Best Adjustable Window Screens

I very poorly installed a few of them in my windows. It didn’t look pretty because I failed to cut the mesh in straight lines, so I had to lift a corner of each screen off the frame anytime I wanted to open a window.

But with prices ranging from $19 to $40 (or more, depending on the size), purchasing a kit was a lot less expensive than ordering custom screens. Plus, I could finally open my windows without worrying about bugs and mosquitoes. Though the shelter I adopted my cat from thought these screens were enough to keep my cat safe, they aren’t strong enough and shouldn’t be the only barrier on windows to protect toddlers and pets in the household from falling through.

With my own experience in mind, we set out to test three types of DIY window screens in our lab to find out which ones were easiest to install, the sturdiest, and caused the least damage to window frames when we removed them. Plus, we considered whether the screens could really keep kids and pets safe in high-rise apartments.