Embracing the New Regulation in Window Covering Safety Window coverings are an essential part of interior decor, light control, and comfort. Blinds and shades allow you to define your style and set the mood. They protect indoor materials from fading in UV rays, and they are a part of every home and office. Naturally, the design of your window coverings should be elegant, convenient, and safe. Safety is the primary focus of the most recent regulations regarding window covering design. As of June 2024, all manufactured and custom-made blinds will avoid or minimize cord-based controls. The Importance of Blinds Safety Blinds are part of every room in your home and any residential space. From your child's bedroom to the rooms of every hospital, blinds make a space more comfortable both in terms of aesthetic design and light control. This means that blinds must be designed in a way that not only enhances not just comfort, but also safety. Blinds are used in the bedrooms and living spaces of our most at-risk family and community members, from the very young to the very old. The design of your blinds must be both easy to operate and absolutely safe. To achieve this goal, it is sometimes necessary to update design standards to eliminate risks that have existed with previous design standards. That is what the new window safety regulations seek to correct this year by eliminating corded blind controls. Why Are Corded Blinds Unsafe? The centuries, blinds have been controlled by pull cords, either separate or looped cords. These controls make clever use of loop and pulleys to control either the slat direction or the raised level of the blinds. Unfortunately, both pull cords and loops have been found statistically to pose a health and safety risk, especially for very young children. Corded blinds pose a strangling risk for toddlers and young children who might get tangled in the cords, which are mounted high above their heads. Cords also pose a potential risk for pets and for members of the community with limited dexterity or mobility, such as those who are disabled or elderly. The 2024 Cordless Blinds Regulation The 2024 Revised Window Safety regulation focuses on eliminating or drastically reducing the use of cords in blinds controls. This regulation covers Separate cord controls Continuous cord loops Gathered multi-cord controls The aim is to prevent the distribution of all free hanging operating cords, free hanging tilt cords and multiple cords into a cord connector. This regulation applies to all stock window coverings and custom made-to-order window coverings to ensure a universal increase in household safety. Blinds will either need to be cordless or have inaccessible helper cords that cannot be reached by children. Modern Blind Control Alternatives The good news is that this regulation is perfectly timed to align with recent innovations in blind control technology. While blinds relied on cords for centuries, this tradition is no longer necessary. Smart blinds, self-adjusting blinds, and advanced control blinds make it possible to leave cords behind. Not to mention a few tried-and-true cord alternatives like control wands and tension mounting. Smart and Automatic Blinds Automatic blinds are a popular alternative to manual cords. They respond to a wireless signal to raise or lower, and to open or close the slats. This removes the need for pull cords and loops that might pose a home safety risk. Many automatic blinds also conveniently integrate with your smart home for voice controls and routines. Wand Controlled Blinds Slat control has been possible using a turning wand for decades, but wand control has also been evolving. More advanced manual and automatic blinds can now be controlled with a safe hanging wand instead of cords. Automatic blind control wands may have button or directional push controls as well as the manual twist. Self-Adjusting Blinds Self-adjusting blinds use a tension and spring loaded mechanism that allows you to raise or lower blinds by pushing up or pulling down on the rigid lower bar. These require no electric parts and no cords while still giving you responsive control over the level of your blinds. Beautiful and Safe Window Coverings with Just Blinds  If you are looking for elegant new blinds for your home that meet your aesthetic tastes, desire for light-control function, and offer the latest in home environment safety, Just Blinds is here to help. We offer stock and custom blinds that elegantly comply with the new cordless safety regulations through a variety of innovative manual and automatic blind control options. Contact us today to make your home beautiful, functional, and safe with cordless custom window coverings.