Best curtain tracks and poles: how the main options compare

Yes, but only with plasterboard anchors. Plasterboard cannot take a heavy load on its own, so the track is fixed with metal toggles or spiral anchors that spread the weight over a wider area. A standard track needs at least three fixing points about 60–80 cm apart. For heavy curtains (the densest blackout fabrics, such as Gravity Blackout, weigh over 350 g/m²) it is better to fix through the plasterboard into the timber or metal ceiling structure. Before drilling, find where the ceiling studs, cables and pipes run. Fitting a ceiling track costs from €9 per metre, and the final price depends on the length of the track and how complicated the fixing is. Our warranty on tracks is 12 months.

The pole should stand far enough from the wall for the curtain to fall freely without touching the sill or the radiator. The usual distance from the wall to the centre of the pole is 10–15 cm, and if there is a wide radiator under the window (more than 12 cm deep), increase it to 18–20 cm. The pole should extend 20–30 cm beyond the window on each side, so that curtains drawn back do not cover the glass. Height above the top of the window: 10–15 cm, or straight onto the ceiling to make the room look taller. At the measuring visit the designer takes all of this into account.

Yes. Electric tracks are fitted with Brel Home motors and controlled by a remote, an app or a wall switch, and through the Brel Home app they work with the Alexa and Google Home voice assistants. A motorised track costs from €170 per metre, fitted and programmed. It suits windows that are hard to reach, such as those with high ceilings or behind furniture. The motors carry a 24-month warranty.

An aluminium ceiling track is one of the lightest tracks on the market, and much lighter than a wooden pole. That is why aluminium tracks suit old homes with timber ceilings or weaker structures. In an old home the ceiling is assessed first and a fixing chosen that does not damage historic features.

For a large window the pole should be at least 40–60 cm longer than the window is wide, which is 20–30 cm on each side. That extra width lets the curtains be drawn right back from the glass and make the most of the daylight. On a very wide window the track may have to be joined from two parts; agree where the joint goes at the measuring visit, and set the brackets no more than 60–80 cm apart so that the profile does not sag. For panoramic windows that run round a corner, ceiling tracks can be bent to the angle of the corner when they are made.