When a client wants motorized shades, the first question is not the motor or the keypad. It is the shade itself. Cellular vs roller shades is the choice that decides how much the window insulates, how dark the room gets, how deep the headrail is and how easy the fabric is to keep clean. This guide compares the two for dealers and installers specifying shades, motorized or not.
Which is better, cellular or roller shades?
In the cellular vs roller shades choice, cellular (honeycomb) shades insulate better, because their cells trap air against the window, and they can open top-down. Roller shades are a single flat fabric on a tube: slimmer, simpler to motorize, easier to clean and offered in more fabrics, from sheer screen to blackout. Choose by the window’s main job.
How each shade is built
The construction explains almost every difference that follows.
- Roller shade: one flat piece of fabric wound around a tube at the top. It rolls up out of the way and drops straight down. When motorized, a tubular motor sits inside the tube itself.
- Cellular shade: two or more layers of pleated fabric joined to form a row of hollow cells, which look like a honeycomb from the end. Cords run through the cells and wind up in the headrail, folding the fabric into a stack. Single-cell and double-cell versions exist.
So a roller shade is a fabric decision on a simple mechanism, while a cellular shade is a small insulating panel with a lift system.
Cellular vs roller shades at a glance
| Factor | Cellular (honeycomb) | Roller |
|---|---|---|
| Insulation | Trapped air in the cells adds insulation | Blocks sun, little added insulation |
| Light control | Light-filtering or light-blocking cells | Widest range, sheer screen to blackout |
| Top-down/bottom-up | Common option | Not typical |
| Raised stack | Folded fabric below the headrail | Rolled inside or under the headrail |
| Motor location | Headrail, winding lift cords | Inside the roller tube |
| Cleaning | Dust settles in the cells | Flat fabric, easy to dust or wipe |
Insulation: what the lab tests show
This is the main reason clients ask for cellular shades, and it is backed by national laboratory testing rather than marketing figures. Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s report on cellular shade energy savings in a commercial setting explains that the honeycomb structure traps air, which is why cellular shades insulate better than other shading devices. The same abstract states that planar shades such as roller shades may block solar radiation but do not provide a significant improvement to the window’s thermal transmittance. In its field test, cellular shades gave cooling savings of 4.6 to 9.4 percent and heating savings above 20 percent compared with a room without shades.
Residential testing points the same way. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s evaluation of cellular shades in the PNNL Lab Homes compared two matched 1,500 square foot homes. In the heating season the shades cut HVAC energy by 17.6 percent (plus or minus 8.1) against bare windows, and in the cooling season by about 10.4 percent (plus or minus 6.5) against standard vinyl blinds.
Two caveats for clients. Savings depend on the shades being closed when it matters, which is where automation helps. And a roller shade still cuts solar heat gain on a sunny window; it just does little for heat loss on a cold night.
Light control, blackout and privacy
Roller shades win on fabric choice. The same mechanism carries a see-through solar screen for a view and glare control, a light-filtering fabric, or a blackout fabric for a bedroom or media room.
Cellular shades come in light-filtering and light-blocking versions, and the cell gives a soft, even glow when lowered. Neither type is fully dark on its own in an inside mount: light leaks around the edges. Where true blackout matters, plan an outside mount or side channels, and set expectations early.
Privacy is where cellular shades have a trick roller shades usually lack: top-down/bottom-up. The shade can be lowered from the top, so daylight comes in above while the lower half of the window stays covered. For street-facing bedrooms and bathrooms, that often settles the choice.
Motorized cellular shades vs motorized rollers
Motorization changes the comparison more than most clients expect.
- Roller: the tubular motor hides inside the tube, so the headrail stays compact. Rollers handle large windows well, and battery, low-voltage and line-voltage motors are all common.
- Cellular: the motor and cord spools sit in the headrail, which tends to make it deeper than a manual one. Check the window depth for an inside mount before promising one.
Our guide to measuring for motorized shades covers depth and obstructions, and wired vs battery motorized shades covers how each motor is powered and prewired. Once installed, both types need travel limits set; see how to set limits on motorized shades.
Stack height, size and the view
When raised, a shade has to go somewhere. A roller shade rolls up into a tight cylinder. A cellular shade folds into a stack under the headrail, and on a tall window that stack takes up part of the glass at the top. Ask for the stack height on the shade’s specification before ordering for a window where the view matters.
Very wide windows can also be split into several shades on one headrail line or bracket, for either type. Shades that move together look tidier with motors controlled as one group.
Cleaning and wear
Roller fabric is flat, so a duster, a vacuum brush or a wipe, as the fabric allows, keeps it clean. Cellular shades collect dust and the occasional insect inside the cells; a vacuum with a brush or a gentle blow of air clears them. In kitchens, workshops and dusty rooms, the roller is usually the easier fabric to live with. Always follow the shade maker’s care instructions.
Which shade for which room
| Room or goal | Usual choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cold-climate bedroom | Cellular, light-blocking | Insulation and darkness |
| Street-facing room | Cellular, top-down/bottom-up | Daylight with privacy |
| Living room with a view | Roller, solar screen | Glare control, view kept |
| Media room | Roller, blackout with side channels | Darkest result |
| Large or tall windows | Roller | Compact roll, simple motor |
Mixed houses are common. Automating both types together, on schedules or scenes with lighting and temperature, is covered in our motorized shade automation guide.
Where to find shades and shade controls
The motorized shades category lists an insulating honeycomb shade and shade keypads, and the lighting control category lists the dimmers and keypads that often share a scene with them, all in the Security, Surveillance and Control division. For other shade types, pricing and availability, ask your sales representative through the Bursma contact page, or open a Bursma dealer account.
Frequently asked questions
Are cellular shades more energy efficient than roller shades?
Yes, for insulation. National laboratory tests found cellular shades cut heating and cooling energy, while roller shades mainly block sun and add little insulation.
Do cellular shades block all light?
Light-blocking cellular shades come close, but some light leaks at the edges of an inside mount. An outside mount or side channels darken the room further.
Can cellular shades be motorized?
Yes. The motor and cord spools sit in the headrail, which is often deeper than a manual one, so check the window depth before ordering.
Are roller shades easier to clean than honeycomb shades?
Usually. A roller is one flat fabric, while honeycomb shades trap dust inside the cells and need a brush or vacuum.