Bedroom Skylight (Best Types & Designs)

Nothing compares to a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing bedroom space. It really comes as no surprise why every homeowner would want one. There are a lot of methods towards achieving that goal, of course. You can bring in comfy sheets that match the room’s color scheme, get a cozy bed, and comfortable furniture, or try bringing in a bedroom skylight.

Skylights are a great way to open up your bedroom space without really putting in a lot of construction work and costs into it. It’s particularly nice to put up in bedrooms with vaulted ceilings or those in the attic area, giving it direct access to the roof.

A bedroom skylight is basically a type of window that’s being installed on the ceiling or on the roof. It goes without saying that since a skylight is a type of window, it would invite natural light into the room.

A skylight can be a total game changer in your room design. If you’ve been contemplating getting a skylight for the bedroom but have some doubts about it, then you’ve definitely come to the right place.

In this article, we’ll attempt to break down the details of what a skylight is all about and what benefits you can get from getting one.

Benefits of Getting a Skylight In The Bedroom

Additional natural light. This is one of the biggest benefits of getting a skylight. Natural light is valuable and, at times, scarce in real estate, and it can increase your home’s real estate value in the process.

Along with natural light, you also get to enjoy the benefits of solar heat, of course. Natural light can work wonders for the overall mood and look of your bedroom, whereas solar heating can help you save up on your energy costs especially during the cold and chilly months.

You get better ventilation and better air quality. Skylights are windows, so they naturally let fresh air into your space.

If you happen to have stuffy rooms in your home, a skylight can help out in letting some fresh air in or perhaps help facilitate some cross ventilation. This can help you cool your spaces down without ever turning the air conditioner on.

As mentioned above, skylights can also help you with your energy costs. You can heat your bedroom space with solar heat or cool it down with some cross ventilation. It sounds like a small thing in the beginning, but it adds up over time. This is why you should seriously consider a skylight, especially if you’re planning to cut down on your energy expenses.

It can increase your home’s resale value. Adding a skylight is an aesthetic upgrade bound to yield returns on your home’s real estate value. It can give certain rooms in your home the inviting and comforting aesthetic that can only be brought in by the attractiveness of natural light.

It can make your bedroom look and feel bigger. It’s like mirroring the sky. It’s attractive during the day and even more so at night. If you’re particularly challenged with how small or stuffy a room feels, a skylight can open the space up and make all the difference in the world.

Disadvantages of Getting a Skylight In The Bedroom

Every change in the home for cosmetic purposes can come with advantages, but they also have disadvantages. Skylights are no exception to this.

Here are some of the negative effects of getting a skylight installed in your home that can be brought on by poor decision-making prior to its installation.

Over-lighting and overheating. Although having some extra sunlight can be a true advantage in some spaces, having too much light and too much heat can have some serious drawbacks.

This is why it’s extremely important to consider the placement of your skylight, its shape and size, the direction it’s aimed at, how much climate control you plan to get, and how the actual space will be utilized.

Heat loss. During the cold months, you actually run the risk of losing indoor heat if you have a skylight installed. This is because glass is structurally a better conductor of heat compared to concrete or any other building materials.

This allows heat to escape to the outside of the home. To help minimize this, you should opt for a skylight that’s insulated or thermally broken (doesn’t have a trim or hardware piece that connects it to the outside).

Installation issues. One common problem with skylights is that there are issues with the shaft being properly sealed or installed. If a bedroom skylight isn’t properly installed, it can lead to issues with moisture and leaks that can drip down into the space where the skylight is installed over.

It might seem like a minor problem at first but you need to keep in mind that this can scatter to other dry parts in the ceiling and can lead to mold, rot, and other bigger problems in the long run.

Maintenance challenges. Skylights can be a challenge to clean. If you’re quite particular about keeping the room clean and are in the habit of periodically cleaning up your windows, you might find skylights particularly difficult to clean.

You’ll want to have your skylight installed in areas that aren’t prone to have leaves or branches falling on them or prone to any other debris that would require constant cleaning. Read more about the pros and cons of skylights here.

Best Skylights For Bedrooms

Skylight selection can be a technical and tricky business, but don’t worry. We’ll break down the top 4 skylights that are considered as the best of the best depending on the main features that they actually bring to the table this 2021. This will help you arrive at a better informed decision at the end of the day.

Best insulation: SIG Skylights FMB Glass Skylight.

This model is easy to install and is known for its durability. It’s great at preventing moisture leaks and air leaks because it’s particularly equipped with some double-paned insulated glass material. It’s haze and fade proof and has a great aluminum coating.

It has a built-in curb that gives you the guarantee of a leak proof setup. It’s bound to not get brittle and crack under sun exposure either. This is easily replaceable and offers a lifetime warranty. Read more about curb mounted vs deck mounted skylights here.

Best ventilation: Sunoptics SUN R2030 Prismatic Flat Skylight.

It provides extra brightness and ventilation to a room because of its extra feature of having prismatic lenses and thermal protection. It has a moisture protectant layer, too. More than that, it’s quite energy efficient without ever reducing light levels in the bedroom space.

Best tubular skylight: Natural Light Energy Systems 10-Inch Tubular Skylight.

This skylight has a brightening agent and actually comes with built-in UV protection. This also comes with a prismatic diffuser and is hurricane tested. It’s an eco-friendly skylight option that is ENERGY STAR and NFRC certified.

The best for RVs: Icon Technologies Limited RV Skylight. This is a lightweight skylight option that can provide your RV with natural light on the go. The material is made out of impact-resistant polycarbonate, making it the perfect option for your RV unit.

Skylight In Bedroom Cost

The cost of putting a skylight in your bedroom can be variable to the type of skylight you want to get, whether you’re planning to get the installation done by a professional, or what other installation costs might come along with it.

The average price range can be at $900 to $2,300, but it can easily go up to $3,500 to $4,000 depending on how high end the skylight is. The national US average for a skylight installation cost is at $1,500.

Skylight In Bedroom Feng Shui

From a Feng Shui perspective, a skylight is technically considered a window. Windows are regarded as the “eyes of the home”. Windows are considered as “active thinking” in Feng Shui. This means that it lets Yang energy in, along with some light and fresh air.

Yang is the brighter and positive equivalent of the Yin energy. Also, Feng Shui would not recommend getting a skylight installed right over your bed, so if you want to be Feng Shui reliant, you should consider rearranging your bedroom furniture pieces around it instead of directly under it.

Go to our how to get the perfect Feng Shui bedroom guide here.

How To Cover A Skylight In A Bedroom

There are several ways for you to cover a skylight in your bedroom. Here are some options to consider:

Skylight shades and blinds: they’re both functional and aesthetic. They’re a great way to cover up your skylight and still keep your room’s décor. They can come in different types and designs, such as thermal blinds, pleated shades, motorized shades, and cellular shades.

Blinds can also come in retractable or Venetian variants. Read more about the types of window blinds here.

Do Skylights Make A Bedroom Hot?

The answer to this is no, or at least not in the ways that you would imagine. If there are certain instances wherein you would want to reduce the heat coming off of your skylight, window shades and blinds can help you block out the sun’s intense UV rays. 

Visit our guide on the types of skylights for more related content.