Safer for Children and Pets

Learn more about window treatments that are safer for children and pets

If you have children or pets, you take every measure to ensure that your home is as safe as possible. But did you know that the cords and chains on blinds can pose one of the biggest household hazards to your little ones? Capital Shutters & Blinds is here to help you select the right solution from our product range, that are safer for children or that can be made safe by upgrading to a cordless or motorised lifting system, without compromising the look and functionality you require.
Child safety is of the utmost importance to us to, so please look for the ‘Family Safe’ logo on our product pages to determine if the product you are interested has options that make it safer for children or give us a call on 021 143 5833.

Products with child safety features

Shutters

Shutters do not have any cords or chains, making them the most child safe option that you could choose.

Thermacell Blinds

Thermacell blinds, which are also known as honeycomb blinds, are thermally efficient cellular blinds which are one of the best options to choose for a child’s bedroom. They offer a cost-effective, cordless option called ‘Smartrise’, which allows you to lift and lower the blinds by hand with no cords and are easy to operate. They can also be manufactured with cords, with the addition of a ‘Child Safety Breakaway Tassel’, that parts under pressure.
All blinds come with cord cleats or chain tensioners, as a standard feature for enhanced child safety.

Roller Blinds

Roller blinds can be installed with a motorised feature, so that there are no cords at all. If your budget doesn’t allow for this, then your blind can be installed with a chain tensioner. This device holds the chain against the window jamb, thereby not allowing a child to pull the chain away from the window and forming a loop around their neck.

Venetian Blinds

Venetian blinds always have cords and therefore must be installed with cleats to improve child safety. These are fitted to the window jamb and the cords are then wrapped around them. These blinds should also have a ‘Child Safety Breakaway Tassel’ wherever two or more cords come together into one tassel. Some venetian blinds, such as our aluminium venetians, can also be operated using a wand instead of a cord. All Santa Fe blinds come with cord cleats or chain tensioners as a standard feature for enhanced child safety.

Vertical Louvre Blinds

When purchasing Vertical Louvre blinds, also known as Verticals, choose the wand operation option, rather than a cord operation and ask for the blind to be manufactured without chains joining the blades of the blinds together at the bottom.

SAFETY TIPS

Choose cordless blinds or shutters

Check window coverings for exposed cords and chains that could pose a strangulation hazard to infants, young children and pets. Replace corded window coverings with safer cordless products. Shutters which have no cords or roller blinds and blinds which are motorised and therefore are cordless, are considered the preferred options for child safety.

Keep cords out of sight and out of reach

If you can’t install newer products, ensure that all window cords are out of sight and reach, and that they are inaccessible to young children. If you are concerned about how safe your existing blinds are, most blind companies and retailers can supply chain tensioners and cleats to you and be able to give you advice on how to install them safely.

Prevent access to cords

Move cots, bassinets, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window cords, preferably to another wall if possible. These items could act as unintentional ‘step stools’ that allow a child to reach a window or cord.

Pull it tight!

Loop pull cords should be pulled tight and anchored to the floor or wall with a tension device.

All Santa Fe blinds come with cord cleats or chain tensioners as a standard feature for enhanced child safety.

Properly installed window coverings

We expertly install all products ourselves and take extra care when installing shutters and blinds where child safety is a requirement. For blinds, we ensure that cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit movement of the inner cords, making them safer.