Innovative Products: Blink Blinds Between Glass

The Blink product is designed for homeowners who want blinds but don’t want to clean them or worry about cords. Blink reaches the market through private-label deals with large window manufacturers—think Ply Gem, Andersen, and Pella—as well as regional window companies, with a factory-direct model. “We’re like Intel on the inside,” says Roger Finch, a national marketing manager for ODL, Blink’s parent company. 

And “inside” may be the operative word here. Between 1996 and 2012, nearly 1,600 children were treated for injuries after they got tangled in a window-covering cord, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Encasing blinds between two pieces of glass helped Blink get the Best for Kids certification from the Window Covering Manufacturers Association. 

The windows and doors are available in standard glass and low-E options, depending on the climate. The company is also developing an impact-rated model that’s slated to hit the market in 2019. 

In general, homeowners can expect to pay between $40 to $60 more for a window with blinds between the glass—a reasonable cost, considering the value, Finch says. “The average home has about 20 windows in it, making this about a $1,200 package upgrade,” he explains. “It’s not overly expensive, when you think about the price of coverings on every one of those windows.” 

ODL is based in Zeeland, Mich., and all of its products, including Blink, are manufactured in the U.S.