Curtain Poles for Bay Windows

Curtain poles for bay windows can be problematic if you do not invest a little time in research to find a suitable product.   The first stumbling block is opting for a cheap DIY product.  These can be excellent if you are hanging light weight curtains on a small bay (under 200cm total size) and you have no intention of actually using the curtains.   If you have a larger window, long/heavy curtains or want to use the curtains on a regular basis; you really need a bespoke made to measure pole.

The second stumbling block is going straight for a traditional style of curtain pole.  In my opinion these are not suitable for bay windows.  The traditional style of poles with rings cannot go pass the brackets which limits the quantity of brackets that you can fit the pole to the window to three.  This is probably not going to be enough as you need to secure the bends to the wall to avoid them from dropping down.  If you fit more brackets then you would need to split the curtains into two pairs which means you have curtains hanging in the middle of you bay window.  Not the most stylish or attractive option and this also takes light out from the room.

There are C-rings and passing brackets available on some brands of traditional poles which work fine as long as you pull the curtain dead straight and make sure that the ring is straight as you pull the curtain.  If not the ring tilts and clips the bracket leaving you to lift the curtain past each bracket. 

I was speaking to a customer yesterday who was interested in a pole for her bay window to replace a pole she had only just bought which operated in the traditional style but with C-rings and passing brackets.  She was looking to replace it because “I have to get up on a chair and pass the rings over the brackets one by one” she said.   Obviously this type of pole was not suitable and in my opinion had been miss sold.

The better option for bay windows is to have a pole with gliders.  This type of pole operates like a curtain track but looks like a curtain pole.  The pole has a channel in the bottom for the gliders and a channel in the top for the brackets, this way the two do not interfere with each other allowing you to fit as many brackets as you require and still be able to fit a pair of curtains, it can even be fitted flush to a ceiling.  The curtain poles with gliders can also be bent by a qualified technician to suit any style of bay window.  The smooth bends allows the curtains to pass much more efficiently than the knuckle joints used for most traditional poles.

However the most important thing to get when looking at bay window curtain poles is to get good advice and not someone looking for a quick and easy sale.