Graber Window Blinds & Shades Review

The Canadian window coverings market has a few major players for manufacturers that window covering specialists trust – the most well known name is Hunter Douglas, however there is a very competitive contender behind the scenes and it is Graber.

I have trusted Graber as one of my main manufacturers that I introduce to my clients. Graber blinds provide an excellent price point with enduring quality and a superior warranty for peace of mind.

From Cellular shades and Wood blinds to Roller Shades and Shutters they encompass the diversity that every discerning Cochrane and Calgary home owner is looking for in their beautiful homes. So, today I will review some of the top Graber’s window treatments available in Canada.

Graber Wood Blinds

One of the most popular products in the Graber line-up are their Traditions wood blinds, which offer 2” and 2 3/8” real wood slats.  You can choose from a myriad of stains, paints, specialty finishes as well as custom colours to create an aesthetic that mirrors your personal taste.

Graber’s wood story is quite impressive – they only use 100% North American Basswood for their Traditions Wood Blinds. This is native to our climate and provides us with a natural wood with an attractive soft grain with structural stability and hardness. The Basswood is only sourced from sustainable North American Forests – what this means is that you can purchase your Traditions Woods with peace of mind that there are twice as many trees planted versus what is harvested annually.

After harvesting the wood, it is slowly kiln-dried in Grayling, Michigan to very strict specifications – if it is dried too fast it will lose its integrity. The slow drying process allows for the natural beauty of the grain to shine through – adding to the natural inherent characteristic of a natural hardwood product. By doing this, Graber ensures exact quality control right from the forest to your home.

Graber Faux Wood Blinds

Graber also offers alternative wood options – their Composite and Faux wood offerings are also serious considerations. If you are requiring something with the appearance of wood in a high humidity area such as a bathroom or Laundry, consider the Composite Blind or Faux wood. The composite Wood will be a bit lighter than the Faux wood (better yet the real wood is lighter than the composite).

If you are requiring a more moderately priced option, consider the Faux Wood keeping in mind that will be the heaviest option. Our Cochrane and Calgary area windows are large, so sometimes, with a Faux Wood, tilting is the best option versus lifting due to their weight.

Cellular Shades

Graber Cellular Shades offer excellent price points, large fabric selection and upgrades like cordless and top down bottom up. Cellular shades insulate your home by lowering solar heat gain in the summer and maintaining your heat inside in the winter.

With four cell sizes to choose from – 3/8″, 1/2″ double cell, 3/4″ single cell and 1 1/2″ single cell in a wide variety of fabric opacities, from Sheer to opaque, there is sure to be something that fits into your home’s style. If you are requiring room darkening for a bedroom or media room, the Cellular shade is the perfect solution – and if you want it more black out you can add the side tracks to eliminate the side glow of light that creeps through every little gap.

The cordless option is the most popular prerequisite for child and pet safety, plus with the option of top down bottom up it creates the perfect solution for privacy and view.

You could consider the motorized wand as a step up from the cordless and is the simplest way to install motorized blinds and shades. Alternately you can look at motorizing your shades with Somfy or the Z-wave which uses a remote or your device for operation.  The Z-wave is becoming more and more popular in the Gaber line-up as it is simple and quiet. It can also be compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant as a home automation option.

Roller & Solar Shades

Graber Roller and Solar Shades offer consumers with a huge variety of textural fabrics and opacities. The roller shades provide simplicity and style with very low maintenance and with the Solar Shades available in a variety of openness levels you can maintain your view and protect from the UV at the same time. They have solar fabric options that are PVC free and GREENGUARD or 100 OEKO-TEX certified.

If you are wishing to purchase a more eco-friendly option Graber has this covered as well – with the Eco-Friendly fabric selection they are produced with 100% recycled Plastics (PET) and are PVC free as well as GREENGUARD certified for low-VOC emissions. Plus, they are recyclable and each shade on average uses five plastic bottles from the ocean!

Graber Layered Shades

Graber Mezzanine Layered Shades offer a more moderate price point for those wishing to have a sheer layered product – which some call dual shades or zebra shades.

These layered shades provide an airy modern look to any room and you can adjust the vanes to line up for diffused light control, or layer them so they provide you with privacy. They are a sleek and modern option especially when you want to make a statement to your room. With lots of colours and textures to choose from it can be bold or soft – the choice is yours.

Sheer Shades

If you are wishing a more elegant soft statement consider the Graber Sheer Shades (mimics the Silhouette). You can rotate the fabric vanes that are nestled within two layers of sheer for privacy or light control.

And you can be assured that your Sheer shades will be enjoyed for many years to come for the fabric is not glued – it is continuously woven so there are no seams or adhesives in the manufacturing process. They are available in the vane sizes, 2″ and 3″ so you can play with the view and light control to your liking.

Where to Buy Graber Blinds & Shades

There are so many options to think about when you are making your window covering purchase. With different manufacturers offering their own advantages and product selections it can be overwhelming and confusing to be assured that you are making the right purchase for your home.

Take the guessing out of the game and contact a Graber specialist – Blind Infusion carries different manufacturers. Graber offers clients an excellent value in product design, customer service, warranty and price point. It is one of the manufacturers that I trust to show my clients with peace of mind.