Roller Shades: Are They Safe?

With all the recent recalls on window treatments, manymore and more window treatments either come
people are taking a good hard look at their rollercordless or have a cordless upgrade option. You can
shades. The question on everyone's mind is "Are theyget a wide variety of cordless shades including:
safe?"- Blackout Single Cell Shades - Blackout shades are
The safety of children is a main concern for manygreat for day sleepers and home theaters. In addition,
people, as well it should be. Convenience and expensethey work well at insulating a home.
is no excuse for manufacturing or installing blinds that- Translucent Single Cell Shades - For a softer look,
are not safe for children. Child safety needs to betranslucent shades are ideal.
taken seriously.- Room Darkening Single Cell Shades - Not quite as
Are My Blinds Safe?dark as blackout shades, but these shades block out a
The main issues with the recalled blinds are the cords.significant amount of light and provide insulation.
It is the cord that poses the biggest threat to small- Roman Shades - You can get a variety of styles
children. To see if your blinds are safe check theand textures including suede, satin, linen, and woven
following:wood. They come in everything from light filtering to
- Are the cords knotted together at the bottom? - Ifblackout.
so, children could get their heads caught in the loop.Are there Other Options?
- Is lifting cord exposed on the back of the shadeFor those of you who like more control of your
(particularly roman shades)? - Again, children can getshades, then you can purchase duofold shades as
their head caught between the blind and the lift cord.well. The duofold shades allow you to open the blinds
You can find complete information on the recall andfrom the top down as well as from the bottom up.
how to fix your blinds at the Window Covering SafetyAvailable in traditional shades and in roman shades,
Council's web site. They are dedicated to keepingyou can choose this option for complete control of
children safe.your blinds.
Which Blinds are Safe?It is easy to see that you do not need to give up style
It is highly recommended by several safety councils toto get child friendly blinds and shades. Whether you
only use cordless blinds and shades in homes withwant simple roller shades or the elegance of roman
small children. This is the absolute safest way toshades, you can choose child safe cordless blinds. Not
protect your children.only will they look good in your home, but they are also
What Kinds of Blinds are Cordless?safe around children.
As a result of increasing demand for cordless shades,