Custom Made vs DIY Bay Window Curtain Tracks
If you have started looking for a bay window curtain track, you may have noticed a big difference in price between DIY bendable tracks and custom made bay window curtain tracks.
Both options can work, but they are very different products. A DIY track needs to be shaped during fitting, while a custom made bay track arrives already bent to suit your bay window.
This guide explains the main differences, where DIY tracks can make sense, and when a custom made bay track is usually the better long-term choice.
Quick Answer
A DIY bay window curtain track can be a good option if your budget is tight, your curtains are fairly light, your bay shape is not too awkward, and you are confident with DIY fitting.
A custom made bay window curtain track is usually the better choice if you want the track shaped before it arrives, want smoother operation, have heavier curtains, or want to avoid the stress of bending and adjusting the track during fitting.
The important thing is to compare the whole project, not just the price of the track in the box.
Lee’s Advice
If you are reasonably handy and your bay window is fairly simple, a DIY track can be a perfectly sensible choice. However, if you are fitting large curtains in your main living room bay, most people eventually decide the extra cost of a custom made track is worth it for the easier fitting, smoother operation and longer-term result.
Why Is There Such a Big Price Difference?
DIY bendable tracks and custom made bay window curtain tracks can sound similar because they are both used in bay windows.
The difference is how the bay shape is created.
A DIY track arrives straight or coiled and needs to be bent during fitting. A custom made bay track arrives already shaped to your bay window measurements, with the bends and angles completed before it reaches you.
With a custom made track, you are paying for the shaping, the correct overall length, better quality components, and a track that is ready to hold up and fit.
The Main Bay Window Curtain Track Options
Most bay window curtain track choices fall into three broad groups.
Soft Plastic DIY Tracks
Usually the lowest priced option. They are easy to bend, but can sometimes create tight corners or wavy straight sections if they are not well supported.
DIY Aluminium Tracks
A stronger middle-ground option. They can work well, but the bends need to be marked and shaped accurately during fitting.
Custom Made Bay Tracks
The premium option. The track arrives already shaped to your bay window, made to length and ready to fit.
Soft Plastic DIY Bay Window Tracks
Soft plastic bendable tracks are usually the lowest priced option. They are often sold in round packs with the track wound into a coil.
Their biggest advantage is that they bend very easily. This can make them tempting if you have a bay window and want a quick, low-cost solution.
The downside is that they can sometimes bend too easily.
If the bends are made too tight, curtains can bunch up and struggle to move smoothly around the corners. Instead of gliding around the bay, the curtain may stop at the bend and need teasing around bit by bit.
Another issue sometimes seen with softer plastic tracks supplied in coils is that the track can try to return slightly to its packaged shape. This can make longer straight sections between bends look a little wavy unless enough brackets are used to hold the track in place.
When soft plastic tracks may be suitable
A softer plastic track may be reasonable for lightweight curtains, temporary use, rented properties, or a room where long-term performance is not the main concern.
When we would be cautious
Bay windows are often the largest window in the home, which means they usually need the largest and heaviest curtains. For this reason, very lightweight plastic tracks are not usually the best long-term option for a main bay window.
Hard Plastic DIY Bay Window Tracks
Harder plastic curtain tracks are usually stronger and more stable than the very flexible coiled plastic tracks.
They can carry more weight and are often a better choice if your budget is tight but you still want something more substantial.
The trade-off is that harder plastic tracks do not usually form tight bends as easily. Instead of a sharp corner, you are more likely to get a wider sweeping curve.
On some bay windows, such as shallow curved bays, this can work perfectly well.
The main limitation is when you want the track to turn out of the bay onto the return walls. Returns are the short wall sections to the left and right of the bay where the curtains can stack back outside the bay opening.
Hard plastic tracks are not always as happy bending back the opposite way onto these return walls, so you may need to allow for a much wider sweeping bend.
Our view
If you are choosing a DIY plastic track, we would usually favour a better quality hard plastic option over the very cheap soft plastic versions. It is still a compromise, but it can be a capable solution in the right bay window.
DIY Aluminium Bay Window Curtain Tracks
Aluminium bendable tracks are generally stronger than plastic tracks and can usually carry more curtain weight.
These tracks are normally bent by inserting fillers into the glider channel before shaping. The fillers help stop the glider channel from collapsing while the bend is being made.
The bending itself is not always difficult. The real challenge is getting the bend in exactly the right place and at the correct angle.
Bay windows are not very forgiving. If a bend is slightly too early, too late, or not quite the right angle, adjusting it afterwards can be awkward.
This makes aluminium DIY tracks a better option for someone with reasonable DIY confidence and patience.
Our view
A DIY aluminium track can be a good middle-ground option. It usually costs more than plastic but less than custom made. It can give a good result, but the final outcome depends heavily on accurate measuring, marking and bending.
Custom Made Bay Window Curtain Tracks
Custom made bay window curtain tracks are the highest priced option, but they also remove the most difficult part of the job.
