Curtains are a must in my home. We live in a large townhouse community in Southern California and our windows are extremely close to the street. I needed something to cover the patio sliding doors. This one is working like a charm so far. The sun is blocked by the curtains with a slight glow around the sides. I would suggest giving more clearance on the sides when you mount the rod.  It for sure does wonders with blocking some sound which is nice when you live in an attached community. 

The curtains themselves are nice quality but the star is the back tabs. All my other curtains are grommet and every morning and evening I get that terrible metal to metal screeching sound. No more! It’s a smooth and quiet pull. Priceless. Dump the grommet. Back tab all the way.