Steel windows and doors have long captured the imagination with their timeless style, ultra-slim frames, and heritage appeal. Yet genuine steel can be costly, take longer to produce, and can struggle with U-Values. Aluminium steel-look glazing steps in to offer you the best of both worlds—classic design paired with modern performance and affordability.

As an independent resource, the Door and Window Experts Website aims to help you navigate the many steel-look products now available. Despite the considerable choice, it’s easy to be misled by slick marketing or to assume a product is truly steel-inspired when, in reality, it offers only superficial styling. This guide explains key differences between systems, how to spot authentic designs, and where to turn for expert advice.

A Very Brief History of Steel Windows

Steel windows date back to the early 1900s, with brands like Crittall® becoming iconic for their slim, industrial aesthetic. Over time, these designs found their way into residential, commercial, and heritage properties.

Despite their enduring appeal, genuine steel can be expensive and sometimes less energy-efficient. As building regulations evolved, the market shifted towards more advanced materials—leading to the rise of aluminium steel-look windows and doors.

crittall style steel windows in a loft apartment

The Rise of Aluminium Steel-Look Windows

Around 15 years ago, aluminium systems emerged that tried to capture the essence of traditional steel without its drawbacks. Early versions were basic and didn’t always replicate the proportions of genuine steel frames.

Advances in engineering have since given us sophisticated steel-look systems—offering improved insulation, security, shorter lead times, and often lower costs.

aluco steel look windows and doors in a contemporary setting.

The Four Types of Steel Look Windows and Doors

Buying steel look aluminium windows and doors is great for choice as the market is quite mature now and there are lots of products on the market. You wil find four types of steel look windows and doors available from the various brands and suppliers. And this is where you need to understand the make up of these windows to help you make an informed decision.

The Authentic Steel Look Windows and Doors

These are the best. Windows and doors designed from the ground up to replicate as best as possible, genuine steel, featuring rolled or sculpted frames, slim glazing bars (20–25mm), and period hardware.

The refinement, quality, feel and overall styling of these windows is obvious from the minute you see them. They’re also mostly hand-assembled, with a high level of craftsmanship. When you open and close them, they feel equally luxurious.

Aluco Elite (our Product of the Year 2024) is right now, the best example of an authentic steel-look aluminium window and door range and comes highly recommended.

Other brands include The Aston Heritage range, Jennyfields, Duration Royale, Alitherm Heritage.

black steel look window in a ultra modern bathroom with matching black accents. — Image Courtesy of Rococo Glass.

Simpler Steel Look Windows and Doors

Next in terms of design are the windows with some element of steel-look styling and what is available by the larger systems companies.

These will typically feature a stepped frame and sash to hint at a steel style. They may also come with flat transoms and glazing bars, but the steel effect remains very good but less refined.

Examples: Sheerline Classic, aïrMOD and Aluk. Also Decalu and Reynaers SL38.

aïr mod windows made by everglade windows in london

Standard aluminium windows with added transom or bars

Uses an existing window range adapted by adding extra transoms or bars, but the overall profile rarely captures true steel proportions.

They’re still perfectly good windows and doors, but clever marketing can make these products appear more appealing than they really are. They’re also quite expensive.

Example: Origin’s OW-70 Soho, heavily marketed as a steel inspired or “Soho” window, yet is fundamentally a standard OW-70 window with a new transom. SAPA Crown, Exlabesa, Jack Aluminium, Stellar Aluminium are others.

ow70 soho window3 — Image Courtesy of Origin Frames Ltd.

Basic Steel Look Windows and Doors.

The least convincing in the “steel look” are nothing more than any aluminium or uPVC window with nothing but stick-on bars on the glass, no detail that gets close to a steel window look and with standard handles.

These types of windows tend to be offered by the inexperienced installers, go-it-alone fitters, and predominantly uPVC or timber windodw companies that don’t really understand the range in the market or where to source it. Facebook Groups and online window sales are best avoided as these are the types of windows sold.

With so many options on the market, it’s vital that you question each product’s design, performance, and aesthetic merits—not just the marketing pitch. This is where the Door and Window Experts Website can help you find the right steel look windows and doors from the proper suppliers, so get in touch for free advice.

Aluminium vs Steel: Key Differences.

Using the best available steel look windows and doors right now, providing the most authentic styling and quality, here is now they compare to genuine steel windows.

Feature	Aluminium Steel Look	Steel
Aesthetics	Slim sightlines, mechanical construction,	Slim sightlines, welded construction.
Products Available	Windows, single and French doors, bifold doors and custom slimline sliding doors. Internal doors.	Windows, single and French Doors only. Internal doors, