Guide
How to stop screen glare from windows
Two different problems wear the same name. Work out which one you have before you cover anything.
By Janet H. · Last updated September 23, 2026 · How we choose
Move the desk first. A screen set side-on to the window has neither a reflection in it nor an over-bright background behind it, and that single change fixes most home-office glare for nothing. Try it for a day before buying a window covering.
If the desk genuinely cannot move, the fix depends on which kind of glare you have — and they are different problems with different answers.
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Diagnosis
Which glare do you have?
| Test | Reflected glare | Veiling glare |
|---|---|---|
| Screen off, can you see the window in it? | Yes | No |
| Where is the window? | Behind you or to the side | In front of you, behind the screen |
| What it looks like | A bright patch or window shape on the display | The whole screen looks gray and flat |
| What's happening | Light bouncing off the screen surface | Your eye adapting to the bright window, not the screen |
| The fix | Reduce or block the light source being reflected | Reduce the window's brightness relative to the screen |
Fixes
Fixing reflected glare
- 1
Turn the screen and look
With the display off, sit where you work and identify exactly what you can see reflected. It is often a lamp or a pale wall rather than the window, and that is a free fix.
- 2
Angle the screen down slightly
Tilting the top of the display a few degrees toward you changes the reflection angle and frequently moves the bright patch out of your eye line entirely.
- 3
Cover the source, at its height
If it is the window, you only need to cover the band that reflects — usually the upper part. A roller or top-down shade lowered to that height does it without darkening the room.
- 4
Consider a matte screen finish
Anti-glare finishes scatter reflections instead of showing them sharply. They help significantly with reflected glare and slightly reduce apparent contrast.
Fixes
Fixing veiling glare
- 1
Reduce the window's brightness, don't eliminate it
A 3% or 5% openness solar-screen roller shade cuts the window's luminance enough for your eye to settle on the screen while keeping the room daylit and the view partly intact.
- 2
Raise the ambient light around the screen
Counter-intuitive but effective: a bias light behind the monitor or a lamp on the wall beside it narrows the contrast between screen and background, which is the actual cause.
- 3
Turn the screen brightness up, not down
In a bright room a dim screen is unreadable. Matching the display to the room beats fighting it, at least during daylight hours.
- 4
Add a second layer for the worst hours
A sheer plus a roller gives you diffusion all day and a hard cut for the two hours when the sun is low and directly behind the screen.
Next step
What to buy, if it comes to that
For veiling glare, a solar-screen roller with a stated openness factor is the right tool — best roller shades has the picks. For reflected glare from the top of a window, a top-down shade is the precise fix and is covered in best curtains for TV glare, which deals with the same geometry. If you want the softest option first, best sheer curtains.
What we’d buy
The products behind this advice
Picked against the criteria above, not the other way round. We don’t show prices because we don’t have a live price feed — each link goes to the current listing.
| # | Best for | Product | Type | Fit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | For veiling glare | Snap-N-Glide Cordless Roller Shades, solar screen A bright window behind the screen, where you need its luminance cut but not removed. | Roller shade | Cut to size | Check price on Amazon #ad We don’t show prices — check the current one on Amazon. How we’re funded |
| 2 | For a reflection from the top | Top Down Bottom Up Cellular Shades Covering the band of window that reflects, while keeping the daylight below it. | Cellular shade | Made to size | Check price on Amazon #ad We don’t show prices — check the current one on Amazon. How we’re funded |
| 3 | The cheapest first try | Faux linen sheer curtains Mild glare, and anyone who would rather not fit hardware yet. | Sheer curtain | — | Check price on Amazon #ad We don’t show prices — check the current one on Amazon. How we’re funded |
01 — For veiling glare
Snap-N-Glide Cordless Roller Shades, solar screen
CHICOLOGY
Solar-screen fabric is woven with a stated openness factor, so it strips out glare and a share of solar heat while you can still see through the weave.
Who it’s for: A bright window behind the screen, where you need its luminance cut but not removed.
The catch: Solar screens reverse after dark: with your lights on, the weave shows the room clearly from outside. A street-facing window needs a second layer for the evening.
At a glance
- Type
- Roller shade
- Fabric
- Solar screen
- Operation
- Cordless
- Fit
- Cut to size
#ad We don’t show prices — check the current one on Amazon. How we’re funded
02 — For a reflection from the top
Top Down Bottom Up Cellular Shades
CHICOLOGY
Two movable rails, so the shade can be lowered from the top to cover the lower window while the daylight above keeps coming in — or closed fully at night.
Who it’s for: Covering the band of window that reflects, while keeping the daylight below it.
The catch: Costs meaningfully more than a plain lift and there is more mechanism to fail. On an unoverlooked window you would never use the feature.
At a glance
- Type
- Cellular shade
- Fabric
- Filtering or blackout
- Operation
- Cordless, dual rail
- Fit
- Made to size
#ad We don’t show prices — check the current one on Amazon. How we’re funded
03 — The cheapest first try
Faux linen sheer curtains
Deconovo
Slubbed faux-linen sheers that scatter a hard beam into soft ambient light. The texture is the point — it diffuses more unevenly and therefore more effectively than a flat voile.
Who it’s for: Mild glare, and anyone who would rather not fit hardware yet.
The catch: No privacy after dark at all, and the fabric creases badly out of the packet. Expect to steam them or live with fold lines for weeks.
At a glance
- Type
- Sheer curtain
- Weave
- Faux linen
- Care
- Machine wash cold
- Width
- ~52 in per panel
#ad We don’t show prices — check the current one on Amazon. How we’re funded
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
How do I stop glare on my monitor from a window?
Move the desk so the window is to your side rather than in front of or behind you. If that is impossible, fit a solar-screen roller shade and lower it to the height causing the problem rather than covering the whole window.
Should I just get blackout blinds for my home office?
Almost never. Working in a dark room with a bright screen is more tiring than the glare, and you lose the daylight that makes the space usable. Reduce the contrast instead of removing the light.
What openness factor is best for a home office?
3% or 5%. That cuts the window's brightness enough for your eye to settle on the screen while keeping the room daylit and some of the view. 10% is often not enough for a screen; 1% is effectively a blind.
Does a bias light behind the monitor help?
Yes, for veiling glare. It raises the brightness immediately around the screen so the contrast between display and background narrows, which is the mechanism causing the washed-out look.
Why is the glare worse in winter?
The sun sits lower in the sky, so it arrives at a shallow angle — under the top of the window, straight into your eye line and onto the screen. This is exactly the case a top-down covering handles and a curtain does not.
Keep going
Read next
Glare
Best roller shades for glare
Lower it to exactly the height of the glare — and the openness number that decides the rest.
Glare
Do sheer curtains reduce glare?
Yes — for direct sun through the panel. No — for a low sun arriving underneath it.
Glare
Best curtains for TV glare
Kill the reflection on the screen without turning the living room into a cinema at 2pm.
Glare
Sheer vs light filtering curtains
Transparent versus translucent — and what that changes for privacy and glare.
Privacy
Privacy at night without losing daylight
Daytime tricks reverse after dark — the layered setups that handle both.
About the author
Janet H.
Janet H. is the owner of Janet Media Group and the person behind Drape & Dawn. She researches every pick against the site's published methodology.
Published by Janet Media Group · Last updated September 23, 2026