The best place to buy curtains depends on one number you probably have not taken yet: the width of the rod. Big-box stores like Walmart, Target, and IKEA cover standard windows cheaply, Amazon and Wayfair have the widest range of sizes and colors, and made-to-measure shops such as SelectBlinds handle the odd windows nothing off the shelf fits. Measure first, then pick the channel. Most returns come from curtains that are too narrow or too short, not the wrong color.
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How to Measure for Curtains: A Worked Example
Fullness is the ratio of total cloth width to rod width, and it decides whether a window looks dressed or bare. Drapery makers generally work between 1.5 times the rod (flat and tailored) and 2.5 times (deep folds), and lightweight curtains often go higher because thin cloth needs more gathering.
Take a window that measures 48 inches across the outside of its trim. Run the rod about 10 inches past each side so the open stack rests on wall instead of blocking natural light, and the rod span becomes 68 inches (finials do not count). Here is what that span needs in standard 52-inch-wide curtain panels.
| Fullness | Total width needed | What to buy |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5x (tailored minimum) | 102 inches | One pair (104 inches) |
| 2x (standard) | 136 inches | Three pieces (156 inches) |
| 2.5x (full) | 170 inches | Three or four pieces |
Length works the same way. Ready made curtains come in 63 inch, 84, 95 or 96, and 108 inch drops. If the rod sits 96 inches above the floor, 95 or 96 just skims it, 84 hangs a full foot short and reads as a mistake, and 108 pools. Clip rings add an inch or two of drop, so subtract them first.
- Measure the window frame. Outside edges, both directions. That is your reference, not your order size.
- Set the rod wider than the frame. Extend it well past each side so the open cloth stacks against the wall instead of covering glass.
- Set the rod higher than the frame. Mount above the trim, closer to the ceiling, and the window reads taller.
- Do the fullness math. Multiply the rod span by 1.5 to 2.5, then add up pieces until you reach that total.
- Confirm the count. Sold individually and sold as a set of 2 look almost identical on a product page.
- Pick your drop. Measure from the top of the rod to the floor, then decide whether the hem floats, skims, or puddles.
The classic error: reading a 52 inch listing as the total width and hanging two on a 96 inch rod. That is barely 1.1x, a thin, stretched look with no folds.
Light Control and Header Styles, Side by Side
The amount of light you want to block decides everything else, so start there. See-through, light filtering, room darkening, and blackout are four different products, and the middle two labels get used loosely by nearly every retailer. Hang a thin voile behind something heavier for daytime privacy plus real darkness at night; two layers on a double rod are common in a modern bedroom.
| Label | What it actually does | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Sheer | Passes most daylight, daytime privacy only | Living room, dining room |
| Light filtering | Cuts glare, keeps the space bright | Kitchen, home office |
| Room darkening | Dims the room, still glows at the edges | Guest room, nursery |
| Blackout | Opaque weave or foam backing, works only when hung wide and high | Bedroom, media room |
Even solid blackout curtains leak at the top and down both sides when hung inside the frame. That is a hanging problem, not a fabric problem: use the wide, high rod from the worked example, plus a wraparound rod or valance for a truly dark room.
Header style decides your rod. Grommet tops slide easily and fall into even folds. Rod pocket gathers tightly and is stiff to draw, which suits cafe curtains that stay put. Back tab hides the hardware for a flat front. Pleated panels and heading tape (common across IKEA’s range) need rings or hooks, which adds cost. Pick the header first, then the curtain rod, bracket, and finial. A window valance hides the mounting line.
Where to Buy Curtains Online
Online is where the selection lives: every standard size, every header style, and made-to-measure work. Expect creases: curtains ship folded and compressed, and fold lines in shiny polyester can take days of hanging or a steamer to drop out.
Amazon
Amazon #ad has the deepest catalog by a wide margin. The reason to shop here is review volume: popular listings carry thousands of buyer photos showing true color in real rooms.
Wayfair
Wayfair sorts by color, fabric, length, and price, which narrows a huge catalog fast. Filter by length first; it removes most of the results that would never fit.
The Curtain Shop
TheCurtainShop.com is a specialist, stocking rods, tiers, and made-to-order sizes the big-box assortments skip.
SelectBlinds
SelectBlinds builds custom curtains to your exact span and drop, the answer when nothing off the shelf fits. Pricing scales with size and material, so measure twice and check current pricing. Sewing your own pays off only on odd windows, and fabric by the yard is worth pricing first.
Also worth checking: Half Price Drapes and Blinds.com for made-to-measure drapery, and Etsy for sewn-to-order sets. Bed Bath & Beyond is now the online brand of Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc., the former Overstock company, which completed its purchase of The Brand House Collective (the former Kirkland’s) in April 2026 and is converting those stores into small Bed Bath & Beyond Home locations. Its deepest window range is still online.
In-Store Options, Chain by Chain
Shopping in person gets you real color and real weight in your hands. Assortments run thinner than the websites, so check stock online before driving over.
Walmart
Walmart, the largest brick-and-mortar retailer in the United States, carries the lowest-priced ready made options in the home décor aisle near bedding, led by its Mainstays and Better Homes & Gardens lines. Browse the wider range on their site if the shelf is picked over.
Target
Target stocks a smaller, curated assortment through house brands including Threshold and Opalhouse, weighted toward neutral tones. Check availability on their website for sizes the floor skips.
