Every blind sold in the UK must meet BS EN 13120:2009+A1:2014, in force since 28 February 2014, which requires any accessible cord or chain loop to sit at least 150cm above the floor, or be fitted with a breakaway device that separates under roughly 6kg of pulling force. The standard covers any space where children aged 0–42 months are likely to have access. Cordless and motorised Roman blinds meet the intent of the standard by design, since there is no loop to become a hazard at all.

• Key numbers: 150cm minimum cord height without a breakaway device · 60cm minimum if a breakaway is fitted · 6kg approximate force at which a compliant breakaway separates · 0–42 months is the protected age band · 28 February 2014 is when the standard became mandatory in the UK.

What Is BS EN 13120, and When Did It Become Law?

BS EN 13120:2009+A1:2014 is the British Standard covering performance and safety requirements for internal blinds, adopted from the equivalent European standard and mandatory for blinds placed on the UK market from 28 February 2014. It remains in force today, Brexit notwithstanding, because it was formally adopted into British Standards rather than existing only as an EU regulation. It sits alongside two related testing standards, BS EN 16433 (test methods for strangulation-hazard protection) and BS EN 16434 (requirements and test methods for the safety devices themselves), which manufacturers use to certify components rather than something a homeowner needs to reference directly.

Which Rooms and Buildings Does the Standard Cover?

The standard applies to any premises where children aged 0 to 42 months are likely to have access or to be present, which in practice covers homes, nurseries, schools, GP surgeries, hotels and any public-facing space with a reasonable chance of young children being in the room. It specifically does not apply to spaces like offices or factories where children are not expected, provided a notice stating the product is intended for premises without child access accompanies it. Most reputable installers, London Blinds 4U included, fit the safety devices as standard regardless of the room, on the basis that room use can change and visiting grandchildren do too.

The Two Numbers That Actually Matter: 150cm and 60cm

Strip away the legal language and the standard comes down to two figures. Any accessible cord or chain loop must either hang with its lowest point at least 150cm above the floor, out of reach for a young child even standing on furniture, or it must be fitted with a breakaway safety device rated to separate under roughly 6kg of pulling force, in which case the minimum height drops to 60cm because the loop itself can no longer sustain a child’s body weight. Almost every made-to-measure blind fitted today in a normal-height room uses the second route, since a 150cm cord length is impractical for most windows and most people want to operate the blind without reaching above head height.

What a Compliant Blind Actually Has Fitted

Every blind we fit includes the correct device for that blind type as standard, at no extra charge. This is not a value-add, it is the baseline legal requirement, and any installer presenting it as a paid upgrade is either misunderstanding the standard or cutting corners on it.

Are Corded Blinds Actually Illegal in the UK?

No, and this is worth stating clearly because it is one of the most searched and most misunderstood parts of this topic. Corded blinds remain fully legal provided they meet BS EN 13120, meaning a correctly fitted breakaway device and tensioner, or a cord kept above the 150cm threshold without one. What changed in 2014 was not a ban on cords, but a mandatory safety-device requirement wherever cords are used. A household with older, pre-2014 blinds that have no safety devices fitted is not breaking any law by continuing to use them, but those blinds do not meet the current standard and retrofitting a cleat or tensioner is a cheap, sensible upgrade.

Cordless and Motorised: The Safest Options, Not Just the Compliant Ones

Compliant is not the same as ideal. A breakaway device makes a corded blind meet the legal standard, but the genuinely safest option by a clear margin removes the cord entirely.

• Cordless roller or Roman blinds: operated by lifting and lowering the blind directly by hand, with no chain or cord loop to exist as a hazard in the first place.
• Motorised blinds: controlled by remote, app or wall switch with no cord anywhere on the blind. This is what we recommend most often for nurseries, since it removes the hazard entirely and lets a parent operate the blind without reaching over a cot or a crib.
• Perfect fit blinds with spring-loaded operation: common in newer flats, clipping into the window frame and using a small handle rather than a cord, which is inherently cord-free by design.

Suitability Matrix: Which Operation Type Suits Which Room

Who This Isn’t For

If your household has no young children, no regular child visitors, and no plans to sell to a family with young children, a standard corded blind with the correct breakaway device and tensioner meets every legal requirement and there is no obligation to pay extra for cordless or motorised operation purely on safety grounds. The upgrade to cordless is a genuine improvement in risk reduction, but it is not something we would insist on for every household regardless of circumstance.

Real Scenario: Retrofitting Pre-2014 Blinds in a Dagenham Rental

A landlord with an older Becontree-estate house often has blinds fitted well before 2014 with no safety devices at all: a loose corded chain with nothing to stop it forming a loop. The fix does not require replacing the blinds. A retrofit cord cleat, fitted to the wall or window frame and costing very little, combined with actually winding the cord onto it after every use, brings that blind close to current safety practice even without a manufacturer’s breakaway device. Where a full replacement is due anyway, we specify a compliant breakaway system as standard.

