Select Blinds is a direct-to-consumer online retailer focused on making custom window treatments affordable and easy to order, while Levolor is a legacy brand known for its premium quality, innovative features, and availability through major retail partners. The primary difference is cost versus features: Select Blinds prioritizes competitive pricing and a simple DIY experience, whereas Levolor offers higher-end materials, motorization, and professional installation services at a higher price point.
Let's break down everything you need to know to choose the right window treatment brand for your home.
Select Blinds: The Custom Budget-Friendly Choice
Select Blinds has made a name for itself as a leading online destination for custom window treatments at accessible prices. It caters to homeowners and renters who want a personalized look without the expense of traditional window stores. The brand's model is built around a straightforward online shopping experience, guiding customers through measuring, customizing, and ordering their blinds, shades, or shutters entirely from home.
- Product mix: Extensive selection of custom blinds, shades, shutters, and drapes. Popular categories include faux wood blinds, real wood blinds, cellular shades, roller shades, and vertical blinds.
- Style/vibe: Functional, versatile, and practical. Their styles are designed to fit a wide range of popular home aesthetics, from modern farmhouse to contemporary minimalist, without being overly trendy.
- Price point: Budget-friendly to mid-range. Faux wood blinds often start around $30–$50 per window, and the company frequently runs significant sales and promotions, often advertising discounts of 40-50%.
- Quality: Good, reliable quality for the price point. Their materials, like moisture-resistant faux wood, are designed for durability in everyday situations, making them a popular choice for kitchens, bathrooms, and high-traffic areas.
- Customization: Highly customizable. Customers can specify exact measurements and choose from a wide variety of colors, materials, lift options (including cordless), and valance styles.
- Shopping Experience: Exclusively online. Their website features comprehensive measuring guides, customer reviews, and a popular free sample program that allows you to see and feel materials before buying.
- Delivery & Assembly: Products are custom-made and typically ship within a week or two. Assembly and installation are designed for DIY, with clear instructions provided.
Select Blinds is the go-to choice for anyone looking for the value and convenience of ordering custom-fit window treatments online without a hefty price tag.
Shop Select Blinds: selectblinds.com
Levolor: The Premium Innovator
With over 100 years in the industry, Levolor has established itself as a brand synonymous with quality craftsmanship and innovation in window treatments. Levolor products appeal to homeowners who are willing to invest more for superior materials, advanced technology, and designer aesthetics. They bridge the gap between big-box accessibility and high-end custom design, offering both DIY-friendly options and professional services.
- Product mix: A premium range of blinds, shades, and shutters, including wood blinds, cellular shades, solar shades, and Roman shades. Levolor is also a leader in motorized and smart home-compatible window coverings.
- Style/vibe: Sophisticated, elegant, and modern. Their collections often feature designer fabrics, refined finishes, and tailored details that suit more upscale and design-conscious interiors.
- Price point: Mid-range to premium. A similar-sized faux wood blind from Levolor might start at $80–$150, with prices increasing significantly for motorized options, premium fabrics, or smart home integration.
- Quality: Known for high-quality materials and durable construction. Many products feature details like UV protection to prevent fading, advanced light-filtering fabrics, and robust, long-lasting lift mechanisms.
- Customization: Extensive custom options including a wide array of exclusive fabrics and finishes. They also offer precise solutions for specialty windows and complex installations.
- Features: A key differentiator is their focus on technology, including multiple motorized lift options that can be controlled via remote, app, or integrated into smart home systems like Google Assistant and Alexa.
- Shopping Experience: Products are available directly from their website and through major retail partners like The Home Depot. This multi-channel approach allows customers to see products in-store and access professional measuring and installation services.
- Sustainability: Levolor holds GREENGUARD Gold certifications for many of their products, ensuring low chemical emissions and contributing to healthier indoor air quality.
Levolor is an excellent choice for those prioritizing longevity, a high-end feel, and advanced features in their window treatments, backed by a trusted brand reputation.
Shop Levolor: levolor.com
Select Blinds vs. Levolor Comparison
Price Comparison
There is a clear price difference between the two brands. Select Blinds is aggressively priced for budget-conscious consumers. Their business model is built around offering custom solutions at a fraction of the cost of traditional retailers, and constant promotions make them even more affordable. It's common to find stylish, custom-fit blinds for under $100 per window.
Levolor operates in a higher price bracket. Their focus on premium materials, innovative engineering, and brand reputation commands a higher price. While they offer more basic, affordable options, their mid-range and high-end products - especially those with motorization - represent a more significant investment. The value proposition for Levolor lies in durability, features, and a more polished final product.
