Crate & Barrel Warm Beige & Storm Grey Linen Double Pinstripe Grid Blackout Window Curtain Panel
Avoid until Crate & Barrel discloses blackout coating chemistry. Treated linen often contains PFAS.
This linen-blend blackout curtain includes an undisclosed coating to achieve light-blocking and water resistance. Blackout and water-resistant textile coatings have historically relied on fluorinated compounds.
The safe swap
West Elm
West Elm Poppy Blooms Curtain Set of 2
75/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned Excellent.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Linen blend with blackout coating (unspecified)
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What’s concerning
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent treatments have historically contained PFAS chemicals.
Category baseline
PFAS exposure happens more often with clothing products.
No PFAS disclosure
The company has not publicly discussed PFAS in this product.
PFAS
Blackout treatments on consumer curtains frequently rely on PFAS-based fluorochemical water and stain repellents. Crate & Barrel's refusal to disclose coating chemistry makes this assessment probable rather than confirmed. Graded separately at 30/100 (Poor).
Source: ATSDR ↗Formaldehyde / VOCs
Linen blends are often finished with formaldehyde-based wrinkle-resist or dye-fixing resins. No specific testing data exists for this Crate & Barrel product, but the practice is standard in affordable-to-mid-market textiles. Initial off-gassing typically decreases after first wash.
Source: ATSDR ↗Azo dyes
The storm grey and beige colorants may include azo dyes, some of which cleave to release carcinogenic amines under conditions like sweat contact or aging. Linen does not inherently require azo dyes, but no brand disclosure confirms safer alternatives were used.
Coating degradation and particulate release
Blackout coatings degrade over years of sun exposure and laundering cycles. Peeling or flaking coating can shed microparticles into the home environment. No product durability data from Crate & Barrel exists; risk depends on use intensity and climate.
What’s reassuring
Flame retardants
Window curtains sold in the United States do not face mandatory flame retardant regulations as textiles sold loose (unlike upholstered furniture). No public evidence suggests Crate & Barrel adds flame retardants to these curtains, but lack of disclosure means it cannot be ruled out.
Source: EPA ↗The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
This product is a linen blend (percentage unspecified by Crate & Barrel) with a blackout coating applied to block light. The blackout layer is the critical unknown: manufacturers typically use either acrylic, polyurethane, or Teflon-type coating-based coatings to achieve blackout function. Linen itself is a natural fiber and relatively inert, but the coating chemistry determines actual safety. Without disclosure, you cannot verify what chemical stain treatments, flame retardants, or water-repellent finishes were added during manufacture.
The brand's record and disclosure
Crate & Barrel does not publicly disclose blackout coating chemistry on product pages or safety data sheets. The brand has no known formal commitments to eliminate PFAS from textiles and has not responded to industry pressure on chemical transparency in window treatments. No recalls or confirmed chemical violations have been documented for this specific product line, but silence on coating composition is a red flag in an industry where PFAS-based water and stain repellents remain common.
How it compares in its category
Most mainstream retailer blackout curtains (Target, Wayfair, Amazon Basics) similarly lack coating transparency. Premium alternatives like Pottery Barn or West Elm also do not always disclose; however, certified organic or GOTS-certified linen curtains from specialty retailers (e.g., Parachute, Snowe) often use safer, disclosed finishing processes. Budget blackout curtains carry similar or higher coating uncertainty; Crate & Barrel's mid-market positioning offers no inherent safety advantage.
If you buy it
Wash before first use in cool water to remove loose dyes or finish residues; many formaldehyde-based fabric resins hydrolyze during initial laundering. Avoid dry cleaning, which may introduce additional solvents. Do not use on windows above infant sleep areas or in rooms where young children mouth textiles. Replace if the coating begins to peel, crack, or shed particles, as degradation can release coating fragments. Keep windows ventilated on mild days; blackout linings reduce air exchange and can trap moisture.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 48% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Crate and Barrel has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
Safer alternatives in Curtains
Pottery Barn
Seaton Textured Cotton Light Filtering Curtain
100% cotton, uncoated
Azo dyes (synthetic dye toxicity)
Limited concern
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Limited concern
Lower concern because plain cotton carries minimal PFAS risk when untreated.
⚠Risky category by default
Pottery Barn
Custom Seaton Textured Cotton Curtain
100% cotton textile, no stated coating
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Limited concern
Heavy metals
Limited concern
Dye migration or bleeding onto skin or other fabrics
Limited concern
Lower PFAS concern because untreated cotton rarely requires fluorinated treatments.
⚠Risky category by default
West Elm
Emma Chamberlain Multi-Stripe Curtain
Cotton/linen blend multi-stripe woven textile
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Limited concern
VOC off-gassing
Limited concern
Lower concern because plain woven fabric shows no PFAS triggers, but West Elm lacks transparency.
⚠Risky category by default
More curtains grades
How we score: every product runs through the same public 0–100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.