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.
Full review
The only panel to pass the flashlight test
CNN Underscored's roundup ran a flashlight directly behind each curtain. With the NICETOWN, "no light was visible through the curtains," and the reviewers recorded that "the Nicetown curtains were the only ones tested that passed the flashlight test successfully; other curtains didn't block the flashlight beam at all."
The everyday result matched the test. CNN's reviewer could "watch TV and take a nap with no problem, as no outside light peeked through the curtains at all," and reported the panels kept out daytime sun and nearby streetlights at night.
85 to 99 percent blocking, depending on colour
The light blocking comes from a heavy triple-weave polyester with a lining, the same basic approach as the Amazon Basics panels plus the extra layer. NICETOWN rates the line at 85 to 99 percent depending on colour, with darker colours blocking more.
The panels are heavy and soft, thread-trimmed, wrinkle-free and reversible with the same colour on both sides, so the street-facing side looks the same as the room-facing one. The silver grommets have a 1.6-inch inner diameter and run smoothly on a standard rod.
Insulation and sound damping from the same density
The dense fabric slows heat transfer through the window, keeping a room cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Bob Vila highlighted the line for nurseries, where temperature stability matters as much as darkness does.
The same density takes the edge off outside noise. CNN's reviewer noted the panels helped with nearby streetlights and street noise together, which is a useful combination in a bedroom on a busy road.
Pure white produces a not-so-nice glare
The blackout reputation is not unanimous. Consumer Reports found that "Nicetown curtains in pure white produced a not-so-nice glare," which is the clearest argument for buying a darker colourway if the goal is a genuinely dark room.
The lining also makes the panels heavy and a little stiff, so they do not drape as neatly as a lighter curtain, and as with any curtain, light still creeps in at the edges and the top unless you use a wraparound or wall-mounted rod.
52 by 84 inches over a sliding glass door
The line comes in a wide range of sizes; the common 52-by-84-inch pair gives 104 inches of total width, enough for a large window or a sliding door. CNN's tester hung that pair over a sliding glass door and found they "fit perfectly."
Getting the best result means overlapping the panels and pairing them with a rod that closes the gap at the sides. The heavy reversible panels make that overlap easy, and the smooth grommets keep them sliding without snagging.
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
- +Heavy, wrinkle-free panels that are the same colour on both sides
- +Machine washable and inexpensive for the performance
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
- −Edge and top gaps still leak light without a wraparound rod
How it compares
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.
Rating sources
“The Nicetown curtains were the only ones tested that passed the flashlight test successfully; other curtains didn't block the flashlight beam at all.”
“Nicetown 100% Blackout Window Curtain Panels — Best for Nurseries, up to 100% light-blocking with sound reduction and thermal insulation”
“Nicetown curtains in pure white produced a not-so-nice glare”
Our 4.4 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
