If you've started shopping for cellular shades, you've probably hit the same fork in the road everyone does. One option says "single cell," another says "double cell," and the price moves up a little between them.
What almost nobody explains is what that extra money actually buys you. Is the double cell version warmer? Darker? Quieter? Or is it just a fancier spec on the box?
Here's the short answer. A double-cell shade has two rows of honeycomb pockets instead of one, so it holds more still air. That makes it insulate a little better and soften a little more noise.
Almost everything else - how dark the room gets, how much privacy you have, how smart the shade is - depends on the fabric, the fit and the motor, not on the number of cells.
At Beasen Home, we make made-to-measure smart motorized cellular shades, and "single or double?" is one of the questions our team hears most. So in this guide, we'll walk you through what really changes between the two, what doesn't, and how to choose window by window instead of guessing.
First, What Is Going On Inside a Cellular Shade?
Look at a cellular shade from the side and you'll see a row of hexagon-shaped pockets, a bit like a slice of honeycomb. That's why "cellular shades" and "honeycomb shades" are two names for the same product.
Each pocket traps a small amount of still air between your window glass and your room. Still air is very bad at carrying heat, so it works like a thin blanket laid over the glass.
That single idea explains almost every difference you're about to read. More rows of pockets means more layers of still air, and more layers means a little more resistance to heat and sound.
Single-Cell vs Double-Cell at a Glance
A single-cell shade has one row of honeycomb pockets running from top to bottom. A double-cell shade has two rows, stacked one behind the other, so there are two air pockets between your room and the glass instead of one.
Here's how that plays out in real life:
|
What you're comparing |
Single-cell shades |
Double-cell shades |
|
Structure |
One row of honeycomb pockets |
Two rows of pockets, one behind the other |
|
Pleat size |
Usually larger - roughly 3/8" to 2" across the industry |
Usually smaller - often under 1/2" |
|
Look from the room |
Bold, crisp, clean lines |
Finer, softer pleat texture |
|
Insulation |
Very good |
The best you can get from a cellular shade |
|
Noise softening |
Some |
Noticeably more |
|
Darkness and privacy |
Decided by the fabric |
Decided by the fabric |
|
Stack at the top when raised |
Slimmer |
Slightly deeper |
|
Price |
Lower |
Higher, because there's more fabric in every pleat |
Our own single-cell lines show how much variety there is even within one type. Our Hex cellular shades use compact 1.50" cells, which suit narrower windows nicely.
Our Eoza and Solin shades step up to wider 1.77" cells. Those bigger pockets give the shade a bolder, more architectural look and a generous air pocket for insulation and sound absorption.
Does Double Cell Really Insulate Better?
Yes, it does. A second row of pockets adds a second layer of trapped air, and every extra layer slows down the heat moving between your glass and your room.
To put cellular shades in context, the U.S. Department of Energy says tightly installed cellular shades can cut heat loss through windows by around 40% or more. That's the reason they top almost every "most energy efficient window covering" list.
But here's the honest part most product pages skip. The biggest jump in comfort happens when you go from a bare window to any well-fitted cellular shade. The step from single cell to double cell is a real improvement, just a smaller one.
So think of double cell as an upgrade for windows that genuinely need it - not as the only "real" insulating option. If you'd like the full breakdown of R-values and how cellular stacks up against Roman, roller and woven wood shades, our guide to the best insulated window shades covers it in detail.
One more tip if you're comparing energy claims between brands. The Attachments Energy Rating Council (AERC) independently tests and rates window coverings, so an AERC rating is a far better guide than a marketing badge.
Light and Privacy: The Cell Count Doesn't Decide This
This is the most common mix-up we hear. Many people assume a double-cell shade will make the room darker, but darkness comes from the fabric, not the number of cells.
A light filtering double-cell shade will still let soft daylight through. A blackout single-cell shade will still make a bedroom properly dark.
So choose your opacity based on what the room needs:
- Light filtering - for living rooms, kitchens and offices where you want daylight without glare or a clear view in from outside. Browse our light filtering cellular shades.
- Blackout - for bedrooms, nurseries and media rooms where you want the room dark in the middle of the day. See our blackout cellular shades.
If a blackout shade still lets light in, the culprit is usually the thin gap at the edges, not the fabric. Our light blockers for shades close those side gaps, and our guide on blackout vs room-darkening shades explains why "blackout" and "room darkening" aren't the same thing.
Noise: Where Double Cell Quietly Pulls Ahead
The same air pockets that slow down heat also soak up some sound. With two rows of pockets instead of one, a double-cell shade softens more of the noise coming through the glass.
You'll notice it most on windows that face a busy road, a neighbor's driveway or a noisy backyard. It's especially welcome in a bedroom, a nursery, or a home office where you take calls all day.
Just keep your expectations realistic. A shade softens traffic hum and outdoor chatter, but it won't soundproof a room, because sound still travels through the glass and around the edges.
Planning a baby's room? Our guide to the best window treatments for a nursery covers sleep, safety and noise together.
Window Fit: The Practical Detail Most Guides Skip
Before you fall for a fabric, check that the shade suits the window itself. A few practical points decide this:
- Window depth. For an inside mount, our cellular shades need at least 2.4" of depth in the window frame. Shallow frames often work better with an outside mount.
- Stack height. When a cellular shade is fully raised, its pleats fold into a stack at the top. Double-cell fabric generally stacks slightly deeper, so on a short window you lose a little more glass.
