Is the Achim Top Down-Bottom Up Cordless Honeycomb Cellular Shade Good?

I have spent a significant portion of my professional life convincing clients that custom window treatments are worth the four-figure price tag. But then there are those rooms—the street-facing guest bathroom or the tiny laundry room—where you just need a functional solution that doesn't cost more than the plumbing. I recently found myself staring at my own bathroom window, realized the neighbors could see my toothbrushing routine, and decided to see if the achim top down-bottom up cordless honeycomb cellular shade could actually hold its own against the high-end brands.

Quick Takeaways

• Surprisingly soft non-woven fabric that avoids that cheap 'plastic' sheen.
• The top-down mechanism is a privacy lifesaver for bathrooms and bedrooms.
• Installation is straightforward, though the plastic brackets feel a bit delicate.
• Expect a slight learning curve to keep the rails perfectly level during operation.

Why I Finally Put This Big-Box Shade to the Test

The request for 'privacy but with light' is the most common refrain I hear from homeowners. Usually, I suggest a cafe curtain or a top-down Roman shade, but those custom orders take six weeks. I needed something yesterday. I've always been a bit of a snob about big-box window treatments, fearing they would look like the flimsy paper shades you see in college dorms. However, the achim top-down bottom-up cordless honeycomb cellular shade kept popping up in my search results as a budget-friendly alternative.

I ordered a crisp white version for my guest bath to see if it could handle the humidity and the daily 'up and down' dance. Why I Finally Caved And Bought A Cellular Shade Top Down Bottom Up was largely due to the sheer vulnerability of a ground-floor window. If I could get the functionality of a $300 shade for a fraction of that, I had to know if I was doing my clients a disservice by always going custom.

The Fabric Check: Does It Feel Like Paper or Linen?

Out of the box, the first thing I do is touch the pleats. Cheap cellular shades often feel like stiff, recycled bond paper that will crease permanently if a cat so much as looks at it. These achim cellular shades are made of a non-woven 100% polyester fabric. It has a soft, almost fabric-like hand that diffuses light into a soft glow rather than a harsh glare. When the sun hits it at 4 PM, the room turns into a soft lightbox, which is exactly what you want in a space where you're doing your makeup.

The 9/16-inch honeycomb cells are a standard size—large enough to look intentional, but small enough to fit in shallower window casings. While they don't have the heavy weight of a 300 gsm linen, they hold their pleat shape remarkably well. When compared to other Cellular Shades in the budget category, these feel less like a temporary fix and more like a permanent fixture. They don't have that 'crunchy' sound when you compress them, which is a huge win in my book.

The Truth About the Cordless Two-Way Glide

The real test is the mechanism. A top-down, bottom-up shade has two moving rails, which means twice the opportunity for things to go sideways—literally. I've seen shades where one side hangs two inches lower than the other, making the whole room look drunk. When I first operated the achim top down-bottom up cordless honeycomb cellular shade, I noticed the tension was tight. You can't just flick it; you need a steady, centered hand to move the rail.

If you pull from one corner, it will tilt. However, if you grab the handle in the center, the glide is relatively smooth. I Finally Tried A Bali Blinds Cordless Light Filtering Cellular Shade recently and found that while the Bali has a slightly more 'buttery' tension system, the Achim holds its position just as firmly. It hasn't sagged a millimeter in the three weeks I've been aggressively testing it. The cordless design is also a massive relief for anyone with pets or kids—it just looks cleaner without those messy strings tangling in the corner.

The Sneaky Installation Quirks Nobody Mentions

Let's talk about the brackets. They are clear plastic, which is great for being 'invisible,' but you have to be careful not to over-torque your screws or you'll crack the housing. You need at least 1.5 inches of depth for a partial inside mount, but for a true flush mount where the shade doesn't poke out past the trim, you're looking at closer to 2 inches. I used a 1/16-inch drill bit for my pilot holes into the pine trim, which made the screw insertion much safer.

The most important part of the install is the 'snap.' When you hook the front of the headrail into the bracket and rotate it upward, you must hear a distinct, audible click. If you don't hear it, the shade is just resting there, waiting to fall on your head the first time you pull the bottom rail. I learned this the hard way at 11 PM when the whole unit clattered into the tub because I hadn't fully seated the rear tab. Once it's locked in, it's solid.

Final Verdict: Where This Shade Actually Belongs

Is this the shade I would put in a high-end, formal living room? Probably not. For those spaces, I still want the weight and texture of a custom woven wood or a heavy velvet drape. But for a kitchen window above the sink, a home office, or a bathroom, this shade is a stellar value. It solves the privacy-versus-light dilemma without requiring a home equity loan.

The achim top down-bottom up cordless honeycomb cellular shade is a workhorse. It’s for the rooms where you need utility and a clean, modern aesthetic. Just remember to use the handle, keep your hands centered, and listen for that click during installation. Your neighbors will appreciate the privacy, and your wallet will appreciate the break.

FAQ

Can these shades be cut to width at home?

No, these are not 'cut-to-size' shades. You need to order the specific width for your window. If you're doing an inside mount, subtract about 1/4 inch from your window width to ensure it doesn't rub against the casing.

How do you clean the honeycomb cells?

Use the brush attachment on your vacuum for weekly dusting. For a stray bug or a spot, a can of compressed air works wonders to blow debris out of the cells without damaging the fabric.

Are they truly 'blackout'?

The standard honeycomb shades are light-filtering. They will block the view but allow a soft glow of light. If you need a room to be pitch black for a nursery, you'll need to look for the specific 'blackout' version which has a metallic lining inside the cells.