NICETOWN 100% Blackout Curtains

What we tested

We've bought 26 sets of NICETOWN curtains over eight years, plus their door window curtains, and they hang in nearly every room we've furnished, from the main bedroom to the guest rooms. This is long-term, everyday use across a lot of colors.

Living with it

We've been buying NICETOWN curtains for eight years. In that time we've hung 26 sets of panels, plus their curtains for the windows in our doors, in nearly every room we've furnished, from the main bedroom to the guest rooms. The colors run from white, beige and biscotti beige to cappuccino, grey, navy and royal blue, so we've seen how they hold up in light and dark shades alike.

The short version: they work. Closed, the blackouts don't let light in, which is exactly what you want in a bedroom, whether you're sleeping in on a Saturday or just want the room to feel like evening at four in the afternoon.

Our favorite trick is layering. In most rooms we hang a white sheer on a rod inside the blackouts. With the blackouts open, the sheer still lets plenty of light in while softening it, and the room doesn't feel on display. Close the blackouts and the room goes dark.

They arrive folded, so expect creases the first day. A handheld steamer or a light iron fixes that in a few minutes, and after that they hang straight.

They're reasonably priced and they've held up well. Twenty-six sets later, we're still buying them for new rooms.

In your room

We layer a white sheer on an inside rod in most rooms: open the blackouts and the sheer still softens the light and keeps a little privacy; close them and the room goes dark. Khaki and white suit lighter, coastal rooms; the darker colors suit moodier ones.

Pairs with

• Lighting a bedroom for intimacyOnce the room can go fully dark, here's how to light it.

Skip it if

You want a heavy, luxurious drape with a soft sheen. For that, look at NICETOWN's velvet curtains instead.