Cordless Blinds and Shades: Window Cord Safety Rules

Blinds and shades are one of the easiest upgrades in a home: they change how a room looks, cut glare, add privacy and can help with heating and cooling. They also carry a hidden risk. A child can wrap a long or looped cord around their neck in seconds. This guide explains the federal rules, what changed in 2023, and how to choose and fix window coverings so they are safer.

What does the federal rule say about stock blinds and shades?

“Stock” window coverings are the ready-made products you buy off the shelf or online in set sizes. A U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) rule effective December 28, 2022 added stock window coverings to its substantial product hazard list if they don’t meet the cord requirements of the voluntary industry standard ANSI/WCMA-2018. To meet it, a stock product’s operating cords must be one of these:

• cordless (no operating cord at all),
• inaccessible (the cord is enclosed or out of a child’s reach), or
• short (8 inches or less).

The rule also covers inner cords (the cords that run through the slats or fabric) on both stock and custom products. CPSC says a product marketed as “cordless” may still contain inner cords, which is why the inner-cord requirements matter.

What about custom-made blinds and shades?

Custom window coverings are made to order for your window size or with options you choose. In November 2022 the CPSC adopted a separate safety standard (16 CFR Part 1260) that would have limited operating cords on custom products, with an effective date of May 30, 2023. On September 12, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated that rule and sent it back to the agency (Window Covering Manufacturers Association v. CPSC, No. 22-1300). So for custom products, the safest choice is up to you: when you order, ask for a cordless, motorized or wand-operated option, or a rigid cord shroud.

How do you choose safer window coverings?

• Cordless lift. You raise and lower the shade by hand at the bottom rail.
• Motorized. A remote, wall switch or app moves the shade; check that any charging cord is also kept out of reach.
• Wand control. A rigid wand tilts or draws the covering instead of a cord.
• Inaccessible or shrouded cords. The cord runs inside a rigid tube or is otherwise out of reach.

In the rooms where children sleep and play, choose cordless or motorized products, and keep cribs, beds and furniture away from windows so children can’t climb to reach a covering.

Can shades help with energy use too?

They can. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) describes cellular shades (pleated fabric folded into a honeycomb of cells) as trapping insulating air within the cells and between the shade and the window. A DOE fact sheet on testing by national laboratories reports that cellular shades saved up to 20 percent on heating energy in its tests; results depend on the product, fit, climate and how you use them. DOE points to the Attachments Energy Rating Council (AERC) label and product list as a way to compare rated products. Well-fitted shades cost far less than new windows; if your windows themselves are failing, see our replacement windows guide.

What should you do about older corded blinds?

CPSC calls cordless products the safest choice for homes with young children. The safest fix is to replace older corded coverings with cordless or inaccessible-cord products, starting with children’s rooms. Until you can, CPSC’s window cord safety advice includes:

• keep all cords out of children’s reach, and shorten pull cords,
• make sure continuous-loop cords (common on vertical blinds) are anchored tightly to the wall or floor with a tension device,
• move cribs, beds and chairs away from windows.

These steps reduce the risk; they don’t remove it the way a cordless product does.

Should you install them yourself?

Most inside-mount and outside-mount shades are a manageable do-it-yourself job with a drill, a level and the brackets supplied. Measure each window carefully, follow the maker’s instructions, and anchor brackets into wood or with the right wall anchors. In a home built before 1978, drilling into painted trim can disturb lead paint; read our lead-safe renovation guide first. For tall or hard-to-reach windows, consider hiring help; our hiring guide covers bids and contracts.

Window coverings are one item on our seasonal home maintenance checklist.