The Unishade Blackout is a made-to-measure roller blind sold by Swift Direct Blinds, available in 28 colours and starting from £10.00. It sits firmly in the budget end of the made-to-measure blackout market, which makes it worth a close look for anyone who needs effective light blocking without paying mid-range prices. The range is kept deliberately simple: two neutral finishes, a single blackout fabric weight, and a price structure that rewards smaller windows in particular.
Who it suits
Bedrooms are the obvious fit. A blackout roller is the simplest way to darken a room, and this range's price point makes it accessible for a full house of windows. The fabric is described as blackout by the retailer - as with any blackout fabric, the material itself blocks light transmission, but edge-leak around the sides remains possible unless you combine it with a face-fit or side-channel installation. If total darkness is the goal, that fitting decision matters as much as the fabric choice.
Children's rooms benefit from exactly this kind of blind: blackout for sleep, simple chain operation, and a price that doesn't sting if you need several windows. The neutral palette keeps it suitable as children grow. Note that for young children's rooms specifically, you should confirm the operating mechanism is cord-safe; UK-sold blinds are required to include cord-safe measures, but it's always worth checking the fitting instructions before you order.
Living rooms and home offices are less natural territory. Both rooms often benefit from light-filtering or dimout fabrics so that daytime visibility is preserved when the blind is down - a blackout fabric in those spaces goes from bright to very dark with nothing in between. In a home cinema or media room that logic flips; if you need genuine darkness during the day, this range works well.
The colours
28 colours available
The two finishes - Cream and Dove Grey - are both neutrals that sit at opposite ends of a warm-to-cool axis. Cream leans warmer and reads lighter in a room, which suits south- and east-facing windows where reflected light brightens the fabric when it's raised. Dove Grey is a cooler mid-tone that suits contemporary or Scandi-influenced interiors without committing to a bold statement.
Neither finish is premium-priced; both share the same from-price across the range. The limited palette is the most obvious trade-off in the Unishade's design: you get two solid, dependable neutrals, but if your scheme calls for something warmer than Cream or cooler and deeper than Dove Grey, you'll need to consider a wider-palette range from a different product line.
Price by your dimensions
Enter your window size. We round up to the next standard size, which matches how the retailer actually quotes you.
Starting at £10.00, the Unishade Blackout sits in the budget tier of made-to-measure rollers. As with most made-to-measure blinds, the price rises with width and drop - the grid above shows what your specific window size will cost. Smaller windows keep costs particularly low, which suits cottage-sized windows, secondary bedrooms, or en-suite bathroom windows where you want blackout coverage without a significant spend. Larger windows will price out higher, as they do with any made-to-measure fabric, so it's worth checking your exact dimensions in the grid before assuming the from-price reflects your window.
How it compares
Within the blackout roller category, the Unishade's main competition comes from other budget-to-mid roller ranges with polyester blackout backing. Where it wins is price: at under £10 for small sizes, it's hard to find made-to-measure blackout fabric significantly cheaper. Where it concedes ground is finish count - two colours gives very little room if neither neutral suits your scheme, and buyers wanting a warm white, a true off-white, or a dark charcoal will need to look elsewhere.
For rooms where thermal performance matters as much as light blocking - particularly conservatories or rooms with poor glazing - a cellular or honeycomb blind would outperform any roller fabric on insulation. For rooms where moisture resistance is a priority, a PVC roller or an aluminium venetian would be a more durable choice. Within those constraints, if the room is a bedroom or media room, neutral palette is fine, and price is the deciding factor, the Unishade Blackout is a straightforward option from a UK retailer with a made-to-measure offering at this price level.