Cordless Shades
Cellular Shades
Cordless cellular shades are the most energy efficient cordless window shades in the market. The honeycomb cell structure helps to retain the air between the fabric layers and the glass, which helps in heat gain during summer and heat loss during winter. Single, double, and triple cell and light filtering or blackout opacities. Suitable for children’s bedrooms, nurseries and any room with both energy efficiency and child safety in mind. WCMA Best for Kids certified.
Roman Shades
Cordless Roman Shades will offer a soft fabric warmth of a roman shade without visible operating cords. Raise the bottom rail to fold the shade neatly, lower by pulling the rail down. Comes in flat, pleated and hobbled folds. Suitable for living, dining and bedrooms where safety is a concern and aesthetics important.
Premium Wood Blinds
Cordless premium wood blinds add a natural warmth, authentic wood texture to your living room, office or formal room without the hassle of cords. In a variety of stains and paints – all true American Basswood slats. The cordless lift mechanism is completely integrated into the hardwood headrail.
Cordless Blinds and Shades – Child Safe, WCMA Certified Window Treatments for Maryland, Virginia and DC Homes
Cordless blinds and shades have now become the norm for any house, not just houses with children. New Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) safety standards have eliminated all free-hanging cords from the window treatment market, making sure that all of today’s blind and shade products in Maryland, Virginia and DC are cord-less.
Every blind and shade we provide at BuyHomeBlinds can be cordless (WCMA compliant) – cordless cellular shades, cordless roller shades, cordless faux wood blinds, cordless roman shades and cordless mini blinds. Products with the WCMA best for kids certification are independently safety tested by third parties, and are highly recommended for any house that contains young children and pets.
Free shipping on all orders. All products are covered by a limited lifetime warranty. FREE in-home consultation throughout the DC metro area.
How Cordless Blinds and Shades Work
Knowing how a cordless blind or shade works will help you decide which type of lift system to get for each room in your home. There are two types of cordless systems to choose from:
Manual Cordless Lift (Spring Tension System)
Manual cordless blinds or shades work on the basis of an internal spring and clutch mechanism located in the headrail. Gently lift the bottom rail up, and the spring will tighten itself into place at any height. The bottom rail is pulled down, releasing the spring and lowering the shade smoothly. No exposed cords, no loops, no chains, just the bottom rail which is always easy to reach. The spring mechanism is internal and is covered from the headrail to keep dust and dirt away, and will perform reliably for years of daily use. Manual cordless lift is offered on all window treatment styles ranging from lightweight to medium weight such as cellular shades, roller shades, roman blinds, faux wood window blinds and mini blinds.
Motorized Cordless (Automated Lift)
A motorized cordless blind or shade is a small battery-powered or hardwired motor that's hidden inside the headrail. No manual intervention with the shade is needed, it slides up and down. It can be controlled remotely, via wall switch, with the use of a smartphone app or by voice commands using Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Apple HomeKit. The most secure and convenient level of safety is motorized cordless: it has no bottom rail to reach, no mechanism to interact with and no physical movement during operation. Motorized systems are suggested for large or heavy window treatments, hard to reach windows or for smart window treatments on the whole house.
Cordless Blinds vs. Motorized Blinds: Which Is Right for Your Home?
Cordless and motorized systems provide freedom from hanging cords and comply with the WCMA safety standard. They can be selected based on your family’s needs, window dimensions, and budget. Choose manual cordless lift when:- Your window is a typical width for a residential home (up to about 72” wide)
- You want something that is easy to use and does not need batteries or charging
- Budget is a key factor – cordless spring systems are the less expensive upgrade to a corded lift system
- Do you prefer a hassle-free, cord-free appearance in your bedrooms, kitchen or office?
- You have a large, wide window, or your window is on a high wall or ceiling
- You don’t want anything to touch the window treatment – maximum child and pet protection
- Adding window treatments to a smart home system that integrates with Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit
- You would like a daily schedule for your shades to raise and lower automatically
Room-by-Room Cordless Blinds and Shades Recommendations
Children's Bedroom
Cordless cellular shades with blackout fabric is recommended. With the cordless lift, there are no cords to get in the way at the most important level, and the blackout lining helps maintain healthy sleep schedules. WCMA approved and accredited for children. Install hardware that is not in a crib or bed.
Primary Bedroom
Cordless blackout roller shades, or cordless blackout cellular shades, inside or outside mount. Upgrade to motorized cordless for silent, easy operation without disturbing your sleeping partner.
Living Room
Cordless light filtering roller shades made in 3-5% solar screen fabric or cordless cellular shades. Minimises screen and furniture glare and maintains bright, open and outdoor connection. Clean and aesthetically pleasing with no cords visible.
Kitchen
Cordless faux wood blinds or cordless roller shades in a moisture resistant fabric. Easy to wipe down. In a room where children are often around and where cords in the vicinity of counters and appliances are another hazard than the risk of child strangulation.
Home Office
Cordless roller shades in 1% - 3% solar screen or light filtering fabric - block monitor glare without artificial light. Motorized cordless is beneficial in home offices where having hands free while talking on the phone or doing presentations is appreciated.
Bathroom
Cordless faux wood blinds or cordless vinyl roller shades for moisture resistant materials. Moisture-resistant, wipe clean and cord-free in a space where kids can go at their own pace often without adult supervision.
Who Benefits Most From Cordless Window Treatments
Families with young children
When you get rid of all the dangling cords and open loops from all the windows in a family home, you eliminate the strangulation risk responsible for the deaths of hundreds of children over the past decade. The minimum acceptable standard of safety for any home with a child under the age of eight is cordless.
