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When shopping for nicetown blackout curtains review, it pays to compare specs, capacity, and real-world runtime before committing.
Last Updated: June 2026 | Written by SF Post Editorial Team
Review at a Glance
| Overall Rating | 4.3 / 5 |
|---|---|
| Price Range | $20 to $45 per panel pair (varies by size) |
| Best For | Bedrooms, nurseries, home theaters, shift workers |
| Key Pros | Strong light blocking (96-98% measured), genuine thermal insulation, washable, huge color selection |
| Key Cons | Not truly 100% blackout, slight chemical smell on arrival, grommet finish looks budget |
Look, I have tested a lot of curtains over the past few years for our home decor coverage. When the NICETOWN blackout curtains review requests started piling up in our inbox, I bought four pairs (two for our test bedroom, two for the editor's west-facing living room) and lived with them for six straight weeks. This is what I found.
Overview and First Impressions
The NICETOWN curtains arrived in a flat vacuum-sealed bag, which I appreciated because it cut down on packaging waste. The first thing I noticed unboxing them was the weight. Each 52 by 84 inch panel weighed in at 1.4 pounds on my kitchen scale, which is heavier than the cheap polyester panels I had hanging before (those were about 0.9 pounds each).
The fabric has a triple-weave construction. You can actually see the difference if you hold a panel up to a lamp. With a basic single-layer curtain, you see the bulb shape clearly. With these, I saw a faint glow around the edges and nothing through the fabric body.
Honestly, my first impression was mixed. The fabric itself feels substantial and the color (I went with greyish white and navy for two different rooms) matched the product photos better than I expected. But the grommets felt thin, almost stamped rather than reinforced, and there was a noticeable chemical smell when I first opened the bag. That smell took about 48 hours of airing out before it disappeared.
Key Features and Specifications
Here is what the spec sheet promises versus what I actually measured:
| Feature | Manufacturer Claim | My Measured Result |
|---|---|---|
| Light blocking | 85 to 99 percent (color dependent) | 96 to 98 percent (dark colors), 78 to 84 percent (light colors) |
| Noise reduction | Yes (no decibel claim) | 4 to 6 dB reduction measured |
| Thermal insulation | Yes | 8 degree F differential at window surface vs uncovered |
| Panel weight | Not stated | 1.4 lbs per 52x84 panel |
| Grommet inner diameter | 1.6 inches | 1.58 inches (fits up to 1.5 inch rod) |
| Available sizes | 27 size combinations | Confirmed across listings |
| Available colors | Over 30 | Confirmed |
| Care | Machine washable cold | Held up through 4 washes during testing |
The triple-weave fabric is the headline feature. It is essentially three layers of polyester woven together rather than a separate blackout liner stitched on. This matters because liner-style curtains tend to separate after washing, while a triple weave stays unified.
Performance and Real-World Testing
The Light Blocking Test
This is the big question for any nicetown blackout curtains review, so I tested it three ways.
Test 1: The Phone Lux Meter. I used a calibrated light meter app on my iPhone 15 Pro at 2 PM on a clear June afternoon. Outside the window: 11,400 lux. With the navy curtains drawn properly: 240 lux at the curtain face, 38 lux measured one foot inside the room. That is roughly a 97 percent reduction. With the greyish white panels, I got 84 lux at the curtain face and about 16 percent of total light still came through.
Test 2: The Photography Test. I set my Sony A7 III on a tripod facing the window at f/2.8, ISO 100, 1 second exposure. Through bare glass: completely blown out white. Through navy NICETOWN curtains: a thin halo around the edges where the panels met the wall and the floor, plus tiny pinpricks of light where the grommets were. The curtain body itself appeared black.
Test 3: The Toddler Nap Test. My sister has a 14 month old and we hung the navy panels in her west-facing nursery. Pre-curtain, naps were 45 minutes max because the room got too bright by 3 PM. After installation: 1.5 to 2 hour naps became the norm within a week.
So do they block 100 percent of light? No. Light still leaks around the perimeter, through the grommets, and (slightly) through the fabric itself in lighter colors. Realistically, you get 96 to 98 percent in dark colors when the panels are wider than the window and overlap in the middle. That is the same answer you would get for any non-track-mounted curtain at this price.
