You've probably read that cellular shades are the "most energy-efficient" window covering. Then you went looking for the actual number and found a different R-value on every site, some of them suspiciously high. The claim is real. The numbers are a mess.
This cellular shades buying guide sorts out the claim from the marketing. You'll see how the honeycomb works, what single cell and cell-in-cell really change, which performance numbers come from a lab and which come from a sales page, and what our cellular shades cost as of November 2026. We'll also tell you when a cellular shade isn't the right pick, because sometimes it isn't.
How Honeycombs Insulate
Look at a cellular shade from the side and you'll see why it's also called a honeycomb shade. The fabric is formed into a row of hollow cells, stacked from top to bottom. Each cell traps a pocket of air.
Still air is a decent insulator. In winter, the pocket slows the heat leaving your room through the cold glass. In summer it slows the heat coming in. The same cells also soften outside noise.
Here's the part that matters as much as the fabric: air only helps if it stays put. A cellular shade works best when it's closed and sits close to the window, with small gaps at the sides and bottom. Warm room air that slips around the edges touches the cold glass anyway. That's why fit, which we cover below, is part of the insulation story.
And it's worth knowing how much is at stake. Natural Resources Canada says windows, doors and skylights can account for up to 35% of a house's total heat loss (NRCan, "Keeping the Heat In," modified January 2025). A shade won't fix a drafty window, but it is the cheapest layer you can add to the inside of the glass.
Cell Sizes and Layers
"Cell size" gets used for two different things: how big each honeycomb is, and how many layers of honeycomb there are. They're separate choices, so we'll take them one at a time.
Cell size
Cell size is how tall one honeycomb is, measured on the front of the shade from one crease line to the next. You'll also see it called pleat size. Across the industry the sizes you'll meet most often are 3/8", 9/16" and 3/4".
What cell size mostly changes is the look. Small cells read as fine, tight pleats and suit smaller windows. Bigger cells look bolder and calmer on a large pane, with fewer pleats from top to bottom. For warmth, look first at the number of layers and at how well the shade fits, which come next.
How to measure cell size. Lower the shade all the way and hold a tape measure flat against the front. Measure from one crease line to the next, without pulling the fabric, because a stretched cell measures bigger. On a fabric sample, lay it flat and measure one cell the same way.
Ours. Our configurator doesn't list a cell size for each fabric. The quickest way to see one is a free sample: every fabric in the cellular configurator has a "Get Free Sample" button, and a ruler does the rest.
Layers
In the industry you'll see single cell, double cell and occasionally triple cell. More layers means more trapped air, more insulation, and usually a higher price and a slightly bulkier stack when the shade is raised.
Here's what we actually make, as of 1 November 2026:
Single cell. One layer of honeycomb. This is most of our range, in light-filtering fabrics (our configurator calls them Privacy), blackout fabrics and a few see-through ones.
Cell in cell. A cell with a second cell inside it, so there's an extra layer of trapped air while the front still looks like a single row of cells. We make it in two lines, Loom Cell in Cell and Canopy Cell in Cell, and each comes in a light-filtering and a blackout (opaque) version.
Triple cell. We don't make one. If a seller tells you triple cell is a must, ask them for the tested numbers behind that claim.
Our honest verdict: single cell is enough for most windows. Choose cell in cell for your coldest rooms, a north-facing bedroom or a big pane you sit next to all winter. On the same 36" × 60" window, moving from single to cell in cell in the same fabric family added $56 to $129 per shade as of 1 November 2026, at the prices in the cost section below.
The Honest Numbers
This is where most guides go wrong, so we'll be careful.
There's one trustworthy rating, and it's AERC. The Attachments Energy Rating Council certifies window coverings, including cellular shades. Its label gives each product a Cool Climate rating (heating savings) and a Warm Climate rating (cooling savings). Higher is better, and any rating above zero means savings compared with a bare window (AERC, "Reading the Residential Label"). If a seller quotes a performance figure with no AERC rating or test behind it, treat it as marketing.
Why cellular shade R-values are all over the place. R-value measures how well something resists heat flow: the higher the number, the better it insulates. Search for the R-value of cellular shades and you'll find figures that disagree, for three reasons. Some are for the shade alone and some are for the window and shade together. Single-cell and multi-layer shades are lumped together. And fit changes the result as much as fabric does, because a gap at the sides lets warm air reach the cold glass.
