One thing to keep in mind is if you open the blinds fully a lot wood blinds take up a lot of space open. My parents have this problem with theirs which are mounted inside the frame - they block a lot of window at the top.

I think the faux wood looks just as nice, but they are heavier. A consideration if you plan on pulling them up often. If you just plan on tilting them open, no problem.

I watched a review of blinds (real wood versus faux) on "The Shopping Bags" a while ago. I remember them saying that the faux are less flammable than real.

Ideally you should see examples of both wood and faux blinds from the mfg of your choice and decide which looks better, feels better, and will function better for your space. I've seen both types in homes and at home store displays and would say based in that alone, good quality faux are probably better than very cheap quality wood.

I shouldn't think the flammability of blinds to be a factor of any concern, so I would not base my decision on that.

Faux provides better R value. They are also easier to put in the shower and hose off too.

I bought four sets of 2-inch white faux wood blinds from Just Blinds in 2011 for my bedroom. They look fine, and they were quite inexpensive. They stay in the down, closed position most of the time. I have to raise one of them every once in a while to open a window for ventilation. That's when I regret the faux wood because of the weight.

I have both real wood & faux wood blinds. They look the same, to me. I leave them down in either open or closed (bedrooms) position so I've never noticed the weight issue.

I've had both and they look the same. The wood slats sometimes warp, so I would go with faux.

i have had both too... the faux were less expensive, but my faux looked faux- no mistaking that they weren't wood! they were also very heavy to lift up and down- i always felt like the cords would break when i raised and lowered them! the cords never broke, but i got rid of them after about 5 yrs. i very much prefer my wood blinds- i have some painted as well as stained...
i wouldn't get faux again unless i could see them and try them in a store first- i don't remember what brand they were- maybe S&N? i got them online ~ 12 yrs ago- maybe some brands 'do faux' better...

I had both in my last home, and went with all faux in my new home. They look just as good, and are much easier to clean than real wood. The weight difference never bothered me, it's not like it requires a great deal of strength to raise them!

I have both kinds in my house too.

I think the real wood ones look better. The main drawback, for me, is that during the day I have the slats open - and as mentioned above, the real wood ones will warp a little bit. So when the slats are open, they don't line up perfectly.

Thanks for all your comments!

A couple of weeks ago I ordered samples of the real wood blinds from blinds.com. Today I ordered samples of the faux blinds so I can compare. Hopefully I can make a decision before their Memorial Day sale is over.

Another fan of faux. I have them on all my windows. Much more inexpensive, look great, clean well and don't warp, and no one can tell the difference between them and wood ones.