Style & Aesthetic
Select Blinds offers a vast selection that covers most mainstream design trends. Their styles are safe, practical, and highly versatile, making it easy to find a match for nearly any decor. The aesthetic is clean and functional rather than overtly luxurious or trend-setting.
Levolor’s collections feel more curated and design-forward. They offer designer fabrics, a richer palette of colors and finishes, and a generally more sophisticated appearance. Their cordless and motorized options add a sleek, modern touch, eliminating visible cords for a cleaner look. If the fine details of a design are important to you, Levolor has the edge.
Quality & Materials
Both brands offer quality products, but they are benchmarked differently. Select Blinds provides strong, reliable materials suitable for everyday use. Their products are designed to hold up well and offer great performance relative to their cost. They are a significant step up from off-the-shelf, non-custom options.
Levolor uses higher-grade materials across the board, from woods and metals to premium textiles. Their construction feels more substantial, and features like UV-resistant finishes contribute to better long-term performance and fade resistance. This focus on premium components generally translates to a longer lifespan and a more luxurious feel.
Customization & Sizing
Customization is a core strength for both brands. Select Blinds makes it easy to specify exact sizing via their online guides and provides an extensive range of colors and standard features. Their free sample program is essential for ensuring you get the look you want.
Levolor also provides deep customization but takes it a step further with professional services. For those with tricky, oversized, or unusually shaped windows, having a professional measure and install can be a significant advantage. This service, typically offered through their retail partners, removes the guesswork and risk of a DIY mis-measurement.
Product Selection & Features
While both brands cover all the main categories (blinds, shades, shutters), Levolor stands apart with its technology. Their investment in motorized and smart-home integrated window treatments is a major differentiator. If you want the convenience of controlling your blinds with a remote, an app, or your voice, Levolor is the clear winner.
Select Blinds focuses on offering a wide variety within the standard categories. You’ll find more color options and styles at the entry-level, but advanced features like smart automation are not their core focus.
Shopping Experience
The choice here comes down to DIY confidence versus a desire for professional support. Select Blinds offers a seamless online-only, direct-to-consumer experience. You measure, order, and install yourself, saving money in the process. Their customer service is available to help, but the process is self-directed.
Levolor provides more flexibility. You can research and buy online, or you can go to a store like The Home Depot to see a display, get swatches, and arrange for professional measurement and installation. This hybrid model appeals to customers who want more hands-on guidance.
Which One Should You Choose?
The right choice depends on your budget, priorities, and how involved you want to be in the process. Both brands are leaders in their respective market segments.
Choose Select Blinds if:
- Your primary concern is sticking to a budget.
- You are confident in measuring and installing window treatments yourself.
- You need custom, functional coverage quickly for standard windows.
- You prioritize extensive color choices and value over high-end features.
Choose Levolor if:
- You are looking for a premium, long-term investment in your home.
- You want advanced features like motorization or smart-home integration.
- A sophisticated, designer aesthetic is important to your interior design.
- You prefer the option of professional measuring and installation for a perfect fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Select Blinds or Levolor cheaper?
Select Blinds is significantly cheaper. They are designed to be a budget-friendly alternative for custom window treatments, while Levolor is positioned as a higher-end brand with prices that reflect its premium materials and features.
Which brand has better quality?
Levolor is generally recognized for its superior quality and construction. They use higher-grade materials, and their products are engineered for long-term durability and a more premium feel. Select Blinds offers good, reliable quality for its price point but isn't benchmarked against luxury standards.
Can I get motorized shades from both brands?
Levolor is the clear leader in motorization and automation. They offer a wide range of products with motorized lifts that can be controlled with remotes, apps, and smart home assistants. Select Blinds offers some motorized options, but it is not their specialty, and the variety is more limited.
Are Select Blinds good for a DIY project?
Yes, absolutely. The entire Select Blinds business model is built around empowering customers to measure, order, and install their window treatments themselves. Their website provides extensive guides and videos to support the DIY process.
Where can I buy Levolor blinds?
You can purchase Levolor products directly from their website or through their network of authorized retail partners, the largest of which is The Home Depot. Buying through a retailer often gives you access to in-person displays and professional services.
Does Select Blinds have physical stores?
No, Select Blinds is an e-commerce brand that operates exclusively online. This direct-to-consumer model helps them keep their prices low.
Which brand is better for specialty or oversized windows?
For complex projects involving specialty shapes or very large windows, Levolor is often the safer choice due to the availability of professional measuring and installation services. These services help ensure a perfect fit and remove the risk of costly DIY errors.
Which is more sustainable?
Levolor has a more established and transparent commitment to sustainability. Many of their products carry GREENGUARD Gold certification, which tests for low chemical emissions, ensuring healthier indoor air quality.
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