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Cellular shades, also called honeycomb shades or honeycomb blinds, are a type of window covering used to block or filter light in residential and commercial settings. They are widely accepted as being a simple and effective way to save energy.

Honeycomb or cellular window shades as photographed in a Vermont showroom

Cellular shades are constructed of a paper- or cloth-like material into the shape of a cell, which holds trapped air that acts as a barrier to the window surface and can conserve heat or cool inside a room. The shades are made from soft window treatment material, as opposed to blinds, which are made of hard materials.

Design

Cellular shades come in a variety of different sizes and styles depending on the user’s preference or needs. There are single cell shades, double cell shades, and triple cell shades. The number of cells built into a shade impacts its light filtration and insulation level. Different sized cells are also available: the cell size refers to the measure from the top of the cell to the bottom.

Materials

Manufacturers typically use two types of material when producing these shades, spun lace and bonded polyester, but other fabrics can be used during the manufacturing process.

Operation

These soft window treatments operate up and down (horizontally) based on a string system and can be customized to operate on different lift options to give desired privacy and light control options. Cordless cellular shades are often desired for safety purposes as awareness has grown over the risk of strangulation for small children.. Honeycomb fabric can be used for different types of window openings aside from traditional windows. Some of these openings include skylight and arch openings. Motorization systems can also be incorporated for full automation, and operated by a switch or remote control.

Technology

Dead air pockets built into the cellular window shades help improve the energy efficient properties of the window covering. The dead air and the warm fabric acts as a barrier between the window treatment and the window. This warms the window up which helps reduce the heat loss from the interior space.

Blackout cellular shades usually come equipped with a foil technology to keep the home dark. This technology helps reduce solar gain in the summer, which reduces energy spent on air conditioning units for those in warm areas of the country. Blackout cellular shades also have been known to create a better sleeping environment when properly used in bedrooms, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

Energy Efficiency

A thermographic camera shows the temperature of this window's glass, with no shade covering it, in a Vermont winter. The image shows how cellular shades impact heat. Red is warm, blue is cold.

An hour later, the window measures nearly 40 degrees higher F, with a double-cell blackout cellular window shade installed with side tracks.

Heat Loss

Windows and doors make up for approximately one-third of a home’s total heat loss, according to the National Resources Defense Council. When warm air inside the room comes in contact with cold windows, it is cooled by convection. This cooler air then flows down the window, since hot air rises and cold air sinks, and draws more air down from the top of the window. If windows are not properly sealed and have air leaks, this will also create heat loss.

Heat Gain

In warmer months, heat can infiltrate a building through windows. Heat always spreads to cooled areas. It can either flow through the frame and glass, transfer by solar radiation, or through air leaks.

R-Value

Because cellular shades are designed to decrease heat transfer between the window and the room, the efficiency of a cellular shade can be measured by the R-Value of its fabric. The higher the R-value, the greater the resistance against heat transfer.

Cellular shades are available with various cell configurations, designed for different levels of insulation and light control. Single cell fabric has an R-value between 1.6 and 2.5, and double cell fabric has an R-value between 2.8 and 4.0. A ¼” thick single pane window has an R-value of .91 .

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC)

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient refers to the amount of heat from the sun that passes through the window. It is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. When shades are raised on sunny winter days, solar gain can offset the amount of heat needed to keep the building warm. At night, closing shades back up traps the solar gain within a building. A product with a high SHGC rating is more efficient at collecting solar heat gain in the winter. A product with a low SHGC rating is more efficient at reducing cooling loads during the summer or in southern climates.

History

In 1985, Hunter Douglas launched the Duette Honeycomb Shades line which featured the unique honeycomb construction popularly used today.