SelectBlinds vs The Shade Store: Price, Remakes, Warranty

Should you buy custom shades from SelectBlinds or The Shade Store, and where do they differ? Everything below was read from the sellers' own pages on October 6 and re-read on October 12 and October 20, 2026; nothing here comes from first-hand use. The SelectBlinds pages were saved on 2026-10-05 and re-read on 2026-10-20, the date its column carries. SelectBlinds is this site's affiliate merchant: we may earn a commission if you buy through a link on this page. Only SelectBlinds pays this site; The Shade Store does not.

The short answer. Choose SelectBlinds if you will measure and install yourself: its FIT Protection, free at checkout as of October 20, 2026, remakes a blind or shade you measured wrong if you claim within 90 days of the order. Choose The Shade Store if you want measuring and installation done for you and a longer warranty: it measures free in its service areas, installs for a fee, and gives a Limited Lifetime Warranty against SelectBlinds' free 3-Year Limited. Neither refunds a custom order you dislike.

SelectBlinds vs The Shade Store at a glance

SelectBlinds leaves measuring and installing to you; The Shade Store offers both:

Price: what each seller says, and what is included

Neither SelectBlinds' nor The Shade Store's pages, as read, give a price for the same product at the same size, so this page prints no per-window comparison.

• SelectBlinds calls its prices "Permanently low prices" on its About Us page, but publishes no price-match policy. Free: standard shipping to the continental US, the 3-Year Limited Warranty, samples and a phone design consultant; FIT Protection is free at checkout (October 20, 2026).
• The Shade Store publishes no price-match policy, and no shipping cost on the pages read. Its swatches and virtual consultations are free, and in-home measurement is free in its service areas ($700+ outside them; that fee "can be applied to the purchase if the total order value meets our purchase minimum"). Installation is the cost to plan for: it is "calculated as a percentage of the full list price of the product purchased prior to any discounts", and measure and installation fees "are not subject to discounting, unless explicitly stated otherwise".

The Shade Store's two installation fee schedules disagree. Its terms list a minimum trip fee of $250, then 10% of the full product price for non-motorized items (drapery excluded) and 15% for drapery and motorized items. Its measure-and-install page lists per-foot fees instead: $7.00/foot for roller and cellular shades, $8.00/foot for Roman shades, a $250.00 minimum install fee, and "Add 10% of base price" for motorized products. See DIY vs pro installation costs.

Samples and swatches

The Shade Store is more generous here. It offers "unlimited free swatches", a kit of its "20 Most Popular swatches", and says "All swatch orders are free". Its delivery wording varies: the menu says swatches "Ships in 1-3 days", while a panel and the order confirmation say they "arrive" in 1–3 days ("1–3 business days" in the confirmation).

SelectBlinds' pages disagree on the count. The samples page says "You may select up to 30 free samples in one sample order"; the terms say "up to fifteen (15) free samples at one time", while the About Us page says up to 30. They also disagree on timing: the samples page and the terms say samples usually arrive in 3–5 business days by standard ground, while a help-centre article says 4–6 business days via USPS. Standard sample shipping is free. After you order SelectBlinds' free samples, it can honour the promotion running that day on a qualifying order placed within 30 days; for a plan, see the free-sample strategy.

Measuring and remakes

SelectBlinds leaves the measuring to you, and offers FIT Protection: Measuring Guarantee as an opt-in add-on, free as of October 20, 2026 (help centre: a remake applies "if it was added to your order at the time of purchase"), whether that is a cellular shade or a faux wood blind. The terms set the limits:

• claims within 90 days of the original order;
• one remake per covered product, and at most four per household over your lifetime;
• the corrected size must be "within two (2) inches per side" of the original; a bigger change "will be treated as a new order at customer cost";
• you may be charged any price difference, and FIT gives no cash refunds;
• it does not cover "improper installation, mounting method selection, or failure to follow installation instructions".

On October 20, 2026 its help centre, guarantees page and terms agree that a FIT remake is free.

Who pays to ship a FIT remake: SelectBlinds. The guarantees page and the FIT section of the terms say SelectBlinds will remake the product "and ship it to you at no additional cost"; the terms add that you pay any difference in price.

The Shade Store names no measuring guarantee. If your measurements "were slightly off", it will "work with you to find a solution": a too-wide treatment may be cut down; if not, you "may be eligible" for its one-time Reorder Discount of 40% off a replacement order, valid for 30 days after your original installation date. The discount cannot exceed the original order value, installation is charged at full rate, and there is "No refunds on original purchase."

