'Probably the best £5 I’ve ever spent' – shoppers are raving about Dunelm's super affordable no-drill blackout blind, and it's easy to see why

The budget-friendly solution to lighter mornings

A bedroom with light pouring in through a large window next to the bed
(Image credit: Dominic Blackmore)

I have an east-facing bedroom, and in the UK, dawn is around 4 am throughout June. For me, that's *early*, and it means I wake up way before I've had enough sleep during the summer months.

To beat the all-day yawning that ensues as a result, I've been scouring the high street for blackout blinds I can install quickly, easily, and affordably, and I've just found a solution that reviewers with similar woes to mine are raving about.

The best part? Dunelm's Temporary Blackout Blind is not only super easy to fit, but it also costs just £5.

Dunelm Blackout Temporary Pleated Blind
Dunelm Blackout Temporary Pleated Blind: £5 at Dunelm

This easy-fit blackout blind can be installed in just a few minutes with no tools.

Unlike a regular blackout roller blind, this budget-friendly design requires no drilling or holes in the wall, so there's no stress of figuring out how to fit a blackout blind.

Instead, the temporary blackout solution is made of pleated paper, which can be cut to size to suit any window. Then it's simply a case of peeling the backing off the sticky strip at the top of the blind and sticking it to the window frame.

That makes it perfect for someone like me who isn't as confident as they could be with a drillset, or for those of us who rent and need a blackout solution that won't risk our rental deposit by making holes in the wall.

Plus, it's the ideal speedy solution for any of us who need a fast blackout solution to get sleep patterns back on track asap during the summer months. And did I mention it's only £5?!

Dunelm blackout blind

(Image credit: Dunelm)

'The blinds are amazing, easy to cut to size, easy to fit, and absolutely block out the light,' says one 5-star reviewer on the Dunelm website. 'They are made of paper but are genius for short-term use.'

'Had up for a few weeks now to stop bright mornings from waking me,' says another reviewer, 'would recommend; especially for the price.'

'Probably the best £5 I’ve ever spent!' raves another happy shopper. 'I can’t tell you how much easier I am sleeping because of them.'

Dunelm pleated paper blackout blind

(Image credit: Dunelm)

Like me, owners are also finding a wide range of uses for this super affordable blackout solution.

'This blind was bought so I could move into my house before my ordered blinds were fitted,' shares one reviewer. 'Waiting 17 weeks for shutters to be made for our brand new house seemed a nightmare until I found these,' echoes another.

Whilst others have found the blind to be a simple temporary solution to help little ones sleep better during the lighter mornings.

'Purchased for when my grandson stays over during the summer', shares one happy customer. 'Great blind, easy to install, for baby’s bedroom during summer months,' says another.

Dunelm blackout blind

(Image credit: Dunelm)

A couple of reviewers do mention that the blinds can be fiddly to roll up in the morning, and another raises the question of why the clips (that hold the blind up when it's not in use) are white rather than black to match the blind itself. A very good point!

A third mentions the downside of using an adhesive to hold a blind up, saying that when the Dunelm Blackout Temporary Pleated Blind was removed, it left residue on the window frame that needed to be removed with white spirit.

However, personally, I've reached a stage of tiredness where those minor niggles are compromises I'm very willing to accept in order to get more some zzz's! Like one reviewer says, investing a fiver to get a couple more hours' sleep every morning seems like a very good deal to me!

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Amy Lockwood
Sleep Editor

Amy is Ideal Home’s Sleep Editor and the Ideal Home Certified Expert on Sleep. She's spent the last four years researching and writing about what makes for the best night’s sleep during the day and testing out sleep products to find the best-in-class by night. So far she’s clocked up over 10,000 hours of pillow, duvet, and mattress testing experience.

Our go-to for all things sleep-related, she’s slept on and under bestselling products from Simba, Emma, Hypnos, Tempur, Silentnight, Panda, and many many more.

As a hot sleeper, Amy is always on the lookout for the most breathable bedding, but she also leads a wider team of testers to ensure our product testing encompasses both hot sleepers, cold sleepers, front sleepers, back sleepers, side sleepers, and everything in-between.

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