Child Safety and Blinds in South Africa: Cordless, Motorised and Cord-Free Options
Blind cords are one of the most underestimated hazards in South African homes. Young children can become entangled in seconds. The solution is straightforward: choose cordless, motorised, or cord-free blind systems for every room where children sleep, play, or spend time unsupervised.
How do you make blinds safe for children?
- Choose cordless blinds that operate without chains, cords, or loops. Custom Blinds offers cordless as standard across the online range.
- Motorised blinds with Somfy or Eve MotionBlinds eliminate all dangling cords entirely. Operated by remote, app, or automation schedule.
- If existing blinds have cords, install cord cleats at adult height and keep furniture away from windows to prevent climbing access.
- European Standard EN 13120 requires blinds to minimise strangulation risk. All Hunter Douglas and Coulisse products supplied by Custom Blinds meet or exceed this standard.
- Nurseries and children’s bedrooms should use cordless blockout roller blinds or honeycomb blinds for both safety and sleep quality.
Shop cordless blinds: All blinds available cordless | Garden Route: Call Duncan on 079 523 5407
Children are curious. They climb, they pull, they explore. A dangling blind cord looks like a toy. It takes seconds for that cord to become a strangulation hazard. This is entirely preventable with the right product choice.
Why are blind cords dangerous?
Blind cords, chains, and looped pull mechanisms can form a noose around a child’s neck if they become entangled during play or while climbing near a window. The weight of even a small child is enough to tighten the loop. Unlike many household hazards, there is often no warning and no noise. The incident can happen silently and in seconds.
This is not a theoretical risk. Cord-related blind injuries and fatalities have been documented globally, and South African homes are no exception. The European Standard EN 13120 was specifically developed to address this hazard by requiring manufacturers to design blinds that minimise strangulation risk.
Child safe blind options
Cordless roller blinds
Cordless roller blinds use a spring-loaded mechanism that allows you to raise and lower the blind by gently pulling the bottom rail. No chain, no cord, no loop. This is the simplest and most affordable child-safe option. Custom Blinds offers cordless operation as standard across the entire online range.
Motorised blinds
Motorised blinds with Somfy or Eve MotionBlinds eliminate all manual operating mechanisms. The blind is controlled by remote, smartphone app, or scheduled automation. There is nothing for a child to reach, pull, or become entangled in. Motorised systems are the safest option available and the recommended choice for nurseries.
Honeycomb blinds (cordless)
Honeycomb blinds in cordless configuration provide insulation, blockout, and child safety in a single product. The cellular structure keeps nurseries warm in winter and cool in summer while the cordless operation removes all cord hazards. An excellent choice for children’s bedrooms.
Shutters
Security shutters and PVC indoor shutters have no cords at all. They operate with a tilt rod or a built-in tilt mechanism. For nurseries, shutters combined with sheer curtains create a safe, calm, and controllable environment.
What to do if your existing blinds have cords
If you have existing blinds with cords or chains and cannot replace them immediately, take these steps to reduce the risk:
Install cord cleats. Screw a cord cleat to the wall at adult height (at least 1.6 metres from the floor) and wrap the cord tightly around it when the blind is in any position. This keeps the cord out of reach.
Move furniture away from windows. Children use furniture as climbing aids. Ensure beds, cots, chairs, and shelving are positioned away from windows where blind cords hang.
Cut looped cords. If your blind has a continuous loop chain, consider cutting it into two separate cords and adding individual pulls. This eliminates the loop that creates the strangulation risk. Note: this may affect the operating mechanism on some blind types.
Replace as budget allows. Cord safety devices are a temporary measure, not a permanent solution. Replacement with cordless or motorised blinds is the only way to eliminate the hazard entirely.
Safety standards: what to look for when buying
The European Standard EN 13120 is the benchmark for internal blind safety. It requires manufacturers to design products that minimise the risk of cord-related strangulation. All Hunter Douglas and Coulisse products supplied through Custom Blinds meet or exceed this standard.
When buying blinds for a home with children, ask the supplier: Is this product cordless or can it be specified cordless? Does the manufacturer comply with EN 13120? Are there any external cords, chains, or loops in any operating position? If the answer to the last question is yes, that product is not child-safe.
“Every blind we sell online is available cordless. It is not an upgrade or an add-on. It is the standard. If a blind has a cord and it is going near a child, it needs replacing.”
Duncan KaneFounder, Custom Blinds. 20 years experience
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all blinds from Custom Blinds child safe?
All blinds in the online range are available cordless as standard. Motorised options eliminate all manual cords entirely. For Garden Route installations, Duncan specifies child-safe options for every room with children.
What is the safest blind for a nursery?
Cordless blockout roller blinds or cordless honeycomb blinds. Both provide complete darkness for sleep, insulation for temperature control, and no cords or chains. Motorised blinds add automated scheduling for nap times.
Do cordless blinds cost more?
At Custom Blinds, cordless operation is the standard specification, not an upgrade. There is no additional cost for cordless on the online range.
What safety standard should blinds meet?
European Standard EN 13120 covers internal blind safety. All Hunter Douglas and Coulisse products supplied by Custom Blinds comply with this standard.
Can I retrofit existing blinds to make them child safe?
Cord cleats and cord shorteners reduce risk temporarily. Cutting looped chains into separate cords removes the loop hazard. However, replacing with cordless or motorised blinds is the only way to eliminate the hazard entirely.
Make every window safe for children
All blinds cordless as standard. Free delivery nationwide. Custom Fit Guarantee on every order.
Custom Blinds® is a Garden Route window covering specialist established in 2010. All online blinds available cordless as standard. Hunter Douglas and Coulisse products comply with European Standard EN 13120. Free delivery nationwide via shop.customblinds.co.za.
