun bothers you most. Glare on a screen or a fading floor points to 1%. A view you love points to a more open weave. Working beside a west window? Read our guide to the best shades for west-facing windows next.
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