Pet owners
Cats and dogs play with a dangling cord, posing a safety hazard to the pet and a hazard to the window treatment. Cordless blinds and shades don’t have this interaction at all.
Aesthetics
Cordless blinds are cordless on the outside of the blind. What is achieved is a cleaner rather than less cluttered appearance, which is ideal for modern and transitional interior schemes where cords can create a distracting visual barrier to the window.
Renters and property managers
Cordless window treatments meet WCMA standards, minimize liability in rental properties and look better than corded window treatments in listing photography and tenant viewings.
Why Maryland, Virginia, and DC Homeowners Choose BuyHomeBlinds for Cordless Window Treatments
We are located in Beltsville, MD and provide services throughout the Washington DC metro area – Bethesda, Rockville, Silver Spring, Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Chevy Chase, and Washington DC. All cordless blinds and shades are custom made to fit your windows and are made to WCMA safety specifications.
- Complete WCMA Certified product lines for all blind and shade categories
- Window sizing is customized to your exact window size on every order
- Order today and get free shipping on any order, no minimum required
- All products come with limited lifetime warranties
- WCMA Best for Kids certified throughout all categories of products
- Free in-home consultation – a specialist will assess your windows and recommend the best cordless product, opacity and lift mechanism for each room
- For the installation, we use motorized cordless technology as well as smart home integration across MD, VA and DC.
Call 301-847-7000 or book your free in-home consultation online today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cordless Blinds & Shades
What is the difference between cordless shades and motorized shades?
Cordless shades feature a manual spring tension system in the shade head rail. They are operated by pushing or pulling the bottom rail slowly (no cords or chains). Motorized shades are shades that are controlled by a hidden motor to raise and lower the shade, either by remote, wall switch, application, or voice command. They both reduce free hanging cords and conform to WCMA safety standards. The difference is between the level of automation: cordless manual and simple; motorized hands free. Motorized is the upgrade for large windows, high windows and smart home installs.
Are cordless blinds safe for homes with children?
Yes. Cordless blinds and shades remove free hanging cords and exposed loops that can be a strangulation hazard in children’s homes. WCMA Best for Kids certified products have gone through an independent test to attest to the highest child safety standards in the industry. The WCMA officially retired free hanging corded window coverings and made cordless the new industry standard as of June 2024. Households looking to get cordless window treatments for their children under 8 years are advised to install these window coverings on all windows of the home.
What types of window treatments are available with a cordless lift?
Cordless lift is offered with cellular shades (honeycomb shades), roller shades, roman shades, faux wood blinds, premium wood blinds, mini blinds and pleated shades at BuyHomeBlinds. With cordless lift, all of the various levels of opacity, such as light filtering, room darkening and blackout, are available. When you book your no cost design consultation, our in-home experts will recommend the best product and opacity for every room.
How does the spring mechanism in a cordless blind work?
A spring and clutch system is located within the headrail of the blind or shade. By pushing the bottom rail up, the spring will squeeze and secure the shade at the desired height. Pull the bottom rail down and the shade drops out of the spring. There is no need to do any charging with batteries and no need for any external components in the mechanism. It is completely covered by the head rail to prevent the influence of dust and extend its service life. Spring-tension cordless windows work well for about 72 inches wide standard home windows.
Can cordless blinds be used on large windows?
Manual cordless windows are ideal for standard residential windows with lightweight to medium weight fabric and up to about 72 inches wide. Motorized cordless lift is recommended for wider windows, longer spans or thicker materials (such as blackout cellular shades in wide widths). Motorized systems reliably open and close windows up to 12 feet wide and shades up to 25 pounds. The in-home experts measure and determine which window is the best fit and which lift system will work for each window during the free consultation.
What does WCMA Best for Kids certification mean?
Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) is a trade association. Best for Kids is an independent child safety certification program from the industry for cordless window treatments. This label is given by an independent third-party to products that have been tested to satisfy the association’s safety standards for homes with children under three years. The production and sale of free hanging accessible cords will no longer be allowed in the U.S. window treatment industry, with all new window treatments using cordless or continuous loop systems now being considered the industry benchmark.
Are cordless blinds more expensive than corded blinds?
The cost of cordless lift systems is usually an extra small amount onto the base price of a blind or shade. The actual uplift will differ depending on the product type and brand. As of June 2024, the WCMA industry standard is fully cordless and compliant lift systems, making any corded options obsolete and non-competitive for new window treatments. All BuyHomeBlinds new window treatments are standard with the lift system necessary to comply with WCMA Standards. Talk to us about your product and window size and get a quote for your specific needs, or schedule a free consultation to ask any other questions.
How do I clean cordless blinds and shades?
The cleaning method is dependent on material. Cordless faux wood and vinyl blinds are the simplest to clean – just wipe them down with a damp cloth. Fabric shades (cellular, roller, roman) should be dusted regularly using a soft brush attachment on a vacuum to keep them in good condition. Use a soft cloth with a little soap and water to spot clean fabric shades, being careful not to soak the fabric. When dusting cordless wood blinds, use a dusting cloth that is dry or slightly damp, but not soaking wet, to remove dust. No cleaning or maintenance is required for the spring mechanism in the headrail.
Make Every Window in Your Home Safer With Cordless Blinds and Shades
BuyHomeBlinds cordless blinds and shades are the safest, most functional, and most clean-looking window treatment option for all of your rooms in your Maryland, Virginia, or Washington DC home. Certified throughout all product categories by WCMA. Custom sized to your exact windows. Free shipping, free samples and free in-home consultation of all orders.
Shop our full range of cordless shades and cordless blinds above, order free samples today, or call 301-847-7000 to book your free in-home consultation.