While both are suitable for outdoor use, each has it's own limitations and niche. The primary difference between drop blinds and roller blinds are the operating system that they use, and their names reflect they way they are deployed.
Drop blinds use the Rope-and-pulley operating system. The blinds are deployed by a controlled release of the ropeTo avoid damaging the outdoor blinds we recommend a slow, controlled release rather than simply 'letting go'., allowing the blind to "drop" towards the floor with gravity - hence the name. They are faster and easier to operate than geared roller blinds. Drop blinds can be either zipped (enclosed) or non-zipped (standard). You can also check out our outdoor lapa blinds gallery, outdoor patio blinds gallery or our outdoor balcony blinds gallery for examples.
Roller blinds either use the manual crank-gear operating system or may be motorised, or motorised with manual override. Roller blinds are deployed from a rotating tube at the top of the blind that slowly unrolls the blind. They are slower to operate than drop blinds but are more discreet and compact. Roller blinds can be frameless, or side-tracked. Be sure to check out our outdoor roller blinds gallery for more examples.
This refers to how the outdoor blinds are fitted to your outdoor area. Zipped (drop blinds) and sidetracked (roller blinds) outdoor blinds will fully enclose an opening, while standard (drop blinds) outdoor blinds will have narrow gaps on their vertical sides. All outdoor blinds can be either windowed, fitted with a mesh screen, or be solid with no window section.
Zipped outdoor blinds will fully enclose an outdoor area and make a room of it - you will get maximum protection and insulation. Zipped outdoor blinds must be used with a rope and pulley system. If you want maximum protection zipped blinds are the best economic choice.
Sidetracks will allow you to fully enclose an opening with roller blinds in a similar fashion to zipped outdoor blinds. Sidetracks are only applicable to outdoor roller blinds or screens. Sidetracked outdoor roller blinds are the best choice when you want both maximum protection and style.
Frameless outdoor blinds are the most discreet option and are generally considered more aesthetically pleasing than their counterparts. Both roller and drop blinds can be frameless. If you want to stop only the worst of the direct weather and prefer the aesthetics of the frameless blinds then this may be your best option.
These are designed to protect the outdoor blinds from the sun and prevent rain from pooling inside them while they are retracted. They are considered a very important part of the design and as such are included by default in all outdoor drop blinds that are not under cover already. Solid steel or aluminium top covers are available for roller blinds as optional extras.
Outdoor blind curtains (made from the same canvas as the outdoor blinds) will allow you the flexibility of blocking out the sun when you need to by closing the window section, without committing to a fully solid blind. All our outdoor blinds are curtain compatible by default so you can add curtains at a later date should you need them, or make your own from lace etc.
Doggy / cat doors are available for clients wishing to accomodate for the traffic of their pets through the outdoor blinds. Special mention must be made to your consultant in this regard.
Certain components of our outdoor roller blinds such as the crank handle, gears, top cover and and the bottom tube may be powder-coated to better fit the aesthetics of the outdoor blind at a nominal additional charge.
We use 3 primary fabrics for our outdoor blinds:
Our window sections consist of UV-stabilised clear marine grade pvc, while you have the option of either 100% acrylic canvas (Docril® from Spain is our standard) or acrylic blended canvas (Ripstop / RipBlock / RipTech) as choices for the body of the outdoor blind.
Our acrylic blended ripstop canvas is very tough and tear resistant, while our 100% acrylic canvas is elegant and highly resistant to fading.
All outdoor textiles we use for our outdoor blinds are fungal resistant, UV resistant and waterproof.
Choose from any of the Docril® colors in our 100% acrylic canvas range, or from the RipBlock / Riptech colors in our acrylic blended ripstop canvas range. Please note that due to discrepencies between digital monitor resolutions and colors these should be used as reference only, and should not be considered a representation of the final product. Our consultants will provide accurate samples with your free on-site quote.