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Testing note: We haven’t hands-on tested this gear. Specs come from the makers’ product pages and the Amazon listings, checked Oct 25, 2026.
Bottom line: When a winter outage takes your heat, you want to hold on to every bit of warmth in the one room you’re living in, and windows are where a lot of it slips away. The CDC’s advice is to close off rooms you don’t need, stuff towels under doors and cover windows at night (CDC). Window shrink film and thermal curtains do that job better, and you can put them up now, before the storm.
Our pick
Duck Rolled Window Insulation Kit, 62 in x 420 in: one roll of crystal clear shrink film plus tape for up to 10 windows. You cut it to size, so there’s no measuring each window first.
Why windows matter when the heat is out
ENERGY STAR says plastic film over windows reduces drafts, helps a home feel warmer in winter and adds an extra layer of insulating air that cuts heat loss (ENERGY STAR). Film also cuts condensation on the glass. The Department of Energy adds that closing curtains and shades at night helps keep out cold drafts, and that south-facing windows should be opened to the sun by day and closed at night (DOE Energy Saver).
None of this makes heat. It slows down how fast your warm room loses the heat it has, from your body, a safe heater or the sun.
Film, curtains or blankets?
- Shrink film kits tape clear plastic to the inside of the window frame, then you tighten it with a hair dryer (ENERGY STAR). It stays up all winter and comes off in spring. Because shrinking it takes a hair dryer, put it up before the outage.
- Thermal curtains are lined or foam-backed panels. Close them at night and open them on sunny days (DOE Energy Saver).
- Blankets need no power and no shopping. If the outage hits before you prep, hang them over the windows at night, as the CDC suggests (CDC).
Use all three in the room you plan to keep warm.
Your warm room window plan
- Film first, and wide. ENERGY STAR says to extend the film over the woodwork around the window to stop leaks around the frame, too (ENERGY STAR). Duck says to use it on clean, dry painted or finished wood, aluminum or vinyl, and not on plaster, drywall, wallboard or unfinished wood (Duck).
- Don’t block heat sources. The DOE warns against blocking registers, baseboard heaters and radiators with drapes or furniture (DOE Energy Saver).
- Heater clearance. Keep any space heater at least 3 feet from curtains, beds and sofas (CPSC). Our power station space heater guide explains why most stations can’t run one for long.
- No indoor fuel heat. Never use a generator, grill, camp stove or charcoal indoors. Carbon monoxide can kill (CDC).
Our window film and thermal curtain picks
All of these ship from and are sold by Amazon.com.
Our pick: Duck Rolled Window Insulation Kit, 62 in x 420 in
One roll of crystal clear shrink film and window kit tape, listed for up to 10 windows (Amazon listing). Duck says no measuring is needed: apply it, then cut off the extra. You need scissors and a hair dryer. Duck lists clean removal that’s safe for renters, but not on plaster, drywall, wallboard or unfinished wood (Duck).
Full specs: Duck rolled window kit
- Size: 62 in x 420 in roll
- Covers: Up to 10 windows
- Includes: Crystal clear shrink film; window kit tape
- Tools: Scissors and a hair dryer
- Surfaces: Clean, dry painted or finished wood, aluminum or vinyl
Pre-cut sheets: Frost King V73/3H indoor shrink kit
Three pre-cut sheets of 0.75 mil clear plastic, each 42 in x 62 in, with double-faced tape (Amazon listing). It’s a good fit for a few standard windows. You shrink it with a hair dryer, and it works on metal, painted or varnished wood and vinyl-clad frames. Have a sliding glass door in your warm room? The Frost King V76H patio door kit is 84 in x 110 in.
Full specs: Frost King V73/3H
- Sheets: 3, each 42 in x 62 in
- Film: 0.75 mil clear plastic
- Includes: Double-faced tape
- Frames: Metal, painted or varnished wood, vinyl-clad
- Patio door: V76H kit, 84 in x 110 in
Curtain: Eclipse Kendall Thermaback blackout panel
A single 42 in x 84 in rod-pocket blackout panel (Cafe on Amazon, or Slate). Eclipse’s Thermaback line uses an applied foam thermal coating on the back of the fabric (Eclipse). It’s one panel, so wide windows may need two, and the rod is sold separately. Close it at night, and keep it 3 feet from any heater.
Full specs: Eclipse Kendall Thermaback
- Size: 1 panel, 42 in x 84 in
- Backing: Thermaback applied foam thermal coating
- Style: Blackout; rod pocket
- Colors: Cafe or Slate (links above)
More winter warmth: our door draft stoppers and sweeps, base layers and wool socks, cold-rated sleeping bags, 12V heated blankets and winter storm checklist.
FAQ
Does window insulation film really help keep a room warm?
ENERGY STAR says plastic film over windows reduces drafts, adds an extra layer of insulating air and helps a home feel warmer in winter. It doesn’t add heat, but it slows how fast your room loses it.
Can you put up window shrink film during a power outage?
You can tape it up, but most kits use a hair dryer to shrink the film tight, which needs power. Put it up before the storm. If the outage has already started, the CDC suggests covering windows with blankets at night.
Should thermal curtains be open or closed in winter?
The DOE says to open curtains on south-facing windows during the day to let the sun in, and close them at night to help keep out cold drafts.
How far should a space heater be from curtains?
The CPSC says to keep space heaters at least 3 feet from beds, curtains, sofas and anything else that can burn. Also keep drapes off radiators and baseboard heaters.
Specs checked Oct 25, 2026, from Duck, Frost King and Eclipse product pages and the Amazon listings. Guidance from ENERGY STAR, the DOE, the CDC and the CPSC. We haven’t hands-on tested this gear.