Shedding Some Light on the Levolor Classic Cellular Shade
Written: Oct 09 '09 (Updated Oct 10 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: High quality, decent light blocking, Love the cordless option.
Cons: Expect to drop a bundle!
The Bottom Line: Levolor Classic Cellular Shades are of the highest quality. The cordless mechanism is a great option. Good light blocking ability. Wide choice of colors. Expect to drop a bundle!
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| michiman1's Full Review: Levolor 9/16" Classic Cellular Shades |
When one of our daughters returned from college to start a new job following graduation, we found the need to add a shade in her bedroom, eventually opting for the Levolor 9/16” Classic Vertical Shade. We originally went up to the local large home store in town to pick up a fairly inexpensive shade to simply block the sunlight. This shade ended up being quite a bit more costly but for a host of reasons, it was a pretty easy choice.
These window treatments are a custom design choice. Our Levolor shade was delivered to our home free of charge in just under the promised two week time frame. The shade was delivered via FedEx, well packed and in fine condition.
Installation was unbelievably easy and complete in no more than a half of an hour. Due to the casement windows, we selected an outside mount configuration. The shade came with three brackets as well as the necessary screws. I only had to drill six small pilot holes directly into the desired location and secure the brackets with the included screws. The blind headrail snapped easily into place in seconds. Since we paid the premium for the cordless option, the last step was to slide on the included small clear handle onto the bottom rail.
We loved the idea of the cordless option which cost us an additional $45.00. Over the years we have had plenty of experience with vertical shades. In each case we opted to spend the extra amount up front for a high quality shade… most of which are made by the same manufacturer. Each one we have purchased has lasted years but the locking mechanisms do become harder to set in place as time passes. These cordless shades can be raised by simply grabbing the handle and lifting to the desired height. I was impressed with the ease at which the floor model could be raised and lowered while we checked out the blinds in the store. By simply holding the handle, the shade was easy to guide to any desired height. The shade stopped at the precise point with very minimal resistance. On our first attempt to raise and lower our new shade, I was a bit surprised that there was just a bit more resistance than I had experienced on the floor model. I had to assume this may have been related to the fact that the store model had been raised and lowered hundreds or even thousands of times by every curious customer who had stopped by to check out the Levolor display. That being said, our shade still moved smoothly and stopped exactly at the desired height just like the floor display. The first few attempts found us having to play a bit to find a level resting position however after a few attempts this should become a non-issue.
I also like the look of the cordless shade without either the continuous loop or the standard cord. On several of our windows, my wife decided to add curtains and pull-backs on each side of the window. Using the standard shade behind curtains, you will find that pulling the cord into the locked position can be a problem because the cord must be pulled to the right. When lowering the standard shade, as I have to do in our bedroom, I always have to search for the cord which is usually hidden behind the curtain. With the cordless shade none of this comes into play.
The “Classic” is Levolor’s standard shade. This particular style is a single cell shade, also known as a "honeycomb" style and the company allows you to select any one of twenty-four different colors. The cellular fabric is constructed of a soft fibrous material. We wanted the shade, at least in part, to block sunlight into the room. We ended up choosing the toffee color which falls in the middle of the color spectrum offered in this line. The interior side of the cells come in the color of your choice while the exterior side comes in an off-white color. The bedroom is on the upper floor of our home and gets moderate light since a portion of the daytime sun gets blocked by several large oaks. Levolor's base cellular shade provides more than adequate light blocking for us. For consumers with increased need for room darkening abilities, Levolor also makes an energy-efficient double cell shade or a specifically designed room darkening model. Expect to pay an approximate 15% premium over this shade for the double cell or nearly 65% more for the room darkening style.
We ended up paying $151.00 plus sales tax for the 50”x54” Levolor 9/16” Classic Vertical Shade. During the store's 20% off sale the standard shade was $106.00 along with the added charge of $45.00 for the cordless option.
There were a number of other manufacturer's choices available and we could have most likely saved a few bucks by selecting a competitor's shade. In the end, we scrapped the original plan of picking up an inexpensive shade and stayed with the trusted Levolor brand which has offered complete worry-free use in our home… some for as long as 15 years. I hope this review sheds some light on the Levolor 9/16” Classic Vertical Shade. Overall, I have to offer up four and a half stars and a buy recommendation here at Epinions based on our experience with this particular shade as well as a long history of positive experience with this company. The only basis for eliminating a half star is related to the somewhat higher price than some of the economy brands.
I would also like to thank H&G Catagory Lead dlstewart for getting this item added so quickly to the Epinions database. If you would care to offer your opinion on any item in the H&G that does not appear or where no "Write a Review" link exists - Follow the SAP link on her page.
Recommended:
Yes
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