What Integrated Blinds Actually Are
Integrated blinds - also sold as integral blinds - are venetian or pleated blinds built inside a hermetically sealed double glazed unit. The blind sits in the argon-filled cavity between the two panes, so it never touches room air. You control it with a magnetic slider on the frame, a cord-free wand, or a motor with a remote or wall switch.
Because they are inside a sealed unit, they are fitted as a glass swap. If your frames are sound, you keep the frames and change the glass - the same job as any sealed unit replacement.
2026 UK Costs for Integrated Blinds
Supplied and fitted into existing frames. Pricing varies widely with the type of blind, pane size, slat colour and control option, so we give a fixed written price after a free survey rather than publishing a single number that will not fit most jobs.
- Small unit (up to 600 x 900mm), manual slider: price on request
- Standard window (up to 900 x 1200mm), manual slider: price on request
- Door panel (up to 600 x 1800mm), manual slider: price on request
- Motorised upgrade (remote or wall switch): adds to the unit price
- Solar-powered motorised (no wiring needed): adds to the unit price
Conventional blinds are cheaper up front - a made-to-measure venetian is typically £60-£150. The comparison is not really like for like though, because you are also buying a new sealed glass unit, better thermal performance and a blind with a service life measured in decades rather than years.
Where They Genuinely Make Sense
- Kitchens. No slats to collect grease and dust above a hob.
- Bathrooms and en-suites. Nothing to warp, mould or discolour in the humidity.
- Back and French doors. No blind swinging and rattling every time the door opens.
- Homes with young children or pets. No cords at all, so no strangulation risk and nothing to be chewed.
- Allergy sufferers. The blind is sealed away from room air entirely.
- Bi-folds and large glazed elevations where a conventional blind would dominate the reveal.
The Honest Downsides
- Higher up-front cost than a fabric or venetian blind by some margin.
- Not a blackout solution. Slats close tightly but a fine line of light passes at the edges - a bedroom that needs total darkness still wants a blackout blind or lined curtain.
- If the mechanism fails, the unit is replaced rather than repaired, because it is sealed. Reputable systems carry long guarantees for this reason.
- Colour choice is narrower than the fabric world - typically white, silver, grey, cream, black and a handful of accents.
Manual or Motorised?
Manual magnetic sliders are reliable, cost nothing to run and are the right choice for most windows within easy reach. Motorised is worth the premium on high-level glazing, wide bi-folds, and anywhere you want several blinds to move together. Solar-powered motors avoid running cable to the frame, which matters in a retrofit.
Do They Affect Energy Efficiency?
Positively. The cavity is still argon-filled and Low-E coated, and closing the slats adds a further barrier to solar gain in summer and radiant loss in winter. See our energy-efficient windows guide for how U-values and glazing specs stack up.
Getting Them Fitted
We survey, manufacture to your exact aperture, and fit into your existing frames across Essex and East London - usually 7-10 working days from order. Full details, colours and control options are on our integrated blinds page.