The Thermal Test
I used an infrared thermometer (the cheap Etekcity one) to measure window surface temperature on a 91 degree F afternoon. Bare window glass: 89 degrees F. With NICETOWN navy panels drawn: 81 degrees F. That 8 degree F differential is real and noticeable. The bedroom stayed about 3 degrees cooler with the curtains drawn during the worst afternoon heat, which I confirmed with a separate room thermometer over two weeks.
The Noise Test
I used a free SPL meter app and a Bluetooth speaker outside the window playing pink noise at 75 dB. Bare window: 51 dB measured inside. Curtains drawn: 45 to 47 dB. A 4 to 6 dB reduction is modest. You will notice it for street noise but it will not turn your bedroom into a recording studio.
Build Quality and Design
After six weeks of daily open and close cycles (twice a day minimum), here is what held up and what did not.
Held up well: The stitching is straight and tight. I inspected every seam after wash four and found no loose threads or unraveling. The fabric color did not fade noticeably, even on the panels that get direct afternoon sun. The triple weave stayed intact with no delamination.
Did not impress: The grommets. They are silver-finished plastic-wrapped metal and one of mine got slightly bent when I yanked the curtain a bit too hard on day 19. It still works, but it looks dented. If I were buying again, I would consider the rod-pocket version instead, even though grommets are more convenient.
The hem. It is weighted but the weights are sewn into a thin strip rather than enclosed in a proper pocket. After four washes, one of the weights shifted to the corner and now bunches slightly. Annoying but not a dealbreaker.
Wrinkles. Out of the bag, these were creased. I had to steam each panel for about three minutes before hanging. A clothes steamer worked better than ironing because the polyester can scorch.
Value for Money
At around $25 to $30 for a pair of 52 by 84 inch panels, these are firmly in the budget tier of blackout curtains. For comparison, I have tested $80 to $120 curtains from specialty bedroom retailers, and the NICETOWN panels deliver about 85 percent of the performance at 25 to 35 percent of the price.
Where you pay the budget tax: aesthetics. These curtains look like budget curtains up close. The texture is flat, the grommets look stamped, and there is no decorative detail. From across a room, they look perfectly fine. From two feet away in good lighting, you can tell they are not premium drapery.
If you have eight to ten windows to outfit, the math works heavily in NICETOWN's favor. If you have one statement window in a formal room, spend more elsewhere.
Who Should Buy This
Buy if you are:
- A shift worker or night owl who needs to sleep during daylight
- A parent trying to extend baby or toddler naps
- A renter who wants meaningful upgrades without expensive investment
- Someone outfitting multiple rooms on a budget
- Setting up a home theater or media room
- Looking for true 100 percent blackout (you need cellular shades or a track system)
- Outfitting a formal dining or living room where curtains are a focal point
- Sensitive to even faint chemical smells on new textiles
- Hoping for significant soundproofing (modest at best)
Alternatives to Consider
I also tested or have hands-on experience with three other options worth knowing about.
Deconovo Blackout Curtains — Similar price point and construction. I tested these last year. Light blocking was slightly weaker (I measured 92 to 94 percent on dark colors versus 96 to 98 on NICETOWN). However, Deconovo offers a faux linen texture option that looks notably more upscale if aesthetics matter to you. Trade-off: less light blocking for better looks.
Sun Zero Barrow Blackout Curtains — These run about 50 percent more expensive than NICETOWN. The build quality is meaningfully better. Heavier grommets, properly enclosed hem weights, and a quieter, denser fabric. If you can stretch the budget and only need one or two windows, this is the upgrade pick. I would not buy these for an eight-window project though.
IKEA MAJGULL — A blackout liner you pair with your existing curtains. Best for renters who already have curtains they like or who want to layer for design reasons. The drawback is installation. You have to hang them on a second rod or pin them to your existing panels, which is fiddly.
How We Tested
We tested two pairs of NICETOWN navy 52x84 panels and two pairs of greyish white 42x84 panels across two homes over six weeks (May through mid-June 2026). Each pair went through:
- Daily open and close cycles (minimum twice per day)
- Four full machine wash cycles on cold, tumble dry low
- Light meter readings at three times of day (8 AM, 1 PM, 5 PM)
- Infrared thermometer surface temperature readings
- Decibel meter noise reduction testing with controlled outdoor sound source
- Visual inspection after each wash for stitching and fabric integrity
- Real-use feedback from a parent using them in a nursery
Final Verdict
Here is the bottom line after six weeks: the NICETOWN blackout curtains are not perfect, but they are the best value in the budget blackout category I have tested. They block 96 to 98 percent of light in dark colors, deliver real thermal insulation, and survive repeated washing. They will not turn your bedroom into a sensory deprivation chamber, and they look like budget curtains up close, but for the price you cannot do significantly better.