Real Scenario: A New Nursery in an East Ham Flat

Parents fitting out a nursery ahead of a baby’s arrival commonly ask for the cheapest blackout option, then discover mid-conversation that a corded blackout roller with a breakaway device, while fully legal, still involves a cord within the room. Motorised blackout rollers solve two problems in the same purchase: no cord anywhere in the room, and the ability to schedule the blind to close before a nap without needing to physically operate it, which matters when carrying a sleeping baby.

What Goes Wrong: Common Mistakes With Blind Cord Safety

• Tying two cords together: recreates exactly the loop hazard the standard exists to prevent, and is explicitly warned against by manufacturers, yet remains one of the most common DIY mistakes we see on pre-existing blinds.
• Fitting a tensioner but never actually using it: a cleat only works if the cord is wound onto it after every use; left hanging loose, it provides no protection despite being present on the wall.
• Placing a cot, bed or climbable furniture directly under a corded window: even a fully compliant breakaway device is a secondary safeguard, not a reason to position furniture that brings a child within reach of the cord.
• Assuming old blinds are automatically non-compliant, or automatically fine: age alone doesn’t tell you; the only way to know is to check whether a breakaway device and tensioner are actually fitted and working.

Corded vs Cordless vs Motorised: Full Comparison

What to Check on Older, Pre-2014 Blinds

BS EN 13120 applies to blinds placed on the market after February 2014, meaning older stock may predate the safety-device requirement entirely. If you’re unsure how old your blinds are, the practical checklist is the same regardless: confirm a breakaway connector or tensioner is actually fitted and functioning, move cots, beds and climbable furniture away from the window, and never tie or join cords together. Retrofit cord cleats and tensioners are inexpensive and available from any hardware supplier, and fitting one takes a few minutes.

Myths About Blind Cord Safety Worth Retiring

• Myth: only blinds in children’s bedrooms need safety devices. Fact: the standard applies to any room children are likely to access, which includes living rooms, kitchens and hallways in a family home, not just the nursery.
• Myth: Velux and roof window blinds don’t need any safety devices. Fact: they are often out of a young child’s reach by virtue of height, but where an operating cord is genuinely accessible from furniture or a loft conversion mezzanine, the same standard applies.
• Myth: a breakaway device makes a blind completely risk-free. Fact: it substantially reduces risk and brings the blind into compliance, but cordless and motorised options remove the hazard category entirely, which is a meaningfully different level of protection.

Our Verdict

For any room with regular child access, we recommend cordless or motorised operation as the default, not a premium extra. For adult-only rooms, a correctly fitted corded blind with a breakaway device and tensioner is genuinely safe and fully compliant, and there is no need to spend more than that purely on safety grounds. What matters most is knowing which category your room falls into and specifying accordingly, which is exactly what we talk through at the free measuring visit.

Blind Cord Safety FAQ

1. Are corded blinds illegal in the UK?
   No. Corded blinds are legal provided they meet BS EN 13120, meaning a breakaway device and tensioner, or a cord kept above 150cm without one. What became mandatory in 2014 was the safety-device requirement, not a ban on cords themselves.
2. Do I need cordless blinds if I don’t have children living with me?
   Not for legal compliance. Standard blinds fitted with the correct safety devices meet the requirement regardless of whether children live in the property, though many households still choose cordless for visiting grandchildren or future-proofing.
3. Are motorised blinds genuinely cord-free, or just tidier looking?
   Genuinely cord-free. There is no pull cord or chain anywhere on a motorised blind, only a remote, app or wall switch, which is why we specifically recommend them for nurseries rather than simply as a convenience feature.
4. Will you fit safety devices on blinds I already own?
   Our core service is made-to-measure supply and fitting, so it’s worth a quick call on 07852 257 307 to confirm what’s possible for your specific existing blind before assuming either way.
5. What is the actual age range BS EN 13120 protects?
   Children aged 0 to 42 months, roughly newborn to three and a half years old, which is the age band during which a child is most at risk of becoming entangled in an accessible cord loop.
6. Does BS EN 13120 apply to offices as well as homes?
   Generally not, provided children are not expected to have access to that space; a notice confirming this can accompany the product. It does apply to nurseries, schools, hotels and any premises where children are likely to be present, alongside all domestic settings.
7. Can I retrofit a safety device to a blind that doesn’t have one?
   Yes. Cord cleats and tensioners are inexpensive, widely available, and take only a few minutes to fit to the wall or window frame. This is the sensible interim step for older blinds while you decide whether to replace them entirely.
8. What’s the difference between a breakaway device and a tensioner?
   A breakaway device splits the chain apart under roughly 6kg of pulling force, so a loop can’t hold tension. A tensioner keeps the cord permanently taut against the wall or frame so it never hangs loose as a loop in the first place. Compliant blinds typically use both together.