Experience the darkness of eclipse curtains.
Enjoy sleeping in on a sunny day, or viewing a movie in a dark home theater. With the special woven and non-woven materials of eclipse curtains you can block over 99% of light.
What makes blackout curtains block light?
Not all curtains block light, in fact most don't. In order to block light effectively, curtains need to be made of a light-blocking fabric, and manufactured in a manner that weaves the fibers together in an especially tight manner. Very few manufacturers have the BROAD EXPERIENCE to manufacture ENERGY-SAVING blackout curtains, and no one puts more effort and testing into the process than eclipse curtains.
Frequently asked questions.
Do blackout curtains block enough light to keep my room pitch black, even in bright sunlight?
Because light is so powerful, no woven curtain can block 100%, but here are some things to consider:
Most thermaweave buyers are very satisfied with 99% light blocking performance, but for more of a "pitch black" room, consider thermaback curtains or use a thermaliner behind an existing curtain, because these use a light-impermeable foam backing.
Always configure your curtain rods to ensure a tight fit around the sides; this is how most light enters a window fitted with black-out curtains.
Why do I still see some light when my black-out
curtains are drawn? Don't they block 99% of light?
Yes, all eclipse curtains are proven in independent
laboratory tests to block over 99% of light. But there
are two factors that result in some light still being seen
by our eyes:
Because light is so powerful, even 1% of light is
still visible to our eyes.
Always configure your curtain rods to ensure a tight fit around the sides; this is how most light enters a window fitted with black-out curtains.
Fun facts about light-blocking.
Eclipse curtains can reduce light by a factor of over 200 times. For example, light entering an eclipse curtain at 100,000 lux can be reduced down to 500 lux. That is like reducing the size of the Empire State Building from 1250 feet down to just over 6 feet, reducing the weight of a Hummer H2 from 6400 pounds down to just 32 pounds, or slowing a speeding bullet from 2000 mph to 10 mph. however you cut it, it's pretty amazing when you consider just how much light is blocked out by an eclipse blackout curtain.
How our Eyes Adjust to Lighting Conditions.
The human eye is capable of seeing across a remarkably wide range of light because it adjusts itself to adapt to whatever light condition it is in. Our eye is designed to only process light "information" from a limited range of about three orders of magnitude at any given time; for example, the eye can successfully see from about 1 lux-1000 lux, or 100 lux-100,000 lux. When we move from one lighting condition (say high lighting of 1,000,000 lux) to another lighting condition (say low lighting of 1 lux) our eye readjusts to the new condition so that we can see most clearly in the new condition, and this re-adjustment takes a moment. You probably noticed this if you ever walked into a dark movie theater on a bright summer's day - at first you can't see anything but the screen and the EXIT sign, but soon you can see the seats, walls, and carpets inside the theater.
How do we know that eclipse curtains block
over 99% of light?
We continually test eclipse curtains to ensure that they meet the specifications that we promise. Our testing is conducted by independent laboratories who utilize a wide range of tests to ensure that our curtains perform according to our strict standards. No other blackout curtain manufacturer tests their curtains as frequently or as thoroughly as we test eclipse cutains.
We use rigorous scientific testing to measure how effectively eclipse curtains block light. A sensor measures the amount of light reaching it from an incandescent light source - first with no curtain in between the light source and the sensor, and then again with a curtain placed between the light source and the sensor. The curtain's ability to block light is then calculated as a function of the difference between these two readings.
How Light Intensity is Measured.
Light is measured in units called Lux, and the eye can see an extremely wide range of Lux values, ranging from very dark conditions (such as a starlit night) to very bright conditions (such as direct sunlight). The chart below provides the lux measurements of some common light conditions:
| Approximate Lux | Description of Situation |
| < 0.001 | Starlight — overcast night |
| 0.001 - 0.01 | Starlight — clear night |
| 0.01 - 0.1 | Overcast night |
| 0.1 - 1 | Moonlight |
| 1 - 100 | Dusk/Twilight |
| 100 - 10,000 | Overcast Day |
| 10,000 - 1,000,000 | Bright Sunlight |
| |
