Entry door windows · Buying guide
Blinds for sidelight windows
Sidelights are the tall, narrow fixed glass panels on either side of a front or back entry door — usually 8 to 16 inches wide and 60 to 84 inches tall. Off-the-shelf blinds rarely fit. We cut 2" cordless faux wood blinds from 8" wide (and 1" vinyl mini for the narrowest openings) to your exact measurements and ship nationwide.
- Cut from 8" wide
- Ships nationwide
- Entry-door privacy
Quick pick:
- 2" faux wood — default for most sidelights (8"–16" wide). Moisture-resistant composite slats, steel head rail, cordless lift.
- 1" vinyl mini — best when the opening is 8"–10" wide and a 2" headrail feels tight in a shallow frame.
- Measure width and height of the glass opening, then order inside mount (we deduct ½" from width) or outside mount on the trim face.
2" faux wood from 8" wide — the standard sidelight spec on production entry doors.
Sidelights vs other door glass
Search terms get mixed up — here is how builders and blind retailers label each opening.
- Sidelights (sidelites)
- Fixed vertical glass beside the door slab — typically 8"–16" wide and 60"–84" tall. This guide covers blinds for sidelights.
- Transom
- Horizontal window above the door — different shape and mount. Not a sidelight; order by width × height like a standard short window.
- Door glass
- Glass in the door itself (French door, back door) — usually 22"–27" wide, outside-mount faux wood on the door surface. See our door blinds section on the builder size chart.
- Sidelight + slider
- Some floor plans pair a fixed sidelite with a patio slider — treat each opening separately (faux wood on the sidelite, vertical or roller on the slider).
Door glass (22"–27" on the slab) is covered on our builder blind size chart. Patio sliders: sliding glass door guide.
Common sidelight sizes
Typical production-home sidelights run 8"–16" wide and 64"–84" tall. Click a size to open the faux wood configurator with width and height pre-filled.
| Size | Notes | Shop |
|---|---|---|
| 8" × 64" | Short sidelight beside entry door | Faux wood·Vinyl mini |
| 8" × 72" | Common builder sidelight height | Faux wood·Vinyl mini |
| 8" × 84" | Full-height sidelight to match 7′ door | Faux wood·Vinyl mini |
| 10" × 64" | Narrow sidelight — frequent search size | Faux wood·Vinyl mini |
| 10" × 72" | 10×72 — one of the most common sidelight specs | Faux wood·Vinyl mini |
| 10" × 84" | Tall 10" sidelight | Faux wood·Vinyl mini |
| 12" × 72" | Wider sidelight or flanking transom-adjacent glass | Faux wood·Vinyl mini |
| 12" × 84" | Full-height 12" sidelight | Faux wood·Vinyl mini |
| 14" × 72" | Upscale entry sidelight | Faux wood·Vinyl mini |
| 16" × 84" | Wide sidelight on custom entry systems | Faux wood·Vinyl mini |
Browse all lengths at a width: 8" faux wood hub · 10" faux wood hub · 12" faux wood hub
What to order
- From 8" wide2" cordless faux wood
Best default — cut from 8" wide, moisture-resistant for entry-door humidity, matches whole-home faux wood specs.
Configure - From 8" wide1" vinyl mini blinds
Thinner slats and headrail for 8"–10" openings where frame depth is shallow — budget-friendly secondary pick.
Configure
Mounting notes
Inside mount
Blind fits inside the sidelight frame. Enter window opening width and height; we deduct ½" from width for clearance. Confirm at least ~1½"–2" frame depth for a 2" faux wood headrail.
Outside mount
Blind mounts on the trim face around the glass — common when the frame is too shallow or you want maximum light blocking. Enter the finished blind width and height you want.
Privacy at eye level
Sidelights sit beside the door at standing height — privacy is the main purchase driver. Faux wood slats tilt closed for daytime privacy; close fully at night when interior lights are on.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the windows called next to a front door?
- The tall narrow windows beside an entry door are called sidelights (also spelled sidelites in builder catalogs). A horizontal window above the door is a transom — a different opening. Glass built into the door slab itself is door glass, not a sidelight.
- What size blinds fit a sidelight window?
- Most sidelights are 8 to 16 inches wide and 60 to 84 inches tall — for example 10×72 is extremely common on production homes. Measure your exact opening and order custom-cut blinds; off-the-shelf widths rarely match.
- Can I put 2 inch faux wood blinds on a 10 inch sidelight?
- Yes. Our 2" cordless faux wood line starts at 8 inches net width with a steel head rail — suitable for typical 10-inch sidelights. For very shallow frames, 1" vinyl mini blinds are an alternative.
- Should sidelight blinds be inside mount or outside mount?
- Inside mount when the frame has enough depth for the headrail — we deduct ½" from your opening width automatically. Outside mount on the trim face when the jamb is shallow or you need the blind to overlap the glass edge.
- Do you make blinds for 9 inch or 10 inch sidelights?
- Yes — order any width from 8" through 71.5" on faux wood or 8" through 72" on vinyl mini. Enter your measured opening on the configurator or shop common sizes like 10×72 on our size landing pages.
- Are real wood blinds available for sidelights?
- Our real hardwood blinds start at 20 inches wide — too wide for typical sidelights. Use faux wood or vinyl mini for narrow entry-door glass.
- Do sidelight blinds ship nationwide?
- Yes. Custom-cut faux wood and vinyl mini blinds ship free nationwide. Dallas–Fort Worth customers can add professional installation or schedule a free measure.
Measure and order
Measure the sidelight glass opening width and height. Enter dimensions on the faux wood or vinyl mini configurator — we cut every blind to your size and ship free nationwide.
Whole-home sizing? Builder blind size chart. Material comparison? Faux wood vs real wood.