The Best Shades for UV Protection

Sunlight is essential for human comfort and happiness. Unfortunately, too much UV light is dangerous for skin and colored fabrics alike. The right type of window shades can make a room much safer - read this primer courtesy of Mission Viejo Blinds & Shades to get a basic understanding. 

Pick Your Materials

To protect you and your property from sunlight, your shades need to be either made of thick materials that absorb UV light, or reflective sheer materials that bounce it away. Any sufficiently thick cotton, wool, or similar shades will do the former, at the cost of also blocking out visible light and creating a gloomier atmosphere. For the latter, shiny sheer fabrics like polyester, rayon, and PET fiber weave let in the most visible light while deflecting the most ultraviolet.

Reflective Solar Shades

The simplest UV-focused design option is a simple roller shade made of a reflective material like the ones mentioned in the previous section. These basic solar shades do their job well at keeping out harmful UV light. However, the ones made of reflective materials tend to still let in too much annoying glare and while also letting passersby see through. Meanwhile, more opaque ones can go too far in the gloomy direction.

Hybrid Sheer Shades

Sheer shades are basically a layer of UV-reflective material stretched over a set of rotating blinds. You can adjust the blinds at will to let in any level of light and protect however much of your privacy you want with this design. At the same time, the light that does come in between the slats will be UV-filtered by the sheer layer.

Zebra Pattern Layered Shades

A more modern and less cumbersome alternative, layered shades consist of two scrolling sheets with alternating stripes of reflective and thicker opaque material. Matching up the light and dark stripes on each sheet lets you adjust light levels and visibility, all while protecting against UV.

Read more blog posts to further develop your window treatment knowledge, or call Mission Viejo Blinds & Shades today for some quality products.