SelectBlinds makes custom window treatments accessible through online shopping and product selection. That self-directed approach stops being enough when you want someone to measure your windows, help resolve room-specific choices, and install the finished treatments. The best SelectBlinds alternative in 2026 is Olsson Smart Shades if you need custom measurement and installation in Columbus or Central Ohio; Blinds.com if you want another online retailer to compare.
- For SelectBlinds alternatives in Columbus, choose Olsson Smart Shades for custom-measured window treatments and professional installation.
- Compare Blinds.com when you prefer online shopping and want to manage the buying decisions yourself.
- Consider The Shade Store when a showroom-based approach to custom shades and drapes suits your project.
- Keep SelectBlinds on your shortlist if self-directed selection, measurement, and installation match your needs.
Why this matters
A window treatment has to fit more than the opening. It also has to suit your privacy needs, daylight, furniture placement, and daily routine. A shade that looks right in a product photo does not settle those questions.
Start your 2026 comparison with the work you want help with. Are you replacing a straightforward blind, choosing treatments for several different rooms, or planning motorized shades? Those are different projects, even when the fabric looks similar.
Choose the buying process before you choose the fabric. That keeps you from comparing an online product order with a measured-and-installed service as though they were the same thing.
SelectBlinds alternatives at a glance
This comparison separates buying approaches rather than declaring one retailer better at everything. Use it to narrow your shortlist, then compare the actual treatment, measurement responsibilities, and installation scope.
| Business | Best for | Standout approach | Difference from SelectBlinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| SelectBlinds | Homeowners comfortable with self-directed online shopping | Online selection of custom window treatments | The benchmark for an online buying approach |
| Olsson Smart Shades | Columbus and Central Ohio homeowners wanting measurement and installation | Custom-measured blinds, shades, shutters, drapes, and motorized smart shades | A local service relationship with installation included in its offering |
| Blinds.com | Homeowners comparing online window-treatment retailers | Another online catalog for evaluating custom treatments | An alternative retailer within a similar online shopping model |
| The Shade Store | Homeowners who prefer showroom-based design selection | Custom window treatments with a showroom route | A different way to explore materials and treatment styles |
Do not rank these businesses by a single fabric name. Ask who handles measurement, who confirms mounting details, and what your quote includes. The most useful comparison is the finished project you want, not just the treatment pictured online.
1. Olsson Smart Shades: best for local measurement and installation
Olsson Smart Shades is a window-treatment business serving homeowners in Columbus and Central Ohio. Its offering includes custom-measured blinds, shades, plantation shutters, drapes, and motorized smart shades with installation. That makes it a direct alternative when you want help with the physical window, not just an online order.
Where the local service approach shines
- Measurement and installation: You can pursue a custom-measured, professionally installed treatment rather than plan the project around doing those tasks yourself.
- Different treatment types: Blinds, shades, shutters, and drapes let you discuss the room's needs before settling on one format.
- Motorized shades: Installation is part of the stated offering, which matters when your project involves controls and power planning.
Where the local service approach falls short
- Geographic fit: The stated service area is Columbus and Central Ohio. This is not a nationwide recommendation.
- Buying style: An appointment-led project is less suited to someone who wants to make every decision through an online catalog.
- Technical assumptions: Motorized does not automatically mean compatibility with your existing smart-home setup. Confirm the proposed system before approving it.
Local service versus SelectBlinds
| Decision | Local measured-and-installed service | SelectBlinds online approach |
|---|---|---|
| Measurement | Custom measurement is part of the offering | Check the measurement instructions and responsibilities for your order |
| Installation | Professional installation is part of the offering | Confirm how you will arrange installation |
| Treatment choice | Discuss blinds, shades, shutters, drapes, and motorized options | Compare the relevant online product specifications |
| Project fit | Columbus and Central Ohio homeowners | Homeowners comfortable evaluating an online order |
Best for: Homeowners who want someone to connect the treatment choice, window measurements, and installation.
For a 2026 project, ask to arrange an in-home consultation or request a quote. Describe the rooms, what bothers you about the current treatments, and whether motorization is part of the plan. Let the window assessment guide the details.
Verdict: Buy through this service model if measurement and installation are the help you need.
2. Blinds.com: best for another online comparison
Blinds.com is an online window-treatment retailer. It belongs on your shortlist when you like the online buying process but want another place to compare treatment types and product information. Switching retailers does not, by itself, settle your mounting or installation questions.
Where Blinds.com shines
- Online comparison: You can evaluate another retailer without changing your preferred shopping approach.
- Product-level decisions: It suits shoppers who want to examine specifications and narrow the options themselves.
- A second reference point: Comparing equivalent treatments helps you spot differences in the order details that matter to your room.
Where Blinds.com falls short
- It does not remove the need to define the project: You still need clear answers about fit, mounting, privacy, and installation.
- A catalog is not your room: Online product information cannot show exactly how a material will look against your walls and flooring.
- A retailer change is not always the solution: If your main concern is managing the work, focus on service scope rather than another catalog.
Blinds.com versus SelectBlinds
| Decision | Blinds.com | SelectBlinds |
|---|---|---|
| Shopping approach | Online retailer | Online retailer |
| Best comparison | The specific treatment and order requirements | The specific treatment and order requirements |
| Measurement check | Follow the instructions for the selected product | Follow the instructions for the selected product |
| Installation planning | Confirm the arrangement before ordering | Confirm the arrangement before ordering |
Best for: Homeowners who want an online alternative and are comfortable directing the decisions.