Official raters mostly don't use R-value at all. Canada rates windows by U-factor, and Natural Resources Canada notes that the R-value "is not part of the energy performance standards" but "is often quoted by contractors and sales staff" (NRCan, "Ratings and certification," modified 14 January 2025). An AERC label lists a U-factor too. With U-factor, lower is better. If you want to compare it with an R-value, R-value is 1 divided by the U-factor when both are in the same imperial units.
We don't publish an R-value or an AERC rating for our cellular shades. We'd rather say that plainly than put a number on this page we can't back up.
What a real-world test found. The best independent field test we know of comes from the US Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Researchers put opaque cellular shades in one of two identical test houses in a cold-winter climate, left the other house's windows bare, and measured the heating and cooling energy (PNNL, "Evaluation of Cellular Shades in the PNNL Lab Homes," November 2016). Opening and closing the shades on a schedule, the house with cellular shades used:
- 14.4% less heating and cooling energy in the heating season, compared with no window coverings
- 16.6% less in the heating season, compared with ordinary white vinyl blinds
- 10.5% less in the heating season, compared with vinyl blinds, when both stayed closed the whole time
Read those numbers the right way. They describe a premium multi-layer shade from another manufacturer, on double-pane, aluminum-frame windows, in one climate. They show the effect is real and measurable. They don't promise your bill will drop by the same amount, and we won't promise you dollars either.
A later US Department of Energy study, led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory in a test house in Knoxville, Tennessee from December 2019 to May 2020, compared five cellular shades with vinyl blinds. It found cellular shades saved up to 20% of heating energy and up to 15% of total heating and cooling energy, compared with no shades (US DOE, "Interior Cellular Shades Boost Home Energy Performance," October 2021). Same caution applies: other manufacturers' shades, an American climate, and "up to" means the best case.
Options That Matter
Cordless, by design
Our custom cellular shade has no cords or chains. You choose between two controls:
Glide chainless. Included in the price. You lift or lower the shade at the bottom rail, and a ZeroGravity™ spring balances the weight so it stays where you leave it.
Motorized. A rechargeable motor you run from a remote, an app, or your smart home through the Connector hub, for shades 19" wide and up. See motorized solutions for how it works. Motors make sense for high windows and for rows of shades, and they help with the closing habit that does the insulating.
With no cord to tangle or loop, either control is a sensible choice in a home with young kids or pets.
Duo Honeycomb (day and night)
Our Essential Honeycomb line includes the Duo Honeycomb, a day-and-night shade: light-filtering fabric and room-darkening fabric in one dual-layer shade. Use the light-filtering half during the day and switch to the darker half at night. It's the most flexible cellular we make.
Top-down bottom-up
A top-down bottom-up shade can be lowered from the top, so you get daylight over the top while the bottom of the window stays covered. It's a great privacy option for street-level rooms. We don't currently make cellular shades in top-down bottom-up, as of 1 November 2026. If it's a must for you, Duo Honeycomb or a zebra blind are the closest things we offer.
Blackout
Both cell-in-cell lines, and four of our single-cell lines (Loom, Cane, Canopy and Shale), come in an opaque blackout version. Remember the edges, though: blackout fabric stops light passing through the fabric, not around it.
Looks and Rooms
As of 1 November 2026, our custom cellular configurator lists 57 fabric and colour combinations. Most are soft neutrals: white, linen, beige, taupe, grey, charcoal, plus a blue and a black. You can choose light-filtering, blackout, and a few more see-through fabrics like Crystal and Root. The headrail comes in white, anodized, linen or black. Our Essential Honeycomb line adds 22 more combinations across light filtering, blackout and Duo Honeycomb, including printed grey and printed taupe.
Every product photo is a little off, so see the fabric in person. In the cellular configurator, every fabric has a "Get Free Sample" button. Hold a sample up to your window and squeeze it gently to feel the cells.
Where cellular shines: bedrooms, especially with blackout; cold rooms and big north-facing windows; basements; any room where warmth matters more than a view.
The honest nos:
- Steamy bathrooms. Our cellular fabrics are polyester, and our 5-year warranty doesn't cover damage from excessive humidity. A window beside a shower that fogs up daily is a tough spot for any fabric shade. A moisture-resistant roller is a better pick there; our roller shades buying guide covers the fabrics.
