Outdoor Blinds Recommendation

Megatron on 02/06/2026 - 12:19

Hi All,

We have a pergola with 4x opening

3 openings = W 3.1m x H 2.9m approx
1 Opening = W 1.4m x H 2.9m approx

We are looking to cover it off to stop the weather and make the area useable during winters.

I cant think of anything other than track blinds but happy to hear if there are other options.

So have been looking at blinds and in dilemma with a few things

Brands - Zipscreen vs Ziptrack vs Slidetrack

The guys who sell Zipscreen and Ziptrack they trash talk Slidetracks. And they suggest Zipscreen is the best product out of these for its build quality and mechanis. The Slidetrack sellers say Slidetrack is best and outlast the Zips.

Manual vs Electric - We dont really need electric but some offers currently mean that manual and electric is almost same price. My concern, the motor may die in a few years.

Cost - Have been mostly quoted between $7.5k to $10k. Manuals are between $7.5k and $8.2k. Electric between $8.2k to $10k depending on installer.

Questions:
1. Which brand is the better brand and why?
2. Are these costs reasonable?
3. Would you choose Electric even with the risk of motor dying. They all seem to have a 5 yr warranty only.
4. Are there any other options than blinds to cover off the area but not a permanent closure?

Home & Garden Blinds

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  • reidy76 on 02/06/2026 - 20:41

    Stay away from Burns for Blinds, we used them, and they never worked correctly.
    A few people I know have used Country Blinds, and they have been good.

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  • Benoffie on 02/06/2026 - 14:41

    Go see Inviron on OG Rd for Ziptrack. Had them at my last place (about same height, wider) and they were brilliant. Likely get them for the new place once I save up.

    Inviron were good as they were willing to work with the architecture. I didn't want the stupid bulkheads (spider housing) so they installed without and lowered the price

    Electric is a waste of money. 9/10 they are either all down or only up to head height

    There are other options (sliding screens) but the framework is expensive. I got a quote for retractable screens (horizontal) and almost died.

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  • Ocker on 02/06/2026 - 19:19

    Going through the same process at the moment. 3 blinds, 1 x 3.4 wide and 3.0 drop, 2 x 4.7 wide and 3.0 drop.
    With electric motors for ease of use. Motors added about $900, plus $1,000 for the sparky.
    Got 3 quotes which ranged from $8,500 to $13,500 for essentially the same products. The cheapest has the highest product review ratings.

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    • PropertyPig on 03/06/2026 - 06:20

      Could you please share which one was the cheapest with the highest product reviews? I'm also thinking of inclosing my outdoor area.

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      • Ocker on 03/06/2026 - 09:10

        Was A1 blinds - in Victoria

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    • Megatron on 03/06/2026 - 14:25

      That is a very expensive sparky.. I was told $180 per blind to wire them up.

      • 0
  • hasselbladsnapper on 02/06/2026 - 21:05

    I have hand cranked blinds, however an easy option is to take a spare battery drill and make a 400 - 600mm metal rod with a hook bent to engage the "eye" on the blind winder … works a treat, and so much better than the rubbish hand crank they supply.

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  • bradl822 on 03/06/2026 - 10:36

    Hey, I do zipscreen personally. I priced those sizes at 7.3k for spring operated. In my opinion motors are overrated unless you need them, they move very easily as is. I like zipscreen because I'm 10-15 years time of you need to retension the awning you can do it with one person I e. You can do yourself. Most other types I believe you need to take them down and tension with a spanner (things might have changed). My suggestion would be go with someone who actually manufacturers the awnings. If the sides ever get damaged they can fix it easily, if it needs to be shipped interstate the cost of freight could be huge.

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    • Megatron on 03/06/2026 - 14:31

      thanks mate.. after all my research, I was leaning towards the Zipscreens too so thank you for validating.

      Right now, couple of installers are throwing away the motors for free and they come with 5-7 year warranty. As our blinds are fairly hight, electric will just be easy to manage. I am thinking they might last at least that long so not a bad deal given they are free. However, my cheapest quote is $7.8k for manuals with one side needing a flashing about 5 meter.. so I guess it is around what you have priced? The elctric is same price but $400 extra for the smart hub.

      In terms of winds, we would have a few days in a year (5-10 days) when the winds can hit 60-80 Kmph. Do you recon they can withstand those sort of wind pressures if they are down? That is one conflicting bit I am finding, most of the installers said they dont recommend having them down during high wind days but dont expect them to have issues as they have been tested for 100 Kmph winds, however 1 guy said they have to be up or they may not cover them under the warranty.

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      • bradl822 on 05/06/2026 - 14:07

        Here's a video of a wind tunnel test. Only done on a small size. https://youtu.be/Vty8Mpwtr7M?si=ARlniXDtqP4mmnow
        Tbh I always tell my customers to pack away at 50km. A wind tunnel test isn't a true test as it's a gradual increase, in reality gusts are unexpected and that whiplash effect will affect any awning.

        Depending on the motors really determines longevity imo, I have used a mix of brands. Somfy, alpha, acmeda, dooya. I personally think acmeda is the most reliable and always my most recommended but a higher cost typically. Zipscreen themselves still recommend packing away at 50kmh. So typically that would be the expected warranty coverage.

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