Two established makers of the same product
VELUX, a Danish company, and FAKRO, a Polish one, both make centre pivot and top hung roof windows, balcony windows, flat roof windows and the accessories that go with them. Put side by side, a window of the same size and glazing from each will do the same job in a Cambridge loft.
That is worth saying plainly, because comparison searches tend to assume there must be a winner. In practice both skylight brands sell through UK builders' merchants, both publish full technical data, and both produce windows that sit comfortably within the Part L limit for heat loss through roof glazing. A well-fitted window from either maker, with the right flashing and an insulation collar, will keep a room warm and dry. A poorly fitted one from either will not. The installation and the choice of glass for the slope decide more about how the room feels than the name on the frame.
VELUX is the name people know best, so much so that "velux" is used loosely for any roof window. That familiarity has a practical side: the product codes, the size system and the blinds are widely recognised, and our guide to VELUX sizes and codes shows how the data plate works. FAKRO uses its own naming, with window types such as FTP-V for a pine centre pivot window, and its own size references. Neither system is harder to live with once you know where to look.
Range and opening types
Both catalogues cover the same ground: centre pivot, top hung, balcony, conservation style, flat roof and electric windows. The differences are in how some windows open and in the particular combinations each maker offers.
The centre pivot window is the everyday choice for a loft or a bedroom slope with either brand. The sash turns on a pivot halfway up, so furniture can sit close beneath it and the glass can be rotated for cleaning from inside. Top hung windows open outward from a hinge at the head, which gives a clear view out and suits a window set low in the slope where you might stand at it. Our page on VELUX window ranges compared sets out the VELUX options, including the choice between pine and white polyurethane finishes. FAKRO offers similar finishes and opening types under its own names.
One FAKRO feature worth knowing about is its preSelect design, which lets a single sash be used either top hung or centre pivot. If you like the idea of a top hung view but want the option of pivoting the glass round to clean it, that flexibility may appeal. VELUX meets the same needs with separate window types, so the question is less about which is cleverer and more about which opening you will use day to day.
Balcony windows are made by both brands: VELUX with CABRIO, FAKRO with its Galeria balcony window. Each needs a suitable roof pitch and raises the same planning questions, which our guide to VELUX CABRIO balcony windows covers. For motorised windows, VELUX sells INTEGRA electric and solar models, explained in our INTEGRA guide, and FAKRO also offers electric and solar powered versions with rain sensors.
Flashings, sizes and replacement
Each brand makes flashing kits for its own windows, and the two are not interchangeable. This matters more than any single feature when you are replacing an existing window rather than adding a new one.
A flashing is the formed aluminium kit that seals the window into the roof covering, with different profiles for flat tiles, deeper profiled tiles and slate. Both makers produce a full set, and both design the flashing and the window frame to work together. Some common sizes happen to be close between the brands, 78 by 98 cm for example, but the fixing brackets, frame depth and flashing profiles are specific to each maker. A VELUX flashing is designed to go with a VELUX window, and a FAKRO flashing with a FAKRO window.
So if your loft already has a VELUX in a lined opening, a like-for-like VELUX replacement is usually the least disruptive route, because the size codes, the replacement flashings and the lining details are designed around older VELUX openings. Our answer on whether a new VELUX will fit your old opening and the guide to replacing an old VELUX window explain how that works. The same logic applies in reverse: an existing FAKRO opening is most simply renewed with a FAKRO window. Switching brand is possible, but it can mean adjusting the opening or the lining, and that is worth weighing at the survey. For a brand new opening there is no such constraint, and either maker is a sound choice. The VELUX flashing types guide explains which profile suits which roof covering.
Blinds, glass and the light in the room
Both makers sell blackout, roller, pleated, Venetian and external awning blinds designed to clip into their own frames. A VELUX blind fits a VELUX window and a FAKRO blind fits a FAKRO window, so the blind choice follows the window.
For the light inside the room, blinds and glass matter more than the brand. A south-facing slope over a Cambridge loft bedroom takes several hours of direct summer sun, and an external awning blind stops much of that heat before it reaches the glass, which an internal blind cannot do as well. A north slope gives soft, even light all day and rarely needs more than a blackout blind for sleeping. East and west slopes bring low sun and glare at the start or end of the day, so a Venetian or pleated blind that can be angled or lowered part way is often the practical choice. Both brands offer each of these types, along with solar protection and triple glazed panes. Our VELUX blinds guide goes through the options slope by slope, and how we plan the light explains the thinking behind the choice.
| Point | VELUX | FAKRO |
|---|---|---|
| Opening types | Centre pivot, top hung | Centre pivot, top hung, preSelect |
| Balcony window | CABRIO | Galeria |
| Electric and solar | INTEGRA range | Electric and solar models |
| Flashings and blinds | Own brand only | Own brand only |
How to choose between them
Start from the roof you have and the room you want, then let the brand follow. The right window is the one whose size, opening, glass and blind suit the slope, and whose parts fit what is already there.
If there is an existing roof window, find out its make and size first, because renewing within the same brand keeps the lining, flashing and blinds straightforward. If the opening is new, compare the specific windows you are considering on opening type, glazing and the blinds you want, rather than on brand name. Ask about the product warranty for each, since the manufacturers set their own terms and those are separate from our 10-year workmanship guarantee on the installation. Check that spare blinds and parts are easy to order for the model you pick. And think about how the window will be used: a top hung window you stand at, a centre pivot over a bed, or an electric one out of reach above a stairwell.
At a survey we look at the slope, the rafters, the roof covering and the room, and the written light plan that comes with every quote sets out the size, position, glass and blinds with the reason for each. Our VELUX window installation page describes how we fit VELUX windows in Cambridge homes, and our costs guide explains what drives the price of a roof window. To talk through your own roof, book a light survey or message us on WhatsApp.
Questions people also ask
Can I put a FAKRO window in place of a VELUX?
It can be done, but the flashings and fixings are brand specific, so the old flashing comes out and the opening may need adjusting to suit the new window. Where the existing lining is sound, staying with the same brand is usually simpler.
Do VELUX blinds fit FAKRO windows?
No. Each maker's blinds are designed for its own frames, with their own brackets and side channels. Order blinds from the same brand as the window, using the size code from its data plate.
Are both brands allowed under the Building Regulations?
Yes. Both make windows that can meet the Part L heat loss limit for roof glazing, and a new opening is notifiable in the same way whichever brand is fitted. We handle the Building Control notification where the work needs it.
Is one brand quicker to install?
Not in any meaningful way. Fitting time depends on whether the opening is new or a replacement, the roof covering and the lining work inside, which our answer on how long a VELUX installation takes covers in detail.
