The Hunter Douglas Skyline Panel Track System is a unique entry into the patio door market. Does “unique” = better?

Not necessarily. Like all window coverings, it is critical to choose the right solution for your application. While the Skyline system does offer a very nice package, including choices of fabrics, extremely clean hardware, efficient functionality and the Hunter Douglas branding, it does have one feature that I view as a negative. This is the overlapping stack of the headrail system. If you view the photo on the left, you can see how one part of the shade is on the front rail and one part is on the rear rail. This allows you to place as many panels as you wish on the system. This allows for very wide openings. The panels only come in about 12″ and 18″ options with Hunter Douglas. You may choose the size only if you pay a surcharge. Sometimes the configuration doesn’t make sense with your stacking needs, but they charge you to change how they build the window shading. To charge for adjustments is typical to the industry. For example, for the photo on the right, if you chose this system, which happens to be from Horizons Window Fashions, and you want a certain number of panels to cover a certain size, and that configuration is not within “specs”, then they will also charge a surcharge to cover the costs of a specialty set up. With the system shown on the right, you have a maximum of six tracks that can be used in one headrail, though you can do a “split-stack” allowing you to have six panels going each way.
In order to know which system is better for you, we have to run the specifications for each product and figure out which one will look the best on your window. It is not so simple that an answer can be provided here. If you watch the video, you will see that the Hunter Douglas system worked well for this client and it is a very simple and smooth system to use.

Skyline Panels use 2 tracks

The competitors track system uses multiple tracks to facilitate its traversing