Sapphire vs Botley: Which One Suits Your Window?

If you’ve been browsing our range and found yourself torn between Sapphire and Botley, you’re not alone. They’re two of our most popular plain white panels, and at first glance they can look fairly similar in a thumbnail. Look a little closer, though, and they’re built for slightly different jobs.

Sapphire is our plain white voile, made by Finesse. Botley is our plain white net curtain. Both are made to measure in the UK, both come with a weighted hem so they hang beautifully, and both are available in white or ivory. The difference comes down to how the fabric is made, how it behaves, and where it works hardest in your home.

The Fabric: Woven vs Knitted

This is the real difference between a voile and a net, and it’s worth understanding before you choose.

Botley is a net curtain, which means the threads are knitted together. This gives it a slightly coarser texture and, because of how nets are constructed, the edges can be cut to size without needing to be hemmed. It’s a practical, no-fuss fabric that’s been a mainstay in British homes for generations.

Sapphire is a voile, which means the threads are woven rather than knitted. This gives it a noticeably softer drape and a slightly more refined finish. Woven fabrics do need their sides hemmed to stop fraying, which is why Sapphire comes with the choice of hemmed or unfinished sides.

In practice: Botley has a crisper, more classic net look. Sapphire falls more softly, with a gentle movement that suits a more contemporary space.

Heading Options: How Much Styling Flexibility Do You Want?

Both curtains offer the reliable slot top and slot top & bottom headings, ideal if you’re hanging from a net wire or a tension rod. Both also offer pencil pleat tape in 2″ or 3″, for a track or pole with rings.

Sapphire goes a little further. As well as those options, it’s also available with a wave heading for a wave track, and a 40mm eyelet heading for a pole. That makes it the more versatile choice if you’re working with modern hardware, or if you want a fuller, more tailored look at the window.

If you’re keeping things simple and classic, Botley covers everything you’ll typically need. If you’d like the option to dress the window in a more current style, Sapphire has the wider range.

Care: What Happens on Wash Day

Botley is fully machine washable. We’d recommend a hand wash setting on your machine for the best temperature and spin, and hanging it back up with minimal creasing rather than reaching for the tumble dryer.

Sapphire’s care depends on the heading you choose. Slot top and tape top versions can also go in the machine on a hand wash setting. If you’ve chosen eyelet or pinch pleat, dry cleaning is recommended instead, simply because those headings hold their shape better without machine agitation.

If low-maintenance, wash-and-forget care matters most to you, Botley is the easier day-to-day option.

Where Each One Works Best

Botley is built to do the classic net curtain job: privacy, sun protection and a barrier against insects, all with minimal obstruction to your light and view. It’s a strong choice for kitchens, bathrooms, and any room where you like to keep a window open in summer without inviting the outside in. It’s also the more budget-friendly route to a fresh, clean look at scale, such as when you’re dressing several windows at once.

Sapphire suits rooms where you want privacy and light with a softer, more elevated finish, think living rooms, bedrooms, or a bay window you’d like to feel a little more considered. Because it can also be lined, it’s a good option if you’ve fallen for the fabric and want to boost its privacy or thermal performance without losing that drape.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’m so impressed with how these, look, feel and the quality of the finish – Emma H

Our Verdict

Neither one is better than the other; they’re simply suited to different priorities. Choose Botley for a practical, easy-care net that quietly does its job. Choose Sapphire if you want a softer drape, more heading choices, and the option to line it for extra privacy.

If you’re still not sure, our free sample service means you can order swatches of both and see the difference in your own hands and against your own window before you commit.

Ready to Choose?

Browse Sapphire and Botley side by side, or get in touch with our team if you’d like a second opinion on which one suits your window.