Redi Shade No Tools Original Blackout Pleated Paper Shade Black, 36" W x 72" L, 6 Pack

First, these shades work... very well. The material lets ZERO light through. Other than the light coming around the gaps between the shade and the window frame, no light penetrates the shade itself. Total darkness!But don't get it twisted... these are otherwise pretty flimsy. Don't buy them expecting hardware or anything "sturdy." They are essentially a 36" wide piece of pleated paper. The paper material seems to maybe be a mixture of paper, cloth and plastic. So it feels like it's going to hold up well (and the reviews I relied on to make my purchase indicated that it does).At the top of the shade is an adhesive strip (peel and stick). After cutting the shade to size, you peel the wax paper and stick it up. Its very sticky, so get it in the correct place before lifting it to the edge you plan to stick it to. There's no do overs.The set comes with 2 clips per shade to hold them up or down. That's the only hardware. No strings to pull. No screws or brackets. Just two clips. But this makes installation so easy.Installation tips...1. Measure the window width at top, middle and bottom. You'll cut the shade to the most narrow measurement.2. Measure and cut each window at a time. You'll learn from doing the first one (at least I did!). I didn't quite trim the first one narrow enough... and cut the rest a little more narrowly.3. Once you know the measurement, use a cutting board and very sharp knife or razor to "slice" the shade. Keep it folded like a block (adhesive stip facing up) and you can slice through it.4. First, inspect the window frames for dust or grime and clean them if needed to ensure adhesion. Then peel the waxpaper strip off the adhesive. Align it in the window about an inch from the top to be sure its centered and cut to the right width. Then stick it to top of the window frame (a clean, smooth surface. If your window frames are dirty, or textured, they won't hold).5. Then let the rest of the shade unfold (drop). It will eventually relax and fill the window. Pinch two clips to the bottom. My windows are pretty long , so I didn't need to trim anything off. But you can trim them easily if you have shorter windows and don't want to leave the excess.6. To raise the shade, just remove the clips and fold the pleats back up to near the top of the window and replace the clips to hold it up. I found putting them about 1.5" from the edge looked best (less sag).For $10, you CANNOT beat these for a quick, functional method to blackout light. I intend to buy true shades for close to $50 each at some point in the future. But since my wife works nights, and we have 11 windows in our room... that wasn't a viable option to get her a dark room to sleep in NOW. These worked perfectly for now (and much easier to install too).

These do what they’re supposed to do, block out light. There’s really not much more to say than that. Regarding some of the negative reviews specifically relating to the material; Yes, they’re made out of paper. I’m not sure why some people are surprised by this when they first open the box; it clearly says it in the product title, “ Redi Shade No Tools Original Blackout Pleated PAPER”. Yes, the adhesive to attach them is not that great. This is easily solved by using something stronger like a command adhesive strip to secure it. I used a 2 inch one, cut it into three pieces and attached one in the center and one at each end and the shades are firmly secured. Yes, because the shade is pleated and it’s made out of paper, even when you stretch it out the full length of the window it bounces back about 1/3 to 1/2 up because it’s not weighted. This issue is also resolved with a command strip - specifically the Velcro ones. I attached one side to the bottom of the shade and one side to the windowsill and when I bring the shade down I secure it to the windowsill. Are they as visually appealing as cloth ones? No, they’re not, because they’re made out of paper. You’re getting six of them for less than $30 dollars, the price for one cloth blackout shade. It should be expected that they’re probably not going to be as nice as the cloth ones. At an average cost of $5 each these are fantastic purchase to solve the problem of too much light. I will add, if you have curtains the visual quality aspect isn’t really going to be an issue because you really can’t see them even thru shear curtains. However, if you don’t have curtains and you don’t plan on putting any up and you want something nicer than a paper shade you may just have to bite the bullet and spend the money on a better quality shade that costs more than $5. If you’re just looking for something that blocks out light, doesn’t require drilling and screws to put up and is cost effective, then these shades are perfect.

I’ve bought these many times. Install is incredibly easy. You cut them down to size with regular scissors and then stick them to the window. It’s saved us money on our energy bill and works better than room darkening curtains, but they work best used together. It basically helps block out the sun/heat. The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the adhesive wears off over time and they have to be replaced maybe once a year. Great solution if you’re renting and need to darken the room but don’t want to drill into the wall to install curtains.

I'm literally obsessed with these blackout shades for my daughters nursery. We have plantation shutters and I'm not ready to hang curtains because this room will not stay a nursery. I was able to hang them between with window and shutters so they are hidden. Her room is no extremely dark and shes taking longer naps and out night time routine is a little easier. I'm able to easily pull them up and down. The clips to keep the shade up work really well. The first couple times using them was a little challenging but I got the hang out it pretty quickly.Installing them was a breeze much easier than I expected. I measured the window and measured the shade to cut to size. It was fairly simple to cut with an razor blade. I wiped the top of the window with Lysol let it dry and suck the shade on. I've been using them for a few weeks and I open and close them. I've had no problem with them staying up.I would most definitely purchase them again. They are a great temporary option. I also think they are a great value. There are 6 shades per pack. Before I read the description I thought it was one shade per $25. For me it was a no brainer to order them and try them for my daughter room.