Where The Shade Store is better on fit: if you buy its installation, "you are covered by our Limited Lifetime Warranty for any warranty issues that may arise from our measure and installation services", and re-measure and re-installation are free for warranty issues on products its professionals measured and installed. SelectBlinds offers no such service. If you measure yourself, start with how to measure for blinds the first time.

Returns, change of mind and order changes

Neither seller takes custom products back. SelectBlinds: "we cannot offer a refund or exchange unless a product is defective", and returns "must be approved by us in writing". The Shade Store: "Due to the custom nature of our products, The Shade Store does not offer returns."

For a change of mind, both offer a discounted replacement instead:

• SelectBlinds, within the first 90 days; its pages disagree on the deal. The guarantees and returns pages offer the same product in the same size at the price you paid, plus an additional 10% off. The terms say the same remake comes at the price paid "minus 10% off". A help-centre article goes further: "a reorder of a different product within 90 days", with the original discount "plus an additional 10% off".
• The Shade Store, within 30 days after installation: the same one-time 40% Reorder Discount, "if you end up not loving your new product".

The Shade Store's discount is larger (40% against 10%); SelectBlinds' window runs 90 days from purchase, The Shade Store's 30 days from installation.

Changing an order: SelectBlinds gives standard orders a 4-hour review period before production; no changes after it, on expedited orders, or if you click "Bypass Review". The Shade Store publishes no change window and says "production begins as soon as you place your order."

Warranty

The Shade Store is better on warranty length. Its Limited Lifetime Warranty covers defects that cause a failure to operate "for as long as the original purchaser owns the product": internal mechanisms, components and brackets for the life of the product, cords and chains for 7 years from installation, and motorization for 5 years. It excludes "abuse, misuse, accidents, or relocations of product" and normal wear and tear, "including fraying and stretching". For products its professionals did not install, shipping, removal, re-measuring and reinstallation costs are not covered. Its remedy is repair or replacement at its option.

SelectBlinds' free 3-Year Limited Warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship if the product was installed per its instructions. Two paid upgrades exist: a 5-Year Limited (same coverage, two years longer) and a 5-Year Unlimited that "covers virtually everything", including normal wear and tear and blinds that "become the dog's or cat's favorite play toy". It cannot guarantee replacement motor and remote parts beyond the manufacturer's original warranty period, and every tier is for the original purchaser only.

Where SelectBlinds is better: accident and pet cover, as a paid upgrade. The Shade Store excludes accidents, does not name pets, and publishes no paid upgrade.

Defect shipping: SelectBlinds' pages differ. The warranty page names "a flat $15 return shipping charge"; the returns page says that for 90 days from purchase "We also cover return shipping for eligible repairs or replacements". They may be two programmes; neither page says so.

Lead time and shipping

• SelectBlinds: its Modern Textured Light Filtering Roller Shades page says "Orders typically ship within 5-7 business days", and its product pages add "1 to 7 additional business days for shipping". Paying for expedited shipping does not shorten production.
• The Shade Store's Custom Roller Shades page gives two versions: the header says "SHIPS IN 7 DAYS"; the product details panel says "7 business days or less". It publishes no transit time and no shipping cost; its terms refer to a separate "Shipping + Handling" policy that the pages read did not link to.

Across the catalogue, SelectBlinds' pages disagree: the contact page says "most orders ship within 5 to 10 business days", while product pages re-read on October 20, 2026 run from 1–2 business days (a budget cordless cellular shade) to 7–10 (its shutters).

Services and help

SelectBlinds says it is "a fully online DIY company": no in-home measuring or installation, but installation guides and videos and a free design consultant by phone. The Shade Store offers "full in-house measurement and installation services" and complimentary in-person or virtual consultations.

Where each seller is better

The Shade Store is better on warranty length (lifetime against 3 free years), on professional measuring and installation backed by that warranty, on swatches (unlimited) and on its change-of-mind discount (40%).

SelectBlinds is better on measuring mistakes (a free FIT Protection remake, not a discount), on stated free shipping, on time to fix an order (4 hours), on accident and pet cover (paid) and on shutters, which were not found on The Shade Store's site.

Verdict

Pick The Shade Store if you want someone else to measure and install and value the longer warranty; installation costs extra, under two fee schedules that disagree. Pick SelectBlinds if you will measure and install yourself: FIT Protection, free at checkout, remakes size errors within 2 in. per side if you claim within 90 days, standard shipping is free, and you get a 4-hour review window.