Mirage Screen Systems and Phantom Screens are both Canadian screen companies. Both offer retractable screen doors and large retractable screens for garages and patios.
When you’re interested in purchasing and having a retractable screen installed for your home or business, it’s important to do your research about what you’re getting. You’ll want to know the functionality, longevity, and effectiveness of the door.
At the end of the day, when you’re making an investment for your home, you want to make sure it will be worth it!
In today’s blog, we’ll take you through the things that differentiate Mirage Screen Systems from Phantom Screens. We hope that this blog post will be informative and helpful when you’re making your retractable screen door decision.
1. Screen & Frame: Hardware Comparison
When it comes to variety and customization, Mirage takes the spotlight. They offer a comprehensive range of options for retractable screen doors, catering to all major door types.
With customization, Mirage ensures a perfect fit for any doorway. What sets this brand apart is their authorized dealer, Screen Savers Plus, providing on-site made-to-measure installations for all their screen products. This guarantee ensures that Mirage’s retractable screen door seamlessly blends with the doorway, becoming like a “second skin.”
Mirage goes the extra mile to satisfy their customers’ style preferences. They provide an extensive array of customization choices, including 8 standard colors and an impressive selection of 18 diamond series colors. With such a wide palette, you can effortlessly harmonize your new screen door with your existing home decor, adding a touch of elegance and personalization.
Mirage’s retractable screen doors are renowned for their exceptional durability. The brand utilizes top-quality materials not only for their regular screen mesh but also offers customers the option of the robust “pet-mesh,” known as “TuffScreen.”
This scratch and claw-proof mesh is perfect for households with furry friends and little kids. Additionally, Mirage incorporates a unique free-floating screen system to prevent accidental collisions or mishaps with the screen. This feature ensures the safety of both adults and young children.
With smooth operating tracks and durable construction, Mirage’s screen doors have an impressive lifespan of 10-20 years.
Phantom also provides a remarkable array of customization options, ensuring that homeowners can achieve a high level of unified style in their home decor.
With a choice of 10 standard colors and an additional 15 wood grain finishes for the frames of their retractable doors, they offer ample opportunities for personalization.
Phantom’s standard single doors accommodate openings up to 48” wide by 100” high or 36” wide by 120” high and are customizable within these ranges. They also offer double-door options and an XL version, the largest door screen, with a maximum size of 12’ high by 15’ wide for a single unit.
Phantom also offers “TuffScreen” mesh upon request, making it suitable for homes with pets and children. Phantom incorporates a free-floating screen system similar to Mirage, enhancing safety and reducing accidental collisions.
For homeowners that know their retractable screen door won’t experience much wear and tear from small animals or children, regular mesh options from both Mirage and Phantom will suffice. However, for higher-traffic doors in homes with small animals and children, TuffScreen from either brand is an excellent choice.
2. Ease of Use: Operation Comparison
The handle of a retractable screen door is a crucial feature. Regardless of other attributes, if the door is difficult to open and close, it loses its practicality.
Mirage excels in ease of use with its incredibly smooth rolling system. Clients can expect a seamless and hassle-free experience when operating their retractable screen doors.
The standout feature is the “Pivot Pro” handle, designed to make opening and closing effortless. This handle is user-friendly for people of all ages, relieving any strain or effort.
With a simple twist mechanism and a strong magnet, the Pivot Pro handle ensures easy operation, even if your hands are full with groceries. This ease of use reduces the risk of damage, especially in high-traffic doorways, and eliminates the frustration of running into a screen door because it wasn’t opened properly.
Mirage’s child and pet-friendly design further enhances ease of use. The Pivot Pro handle, combined with their free-floating screen system, allows for smooth and secure screen operation without the risk of accidental slams.
Additionally, the option of TuffScreen or “pet mesh” provides a durable and resilient material that can withstand playful pets and active children. These features make Mirage the most child and pet-friendly screen brand in the Canadian market, ensuring a breezy and worry-free experience for families.
Phantom also offers a commendable level of ease of use. In addition to their well-performing rolling system, Phantom features a latch handle that provides added security.
Phantom’s screen lock also adds an extra layer of security. In case of accidental lockout, Phantom’s free-floating mesh also provides extra space for the screen to stretch without breaking, allowing you to reach the screen lock from outside. They even provide a tutorial video titled “Locked Out? No Big Deal. | Phantom Screens Latch Stop.” to help users in such situations.
3. Service & Warranty Comparison
Both Phantom and Mirage offer limited lifetime warranties for their retractable screen doors and are willing to fix any issues that occur.
Mirage, through their authorized dealer Screen Savers Plus in Edmonton, Calgary, and Ottawa, provides convenient on-site warranty visits. This means they will come to you and work on your retractable screen door while it stays in place, addressing any issues with just a phone call from you. In addition to the limited lifetime warranty, Screen Savers offers mobile screen repair services, ensuring your screen door is promptly taken care of without any hassle.
Phantom also offers a limited lifetime warranty. To make a claim, you need to contact your local expert and include proof of purchase. They will review the claim, examine the screen if necessary, and handle service, repairs, and replacements as needed.
If you are also interested in seeing a wider and more in-depth between-brand comparison, please refer to this article here, where we compare the 3 largest screen brands in terms of 5 different aspects, so that you can find the best retractable screen door for your home!
Disclaimer: We have serviced and replaced Phantom screens across Alberta for 17 years and have noted the most common concerns clients bring to us. We DO NOT supply Phantom products and are simply referencing the most common repairs we encounter based on our industry experience. This information may be biased, as we do not supply the product but only repair it when other Phantom dealers are unwilling or unable to do so. 🙂
Here at Screen Savers Plus, we want you to get the best retractable screen door possible. We hope that this comparison of Mirage retractable screen doors and Phantom retractable screen doors helps you when you make your decision!
If you have any specific questions about retractable screen doors from Mirage, feel free to reach out to our team. We are a proud Mirage dealer and would love to help you Bring in the Breeze!
You can reach our team from 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday each week by calling 780-910-6688 (for Edmonton area) or 403-697-6338 (for Calgary area). We look forward to chatting with you more about your screen needs!
