Blindster Deluxe Zebra Dual Shades: Product Review Video

Hi, my name is Jim.  I'm part of the team here at Blindster.com with almost 20 years of experience in the window blinds industry.  I want to show you a unique type of window shade that you might not be familiar with.  

These are our Deluxe Zebra Dual shades. Available in both light filtering and room darkening versions, these unique and functional shades provide dynamic light control and privacy.  

They also have a distinct, contemporary style, and a real "WOW" factor when you see them in a window.  Let's take a closer look.

So this type of window shade has been steadily growing in popularity, and blends well in a variety of decorating styles - you don't need an ultra-modern décor for these shades to complement your home's style.    

You may have seen these shades and not known what they are or have maybe heard of them referred to by different names.    

You'll see this type of shade sometimes called:  

• "Zebra Shades" (because of the stripes, even though they are horizontal)  
• Also "Dual Shades" (since they are like two shades in one, which I'll show you in just a minute)  
• "Banded Shades" (referring to the bands of fabric)  
• Or "Layered Shades" (since there are two layers of fabric)  

As you can see, these various names all are an effort to essentially describe how this shade looks and how it works. So let's talk through those two concepts:  

First of all, you can see that the shade is made from a fabric that features both a solid section and a sheer section. The solid section can be either light filtering, that provides privacy and reduces the amount of light coming through; or room darkening, which is opaque and blocks even more light from entering the room.

The solid fabric sections come in a variety of colors and styles, and even different heights. The sheer section is transparent, but it too comes in different styles.

Our Deluxe Zebra Dual shades are constructed by first connecting the shade fabric to the top of the shade in the back, then the fabric comes down and loops at the bottom of the shade, then back up the front, and attaches to a roller tube in the top of the shade.

As the shade is raised, the fabric rises up the front of the shade and onto the fabric roll.  The roll bar at the bottom keeps the fabric moving smoothly as the shade rises.

So when you operate the shade, the bands of fabric in the front alternately overlap the fabric bands in the rear.

This is how you essentially get two shades in one:

When the shade is fully lowered, the solid bands overlap the sheer bands, and you get complete privacy and light blocking.  When the sheer fabric bands are aligned, you get partial privacy, and allow some direct light into the room.

As you continue to raise the shade, you can mix and match any combination of overlap depending on how much light and privacy you'd like to have.  

Choose the light filtering material to have some natural light still pass through the shade or choose room darkening for greater light control.  

Note that the room darkening shades do not provide a full blackout experience.

There are different options to choose from for how you will operate your Deluxe Zebra Dual Shade:  

This shade has the beaded chain lift option - simply pull up or down on either end of the chain to move the shade.    

You can request the chain to be either on the left or right side of the shade.  

There is a tensioner at the bottom of the chain that you'll attach to your window casing or wall -  this is a child safety device that helps reduce the chance of the chain becoming a hazard, and holds it in place for easier operation.

This shade has the cordless lift option.  This operates very simply by pushing up on the bottom bar to raise and pulling down again to lower. This gives you a clear look in the window frame without any cords and is an even safer option for children and pets. 

The other option you can choose is motorized lift. This style of shade has a motor with rechargeable battery and remote control for easy and convenient operation. Motorized shades will have a fabric covered cassette and no external cords. 

One final thing I want to mention is regarding how we make your shade in relation to the size and mount option you order.  

For inside mount shades, you'll give us the inside measurement of just the top of your window opening. We will take your measurement and make the top of the shade just narrower than what you ordered, so that it will fit perfectly into the opening, usually around 1/4" smaller. We refer to this as the inside mount deduction.

You'll notice that the fabric portion of the shade is narrower than the top of the shade. This is because of the internal operating mechanisms and how the fabric roll is connected inside the top of the shade.  These internal components need a bit of space at the edge of the fabric roll for the shade to function properly.  

The result is you'll have this small gap between the edge of the window opening and the edge of the fabric – for our Deluxe Zebra Dual shades, it's between 1/2 and 7/8 of an inch on each side depending on which lift option you choose.  

For most windows this isn't a problem, but if you feel like this might be an issue in your window, you can consider ordering an outside mount – the top of the shade will be made to your exact ordered width.  

Just remember, the fabric will always be narrower than the top of the shade due to how these shades are constructed. 

And that's it for our Deluxe Zebra Dual Shades! I hope this video helped you better understand this innovative and eye-catching window treatment.