The track arrives already shaped to your bay window measurements. The bends and angles are completed before dispatch, and the track is made to the correct overall length.
This means there is no need to cut the track down or shape the bends during fitting.
In most cases, the track is supplied fully assembled and ready to hold up and fit. For ceiling-fixed sections inside the bay, the brackets are already fitted to the track in the correct positions.
On many bay windows, wall brackets are used on the return walls outside the bay. These are usually fitted to the wall first, then the track is offered up into position.
Why people choose custom made
Many customers choose a custom made bay track because they want the best long-term result and the least stressful fitting process.
The track quality, component quality, support and pre-shaped design all help to create a smoother, stronger and longer-lasting solution.
For many people, the biggest benefit is not just the quality of the track. It is avoiding the trial and error of bending a track themselves in one of the most visible windows in the home.
Do Not Forget Brackets and Gliders
One detail that is often overlooked when comparing bay window curtain tracks is the number of brackets and gliders supplied.
In our experience, DIY tracks are often supplied with too few of both for many bay window installations.
Bay windows usually need more support than straight windows because the track has bends, returns and longer curtain runs to deal with. Extra brackets can help keep the track supported, control flexible sections, and improve how smoothly the curtains move around the bay.
Extra gliders may also be needed, especially if you are hanging wider or fuller curtains.
If you are buying a DIY track, check whether you can buy extra brackets and gliders before starting the project. Another option is to buy a longer track than you actually need, as this may give you additional brackets and gliders once the track is cut down to size.
This does not apply in the same way to custom made bay tracks because they are made to your measurements. If you are comparing custom made tracks from another supplier, it is worth giving them your bay size and asking how many brackets and gliders will be included.
Lee’s Advice
The tricky part is that most homeowners will not know whether the number supplied is enough. That is why I always suggest asking the supplier how they decide how many brackets and gliders to include, rather than only asking for the number itself.
Which Option Is Best for Your Bay Window?
There is no single answer that suits every home.
If your budget is tight, your curtains are lightweight, and you are comfortable with DIY fitting, a good-quality DIY track may be a perfectly sensible option.
If you are planning to move within the next year, you may also decide that a lower-cost option is good enough for the time you expect to use it.
However, if this is your main bay window, you are hanging larger curtains, or you want the best long-term result, a custom made bay window curtain track is usually the stronger choice.
When comparing prices, remember to look beyond the cost of the track itself. With DIY tracks, factor in whether you may need a longer track, extra brackets, extra gliders, and the time needed to shape and adjust the track during fitting.
With custom made bay tracks, check what is included before ordering. A good bay track should arrive with enough brackets and gliders for the measurements supplied.
The cheapest option on paper is not always the cheapest completed project. The right choice depends on your budget, your DIY confidence, your curtain weight, and how important long-term performance is for your bay window.
Helpful Guides to Read Next
These guides may help if you are comparing what is included with different bay window curtain tracks.
How Many Brackets Does a Bay Window Curtain Track Need?
Understand bracket spacing, bend support and why bay tracks usually need more support than straight tracks.
How Many Curtain Track Gliders Do I Need?
Read this to discover how many curtain track gliders you will need to support your curtains properly.
When Does a Custom Made Bay Window Curtain Track Make Sense?
See the situations where using a custom made bay track makes sense. Plus the situations where it doesn’t make sense.
FAQs About DIY and Custom Made Bay Window Curtain Tracks
Yes, they can be. A good DIY track can work well if the bay shape is fairly simple, the curtains are not too heavy, and you are confident measuring, bending and fitting the track yourself.
Lightweight plastic tracks are usually not the best long-term choice for heavy curtains. Harder plastic tracks can carry more weight, but aluminium or custom made tracks are usually better for larger, heavier curtains.
Very flexible plastic tracks can often be bent into tight corners. If the bend radius is too tight, the curtains may bunch up or stop at the bend instead of moving smoothly around the bay.
Aluminium DIY tracks are generally stronger than plastic tracks and can usually carry more weight. The main challenge is shaping the bends accurately during fitting.
Custom made tracks cost more because the shaping work is done before the track is delivered. The track is made to your bay measurements, cut to the correct length, pre-bent and supplied with suitable components.
Bay window tracks often need more brackets than straight tracks because they have bends, returns and longer curtain runs. Extra support helps the track stay stable and helps the curtains move more smoothly.
The number of gliders depends on the curtain heading, curtain width and how full the curtains are. Pencil pleat, pinch pleat and wave curtains can all need different glider spacing.
It usually is if you want a long-term solution, smoother operation, easier fitting and fewer compromises. If you are on a tight budget or only need a temporary solution, a DIY track may be good enough.
Still Unsure then Let Us Help You
Let the curtain track finder help you decide which track is best for your window. Or you can get advice on how to deal with your bay window by send a couple of photos.