In 2026, compare like with like: the same treatment type, similar light control, the intended mounting method, and the controls you need. A roller shade and a cellular shade are not interchangeable just because their colors match.
Verdict: Buy through this route if you want another online retailer, not a different project-management model.
3. The Shade Store: best for showroom-based design selection
The Shade Store offers custom window treatments and a showroom-based way to explore them. It is a useful alternative when seeing materials and discussing design in person matters more to you than browsing alone.
Where The Shade Store shines
- Material selection: A showroom approach gives you a physical setting for exploring fabric and treatment choices.
- Design-led decisions: It suits projects where drapes, shades, and the room's overall appearance need to work together.
Where The Shade Store falls short
- It is a different buying process: A showroom visit adds a step if you prefer to handle selection entirely online.
- Appearance is only part of the decision: You still need to establish measurement, mounting, controls, and installation responsibilities.
| Decision | The Shade Store | SelectBlinds |
|---|---|---|
| Selection route | Showroom and online exploration | Online product exploration |
| Strongest fit | In-person material and design decisions | Self-directed online decisions |
| Before committing | Confirm the full project scope | Confirm the full order requirements |
Best for: Homeowners who want a showroom route for choosing custom shades or drapes.
Verdict: Buy through this route if in-person material selection is central to your decision.
Why people switch from SelectBlinds
The useful reasons to consider a switch are about project fit. They are not a reason to assume SelectBlinds has done anything wrong. Identify which part of your project needs a different approach.
You want help with measurement
An inside mount and an outside mount require different planning. Window depth, trim, handles, and the intended coverage all matter. If you do not want to resolve those details yourself, choose a service that explicitly includes custom measurement.
You want installation handled
A finished treatment needs secure mounting and usable controls. Larger windows, awkward access, and motorization make the installation plan especially important. Ask who will do the work and what happens if the proposed mounting position needs to change.
You need different treatments across rooms
A bedroom, home office, and living room do not have the same priorities. Privacy, screen glare, and decorative softness deserve separate decisions. You do not need to force the same treatment onto every window to create a coordinated home.
You want motorization planned around daily use
Motorized shades move using a motor; smart shades add a connected control arrangement. Do not treat those terms as interchangeable. For your 2026 shortlist, ask what controls the proposed system uses and how it receives power.
Compare the room before comparing the retailer
Write down 3 room priorities: privacy, light control, and daily operation. Put them in order for each room. That small step makes a consultation or online comparison much more useful.
- Privacy: Decide when you need screening and whether the room is visible from outside.
- Light control: Distinguish reducing glare from darkening the room for sleep.
- Daily operation: Consider reach, furniture placement, and how often you adjust the treatment.
A sheer treatment and a room-darkening treatment solve different problems. Likewise, a decorative drape does not automatically provide the coverage you need at the edges. Ask about the entire window arrangement, not just the material label.
For motorized treatments, bring 2 power questions: where will the power come from, and how will you access it for charging or maintenance? These are questions to resolve for the proposed product, not assumptions to make from a photograph.
Then request 4 quote details: treatment specification, measurement responsibility, installation scope, and control setup. Ask for each in writing. That lets you compare complete proposals instead of trying to reconstruct what each conversation included.
Discuss your window treatment project
Ask about custom measurement and installation for your Columbus or Central Ohio home.
When staying with SelectBlinds is the right call
Stay with SelectBlinds if you like its online selection process and are comfortable following the chosen product's measurement requirements. You should also have a clear installation plan. A different business is not automatically a better fit.
For a straightforward 2026 replacement, the right next move can be checking the specifications more carefully rather than changing retailers. Confirm mounting depth, control position, and intended light coverage before ordering.
Hold your current choice if it already matches both the treatment you need and the work you are willing to manage. Switch when you need a different service, selection process, or project scope.
FAQ
What's the best SelectBlinds alternative in Columbus in 2026?
Olsson Smart Shades is the best fit if you want custom measurement and professional installation in Columbus or Central Ohio. Its stated offering includes blinds, shades, plantation shutters, drapes, and motorized smart shades.
Is Blinds.com better than SelectBlinds?
Neither is automatically better for every window project. Compare the specific treatment, measurement instructions, controls, and installation arrangement rather than choosing by retailer name alone.
Should I buy window shades online or use a local installer?
Buy online if you want to direct the selection and are comfortable resolving measurement and installation. Choose a measured-and-installed service when you want help connecting the product choice to the actual window.
Are motorized shades the same as smart shades?
No. Motorized shades use a motor to move the treatment, while smart shades add a connected control arrangement; confirm the proposed system's controls and compatibility before ordering.
Will blackout fabric make my bedroom completely dark?
Blackout fabric alone does not settle how much light enters around the treatment. Ask how the mounting position, edge coverage, and complete window arrangement address your room-darkening goal.
What should I ask for in a window-treatment quote?
Ask for the treatment specification, measurement responsibility, installation scope, and control setup. Written details make it easier to compare proposals that include different amounts of service.
How do I prepare for an in-home window-treatment consultation?
Start with the rooms you want to address and the problems you want solved. Explain your privacy, light-control, and operating needs, then ask what the consultation covers before scheduling.
One last thing
Check the window while you use the room, not only while you stand in front of it. Sit at your desk, close the bedroom door, or move the dining chair into its usual position. Those ordinary moments reveal glare, sightlines, and access problems that a product photo cannot answer.
For your 2026 decision, choose the treatment and the service together. The goal is a window that works comfortably every day.
