Blind Cord Safety Calculator
Enter the headrail height and cord length to see how low the cord hangs, the longest length that stays safe, and whether a child’s room needs a cordless blind instead.
Cord safety check
In a child's space with a reachable cord — switch to a cordless or motorised blind, or fit a cleat/tension device and keep the cord tied off.
How the check works
The calculator subtracts the cord length from the headrail height to find the cord’s lowest pointabove the floor, then compares it with a safe line — about 1.5 metres, or 60 inches, by default. If the cord ends below that line it’s within a child’s reach, and the tool reports the longest cord that would still clear it.
When the window is in a child’s space and the cord is reachable, the safest fix is a cordless or motorised blind. Otherwise, shorten the cord, or tie it off with a cleat and hold any chain loop taut with a tension device. This is planning guidance — always follow your blind’s own safety instructions and local regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are blind cords a safety concern?
Looped or long operating cords and chains are a strangulation hazard to babies and young children, who can become entangled in a cord within reach of a cot, bed, or the floor. It's one of the reasons the industry has moved so firmly toward cordless and child-safe designs.
How high should a cord's lowest point be?
Safety standards such as the European EN 13120 call for accessible cords and chains to be kept well above the floor — commonly at least about 1.5 metres, or roughly 60 inches — or to be secured with a cleat or tension device so no loop hangs within a child's reach. This calculator uses that line as its default.
What if my cord is too long?
Shorten it to the safe maximum the tool reports, or fit a cord cleat high on the wall to wind the cord out of reach and a tension device to hold a chain loop taut. In a child's room the safest answer is to replace the blind with a cordless, motorised, or wand-operated one.
Is cordless always better?
For homes with young children, cordless, motorised, and wand-tilt blinds remove the hazard entirely and are strongly recommended — many retailers label them 'best for kids'. They also look cleaner. The main trade-offs are cost and, for very large or heavy blinds, how they feel to operate.
Guidance only — not a substitute for the safety instructions supplied with your blind or for local regulations. Where young children are present, cordless is the safest choice.