- Very wide windows. Larger single cells keep the pleats looking crisp across a wide span. For a big picture window, two shades side by side are often easier to handle than one giant shade - one of our customers with an 85" window told us exactly that after installing.
- Unusual shapes. Arched, angled and overhead glass need a shade built for that shape. We make arched cellular shades,trapezoid cellular shades and skylight cellular shades for exactly these spots.
Getting the measurement right matters more than any cell count. A shade that's even a quarter inch off leaks light and air for its whole life, so follow our how to measure windows guide before you order.
How Motorization Changes the Single vs Double Decision
Here's something the cell-count debate usually leaves out. An insulating shade only insulates when it's actually down.
In winter, the trapped air helps most when the shade closes right after sunset. In summer, it helps most when it's lowered before the afternoon sun hits the glass, not after the room has already heated up.
Most people simply don't manage that by hand every day. That's why a single-cell shade that closes on a schedule every evening can do more for a room than a double-cell shade that stays open because nobody got around to it.
With our motorized cellular shades, you can set those routines once and forget them. Control them by remote, the Beasen Home app or your voice, with motor options including Matter over Thread, Z-Wave, Zigbee and Alexa.
Our battery-powered shades run up to 6 months on a full charge, and our Solin line also comes in a hardwired version for tall or hard-to-reach windows. If your home runs on Apple devices, our guide to the best smart shades for Apple HomeKit is a helpful next read.
There's a safety bonus too. Motorized shades have no dangling cords, which matters in any home with young children or pets.
Which One Fits Your Room?
Instead of a blanket rule, match the shade to the job each window is doing:
|
Your situation |
Our pick |
Why it works |
|
Main bedroom facing a busy street |
Double cell, blackout |
Darkness from the fabric, extra quiet from the second row of cells |
|
Nursery |
Double cell, blackout, motorized |
Steadier temperature, softer noise, and no cords |
|
Living room in a mild climate |
Single cell, light filtering |
Bright and soft, with cleaner lines and a lower price |
|
Kitchen or dining area |
Single cell, light filtering |
Glare control without darkening a room you work in |
|
Home office that bakes in the afternoon |
Double cell, light filtering |
Less heat and less noise, without losing daylight |
|
Older single-pane windows or harsh winters |
Double cell |
This is where the extra air layer earns its cost |
|
Very wide picture window |
Single cell, or two shades side by side |
Crisp pleats across a long span |
You also don't have to choose one type for the whole house. Plenty of our customers put double cell where it truly matters - bedrooms and the coldest rooms - and single cell everywhere else.
If you do mix them, stick to the same color family. That keeps the rooms feeling connected and the house looking tidy from the street.
See and Feel the Difference Before You Order
Photos and spec tables only tell you so much. Pleat size, texture and color all look different once they're next to your own walls, floors and window frames.
That's why we always suggest ordering samples first. Our double cell cellular shade swatch samples include Eoza, blackout and light filtering double-cell fabrics in soft neutrals like white, cream, light grey and blue grey.
To compare them side by side with single cell, add our cellular shade swatch samples too. Hold both up to your window in morning light and again in the evening, and the right choice usually becomes obvious.
Why Choose Beasen Home for Your Cellular Shades?
Every shade in our smart motorized cellular shades collection is made to your exact window size, cordless, and ready to work with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings and more.
Each order is backed by our limited lifetime warranty, our Perfect Fit Guarantee and free shipping. If you'd rather not install the shades yourself, our installation service can connect you with a local pro.
Still not sure which cell type suits a particular window? Our team is happy to help at 1-800-608-8117 or support@beasenhome.com.
Final Thoughts
Single-cell and double-cell cellular shades are built on the same smart idea: trap still air between your room and the glass. Double cell simply adds a second layer of it.
That extra layer is worth paying for on cold, noisy or older windows, and in bedrooms and nurseries where comfort and quiet matter most. For bright living spaces in a mild climate, single cell does the job beautifully and costs less.
Whichever you choose, remember that fabric decides darkness, fit decides performance, and automation makes sure the shade is actually closed when it counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Is a double-cell cellular shade worth the extra cost?
It is on windows that lose a lot of heat or let in a lot of noise - older single-pane glass, rooms that are always too cold or too hot, and street-facing bedrooms. On modern double-pane windows in a mild climate, a well-fitted single-cell shade usually gives you most of the benefit for less money.
2) Are double-cell shades darker than single-cell shades?
Not really. How dark a room gets depends on whether the fabric is light filtering or blackout, not on how many cells it has. A blackout single-cell shade will be much darker than a light filtering double-cell shade.
3) Can I use single-cell and double-cell shades in the same house?
Yes, and it's often the smartest way to spend your budget. Put double cell in bedrooms, nurseries and the rooms that never hold their temperature, then use single cell elsewhere, keeping the colors in the same family so everything still looks consistent.
4) Do double-cell shades need a deeper window frame?
They usually stack a little deeper at the top when raised, so it's worth checking your window depth before you order. For an inside mount, our cellular shades need at least 2.4" of depth, and an outside mount is a good fallback for shallow frames.
5) Are single-cell shades still energy efficient?
Absolutely. A single-cell shade still traps a full layer of still air over the glass, which puts it ahead of roller shades, blinds and most curtains for insulation. The fit matters just as much, so a snug, made-to-measure single-cell shade can outperform a loose double-cell one.
6) Can double-cell shades be motorized?
Yes. Motorization lives in the headrail, not in the fabric, so it works with honeycomb shades whether they have one row of cells or two. Our team can confirm which double-cell fabric is available on the shade style you want.
