Swish Curtain Track for Every British Home

The Curtain Track the Nation Grew Up With

For more than half a century, Swish Curtain Track has been a quiet fixture of British homes. If you have ever pulled a heavy winter curtain across a bay window at dusk, chances are a Swish track was doing the work above your head. Our site is devoted to helping you choose the right system, trim it to the correct length, fit it with confidence and keep it running smoothly for years to come.

Swish tracks come in two core materials and two operating styles. PVC tracks are light, easy to cut with a hacksaw and perfectly suited to lounge, bedroom and kitchen windows carrying curtains of average weight. Aluminium tracks are stronger and slimmer, built for heavier interlined curtains and wider runs. Either material is available as a simple hand-drawn (uncorded) track or with a cord-draw mechanism that opens and closes the curtains from a single fixed point, protecting the fabric from fingermarks.

You will find tracks in this range that are ready-to-fit in straight lengths, and others that will happily bend around a two-angle or three-angle bay window. Every system uses the familiar Leverlock bracket, which snaps over the back of the track and holds it firmly without fiddly screws or spring clips at the point of assembly. Taken together, it is one of the most accessible curtain-track systems ever sold in the UK, and this is your home for buying guides, fitting help and genuine spare parts.

PVC or Aluminium?

PVC tracks are the workhorse of the range. The track is an extruded plastic channel, typically white, light enough to cut with a junior hacksaw and gentle on wall fixings. Choose PVC for bedrooms, children's rooms, kitchens and small living rooms where curtains are medium-weight cotton, polyester or light velvet.

Aluminium tracks step things up. The metal profile keeps a dead-straight line on long runs, resists sagging under heavy interlined curtains, and accepts stronger end-stops and overlap arms. Choose aluminium for formal sitting rooms, bay windows, large sliding doors and anywhere blackout lining is used.

Corded or Uncorded?

Both styles hang the curtains the same way. The difference is how you open and close them.

• Uncorded (hand-drawn): simpler and lower in cost, best where curtains are rarely closed or where a child or pet can catch a cord.
• Corded: a single pull cord at one side moves a master glider that takes the whole curtain with it. Kinder to fabric, tidier to look at and especially useful above a radiator or behind a sofa.

Ceiling or Wall Fix?

The same Leverlock bracket is used for both. Wall fixing is the traditional choice and allows light to spill over the top of the curtain onto the ceiling. Ceiling fixing, where the bracket screws directly into a joist or a fixed batten, is invaluable when the wall above the window is too shallow, when the curtain must run flush against the glass, or to achieve a crisp floor-to-ceiling drop that makes a room feel taller.

Can I cut a Swish track shorter at home?

Yes. Both PVC and aluminium tracks are designed to be trimmed with a fine-toothed hacksaw. Mark the desired length, support the track in a mitre block and cut slowly. File the cut end smooth before re-attaching the end stops or cord-end housing.

Will older gliders fit a new track?

For the most part, yes. The size and shape of Swish gliders and end stops has remained consistent, so a modern pack will usually run happily in a track that was fitted decades ago. If you are unsure, measure the outside width of the track channel and match it to the product listing.

Can I bend a track around a bay?

Flexible PVC bay tracks bend by hand and can be held in place by extra brackets either side of each angle. Aluminium bay systems use factory-formed corner pieces joined to straight sections for a crisper, more stable finish across larger bays.