What does openness percentage mean on a solar shade?

Openness percentage is how much open space is in a solar-screen weave — typically 1% to 14% — and it’s the single spec that defines the shade. Lower openness (1%–3%) blocks more glare, UV, and outward view, giving better privacy and darkening; higher openness (5%–14%) keeps a brighter, clearer view but lets through more glare and offers less privacy. There’s no universally "best" number — it’s a trade you set for the room and the direction it faces, with 3%–5% a common all-rounder for view-facing living rooms and offices. One honest limit applies at every openness: a solar shade you can see through by day becomes see-through the other way at night when the room is lit, so it’s a glare-and-UV tool, not a nighttime privacy one.