Taped vs Eyelet Curtains: Which Heading Suits Your Room?

28 October 2026 · 6 min read

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Taped vs Eyelet Curtain Headings: Which Suits Hotels and Homes?

Curtains do a lot of quiet work in a room. They frame the window, soften the light, and in a guest room they help decide whether a guest sleeps well or reaches for the eye mask. Yet most of the decision-making happens before you ever see the fabric: it happens at the heading, the top of the curtain where it meets the track or the rod. Two heading types come up in almost every conversation - tape and eyelet. They hang differently, need different hardware, and suit different rooms. Here is how each one behaves, so you can choose with confidence.

What a curtain heading actually does

The heading is the finished top section of the curtain. It determines three things: what the curtain hangs from, how much fabric gathers across the window, and how the folds fall from ceiling to floor. A heading that gathers generously will stack back into deep, full folds; a heading that sits flat will fall in softer, more regular waves. Neither is better in the abstract - they simply produce a different look and a different set of practical trade-offs.

How a taped heading works

A taped heading is built around a woven tape sewn across the top of the curtain. The tape holds rows of pockets and cords, and you hang the curtain by slotting hooks into those pockets. The hooks then clip onto the runners of a track or the rings of a rail, so the curtain gathers as it is drawn.

That collection of pockets is what makes tape so adaptable. By choosing a different row of pockets, you change how much of the curtain gathers and where the top sits relative to the hardware, which is useful when a track sits close to the ceiling or when you want the curtain to cover a little more of the window. Tape also handles a fuller gather well - the kind of deep, even pleating that reads as formal and tailored in a guest room or a dining room.

On the practical side, tape brings a few extra components into the equation. You need the right hooks and a compatible track or rail, and the tape itself should be handled gently. Because the hooks can be repositioned, a taped curtain is forgiving if a window is an awkward width or if you later change the gathering.

How an eyelet heading works

An eyelet heading is simpler. Metal rings, or eyelets, are set along the top of the curtain, and the pole threads straight through them. There are no hooks, no tape and nothing to clip in: you slide the curtain onto the rod and it is hung.

That direct connection gives eyelet curtains their signature look - soft, regular, unfussy folds that fall in even waves from the rod. Because the fabric moves freely along the pole, eyelet curtains are quick to open and close, which is handy on wide windows and in rooms where guests or staff draw the curtains daily. There is also less hardware to lose, replace or fit, and the finished heading has a neat, modern line that suits contemporary interiors.

The trade-off is control. With no tape to adjust, the gather and stack-back are set by the eyelets themselves. Eyelet curtains also need a rod rather than a track. Rods are supplied individually in a choice of finish and length, so the span and the look stay in your hands - our 25mm steel curtain rods come in Black, Stainless Steel, Antique Brass and Bronze, with matching rings, brackets, finials and joiners available separately for wider spans and corner layouts.

Taped vs eyelet curtains: the practical comparison

Hardware
Taped headings need a track or rail plus hooks. Eyelet headings need a rod of suitable diameter, and nothing else.
The hang
Tape produces a gathered, tailored drape and, with a full gather, a deep stack-back. Eyelet produces a consistent soft wave and a flatter, more uniform stack at the side of the window.
Adjustability
Tape is adjustable through the pocket rows and hook positions. Eyelet is fixed once made - the finished look is the look.
Drawing and closing
Eyelet curves move easily along a smooth rod, which is a real advantage on wide windows. Tape is perfectly workable but relies on the runners and hooks doing their job smoothly.
Maintenance
Both headings should be cared for gently, and both hold their heading better when laundered with reasonable care. Tape has more components at the top that can be disturbed in the wash; eyelets are a simple metal ring set into the fabric.

Matching the heading to the room

For guest rooms and other high-turnover hospitality spaces, the deciding factors are usually light control, how often the curtains are drawn, and how easy the window is to service at changeover. A taped heading on a track gives you precise coverage across the window and a fuller, more generous look that suits heritage properties and classic room schemes. An eyelet heading on a rod is quicker to fit and quicker to draw, and its clean lines suit modern lodges, boutique guesthouses and contemporary hotel rooms.

For home interiors, start with the window. Wide windows and doors that are opened and closed constantly tend to favour eyelet. Windows where you want a tailored, layered finish, or where a track is already in place, tend to favour tape. If you are weighing up blockout for a bedroom that needs to stay dark in summer, the heading type matters less than the fabric and the coverage - go with the heading whose hardware suits the window and get the light control from the lining side.

A simple way to decide

Ask yourself four questions. Does the window already have a track or a rod? A track points to tape; a bare wall above the window points to a rod and eyelet. How often will the curtains be drawn? Frequently drawn curtains reward the smooth travel of eyelets. How much gather do you want across the window? More fabric and a fuller pleat point to tape. And what look does the room call for? Tailored and formal, or calm and contemporary.

Answer those honestly and the heading usually chooses itself.

Choosing with Linen and Co

Our curtain ranges cover both heading types, so you can match the heading to the window rather than bending the room around the hardware. If you are furnishing or replenishing guest rooms, tell us the window widths and the drop you need, and how the curtains will be drawn and laundered, and we will point you to the heading and hardware combination that holds up to daily use.

Ready to sort the windows? Browse our curtain and rod ranges, or send us your room schedule and we will help you specify the right heading for every window.

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Taped vs Eyelet Curtains: Which Heading Suits Your Room?

Taped vs Eyelet Curtain Headings: Which Suits Hotels and Homes?

Read more

What a curtain heading actually does

How a taped heading works

How an eyelet heading works

Taped vs eyelet curtains: the practical comparison

Hardware

The hang

Adjustability

Drawing and closing

Maintenance

Matching the heading to the room

A simple way to decide

Choosing with Linen and Co