The 3 Best Retractable Screen Doors to Use on Your French Doors 2024

In recent years, French doors have rapidly grown in popularity as they have proved to be a stunning addition in any home. They make a house look beautiful [which certainly add value] and also allow more light to flow in. If you can get the best retractable screen doors for French doors, your experience is even far much better and amusing.

How Retractable Screen Door for French Doors Works

Unlike the hinged models that open just like a standard door, a retractable screen door is usually flexible to allow retracting and rolling. On the edge of your door jamb, there’s housing from which the screen door retracts [when in use] and rolls up to [not used].

If you’re using a single door setup, the screen door reaches across to a fitting on the other side of the doorway. The fitting is part of its locking mechanism, which can either be a magnet or a latch.

Usually, though, the magnetic locking system is common with the double-wide doors. This is so as the retractable door comes in two units, with each for either side of the doorway. Therefore, now, instead of reaching across on the other side, the two-screen door units will seal magnetically in the center.

Why Retractable Screen Doors Are Worth to Have

For the record, the use of screen doors has not begun today. It has been there even in the early 19th century when Cheesecloth acted as the standard screen. As such, their significance was even there before the mesh came into use.
While they share several features, the retractable screen door is of greater benefit than the standard screen door in several cases. A good example is when your French door is smaller or wider, which [probably] will be a challenge to install a standard screen door.

You might also like: Best Keyless Door Locks

Following its flexibility, a retractable screen door will fit any door, including the traditional and the latest unique designs. As such, it’s the best solution for doorways that are impossible to use with a standard/ traditional screen door.

Other Benefits Of Having A Retractable Screen Door Include:

Better Air Circulation: This is the primary reason for installing the door screen for your door. The meshed screen allows a fresh flow of air into your house, hence, reducing high temperatures in a natural way.

Keep Out Bugs/ pests: That’s right. With the best retractable screen doors, you get to leave your French door open for fresh air without letting in bugs.

More Natural Lighting: If not all, the majority of current screen doors are clearer. Hence, allowing natural light to flow into your house and create a bright, welcoming space.

Clear and Open Doorway: Unlike the fixed screen doors, a retractable door screen will never obstruct your doorway when not in use. It usually rolls up and hides under its housing until you need to use it again.

Easy Access for Pets: Some of the retractable screen doors are very easy to open and close. This can be an advantage as your dogs and cats can get in and out of the house with ease. A good example of such a piece is the Flux Phenom Magnetic Screen Door.

The product is one of the best retractable screen doors for French doors, sliding doors, and standard doors as well. It’s even one of the bestsellers on Amazon and that’s the reason it’s no. #1 on our Top 3 list.

Retractable Screen Doors for French Doors

1. Flux Phenom Magnetic Screen Door

As we have just said, this item is one of the bestsellers on Amazon. Not because of its affordability, heavy-duty mesh or ease of use but for its reliability. It’s ultimately reliable from almost every aspect.

To start with, Flux Phenom Magnetic Screen Door doesn’t care if your French door is the olden designs, modern, or small. It can fit any door that has a width of 38” or less and a height of 82” or less.

The magnetic screen door is retractable and frameless, thus you can even use on your garage door or porch. In fact, you can even use it as a replacement for your broken fixed screen door. It comes alongside some thumbtacks and hook-and-loop tape that you’ll use to attach to your door frame.

Made of heavy-duty mesh and reinforced edges, Flux Phenom Magnetic Screen Door is truly durable and worth the price. The mesh has a high thread count and very tiny openings that can only fit the blowing air but keep out mosquitoes, flies, and other bugs.

In case your Chihuahua or cat wants to go out, the prestigious screen door is very easy to open. Its middle seam is lined with 26 powerful magnetic cubes and strips that allow the door to open with just a nudge of a head/ hand. To close, you won’t even need to turn back as the screen does that seamlessly using the law of attraction.

Pros

• Flux Phenom Magnetic Screen Door is remarkably affordable, convenient, and reliable
• It’s very flexible as you can use with French doors of various sizes
• Comprises of heavy-duty mesh to enhance durability
• Features powerful magnets [in the middle] for seamless closing and easy opening by pets
• Helps let fresh air in and at the same time keep bugs out.
• The magnetic screen door is very simple and quick to install, hence, saving you from installation costs.

Cons

• Doesn’t have a secure lock, hence, easy entry for burglars
• It cannot be used to retain kids or pets inside.

