Sheer Shades vs. Zebra Shades

Sheer shades and zebra shades are both popular window treatments that offer a unique combination of light control and privacy. They have some similarities but also distinct differences:

1. Sheer Shades:

   • Sheer shades are often referred to as “sheer horizontal shades” or “horizontal sheer shades” or Silhouette Shades.  We call ours Triple Shades.
   • They consist of two layers of sheer fabric with horizontal fabric vanes or slats suspended between them.
   • Sheer shades allow diffused natural light to enter the room while maintaining a level of privacy.
   • You can adjust the vanes to control the amount of light and privacy by tilting them open or closed.
   • Sheer shades are available in various colors and fabric options to match your decor.
   • They offer a soft and elegant look, suitable for both traditional and contemporary interior styles.

2. Zebra Shades:

   • Zebra shades are also known as “zebra blinds,” “zebra roller shades,” or “dual-layer shades.”.  We call ours Combi Shades.
   • They consist of alternating horizontal stripes of light-filtering and room-darkening or blackout fabric.
   • Zebra shades allow you to adjust the stripes, aligning the light-filtering and room-darkening sections to control the amount of light and privacy.
   • When fully open, the alternating stripes create a zebra-like pattern, giving these shades their name.
   • Zebra shades are versatile and come in various colors and fabric options, including light-filtering and blackout options.
   • They offer a modern and stylish appearance, often chosen for contemporary and minimalist home designs.

Key Differences:

• Sheer shades have fabric vanes suspended between two layers of sheer material, while zebra shades have alternating horizontal stripes of different fabrics.
• Sheer shades typically provide a softer, diffused light when open, while zebra shades offer more distinct light-filtering and room-darkening sections.
• Zebra shades may offer better light-blocking capabilities when the room-darkening stripes are aligned, making them suitable for bedrooms or spaces where you need more light control.
• Sheer shades are generally associated with a classic and elegant look, while zebra shades have a more modern and contemporary appearance.
• Both types of shades offer various levels of light control and privacy, but the specific features and aesthetics may influence your choice.

Ultimately, the choice between sheer shades and zebra shades depends on your preferences in terms of style, light control, and privacy needs, as well as the overall design of your home.

Guide to which product to use on which windows:

In our experience, having done thousands of window-covering installations, below are the key factors that will help guide your decision between sheer shades and zebra shades:

1. Will the shade be installed inside mount or outside mount? If outside mount, sheers shades protrude further into the room, thus may not be as suitable and it would be easier to bump into and damage the shade. (Click here for instructions on How to Measure for Inside Mount or Outside Mount)
2. How important is it to maximize outside views while maintaining daytime privacy? If you like to keep the shades down but want to maximize how much you can see outside the window, the sheer shade product gives more access to views in an open setting.  By design, zebra shades block more than half the views in the open setting due to the banding.
3. Do you need more darkening in the room when closing the shades? If you plan to only rely on the window shade to provide darkening to a room (i.e. will not pair with drapery), then Room Darkening Zebra shades provide more light reduction than Room Dimming Sheer shades as there are horizontal light gaps between each vane in sheer shades even in closed setting.
4. Is your room décor more modern or transitional? While home décor styles can be subjective, in general, zebra shades give a more modern look to a space due to the flat profile and straight horizontal lines. Whereas sheer shades give a softer transitional décor look with its S-curve vanes.
5. How large are your windows? The larger a window, simpler looking window shade tends to work best as it has to cover a larger surface area thus making a bigger visual impact.  Both zebra and sheer shades work well with larger windows as there are lightweight and easy to operate.  However, if the window is very tall, sheer shades may not be as suitable as the vane gaps in closed setting become more noticeable when you look up a tall window.  For extra tall windows, you may want to consider roller shades instead.