Better Than Vertical Blinds: This Sliding Glass Door Covering Offers Sheer Fabric With A Twist

Choosing the right blinds or shades for a sliding glass door is a big task. You want them to be equal parts stylish and functional, especially if they're in a high-traffic room. Vertical blinds are a popular type of shade for covering sliding glass doors: It's hard to beat their practicality and affordability. However, they have a reputation for looking impersonal and just plain boring. Looking for an alternative? Enter an interesting solution: Norman SmartDrape.

This product is a mix between vertical blinds and sheer curtains, with some distinctive features of both. They work like vertical blinds, with a wand that opens and closes the vanes to adjust the amount of light entering the room. You can also use the wand to open the blinds completely along the track. However, at a glance, these look like structured sheer curtains. Each vane consists of a panel of sheer fabric that sits in a U-shape, attached on each side to pieces that resemble typical vertical blinds. When the blinds are open, it looks like a structured sheer curtain with uniform folds, arguably looking even more polished than a regular sheer curtain. When fully-closed, they look more like vertical blinds, though the sheer shade gives it a nice texture.

The vertical blind design lets you have excellent control of light, something you tend to lose when you use curtains. Even when the vanes are open, though, the sheer insert provides privacy, so you can take advantage of full sunlight without letting neighbors peek into your living room. Of course, you can push them to the side for a full view of outside. However, this isn't actually necessary to walk through the shades. Each vane is individual, so unlike a curtain, you can walk between the vanes, even when they're closed. Since it's cordless, it's also kid- and pet-friendly. Plus, each vane can be removed and machine-washed in a garment bag. Norman sells these shades in various color, pattern, and size options. This is a premium product, and Norman works with local retailers to measure for and distribute the product, so we expect them to come at a premium price.

While these drapes have the word "Smart" in their name, they don't necessarily have smart technology, which can be confusing in the age of smart home products. "Smart" products tend to refer to internet-connected products that can be remotely controlled (think a smart speaker or smart TV). In this case, "SmartDrape" is the name of the sheer, vertical blind product, which you can buy manually-controlled or motorized. The manual version won't offer connectivity features. The motorized option offers smart capabilities, like remote control from smartphones, schedules and automation, and control using Voice Assistants.