Privacy window film

Two kinds of privacy

Frosted and opaque films work day and night. They give an etched or sandblasted look, block the view through the glass, and still let daylight in. They're the right choice for bathrooms, front door glass, sidelights, basement windows, and anywhere you need privacy at night.

Reflective films give one-way privacy in daylight: you can see out, and people outside see a reflection. At night, when it's brighter inside than outside, that flips and people can see in. That's physics, not a film defect, and it's the most common surprise people have with "one-way" film. Can people see in at night?

Where people use it

• Homes: bathroom windows, front doors and sidelights, garden-level and first-floor windows, windows that face a neighbor.
• Offices: conference rooms, private offices, glass walls and HR or medical rooms.
• Storefronts and buildings: back-of-house windows, ground-floor windows and storage areas.

Full coverage or a band

You don't have to frost the whole pane. A band at eye level, a gradient that fades toward the top, or frosting just the bottom half keeps privacy where you need it and leaves the rest clear. See decorative film for patterns and designs.

Blackout film

For rooms that need no light at all, such as media rooms, nurseries or storage, opaque blackout film blocks the view and the light.