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2. Secret Screen Retractable Screen Door

The Pull-Down screen door is a stunning alternative that you go with on your French door/s. Although it’s meant for doors, its functions just as a screen window, whereby it retracts vertically.

Before we even get to its features, this screen door sleeps underneath the top of your door frame. Hence, it doesn’t obstruct your doorway when not in use. This is one of the key benefits of choosing a retractable screen door that we discussed.

Secret Screen Retractable Screen Door is usually available in various different sizes, ranging from 26 to 36.25inch. As such, you’ll always get a piece for your bedroom or living room door as long it’s within that size range.

The screen consists of black fiberglass mesh [material] and a valance that covers the main housing. Fiberglass is some kind of plastic that has been reinforced using glass fiber to make it strong and stiff. With the used Phifer Wire™ Elite fiberglass, therefore, this screen guarantees you a longer service, with great looks for years.

On its end, the valance is usually wood but which has been treated to prevent damage by wood beetles. While its purpose is to hide the mesh screen material when not in use, this part [valance] is available in different covers. They include stained woods like cottage pine and golden oak, as well as white faux wood [weatherproof], off-white painted wood.

**Off-white paint wood is the best option if you’re planning to paint your house and you want it to match with the valance**

Secret Screen roll-up Screen Door is very simple to install and use. As long you measure your door correctly, it’ll reach each side of the door frame and in front of the door jamb. Thus, making sure no biting bugs will enter into your room.

Note: in case you notice the screen is loose, you can always use a flat-head screwdriver to increase the tension of the spring roller. The spring roller is in the main housing under the valance.

Pros

• Secret Screen roll-up Screen Door is simple yet convenient and reliable
• Its screen is made of tough fiber-reinforced plastic, hence, durable
• Hides under its own housing when not in use, hence, doesn’t obstruct your doorway
• Has a clutch system to set how fast the hidden screen door rolls up
• It comes of a perfect fit to allow only fresh air in and keep bugs out.
• The secret retractable screen door is very simple to install and you can easily open it without bending.

Cons

• Can be an easy entry point for trespassers
• Requires regular maintenance of the moving parts

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3. MAGZO Magnet Screen Door

While it’s not a retractable screen door, MAGZO Magnet Screen Door is also an incredible screen door for your French door. It features magnetic lock as the first product and a fiberglass screen mesh material as the Secret Screen Screen door above. As such, it’s like a combination of the other products we’ve just discussed.

MAGZO Magnet Screen Door is available in various sizes and colors, with this particular one being white. The screen door is lined with powerful magnets in the middle seam to make sure it closes instantly without efforts. Alongside the magnetic locks, there is also a couple of sticker hasp in the middle seam to prevent the wind from blowing the screen door open.

Affordable and cost-effective, this magnet screen door is very simple to assemble and detach on your own. It also doesn’t have any moving parts, which means it has less maintenance and which won’t cost you.

With a fiberglass mesh, MAGZO Magnet Screen Door is ultimately durable following its high-temperature resistance and anticorrosive effect. It’s frameless, thus you you’ll only need to use the included push pins or hook tape to fit it on your door.

Note 2: Before you order your piece, though, carefully measure the size of your door [without the frames] to ensure you get a perfect fit.

Pros

• MAGZO Magnet Screen Door features a heavy-duty mesh and lined magnets for a seamless closing
• It features some unique windproof sticker hasp to prevent the magnets from opening during strong winds
• Allows your pets to move in and out with ease
• Helps improve lighting and air circulation without letting in biting insects
• The magnetic screen door is very simple and quick to install without using any professional.

Cons

• It’s not security-tight
• Cannot keep your child inside

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Final Verdict

A house with good lighting and ventilation is a house you’ll relish to stay in, particularly in the hot summers. Using the best retractable screen doors for French doors, you won’t need to keep your AC on since fresh air is already flowing in your house. Also, your house will be flooded with light and all this time no mosquitos or any other bugs will enter your chambers.

Unlike the fixed models, a retractable screen door even has the advantage of keeping your doorway clear when not in use. With the two magnetic models that we’ve reviewed, your pets will also be moving freely in and out of the house. In addition, you’ll be able to pass through with your bag of veggies without having you put them down.

That being said, however, retractable screen doors are not very promising when it comes to security matters. As such, you’ll need to have a good home security camera system to ensure your valuable assets are safe all the time.