The Barclay Noir range from So Easy Blinds is a made-to-measure vertical blind offered in 1 colourway, starting from £48.44. It is a tightly focused vertical louvre range built around one grey-toned cloth, made to size in whatever width and drop a window needs, so it suits a room where a specific, settled neutral is wanted rather than a choice between several shades.
Who it suits
Vertical blinds are the natural choice for wide windows, patio doors and conservatories. The louvres tilt to set the angle of light and draw to one side to clear the glass entirely, which makes them practical where a sideways stack is more convenient than a blind that pulls up. Because the slats hang vertically, they handle the full height of tall windows without sagging, and a single blind can span a much wider opening than most pull-up styles manage.
Barclay Noir is a light-filtering cloth rather than a blackout one. The fabric softens and diffuses daylight rather than blocking it, and even with the louvres tilted closed the overlaps between slats leak a little light, so it is better read as a privacy and glare-control blind than a room-darkening one. For a bedroom that needs genuine darkness a blackout roller or pleated blind would serve better; for a living space, dining room or conservatory where the aim is to take the edge off bright daylight while keeping the view available, the cloth fits well.
The colours
1 colour available
This is a single-cloth range rather than a multi-shade collection: Barclay Noir sits in the grey end of the neutral spectrum, a quiet tone made to recede into a room rather than stand out at the window. The decision here is not which colour to pick but whether this particular grey suits the scheme, which makes it a simple specification for a room already decorated in cool neutrals where a matching louvre is wanted. Colour on a screen and colour filling a window can differ considerably, so request a sample before committing to a full-sized blind, particularly when matching against an existing wall or floor tone where even a small shift in the grey will show.
Price by your dimensions
Enter your window size. We round up to the next standard size, which matches how the retailer actually quotes you.
No price movement in our checks since 3 Jun.
The range sits at an accessible entry point, consistent with vertical blinds more broadly - generally among the more affordable made-to-measure styles for covering a large area, because the cloth is light and the mechanism simple. The price you see will depend on the finished width and drop, since a vertical blind for a patio door uses far more fabric than one for a standard window.
How it compares
Against a roller blind, a vertical gives you tilt as well as draw, so you can angle the louvres to manage glare without clearing the whole window, and it scales to far wider openings than a single roller comfortably will. Against a wood or aluminium venetian, the vertical fabric reads softer and warmer and is better suited to large expanses of glass, though it does not wipe down as readily as a hard slat. Within the So Easy Blinds vertical offering, Barclay Noir is a focused single-cloth option in grey; broader multi-shade ranges exist if a choice of tones or warmer colours is wanted.
A note on care
Vertical louvres need little routine upkeep. Dust them with a soft brush or a vacuum on a low setting, working down each slat, and spot-clean marks with a damp cloth rather than soaking the fabric. A useful practical point with verticals: if a single louvre is damaged or stained beyond cleaning, it can usually be replaced on its own rather than renewing the whole blind, which keeps a long-running blind serviceable. Draw the louvres flat before brushing so you can reach the full face of each slat.
Likely the same fabric, at other retailers
Sio vertical blinds are sold under the same name by more than one UK retailer, and the price scales identically across window sizes - a strong sign it is the same fabric from the same supplier:
- Swift Direct Blinds from £7.12
- Blinds By Post from £11.21
- Blinds Direct from £14.54
- Vertical Blinds Direct from £20.94
- Wilsons Blinds from £23.95
- So Easy Blinds this page from £48.44
We match these on the shared name and an identical price curve, not an independent inspection, so treat it as likely the same fabric rather than confirmed - and check the specification and colour at each retailer before buying.