IKEA
IKEA pairs affordable modern styling with the rods, brackets, finials, and curtain tiebacks to hang it. Much of its range is sold as a pair at 98 inches long, longer than the U.S. 95 or 96 inch standard, so plan on hemming, and heading tape styles need hooks or rings.
JCPenney
JCPenney runs one of the broader home departments for window treatments, including kitchen-sized cafe panels and made-to-order work. Their online catalog goes deeper than the sales floor.
Kohl’s
Kohl’s lists store availability on its product pages, worth checking before driving over. Shop their window treatment selection when local stock runs thin.
Lowe’s and Home Depot
Both chains stock window coverings beside blinds and shades, plus the hardware to mount them. Practical rather than decorative, and handy if you also need to shop curtain rods.
For higher-end material in person, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, and West Elm keep small in-store assortments. HomeGoods and TJ Maxx price designer overstock aggressively, though stock turns weekly and nothing gets reordered, so buy everything for a room at once.
Weight, Lining, Color and Care
Weight and lining. Heavier materials hang straighter and block more. Unlined linen curtains look airy and relaxed but sag in humidity and fade on a sunny wall. Velvet curtains are the opposite: cozy, heavy, great in a bedroom, a nuisance to clean. The three lining promises differ, since blackout aims for opacity, the middle grade only dims, and thermal targets heat transfer.
Window curtains also have a real energy angle, smaller than the marketing implies. The U.S. Department of Energy, the federal agency that publishes home energy guidance, reports that medium-colored draperies with white plastic backings can cut summer heat gain by roughly a third when hung close to the glass and closed by day. No substitute for insulation, but lined cloth does slow the sun that fades your furniture.
Pattern and color. Solid beige, cream, and white curtains forgive a busy room. Patterned curtains, especially a bold print, read as an accent and dominate a small space. Hold a swatch against the wall and any wallpaper first, because showroom lighting flatters every tone. Check it at night too: warm light bulbs push cream toward yellow, and if you are repainting, hold it next to the paint chips first.
Care label. Dry cleaning kitchen curtains is a recurring cost; machine washable polyester or cotton blends are the practical pick.
Cord Safety in a Child’s Room
Curtains on a rod have no operating cord, so the strangulation hazard the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC, the federal product safety regulator) warns about sits with corded blinds and shades hung behind them. A federal appeals court vacated the CPSC’s mandatory rule for custom window coverings in September 2023. The voluntary industry standard, ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022, has barred free-hanging operating cords on custom products since June 1, 2024; stock products already had to be cordless or have inaccessible cords. In a nursery, replace any older corded blind and keep tiebacks out of reach of the crib.
Picks for Bedrooms, Living Rooms and Odd Windows
Picked on rating volume, honest performance, and price spread rather than marketing copy. Prices move weekly, so check the current listing.
Best overall: NICETOWN Blackout Curtains. One of the best-selling blackout lines on Amazon, with a very large review count. Triple weave polyester in many colors. Con: reviewers consistently flag packing creases. Sold as a set of 2. See it on Amazon
Best budget: Mainstays Solid Color Room Darkening Rod Pocket Panel. Walmart’s house brand, sold as a single panel in neutral and accent tones, so budget for two. Check price on Amazon
Best for daylight: H.VERSAILTEX Linen Texture Sheer Curtains. Lightweight and breezy, filtering daylight without shutting it out; a good inner layer for living room curtains. Check price on Amazon
Best for a formal room: velvet drapery panels. Heavy, luxurious bedroom curtains that darken and insulate well. Anthropologie and West Elm price them well above mass-market, so check current pricing. Compare velvet options on Amazon
Best custom: SelectBlinds made-to-measure drapery. Cut to your exact span and drop, in linen, cotton, and printed options. The right call for arched or extra-tall windows standard sizing ignores. Compare ready made alternatives on Amazon
Start with a tape measure and the rod, not a color. Measure the span you want covered, multiply by 1.5 to 2.5, confirm whether each listing is a pair or a single, then shop: big-box stores for standard windows, Amazon or Wayfair for range, a made-to-measure shop for anything odd. Do that and buying curtains stops being a guess.
Common Questions About Panels and Drapes
Are curtain panels sold in pairs or individually?
Both, and listings rarely make it obvious. IKEA and many Amazon brands sell a pair, while Walmart’s Mainstays line and most designer and specialty lines price one at a time.
Should the hem touch the floor?
In most rooms, yes or very nearly. A hem floating about half an inch up suits rooms with pets or a robot vacuum, a slight break looks tailored, and a deep puddle suits only formal rooms that rarely open. Sill length is for kitchens and windows over radiators.
Do heavy drapes help with noise reduction?
Only a little, and less than listings suggest. Heavy velvet absorbs some high-frequency sound bouncing inside a room, but it does not block noise coming through the glass. For traffic or neighbors you need mass at the window itself: better glazing or an acoustic insert.
How do you wash drapery without shrinking it?
Check the care label, wash cold on a gentle cycle, then hang it damp on the rod to dry. Heat shrinks polyester and linen, not water, so the dryer is the real risk. Take the hardware off first: grommets and hooks chip drum finishes.
Is it cheaper to make or buy drapery?
Buying ready made is cheaper for standard windows. Sewing your own wins only on odd sizes, and lined drapery at 2x fullness eats more yardage than most people expect.
Are curtains and drapes the same thing?
Not traditionally. Drapes are lined, floor-length, and cut from heavier goods, while lighter versions come in any size. Retailers file both under one category now, so either term returns the same results. The distinction matters mainly when an interior design professional is quoting you.