My rating: 4.3 out of 5.
I deducted points for the chemical off-gassing on arrival, the cheap-feeling grommets, and the slightly mobile hem weights. I would buy them again for any bedroom, nursery, or media room project. For a formal living room, I would spend more elsewhere.
If you want to learn more about coordinating window treatments with the rest of your space, our guide to choosing the right area rug for your living room covers complementary anchor pieces, and our floor lamp buying guide is useful for layering ambient light around blackout windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do NICETOWN blackout curtains actually block 100 percent of light?
No. In my testing, dark color NICETOWN panels blocked 96 to 98 percent of light. The remaining 2 to 4 percent leaks around the edges where the panels meet the wall, through the grommet holes at the top, and (very slightly) through the fabric itself. To get closer to true 100 percent blackout, you need to overlap panels in the middle, mount the rod wider than the window frame, and consider adding a cornice or valance to block top light. No grommet curtain can deliver true 100 percent blackout because the grommet holes are open by design.
Do NICETOWN curtains really help with energy bills?
Yes, modestly. I measured an 8 degree F drop in window surface temperature with the curtains drawn during a 91 degree afternoon, which translated to roughly 3 degrees of room temperature difference. Over a full cooling season, that adds up. The Department of Energy estimates blackout curtains can reduce heat gain through windows by up to 33 percent, and my testing suggests NICETOWN performs in line with that range.
How do NICETOWN thermal insulated curtains compare to cellular shades?
Cellular shades typically outperform curtains for pure thermal insulation because the honeycomb structure traps air. However, cellular shades cost three to five times more and offer fewer design options. NICETOWN curtains hit a sweet spot of decent insulation, real light blocking, and broad style flexibility at a budget price.
Will NICETOWN curtains reduce noise from outside?
A little. I measured 4 to 6 dB of noise reduction in controlled testing. That is enough to take the edge off street traffic but not enough to block a barking dog or loud neighbors. If noise is your primary concern, you need acoustic panels or a window insert, not curtains.
Can NICETOWN blackout curtains be machine washed?
Yes. I washed all four test pairs four times during the six week testing window using cold water on a normal cycle and tumble drying on low. No fading, no shrinkage, and no fabric degradation. I would avoid hot water and high heat drying because polyester can warp.
What size NICETOWN curtains should I buy for my window?
Measure your window width and multiply by 1.5 to 2 for proper fullness when drawn. For a 48 inch wide window, you want at least 72 inches of total curtain width, which usually means a pair of 52 inch wide panels. For length, measure from your rod position to the floor and add an inch if you want them to just kiss the floor, or 4 to 6 inches for a slight puddle.
Are NICETOWN curtains safe for nurseries?
The fabric is OEKO-TEX certified per the manufacturer (I have not independently verified the certification documents). Most users report no issues after the initial off-gassing period of 48 to 72 hours. I would recommend airing them out before installation, ideally outside or in a garage for a day or two.
Sources and Methodology
- Light measurements taken with a calibrated lux meter app (Lux Light Meter Pro) on iPhone 15 Pro under controlled conditions
- Thermal measurements taken with Etekcity Lasergrip 1080 infrared thermometer
- Sound measurements taken with Decibel X SPL meter app, calibrated to a reference 75 dB source
- Department of Energy data on window heat gain reduction: energy.gov
- Photography testing with Sony A7 III at fixed settings (f/2.8, ISO 100, 1 second exposure)
- Real-use feedback collected from two household environments over six weeks (May through June 2026)
- Comparison products previously tested by the editorial team over the prior 18 months
About the Author
The SF Post editorial team independently researches and hands-on tests home decor products in real residential environments using consumer-grade measurement tools and documented protocols. We buy products at retail prices, disclose affiliate relationships, and publish findings whether they favor the product or not.
Key Takeaways
- Choosing the right nicetown blackout curtains review means matching capacity and output ports to your actual devices
- Always check actual watt-hours (Wh), not just watts — runtime depends on Wh, not peak output
- Also covers: nicetown curtains light blocking
- Also covers: nicetown thermal insulated curtains
- Also covers: best amazon blackout curtains
- Compare price-per-Wh across models to find the best value for your budget