The Kobe range from So Easy Blinds is a made-to-measure vertical blind offered in 6 colours, starting from £48.44. It is a louvre blind: fabric slats hang from a headrail, tilt to set the light level and draw to one side to clear the window. The Kobe cloth is a blackout fabric, so each louvre blocks light through its body, and the palette holds to neutral greys, a taupe, a cream and a white.
Who it suits
Vertical blinds suit wide windows, patio doors and conservatories better than most styles, because the louvres draw aside to open the full aperture and tilt to set the light level across a broad pane. The Kobe range pairs that with a blackout cloth and a restrained neutral palette, so it works for a bedroom, a nursery or a media room where you want to cut daytime brightness without introducing a strong colour. The greys, taupe and white sit quietly against most walls, making it an easy choice for a calm, light-controlled space.
It is worth being clear about how blackout behaves on a vertical blind. The fabric of each louvre blocks light, but vertical louvres overlap rather than seal, so a little light always leaks at the joins and down the edges even with the slats tilted closed. Kobe is therefore very effective at reducing light, but not a fully light-tight seal in the way a blackout roller cut to a recess can be. For darkening a room it is a strong option; for total darkness expect some edge light.
The colours
6 colours available
The Kobe palette is neutral and coordinated - several greys spanning a lighter Steel through to a darker Graphite and Thunder, plus a warm Taupe, a Fossil and a clean White. It is a tonal collection built around greys rather than a spread of contrasting colours, which makes it straightforward to match to an existing scheme. Colour on a screen and colour filling a window can differ considerably, so request a sample before committing to a full-sized blind, particularly across the greys where neighbouring shades are close and the blackout cloth can read deeper in place than online.
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 is offered with a single standard fitting, so the starting price reflects a straightforward headrail installation. Vertical blinds are among the more affordable ways to cover a wide window, and the blackout cloth here keeps within that band, so the decision is about the darkening and the shade you want rather than the budget.
How it compares
Against a standard or light-filtering vertical, Kobe trades retained brightness for a far greater reduction in light, which makes it the pick for sleeping and viewing rooms rather than spaces you want kept bright. Against a blackout roller, a vertical covers a much wider window in a single blind and lets you tilt and draw, but the louvre overlaps mean it will not seal a recess as tightly as a roller cut to the reveal. Within the vertical category, Kobe is the darkening choice in a quiet, grey-led neutral palette.
A note on care
Vertical louvres are simple to keep. Dust them with a soft brush or a vacuum brush attachment run down the length of each slat, and spot-clean marks with a damp cloth rather than soaking the blackout cloth. A useful feature of the style is that a single damaged louvre can be replaced on its own rather than the whole blind, so a snag or stain need not retire the lot. Turn the louvres flat before cleaning so you can reach the full face of each one.
Likely the same fabric, at other retailers
Kobe 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:
- Blinds By Post from £11.21
- Blinds Direct from £45.58
- So Easy Blinds this page from £48.44
- Wilsons Blinds from £75.46
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.