Retractable screens or magnetic fly screens: the honest comparison
Retractable screens: the honest comparison
We do not make them. Which is exactly what makes this comparison useful.
The retractable (roller) screen is a good product, for certain openings and budgets. Here is what it does better than the others, what it really costs, and the cases where a made-to-measure magnetic fly screen is the smarter pick.
★★★★★ Rated 4.7/5 on Trustpilot. Zero retractable screens in our range: no stock to push.
Four different products share the same name.
Retractable screen with a cassette, pleated screen on tracks, fixed frame, magnetic mesh: everything is sold as an «insect screen», and none of it is comparable. Not the price, which runs from thirty to several hundred per opening, not the installation, not what each one does to your door or window frame. This comparison sorts out the four.
How a retractable screen works, and what that implies
A mesh on a spring-loaded roller inside a cassette above the opening, two side tracks: pull, it covers; release, it disappears. The convenience is real. So are the trade-offs.
A cassette, for good
Cassette and tracks are fixed to the frame or the reveal, usually drilled. It is a permanent installation: it marks the frame and should be chosen as such.
Genuine everyday comfort
Rolled up, the screen disappears completely: nothing to store in winter, nothing sticking out. That is the format's strength, and there it is unbeatable.
Mechanics that work hard
Spring, tracks, brush seals: moving parts living in dust and UV light. Upkeep is simple but real, and repairs go through the kit maker.
Magnetic, made to measure: less mechanics, zero drilling
A mesh cut to your exact measurements, held by self-adhesive hook-and-loop or magnetic strip, without a single screw. It does not roll into a cassette: it comes off in minutes and lies flat in a cupboard out of season. Less roll-away convenience, far fewer constraints, and a budget in another league.
- No drilling adhesive strip on the frame, removed without residue: renter-friendly.
- Cut to the centimetre for your opening, arched or out-of-square included.
- From $39.99 where a fitted retractable kit runs to several hundred dollars.
Retractable, pleated, fixed frame, magnetic: each has its case
No format is bad. Each one has a terrain where it is the right choice.
The retractable
For a permanent opening in a home you own, when the screen must vanish completely out of use and drilling plus budget are accepted.
The pleated
For very wide sliding doors with constant foot traffic: the mesh folds along a floor track. Premium comfort, premium installation.
The fixed frame
For a window that almost never opens: simple and effective, but screwed in, and you cannot walk through it.
Magnetic, made to measure
For rentals, frames that must not be drilled, unusual shapes and any budget without a building site. This is what we make.
The three removable formats, line by line
The fixed frame plays in another category (windows that stay shut). Here are the three formats for openings that live.
| Moskera | Retractable | Pleated | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No drilling | ✓ Hook-and-loop or magnets | ✗ Cassette to fix | ✗ Floor track to fix |
| Exact to size | ✓ To the centimetre | ~ Kit-dependent trimming | ~ Usually on quote only |
| Budget per opening | ✓ From $39.99 | ✗ Several hundred dollars | ✗ Often more still |
| Vanishes out of season | ✓ Lies flat in a cupboard | ✓ Inside its cassette | ✓ Folded on its track |
| Renter-friendly | ✓ No residue | ✗ Permanent installation | ✗ Permanent installation |
Three models, made to your measurements
Volume discount: −10% from 2 screens, −20% from 4.
Window
Self-adhesive magnetic strip on the frame, off in seconds to open up.
Door
Central magnetic closure: you walk through, it snaps shut behind you.
Large opening
Several panels with magnetic partitions, up to 600 cm and beyond.
Retractables in our range
This comparison pushes no stock: we sell none.
On Trustpilot
The shop's rating, for what we actually make.
Magnetic install
No tools, no drill, no fitter.
Holes in the frame
Adhesive fixings peel off without residue, rentals included.
Your questions on retractable screens and the alternatives
Why don't you make retractable screens?
Because it is a different trade: boxed mechanics, while our workshop cuts and sews textile to the centimetre. We would rather do one thing properly. That is precisely what lets us compare the formats with no hidden agenda.
How much does a retractable screen door cost?
Budget several hundred per opening, fitting included, depending on size and kit quality. The exact figure depends on the maker: beware of teaser prices that include neither tracks nor fitting.
Is there a no-drill retractable screen?
Cassette and tracks are usually screwed in. Clamp fixings exist on some kits, to be checked maker by maker, and their hold then depends heavily on the surface. If no-drill is your criterion, that is exactly the magnetic screen's home turf.
What about the pleated screen?
It is the comfort format for very wide sliding doors: the mesh folds and you walk through with one hand. It assumes a floor-mounted track, a tidy installation and a budget to match. On a standard door, compare it with a multi-panel magnetic screen before you sign a quote.
I rent my home: which format?
Neither retractable nor pleated: both are permanent installations that mark the frame. The made-to-measure magnetic screen holds on adhesive strip, peels off without a trace and moves out with you. It is the case where the choice is clearest.
And on a roof window?
Dedicated retractable kits exist, sold by model reference and usually drilled into the lining. For sloped frames, see our guide to the made-to-measure roof window fly screen: there, hook-and-loop mesh cut to size is the simplest answer.
Before you choose
The right format is the one your opening needs
If that is the magnetic one: two measurements are enough, we make the rest.
The no-drill alternativeCompare every model in our magnetic fly screens collection.