The Explainer — Tech
How to Stop Glare on a TV From a Window
Glare is a window or a lamp reflecting off the screen, so the fixes are to block the light, change the angle or out-shine it. 4 ways, in the order they cost, with the curtains, mount and TV for each.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick.Research-led, nothing handled. We may earn from links; it never changes a pick. How we choose
This page sets out the 4 ways to stop glare on a TV, cheapest first, and lists the curtains, mount and TV that go with each, as How we choose describes. Nothing here was handled or tested.
NICETOWN White 100% Blackout Curtains, 84 in, 2 Panels
Good fit A window that reflects straight into the screen
Not for A room you want to keep daylight in while you watch
Mounting Dream Full Motion TV Wall Mount, 32 to 70 in
Good fit A window you cannot cover, at the side of the TV
Not for A renter who cannot drill into the wall
MIULEE 100% Blackout Linen Curtains, 52 x 84 in
Good fit A living room where heavy drapes would look wrong
Not for A room that needs white curtains
TCL QM6K Series 55-inch Mini-LED QLED 4K
Good fit A sunny room where the TV is due for replacement anyway
Not for A room where curtains would fix it for far less
Switch the TV off for 1 minute and find what is reflecting
Glare is a reflection, so the first step costs nothing. Sit where you watch, switch the TV off, and look at the dark screen: whatever you see in it, a window, a lamp or a white wall, is the glare. Light leaves a glossy screen at the same angle it arrived, so a window behind the sofa reflects straight back at the viewer, while one at the side reflects across the room. Look twice, once in daylight and once after dark, because 1 lamp behind the sofa is often the evening culprit.
Blackout curtains stop a window behind the sofa for the least money
A window opposite the screen is the worst case, and covering it is the cheapest complete fix. NICETOWN’s white blackout curtains come as a pair of 84-inch panels sold as 100% blackout. White keeps the room light-coloured with the curtains shut, which matters, because a pale wall behind the viewer reflects too.
NICETOWN White 100% Blackout Curtains, 84 in, 2 Panels
A pair of 84-inch blackout panels in white, sold as 100% blackout, so the room stays light-coloured with the curtains shut.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Length | 84 in |
|---|---|
| In the pack | 2 panels |
84-inch white blackout panels, for a window behind the sofa.
Buy it if
- A window that reflects straight into the screen
Don't buy it if
- A room you want to keep daylight in while you watch
For a living room where heavy drapes would look wrong, MIULEE’s linen blackout curtains are 52 by 84 inches a panel in a natural beige linen look. Measure the window first: a panel that stops short of the frame leaves a bright edge, and a bright edge reflects.
MIULEE 100% Blackout Linen Curtains, 52 x 84 in
Linen-look blackout curtains, 52 by 84 inches a panel, for a living room that should not look like a bedroom.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Size | 52 x 84 in |
|---|---|
| Look | Linen, natural beige |
Linen-look blackout panels, for a living room.
Buy it if
- A living room where heavy drapes would look wrong
Don't buy it if
- A room that needs white curtains
A full-motion mount angles the reflection out of your eye line
When the window has to stay uncovered, move the screen instead. A few degrees of swivel sends a side window’s reflection past the sofa rather than into it. The Mounting Dream full-motion mount is sold for 32 to 70-inch TVs up to 110 lb, and swings and tilts on its arm. The TV wall mount guide compares it with fixed and tilting mounts, and VESA and studs explained covers fitting one.
Mounting Dream Full Motion TV Wall Mount, 32 to 70 in
A full-motion arm sold for 32 to 70-inch TVs up to 110 lb, so the screen can swing and tilt away from a window.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Type | Full motion |
|---|---|
| TV size | 32 to 70 inches |
| Max weight | 110 lb |
A full-motion arm, for a window you cannot cover.
Buy it if
- A window you cannot cover, at the side of the TV
Don't buy it if
- A renter who cannot drill into the wall
A TV on a stand can do some of the same. Turning the stand itself by a few degrees, or moving a lamp from behind the sofa to the side of the room, is free and often enough for evening glare.
A brighter Mini-LED set out-shines the glare that is left
A screen that is much brighter than the reflection makes the reflection matter less, which is why bright-room TVs lean on brightness. The TCL QM6K uses a Mini-LED backlight, and its owners specifically report it handling overhead light and sunlight well. Power problems are where reports split, with some owners saying a set would not turn on. The TV guide and TV panel types explained cover why an OLED is the weaker choice in a sunny room.
TCL QM6K Series 55-inch Mini-LED QLED 4K
A Mini-LED set that owners specifically report handling overhead light and sunlight well.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Panel | Mini-LED backlight, quantum dot |
|---|---|
| Owners praise | Brightness in daylight |
| Watch | Power reports split |
A Mini-LED set owners say holds up in daylight.
Buy it if
- A sunny room where the TV is due for replacement anyway
Don't buy it if
- A room where curtains would fix it for far less
Matte and anti-reflection screens spread or cancel the reflection
Glossy screens show a sharp image of the window; matte and anti-reflection finishes either blur it into a haze or cancel part of it. An anti-reflection coating works by putting a thin layer between the air and the glass, so the light meets 2 weaker reflections instead of 1 strong one. It reduces glare rather than ending it, so a set sold with one still benefits from curtains.
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