Product Review + Giveaway: Eclipse Curtains

When researching home textiles, I tend to stick to sustainable fabrics like organic cotton, hemp, linen and the like. But as most of you know, there are many shades of green, and many characteristics that can make a product eco-friendly.

When I first learned about Eclipse Curtains, my first question was what they are made of. Much to my dismay, I learned that they weren’t made of a sustainable fabric, but polyester. I was tempted to walk away right then and there, but another quality of these window treatments made me take a second look — they are blackout curtains, meant to block light, reduce noise and, lo and behold, help reduce your energy costs.

I was definitely intrigued by that last characteristic, so Eclipse sent me a curtain to use and review.

Blackout performance

Having only used the single curtain for a few weeks, it is hard to tell whether it will affect my energy costs any, but I can give you my perspective on its performace otherwise. I hung the Robert Thermaweave black curtain panel in my bedroom next to a traditional curtain that I’ve had for a couple of years. I thought that curtain, which is  made of dark brown cotton twill, was pretty good at blocking light. Compared to the Eclipse panel, it may as well have been sheer. Long story short: If you like sleeping in darkness, you’ll love Eclipse curtains.

Insulating performance

When I first hung the curtain, it was still hot outside. The area directly in front of the Eclipse panel was noticeably cooler than the rest of the room, and much cooler than the area in front of the curtain next to it.  The curtain itself was pretty hot, given that it is black and held in heat. But that’s the point — it kept the heat contained to the area between the window and the curtain instead of allowing it into the room.

Now that the weather is much cooler, the opposite is true. We turn off the heating and cooling system during the day fairly often. Where much of the house can get pretty chilly, our room stays much more temperate. This wasn’t true before, as our room often cooled down before any other room.

Style

My amateur photos don’t do the curtains justice, and amazingly enough, neither do the photos that came directly from Eclipse. The style that I received, the Robert Thermaweave, is truly sleek and stylish. It is made of a tuxedo black polyester with a slight sheen and a subtle grid pattern. They would be great in a room where black is an integral part of your color palette.

And if you don’t like black, they are also available in a variety of other colors.

The verdict

While I wish Eclipse curtains were made of a fabric more sustainable than polyester, I still think they have potential to help reduce your heating and cooling bills. For them to be truly effective, you’d have to use them in almost every room, or at least keep the doors closed to the rooms where you used them. The fact that they are also very affordable makes them more accessible to a much wider group of consumers. And since reducing energy consumption should be on every eco-diva’s list of ways to save the Earth, I think Eclipse curtains have got a fighting chance.

Why It’s Green:

• Helps reduce heating and cooling bills by offering extra insulation near your windows

Price: $12-40 apiece

Want to win?

Eclipse graciously offered up a pair of black Robert Thermaweave Curtain Panels for one lucky reader of Green Your Decor. Valance is not included as shown in the photo, and trust me — they look much better in person than they do in the photo. Simply visit Eclipse, then come back here and leave a comment about one thing you liked or learned by 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 5, 2008.

Want to enter more than once? Boost your chances of winning by completing one or more of the tasks on this list. Please leave a separate comment for each entry:

1. If you haven’t already, sign up for Green Your Decor’s email updates by 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 5, 2008. You must verify your email subscription to be eligible. After you sign up, FeedBurner will send you a verification email. Please do not ignore it — your entry will be invalid if you do not verify. All current subscribers are eligible to win. And there’s no need to leave a comment letting me know you subscribe by email. I’ll know you’re a subscriber
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5. Fave Green Your Decor on Technorati. Then come back here and leave a comment with your Technorati user name so I can verify it.

So that means every participant can receive up to 6 entries. You have until 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 5, 2008, to enter. U.S. mailing addresses only. A winner will be chosen via Random.org and contacted via email. Good luck everyone!