Rod Pocket Blackout Curtains, 2 Panels 42x36in, Beige

Thirty-six inches is a deliberate length. It clears a kitchen counter, a radiator shelf, and the deep sill of a basement or garage window, where a floor-length panel would pool on top of whatever sits under the glass. These two beige panels come at 42 inches wide each, so a pair gathers properly across a narrow or standard window without a mountain of surplus fabric.

The fabric is 100 percent polyester, heavy and soft, woven the same beige on both sides — worth knowing if the window faces the street, since the back of the curtain is what the neighbors see. Depending on shade, the line blocks somewhere between 50 and 95 percent of sunlight and UV, insulates the glass against summer heat and winter chill, and takes the sharpness out of outside noise. A 3-inch rod pocket runs along the top and accepts any rod up to 2 inches thick.