Deconovo Blackout Curtains for Bedroom Living Room Black, 52W x 84L

Why it's worth it

A dense back-tab and rod-pocket panel that blocks up to 99% of light and carries OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification. It's the one to buy for a nursery or a kid's room where you care what's in the fabric.

The certification is the reason this beats other budget panels. Fewer than 30% of budget-tier blackout curtains carry OEKO-TEX Standard 100, which screens for over 100 potentially harmful substances. Deconovo's do. If you're hanging curtains a foot from a crib, that's not a nice-to-have. It's the whole decision, and it's rare at this end of the market.

The hanging is flexible in a useful way. Back tabs give you a tailored pleated look with the rod hidden; the rod pocket gives you a softer, more relaxed drape. Same panel, two looks. For a nursery you probably want the back tabs, since they pull the fabric closer to the wall and cut the light that sneaks over the top of a rod.

From our review of 8 blackout curtains for bedrooms, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +The certification is the reason this beats other budget panels
• +The hanging is flexible in a useful way
• +Owners with east-facing rooms report these knock out the morning sun almost completely, which is the hardest test a bedroom…
• +Machine washable, cold, tumble dry low, hang promptly

What to know

• –The fabric looks like what it costs
• –It blocks up to 99%, not 100%, and the color you pick changes that number