Best Startup Story

How Lights Out Is Making Custom No-Drill Blackout Blinds Work for Renters

Lights Out is a Canadian-owned and operated company that sells custom-fit blackout blinds designed to seal the gaps around a window without drilling into the wall. Its Ontario-based team offers three connected products and services: Complete Blackout Blinds, Nursery & Kids Blackout Blinds, and an In-Home Measurement service. The company says it created its product because it could not find a blackout blind that stopped light from leaking around the edges.

Those offerings are supported by a phone-first customer process. Pre-order questions are answered by phone by a specialist with more than 25 years in the blinds industry, and every customer receives a follow-up call after ordering to confirm their measurements. A Perfect Fit Guarantee, a 30-night trial, free shipping, and a 2-year warranty complete the structure, which is built to make ordering made-to-measure blinds online feel low-risk for renters, parents, and light-sensitive sleepers.

Custom Light Control Built Around the Window

Lights Out approaches blackout blinds as a fit problem. Ordinary blinds and curtains are made in standard sizes, and the gaps around the edges are where light usually gets in. The company builds each blind to the exact width and height of the customer’s window and adds a frame that seals those gaps, so the blind covers the window edge to edge.

The business operates through three connected offerings. Complete Blackout Blinds serve as the flagship product, with custom sizing and a no-drill installation. Nursery & Kids Blackout Blinds bring the same design to children’s rooms, with patterned options. The In-Home Measurement service sends a specialist to measure windows in person for customers who want the numbers confirmed before they order. Together, the three cover the full path from measuring to installation.

Complete Blackout Blinds: Edge-to-Edge Sealing Without Drilling

Complete Blackout Blinds are the company’s flagship, a line of custom-fit blackout blinds built to the customer’s own measurements. Customers enter a custom width and height in inches or centimetres, choose the opening direction, and receive a blind with an edge-sealing frame. The company describes the result as 100% edge-to-edge blackout.

Installation is designed for people who cannot or prefer not to modify a wall. The frame clicks together, adhesive strips hold it in place, and the blind pops into the window. The company says the process takes about 10 minutes per window, needs no installer, and leaves no marks when the blind is removed, which positions the product as a no-drill blackout blinds option for rented homes.

The product’s main features include:

  1. custom width and height entered in inches or centimetres, with a measuring guide
  2. an edge-sealing frame designed to close the gaps where light usually leaks
  3. adhesive-strip mounting with no drilling, screws, or wall holes
  4. a choice of opening direction: top to bottom, left to right, or right to left
  5. an aluminum alloy frame, polyester fabric, and aluminum foil lining

The company also says the blind reflects heat in summer and insulates in winter, adding a thermal benefit to the light control.

Nursery & Kids Blackout Blinds: Dark Rooms for Daytime Sleep

Nursery & Kids Blackout Blinds were added to the range in September 2026. They carry the same custom sizing and no-drill mounting as the flagship product, with design options that include hearts, stars, dinosaurs, and flowers. The company positions them for parents who want any room ready for daytime naps.

Because the blind mounts with adhesive strips and removes without marks, it also suits shared rooms and rented homes where a permanent fixture is not an option. That makes the nursery line a practical choice for families who move between homes or rearrange rooms as children grow.

In-Home Measurement and Phone Support: Getting the Fit Right

For a made-to-measure product, an accurate measurement decides whether the blind works. Lights Out addresses this with several layers of support, from a published measuring guide to a specialist who visits the home. Live chat is also available from 9am to 5pm Eastern, every day.

The support process includes:

  1. a free 15-minute consultation call, booked online
  2. pre-order questions answered by phone by a specialist with more than 25 years in the blinds industry
  3. an optional in-home measurement visit for $99, lasting about 30 minutes, within a 50 km service area
  4. a follow-up call to every customer after ordering, including those who never contacted the team beforehand, to confirm their measurements
  5. a Perfect Fit Guarantee that remakes the blind free if a measurement mistake means it does not fit

The follow-up call is the distinctive step. Catching a measuring mistake by phone costs the company a few minutes, while catching it after delivery means a remake. The call also gives the customer a real person to confirm details with after the order is placed.

Guarantees and Policies: Reducing the Risk of Ordering Custom

Custom products carry a built-in concern: the customer cannot see the finished blind before ordering. Lights Out answers that concern with a stack of commitments. A 30-night trial with free returns lets customers test the blind in their own room, and a 2-year warranty backs the product.

Shipping is free on all orders, and the company’s shipping policy gives an estimated delivery of 10 to 15 business days from the date an order is placed. Customers receive an email with a tracking number once the order ships, with tracking information taking one to two business days to update.

Client Testimonials

Customer reviews published on the Lights Out website give a picture of how the blinds perform in real homes. The product page shows a 4.8-star rating from 30 reviews at the time of writing.

“I used it in my toddlers room who likes complete blackouts, and it was perfect!! Not a sliver of light.” Jayd H.

“Home aesthetic meets 100% blackout and deep sleep no matter what time of day. They have checked all the boxes…” Kaesha L.

“Charlie was so helpful with the measuring and ordering process. The fit was perfect…” Blaire T.

“Installed during the day with a south facing window (facing the sun). … as soon as you close them it is pitch black.” Shawn I.

“The frame seal really does block all the light.” Megan Walsh.

Advantages and Limitations Analysis

Lights Out offers a clear set of strengths for its target customer. The edge-sealing frame addresses the gap problem that standard blinds leave open, the no-drill mounting suits renters, and the phone-based support process reduces the risk of a measuring error. The Perfect Fit Guarantee, 30-night trial, free shipping, and 2-year warranty lower the cost of getting the order wrong.

There are practical limitations to weigh. Each blind is made to order, so delivery takes an estimated 10 to 15 business days rather than arriving the same week. Accuracy still depends on the customer’s measurements, even with the guide, the calls, and the guarantee in place. The material and frame options listed on the flagship product are white, so buyers who want a different finish have fewer choices, and the $99 in-home measurement visit is limited to a 50 km service area.

A Practical Light-Control Partner for Renters and Light-Sensitive Sleepers

Lights Out occupies a specific position in the blackout blinds market: a Canadian-owned company focused on custom-fit, no-drill blackout blinds for people who cannot or prefer not to alter their walls. Its three offerings, flagship blinds, a nursery line, and an in-home measurement service, address the full journey from measuring a window to sleeping in a dark room.

Parents setting up rooms for daytime naps, people managing migraines, and night shift workers sleeping through daylight are the use cases the company names on its homepage. For those customers, and for renters in particular, the combination of edge-to-edge sealing, adhesive-strip mounting, and human support at both ends of the order gives Lights Out a distinct place among online blackout blind providers.