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One of the most effective ways to stop flies coming into your house is to keep all the doors and windows shut but then you’d stifle in the summer. Alternatively, leave the door and windows open and put up fly screen curtains instead. Keep the insects out and let the fresh air in! In this review, we look at the Best Metal Chain Link Fly Screens for your home or business. In a companion article, I investigate the Best Mesh Fly Screens for Doors and Windows which you can also read here.
During our research, we noticed that the chain fly screens have most of the same features, except for the dimensions and colour of the chains. In this review, we’ve written an overall commentary that applies to all the models we present and then individual pros and cons for each model in turn. Our Buyer’s Guide discusses safety issues.
BEST PICK
Best metal chain link fly screens reviews
Summary for all models we review
All the metal chain link fly screens in our review are made of anodised aluminium. This metal is durable, rust-resistant and lightweight. Its lightness leads to some online reviewers complaining that the chains in the curtain aren’t as heavy as they expected and that the curtain sometimes blows in the wind. Also bear in mind that large pets going through the fly curtain often puts some stress and strain on the chains.
However, that same lack of weight means that you can easily take the curtain screen down if the wind does pick up and you’ve put up the screen on the outside of your door. Another placement option is to put it on the inside of the door frame and you don’t have this problem.
All the screens are easily installed and come with the fittings that you need. These usually consist of two screws from which to hang the header track of the curtain and two wall plugs for drywall. Note that these fittings aren’t suitable for PVC door frames and you will have to provide your own fittings for that. Removing the chain link curtain is simply a matter of lifting the header track off the screws in the wall.
All the metal fly screens we review are 90cm wide – that’s the width of a standard single door. The length of the chains maybe 200cm or 210cm as that’s the standard height of a door. If you’re looking for a chain screen for a window or an odd-size door, it’s easy to shorten the header track with a hack saw and to remove links from the bottom of the chains to make them shorter.
The main difference between the metal chain fly screens we look at is in the colours they are available in. Most are silver-coloured, but some are also available in black and in stripes of different colour schemes. There’s no reason why the barrier that keeps out flies, mosquitoes and other bugs can’t be stylish and fit in with your interior or outdoor décor. We’ve identified the colours in the individual Pros of each model.
1. Vermatik Premium Genuine Fly Screen 90cm x 210cm
Best Pick
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Pros
- Aluminium chain fly curtain – silver colour – for use inside or outside your door.
- Metal chains are preinstalled on the hanging rod.
- Lifetime warranty – this is unusual in this type of product.
- Fittings and fixtures included with your purchase.
- Curtain is easily cut to fit your doorway.
- Good customer service.
- Dimensions: 90cm (wide) by 210cm (length of chains).
Cons
- Chains are lightweight.
- Included fittings are only for drywall, not plastic door frames.
2. Shoze Door Fly Screen 214 x 90cm
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Pros
- Anodised aluminium chain link curtain in sliver and turquoise stripes.
- Also available in green and silver stripes, and in black.
- Header track is also made of metal and hung on two screws in the wall.
- Place on your inside or outside door frame.
- Easily made narrower or shorter.
- Dimensions: 90cm (width) and 210cm (chain length).
Cons
- Included fittings are only for drywall, not plastic door frames.
- Chains are lightweight.
Read next: Best electric fly killers
3. BriSunshine Premium Door Fly Screen 210 x 90cm
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Pros
- Aluminum chain link hanging curtain – silver colour – to keep out flies.
- Comes with two hanging screws and two wall plugs for dry wall.
- Header track is metal as well.
- Sales website has step-by-step pictures of the installation process.
- Easy to cut down with a hack saw to remove links from the bottom of the chains.
- Dimensions: 90cm (width) and 210cm (chain length); weighs 3kg (approx.).
Cons
- Chains are lightweight.
- No fittings for PVC door frames.
4. VerRich Fly Screen 90 x 200cm Premium
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Pros
- Aluminium (anodised) chains – silver colour – in a hanging fly curtain.
- Comes with fittings for drywall surfaces – screws and wall plugs.
- Easy to shorten or make narrower.
- Dimensions: 90cm (width) and 200cm (chain length).
Cons
- Chains are lighter than some purchasers expected.
5. OGORI Aluminium Fly Insect Chain Screens Curtain For Doors
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Pros
- Anodised aluminium chain link fly curtain has pastel green, blue, pink, yellow and silver stripes.
- Also available in black.
- There are 69 chains across the width of this curtain.
- Header hangs on two screws drilled into the wall.
- Easily made narrower or shorter
- Fittings are included in purchase.
- Dimensions: 90cm (wide), 214 (height to top of header) and 210cm (chain length).
Cons
- Chains are lightweight.
- Included fittings are only for drywall, not plastic door frames
Buyer’s Guide
Our overall summary for all the fly screens in this review details what you need to know about buying metal chain link fly curtains. We focus this Buyer’s Guide on safety issues, something we feel strongly about.
State of links
These metal fly screens are simply a curtain of hanging chains. Although all the manufacturers of the units claim that the links are designed to be smooth and not snag your clothes, long-term use may open up some of the links or give them rough edges. They then have the potential of digging into or cutting bare skin – people or pets.
Check your curtain often to ensure that all the links are still closed and smooth.
Tangled chains
Once again, the manufacturers state that the chains of their fly screens are designed not to tangle. But then they haven’t seen your kids/pets/visitors barrelling through your doorway to be the first to get at the BBQ to get the hotdogs. You can usually dis-entangle clumped up chains by shaking them gently. But even so, when tangled together, they’re a hazard for anyone trying to go through the screen.
Untangle chains immediately after you notice they’re bunched up.
Dangling chains plus young children
Need we say more. Hanging chains scream out a constant invitation to swing on them. All the chain fly curtains in our review can only take so much weight. Remember that they’re just placed over a couple of screws in the wall, unless you design some other attachment method yourself.
Plus kids becoming mixed up in the hanging chains is always a possibility. If you have young children, you may want an alternate fly screen for your home. We review mesh screens in our Best Mesh Fly Screens for Doors and Windows article.
Final Conclusion
All the metal chain link fly screens in our review have several hundreds of good reviews. While they may not keep out the little flies who can walk through the links, larger flies, bugs and mosquitoes seem to stay out of people’s homes with these metal curtains. While there’s not much to choose between these models except for colour, our Best Pick has the most positive reviews from delighted users.
Our Best Pick is the Vermatik Genuine Fly Screen 90cm x 210cm Premium. Made from premium anodised aluminium, this unit comes with a lifetime warranty that shows the manufacturer’s belief in their product.
For another form of barrier to keep flies out of your home, head over to our Best Mesh Fly Screens for Doors and Windows article.
And if you need to supplement whichever barrier screen you choose to keep insects out, we have plenty of practical methods in our How do you stop flies coming into the house and conservatory? article.
Last update on 2024-04-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
