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Head-to-head · Best Blackout Curtains

Amazon Basics Room Darkening Blackout vs NICETOWN Contemporary Lined Blackout

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Amazon Basics Room Darkening Blackout comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.6 vs 4.4). The gap is mostly about Budget shoppers who want the best-tested light blocking for the lowest price and do not need decorative styling or a wide color range. — read the strengths below before deciding.

Amazon Basics Room Darkening Blackout
Higher ratedRanked #1 in Best Blackout Curtains
Amazon Basics Room Darkening Blackout
2 sources1 derived$21.59as of Aug 1

The Amazon Basics Room Darkening Blackout is the value champion and Reviewed.com's Editor's Choice for blackout curtains, after it blocked light better than every other panel they tested. Triple-weave 240 GSM polyester with a back coating earns a 100% blackout rating, and you get thermal insulation and noise reduction for around $35. It is plain, and stock can be spotty. On pure light-blocking per dollar, it is the best buy on this list.

Strengths
  • — Reviewed.com's Editor's Choice for best blackout curtains, doing 'an excellent job of blocking out unwanted light'
  • — Triple-weave 240 GSM polyester rated 100% blackout, with a thick blackout coating on the back
  • — Metal grommets slide easily on standard or decorative rods and look modern
Watch-outs
  • — Stock can be intermittent, with the top configuration occasionally unavailable
  • — Limited color and size range compared with specialty curtain brands
  • — Plain styling without decorative options like lace overlays
$21.59 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →
NICETOWN Contemporary Lined Blackout
Ranked #3 in Best Blackout Curtains
NICETOWN Contemporary Lined Blackout
3 sources1 derived$17.95as of Aug 1

The NICETOWN Contemporary Lined Blackout takes the top spot on CNN Underscored's flashlight test, where it was the only panel that let no light through. The lined triple-weave build also adds thermal insulation and some sound damping, and the panels cost very little. Consumer Reports is cooler on it, flagging glare from the pure-white colourway, so the colour you pick matters.

Strengths
  • — The only curtain to pass CNN Underscored's flashlight test with no light visible through the fabric
  • — Lined triple-weave construction rated at 85 to 99 percent light blocking
  • — Silver grommets with a 1.6-inch inner diameter slide easily onto a standard rod
Watch-outs
  • — Consumer Reports found the pure-white colourway produces noticeable glare
  • — Lighter colours sit at the bottom of the 85 to 99 percent blocking range
  • — The lining makes the panels heavy and somewhat stiff to drape
$17.95 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

How they stack up

Amazon Basics Room Darkening Blackout

Reviewed.com ranked it ahead of the NICETOWN Contemporary Lined Blackout for outright light blocking, though NICETOWN won CNN's flashlight test. It uses the same triple-weave approach as the NICETOWN Contemporary Lined Blackout and undercuts the Eclipse Fresno, Best Home Fashion Premium Blackout, and Sun Zero Barrow on price.

NICETOWN Contemporary Lined Blackout

It blocked light more completely than the Amazon Basics Room Darkening Blackout, Eclipse Fresno, Best Home Fashion Premium Blackout and Sun Zero Barrow in CNN's flashlight test, the only panel to pass it. It shares the triple-weave approach of the Amazon Basics panels, but the extra lining is what pushes it ahead on true blackout.

Specs side-by-side

SpecAmazon Basics Room Darkening BlackoutNICETOWN Contemporary Lined Blackout
FabricTriple-weave 240 GSM polyesterTriple-weave polyester (lined)
Light Blocking100% (room darkening, back-coated)85-99%
HeaderMetal grommetsSilver grommet (1.6 in inner dia.)
Sizes52 x 84 in, 2 panels52 x 84 in (and other sizes), 2 panels
ThermalInsulating barrierInsulating
NoiseNoise-reducingSound-reducing
Extras2 Velcro tie-backs—
CareMachine washableMachine washable
MaterialPolyesterFabric
Dimensions84"L x 52"W63"L x 52"W
Reversible—Same color both sides
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