- Style-first living rooms. If you want a crisp, modern look and the ability to see out with the shade down, a zebra usually wins. Our zebra blinds buying guide explains why.
- Windows you want to see through. A cellular shade is either up or down. There's no view-through setting, so it isn't the right choice when you want to keep the view with the shade down.
Cost and Payback
These are our cellular prices as of 1 November 2026, pulled from our live configurator that day. Every price below is our sale price: 50% off our retail price. Watch for promotions, which can take it lower still at checkout. Prices are per shade, in CAD.
Custom Cellular
With glide chainless control and a standard headrail, both included. The low number is our entry fabric (Loom, single cell); the high number is our top tier (Canopy Blackout Cell-in-Cell and Shale Blackout).
- 24" wide × 36" tall: $255 to $340
- 36" × 60" (a typical bedroom window): $409 to $714
- 48" × 60": $472 to $879
- 60" × 72" (a typical living room window): $602 to $1,263
- 72" × 84": $703 to $1,612
Motorized instead of glide chainless: +$355 per shade. Motor add-ons if you don't already have them: remote +$95, charger +$30, smart-home Connector +$225. Same date, same 50% off.
Custom cellular shades are made from 12" to 96" wide and 6" to 96" tall.
Essential Honeycomb
Light filtering, blackout, then Duo Honeycomb, in that order.
- 24" × 36": $80 / $120 / $185
- 36" × 60": $167 / $255 / $390
- 48" × 60": $218 / $341 / $527
- 60" × 72": $297 / $467 / $708
Essential Honeycomb is made from 18" to 72" wide and up to 72" tall, and it comes in one standard configuration, so there are no control or headrail choices. If your window fits those limits and you like one of its fabrics, it's the budget way into a honeycomb. Choose Custom for bigger windows, cell in cell, a headrail colour or a motor.
Shipping is free Canada-wide. Every shade is custom made in our facility in Toronto, Ontario, with about 2 business days of processing, as of November 2026 (details in our shipping policy).
Payback, honestly
Buy a cellular shade for comfort first. The test results above show real savings, but we won't turn them into a payback date. Your windows, your heating system and how often you actually close the shade decide the result. What you'll notice the first winter is simpler: the chill near the glass eases, and the room feels warmer at the same thermostat setting.
Your window won't be one of these sizes, and that's fine. Get your price in 60 seconds, or shop cellular shades and enter your real measurements.
Cellular Shades Buying Guide FAQ
Do cellular shades really keep heat in?
Yes, when they're closed. In the PNNL test house, cellular shades cut heating-season HVAC energy by 14.4% compared with bare windows. Fit matters: the closer the shade sits to the glass, with small edge gaps, the better it works.
Is double cell worth it over single cell?
For your coldest rooms, often yes. For most windows, single cell does the job. Our version of the extra layer is cell in cell, which added $56 to $129 to a 36" × 60" shade as of 1 November 2026.
What's the difference between 9/16" and 3/4" cellular shades?
Mostly looks. A 3/4" cell is taller, so the shade has fewer, bolder pleats; a 9/16" cell looks finer. For warmth, look first at the number of layers and at how well the shade fits.
How do I measure the cell size of a honeycomb shade?
Lower the shade and measure on the front, from one crease line to the next, without stretching the fabric. On a sample, lay it flat and measure one cell.
What is the R-value of cellular shades?
There isn't one honest number. Published figures mix the shade alone with the window and shade together, mix single-cell with multi-layer shades, and ignore fit. An AERC rating is the reliable comparison. We don't publish an R-value for ours.
What is top-down bottom-up?
A shade that can be lowered from the top as well as raised from the bottom, so you get daylight above and privacy below. We don't make cellular shades in top-down bottom-up as of November 2026.
Are cellular shades good for bathrooms?
Not beside a shower. Our cellular fabrics are polyester, and our warranty excludes damage from excessive humidity. For a steamy bathroom, look at a moisture-resistant roller instead.
How much do cellular shades cost in Canada?
From us, as of 1 November 2026, at our sale price of 50% off retail: a 36" × 60" custom cellular shade runs $409 to $714, and an Essential Honeycomb shade of the same size runs $167 to $390. Get your exact price.
Warm Windows, Honest Numbers
Warm windows, honest numbers. Shop cellular shades sized for Canadian winters, or get your price in 60 seconds. Want to measure first? Our foolproof measuring guide takes about ten minutes.