Dimout vs blackout: what is the difference?

THE SHORT ANSWER

Which should I choose for my bedroom?

Choose according to how dark you need the room to be. Dimout reduces light; blackout cloth blocks light through the fabric. Neither label, by itself, guarantees a dark room because light can pass around the installation.

Start with the outcome

If you enjoy a gentle morning glow, dimout may be enough. If you sleep during the day or need a darker bedroom, discuss blackout fabric and gap control together.

The installation matters

Inspect the top, sides, centre overlap and floor. Without a pelmet, daylight can enter above the curtain even when the cloth is blackout. A pelmet is a cover over the top of the curtain and track; discuss its coverage alongside side returns and hem clearance. A sample held to the light does not demonstrate the completed room.

What to ask at consultation

Ask for the fabric specification, a sample under daylight and an explanation of expected edge light. Discuss obstacles, air-conditioning flow and space for curtain stack-back.

Our recommendation

Describe the room and how you sleep before choosing a label. Specify the fabric, track and fitting details together in the written quote.

FABRIC LIGHT CONTROL · WITHOUT A PELMET

Dimout to blackout.
Notice the fabric. Then the gaps.

Move the slider to see less daylight passing through the closed curtain fabric. The indoor lights stay off. With no pelmet above the track, daylight can still enter through the top gap, even at the blackout setting.

Through the fabric

The dimout example has a visible glow through the cloth. The blackout illustration removes that transmitted glow.

Around the curtain

The uncovered top, side and floor gaps remain a separate path for daylight. Blackout fabric alone does not seal the window.

Real curtain references

Three aligned views of the same bedroom showing bright daylight through sheer curtains, reduced light through a closed curtain, and a much darker room behind blackout curtains without a pelmet. — **Sheer to blackout · no pelmet**The same bedroom moves from sheer-filtered daylight, to a closed curtain with a warm glow, to blackout cloth with the room much darker. With no pelmet, the final result still depends on light at the top and edges.

Closed dimout curtains with daylight glowing through the fabric and visible gaps at the top, sides and floor; no pelmet. — **Dimout · no pelmet**Daylight glows through the fabric and enters around the edges.

A substantially dark room with closed blackout curtains and narrow daylight gaps around the top, sides and floor; no pelmet. — **Blackout · no pelmet**The blackout cloth removes the glow through the fabric, leaving the room substantially darker. Daylight is still visible around the uncovered top, sides and floor.

Photos supplied by Elegant Seal. Select a photo to view the original.

Bedroom illustration informed by Elegant Seal’s curtain examples. Percentages illustrate light passing through the fabric; they are not tested fabric ratings. Actual room darkness also depends on fitting, daylight and gaps around the curtain.

No pelmet · daylight can enter above the track

Curtain fabric: dimout to blackout

Dimout reference · 80% throughBlackout fabric · 0% through

80% illustrative light through the fabric20% blocked by the fabric in this illustration · top and edge gaps remain

Why is the top still bright? There is no pelmet covering the space above the curtain. Ask us to assess top coverage, side returns, centre overlap and hem clearance when planning a darker room.

Discuss fabric & light gaps

MAKE IT PERSONAL

A useful consultation brief

“This is my room, this is when the issue happens, and this is how I want the space to feel.” Add photographs, your renovation timeline and the practical constraints you already know.

Evidence to check before ordering

Use the selected manufacturer’s fabric and hardware information, the actual care label, site measurements and your written quote to confirm a recommendation. Generic category labels do not establish product-specific performance.