Blackout Solutions for Renters — No Drilling

Start by closing whatever you have in the middle of the day and looking at the edges rather than the middle. In almost every room, the light that wakes a baby comes around the sides and over the top, not through the fabric. A darker curtain doesn't fix a gap.

The five that work

• Portable blackout blinds with suction cups. Stick straight onto the glass and fold into a bag, which makes them the obvious travel option too. Wipe the pane first — the cups need a clean, smooth surface and let go in heat.
• A tension rod inside the window recess. Wedges in with no fixings, and because it sits inside the frame you lose the top gap that ruins most curtain setups. The best-looking option and the one that lasts.
• Heavy-duty adhesive hooks with a lightweight rod. Mount them at least four inches wider and higher than the window, and let the adhesive cure the full hour before hanging anything.
• Blackout liners behind curtains you already own. They hook onto the same rings. Cheapest route, and the room still looks like a room.
• Static-cling window film. No adhesive, trim with scissors, peel off when you move. Worth knowing that it's permanent while it's up, so the room stays dark all day.

The gaps are what you're actually fixing

• The top gap is the biggest offender. Mount higher, or use a recess rod.
• The sides. Curtains that end at the frame will always leak. Go wider.
• The bottom matters less than people think — light from the floor rarely reaches a crib mattress.
• The door frame. If the hallway light is on, a draught excluder under the door does more than another layer at the window.

The short answer

Tension rod plus blackout curtains inside the recess, if your windows have one. Portable suction blinds if they don't, or if you move often. Both are under an hour's work and neither leaves a mark.

Some guides on this site contain affiliate links. Where they do, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Nothing here is medical or safety advice — for feeding, sleep and anything to do with where a baby sleeps, follow your pediatrician and current safe-sleep guidance.