Alternatives to Window Bars: Security Screens, Film and Locks Compared
The main alternatives to window bars are better window locks and pins, security film, alarm sensors and lockable security screens. Locks, film and sensors each help, but only a security screen lets the window stay open and locked, without the closed-off look of bars. Boss Security Screens OC installs security window screens from $1,000 installed across Orange County and nearby Long Beach, Cerritos, Lakewood, Whittier, Hacienda Heights, Downey and Norwalk, with a 15-year warranty on product and labor.
Updated September 2026 · Prices confirmed September 2026 · By Boss Security Screens OC
Key takeaways
Bars keep people out, but they make a house look closed off, block the view and, when they are fixed with no release, can block the way out in a fire.
Window locks, pins and stops are low cost and worth having, but they only protect a window that is shut or barely open.
Security film holds broken glass together, but it is not designed to stop a window from being opened.
Film holds the glass, a sensor alerts, a locked security screen keeps them out.
Our security window screens start at $1,000 per window, installed, and are backed by a 15-year warranty on product and labor and our No Break-In Guarantee.
What are the alternatives to window bars?
There are four main ones: better locks and pins, security film, alarm sensors and a lockable security screen. Each does a different job, and of these four only the security screen keeps a window both open and protected. Here is how each one compares with bars.
Window bars. Window can stay open: yes, behind the bars. Look from the street: closed off, with steel across the view. What they are for: keeping people out of a window, at the cost of the view and, with fixed bars, a quick way out.
Window locks, pins and stops. Window can stay open: only partway, with a stop set. Look from the street: no change. What they are for: keeping a shut window from being slid or pushed open.
Security film. Window can stay open: no, film only helps while the glass is shut. Look from the street: clear film looks much the same. What it is for: holding broken glass together so it is harder to clear.
Alarm sensors. Window can stay open: not while the alarm is watching that window. Look from the street: no change. What they are for: sounding an alert once a window is opened or the glass breaks.
Lockable security screen. Window can stay open: yes, with the screen locked in front of it. Look from the street: it blends in so beautifully that most people won’t even notice it’s there. What it is for: keeping people out while air and light come in.
How do you secure windows from burglars without bars?
Start with what costs nothing, then add layers. Begin with the windows a burglar can reach without being seen from the street, usually at the back and the side of the house, and work down this list from the cheapest step.
Lock the windows you already have. It costs nothing, and it matters even when you are home or out in the backyard. The limit: a lock only works while the window is shut.
Trim shrubs and light the side yard. Nobody wants to work on a window where the neighbors can see them. The limit: light and a clear view can make someone think twice, but they are not a barrier.
Add pins, stops or a bar in the track. A pin or a stop keeps a window from opening past a set point, and a bar in the track of a sliding window keeps it from sliding. The limit: the window stays shut or barely open, so you give up the breeze.
Add alarm sensors. Contact and glass-break sensors tell you, or a monitoring service, that a window was opened or broken. The limit: they alert you once someone is already coming in.
Add security film. Film holds broken glass together, so getting through the glass takes longer. The limit: it does nothing about a window that is unlocked or left open.
Add a locked security screen. It covers the whole opening with stainless steel mesh, so the window can stay open for air while the screen keeps people out. Our security window screens start at $1,000 per window, installed.
Most homes do best with more than one of these, because each layer covers a gap the others leave. Film holds the glass, a sensor alerts, a locked security screen keeps them out.
Are window bars a fire hazard?
Yes, fixed bars can be. Bars fixed over a window with no release can block the way out of a room in a fire. Think about this first for bedroom windows.
Before you replace bars with anything, think about how each window would be used in an emergency. Every security screen we install is custom-made to its opening. For bedroom windows, ask us how the screen opens from inside, and see our security window screens for what we install.
Security screens vs window bars: what is the difference?
Both keep people out, but they do it very differently: a security screen protects the opening without turning the window into a cage. Here is how they compare.
Strength. Our 12x12 stainless steel mesh resists cutting, prying, and kicking better than most bars or shutters.
Look and light. Bars make a house look closed off and put steel across the view. A security screen keeps your home’s look and the natural light, and it comes in hundreds of colors.
Open windows. A security screen is the barrier and the bug screen in one. Each screen is handcrafted to fit its opening with no gaps, so the window can stay open for air while the bugs and critters stay out.
HOA. Our screens are HOA-approved in every community we serve.
Where it is made. Made in USA with mesh woven in USA. Our fabrication is done in USA and all materials are made in USA.
What backs it. A 15-year warranty on product and labor, and our No Break-In Guarantee.
Every screen is custom-made with stainless steel 12x12 mesh of 0.035-inch wire and tamper-proof hidden screws, built to resist cutting, prying and kicking. For what the mesh, the frame and the lock each add, read how strong are security screens.
Does security film do the same job?
No. Security film holds broken glass together, so a window takes longer to get through. It is not designed to stop a window from being opened, and it does nothing at all once you open the window for air.
Film still has a place. On a window you keep shut, it slows a break-in through the glass and works well together with locks and sensors. A security screen does a different job: it stands in front of the whole opening, so whether the window behind it is open or shut, the screen is still the barrier.
What about bedroom windows?
Every screen we install is custom-made to each opening, in any size, any shape, any color, so a bedroom window gets a screen built for that window. Because a bedroom window can be the way out in an emergency, ask us how the screen opens from inside. Bring that question to your free consultation, in person at your home or on Zoom. See security window screens in Orange County.
Can I sleep with the windows open?
Yes, once a locked security screen covers the window, the window can stay open for the night air; our guide is it safe to sleep with the windows open at night covers which windows to start with and what else helps.
What do security window screens cost from us?
From $1,000 per window, installed, with a 15-year warranty on product and labor. At the free consultation we measure your windows and give you a fixed quote on the spot. See the full price list.
What do our customers say?
“I am planning on replacing all my other iron covered windows with these screens.” Gh W. · Google review
What are the alternatives to window bars for home security?
Better window locks and pins, security film, alarm sensors and lockable security screens. Only a security screen lets the window stay open and locked. Boss Security Screens OC installs security window screens in Orange County from $1,000 per window, installed, with a 15-year warranty on product and labor.
Are security screens stronger than window bars?
Stronger than most: our 12x12 stainless steel mesh resists cutting, prying, and kicking better than most bars or shutters, and every screen is held with tamper-proof hidden screws.
Can security screens replace the bars on my windows?
Yes. A security window screen covers the whole opening with stainless steel mesh in a frame custom-made for that window, so it keeps people out without the barred look. At the free consultation we measure your windows and give you a fixed quote on the spot; ask us about the bars you have now.
Can I keep the window open with a security screen on it?
Yes. That is what it is for: you open the window for air and the locked screen stays in front of the opening. For windows that open out, show us how your window opens at the free consultation.
Will security screens make my house look closed off?
No. Each screen is custom-made for its window and comes in hundreds of colors. A security screen blends in so beautifully that most people won’t even notice it’s there.
Do I need a security screen on every window?
No. You don’t have to do every window at once. Start with the windows you like to keep open and the ground-floor windows at the back of the house, then add more later.
Will my HOA approve security window screens?
Yes. Our screens are HOA-approved in every community we serve. We’ll provide all the specs and documents to help get a quick approval. See how to get HOA approval.