45% off Guard ends this week
After 9 years of sleeping in a gray room, I put every popular "blackout" fix to the same test. 5 failed. 1 made my room pitch black at noon.
For 9 years I sleep when the sun is up. And my bedroom was never dark. It was gray.
A line of light on top of the curtain. A glow on the sides. The tiniest bit of light underneath. Then at 11am it hits your face and you are awake for good.
I tried everything people told me would make my room dark. Nothing made it truly dark.
So I made it a mission: test the most popular blackout solutions on the same window and find the one that really works. My window faces east, the sun hits it from 6am. If it works here, it works anywhere.
Each solution got one week and 4 tests:
1. Noon hand testLights off at 12pm. Can I see my hand?
2. Edge testAny light around the top, sides or bottom?
3. After a shift testHow much work is it every day?
4. Renter testNo drilling, no damage?
What people say: "Just wear an eye mask, problem solved."
I sleep on my side. The mask moves, the light comes in, and at 11am I'm awake with sun in one eye. And the room is still bright. One bathroom trip and your brain says "good morning".
It covers your eyes, not your room.
What people say: "I put aluminium foil on my windows with double faced tape and it's perfect."
Where foil covers, it blocks light. But the tape gives up in the heat. Twice I woke up at 2pm with foil hanging and sun on my pillow. The board I had to put up and take down every day. And when I took it all down, the tape took the paint with it.
8/10 on day one, 4/10 after a week. It works until it doesn't.
What people say: "I got $7 curtains from Walmart that work just as good. Actually, they let in the tiniest bit of light underneath them."
The fabric is blackout. The curtain is not. It hangs in front of the window, so light goes around it: over the rod, down the sides, under the bottom. Clips, Velcro, a towel on the rod, nothing fixed it.
Bright became dim. Dim is not dark.
What people say: "The blackout roller blinds in my room just didn't work."
A roller blind needs space to roll, so there is always a gap on both sides. On my window that meant two bright stripes right next to my bed. And I had to drill into my landlord's window frame.
By now I was using blinds + curtains + towel + mask together. Kind of dark, very ugly, and 10 minutes of setup every morning.
The gaps are part of the design.
What people say: "There are other companies that do a similar thing that are possibly a wee bit cheaper."
I started seeing ads for blinds that sit inside the window frame. Lots of brands, all looking the same, some much cheaper. So I thought, why pay more? I picked one of the cheap ones.
It came the wrong size, and damaged. The frame was bent, so the blind didn't even close fully. Light came in on the edges and through the gap. Not even close to 100% blackout. And the quality was super poor, you could tell right away they used the cheapest parts they could find.
I asked for a refund. They said no. So I lost the money and I was back at the start.
Cheap twice is not cheap.
I found it in an ad and thought the video was edited. But it's built differently: Guard sits inside the window recess, in its own frame, custom made to your exact size. Weather and brush strips seal all 4 edges. No edges, no light.
My biggest fear was measuring. What if it comes too small? Then I saw the guarantees. Nothing to lose:
Fit PromiseMeasure wrong, they remake it free.
Pitch Black GuaranteeNot 100% dark? Money back in 30 days.
It fit on the first try, and install took 10 minutes with no tools. Noon hand test: I could not see my hand. I was scared to walk to the door. After 9 years, finally pitch black. And cooler too.
The only one that passed every test.
Free remake if it doesn't fit · 30-day money back · Free shipping
| Solution | Real cost | Hand test | Edge test | Daily hassle | No drilling | Darkness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep mask | $47 | If it stays on | Fail | Low | Yes | 5/10 |
| Foil / cardboard | $30 + paint | Day one only | Fail | Very high | Tape marks | 4–8/10 |
| Blackout curtains | $207 | Fail | Big fail | Low | Rod needs screws | 6/10 |
| Roller blinds | $96 + drilling | Fail | Fail | Low | No | 6/10 |
| Cheap look-alikes | $120, no refund | Fail | Fail | Low | Yes | 4/10 |
| Guard | From $119 | Pass | Pass | Slide it closed | Yes | 10/10 |
Swipe the table to see all columns →
See the pattern? Light doesn't come through blackout fabric. It comes around it. Guard is the only one that seals all 4 edges and keeps them sealed.
I had all the same doubts. So before I ordered, I read through their Trustpilot reviews. Here's what I found.
More than curtains, yes. But I spent about $500 on things that didn't work. Guard starts from $119 and it's a one-time investment that lasts as long as you want, with a 2-year warranty you can extend. Over a few years it's cents per night.
"Are they pricey? Yes. Do they work? Yes."
Measure 3 times each way and use the smallest number. If you still get it wrong, they remake it for free.
"I screwed up the measurements and they replaced it at no additional charge."
The strips cover differences up to 1 cm (0.39 in).
"Perfect fit even though our window is not a perfect square."
It's made to your exact size, so it fits snug. One reviewer even put it in a skylight.
"They fit perfectly in my skylight - and stay put!"
Sliding, casement, hung, tilt-and-turn and skylights, yes. You need 1.18 in (3 cm) of recess depth. Arched windows, no.
Closed means sealed, that's why it's pitch black. Open it when you wake up.
I thought so too. 4.9/5 from 1,200+ reviews, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee, even on custom sizes.
4.9/5 · 1,200+ verified reviews
"I have worked night shift for 14 years and have tried so many things and these are hands down the best thing ever!!"
"I work night shift as a patrol officer... I need a completely dark room. Guard Blinds does just that."
"I rent so that wasn't an option. Finding these shades was a complete gamechanger for me."
"The little commercial where they close it and it just gets black? Thats legit 100%."
"We have a baby and wanted a total blackout... We tried blinds then blackout curtains, and still some lights get through... I was impressed with the quality and the total blackout finally!!"
"Perfect fit, they let literally zero light in. Early wind down for the kids is amazing! Even on lighter evenings their rooms look calm and relaxing."
One warning: "Make sure you set your alarm because you will sleep into the next day."
— My Advice —
Do every window where someone sleeps, not just one. One dark window doesn't help much if light still comes in from the other. Right now Guard has 45% off for the Black Friday Sale, plus extra discounts when you order 2 or 3+ blinds. The more windows you do, the more you save.
"I spent 9 years and about $500 testing things that didn't work. You can skip straight to #6."
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2026 Guard.
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2026 Guard.
