If you've been researching outdoor blinds for your alfresco, patio or balcony, you've almost certainly hit the same question every Sunshine Coast homeowner does: Zipscreen or Ziptrak?
They're the two big names in track-guided outdoor blinds in Australia, they look similar from a distance, and most companies sell whichever one they stock — and tell you it's the best. Here's an honest comparison from a local installer whose Australian manufacturer supplies both systems, so we have no reason to bend the truth.
What they have in common
Both are premium, Australian track-guided systems — and both are genuinely good products:
- The fabric runs inside vertical side channels, so there are no flapping edges, no ropes, no buckles and no gaps for wind or insects
- Both take mesh, PVC and blockout fabrics
- Both can be spring-operated (manual) or motorised
- Both are made to measure and properly wind-rated for outdoor use
If you choose either system from a quality installer, you won't have made a mistake. The differences are in the details.
How Ziptrak works
Ziptrak® is a spring-balanced system. There's no zip in the fabric edge — the blind glides up and down in its tracks and stops wherever you let go, like a giant self-balancing roller blind. A centre release handle locks it at the bottom.
- Strengths: simple one-handed operation, stop-anywhere convenience on manual blinds, a well-known brand with a long local track record
- Typical maximum size: around 4.9 m wide per blind in supplier specifications
How Zipscreen works
Zipscreen™ uses a zip-guided edge: a zipper welded into the fabric runs inside the side channels, physically locking the fabric to the track on both sides. Its patented z-LOCK™ retention keeps the fabric sealed in the channel, and the Ultra-Lock™ mechanism clicks the blind into tension automatically at the bottom of its travel.
- Strengths: the zip lock gives a taut, sealed fabric panel with zero fabric-to-channel gaps — the best seal against wind, rain spray and insects
- Wind performance: a 2.4 m x 2.4 m Zipscreen withstood the maximum achievable wind speed of 140 km/h in wind tunnel testing at Monash University (like all outdoor blinds, it should still be retracted in storms — we recommend retracting above 50 km/h)
- Size: spans up to 7 m wide in a single blind — the largest single-span option on the market, which matters for big Sunshine Coast alfresco openings
- Motorisation: built by Rollease Acmeda, so it pairs natively with the Automate® motor range — app control, voice control (Google, Alexa, Apple HomeKit) and sun/wind sensors
The honest differences that actually matter
Big openings
If your alfresco opening is wider than about 4.9 m, Zipscreen's 7 m single span means one clean blind where Ziptrak needs two blinds and a centre post. For typical 3–4 m openings, both fit.
Sealing vs stop-anywhere
This is the real philosophical difference. Ziptrak's party trick is stop anywhere on a manual blind. Zipscreen's party trick is the zip-sealed edge — maximum tension and seal. If you're enclosing an outdoor room against wind and rain, the seal usually wins. If you mostly want adjustable shade at different heights and prefer manual operation, stop-anywhere is genuinely convenient. (On motorised blinds the difference disappears — a motor stops anywhere too.)
Smart home integration
Zipscreen and the Automate motor ecosystem come from the same company, Rollease Acmeda — designed and tested at their Melbourne innovation centre. If app control, voice control or automation matters to you, this is the tightest integration available. This is the main reason Zipscreen is our hero outdoor product.
Price
Like for like, the two systems land in a similar bracket. As a realistic Sunshine Coast guide, expect roughly $2,500–$4,000 installed for a manual track-guided blind and $3,500–$5,500 for motorised, depending on size and fabric. Be wary of dramatically cheaper "zip blind" quotes — they're usually generic imported track systems, not Ziptrak or Zipscreen.
Our verdict
- Choose Zipscreen if you want the best seal, the biggest single spans, or smart-home motorisation — that's why it's our hero product
- Choose Ziptrak if you're set on manual operation and love stop-anywhere convenience on a standard-size opening
- Either way, the installer matters as much as the system: measurement accuracy and track alignment make or break both products
Because our manufacturer supplies both systems, we'll tell you straight which one suits your opening — and if that's Ziptrak, we can supply it. Book a free on-site measure and we'll bring fabric samples and give you a written quote with no obligation.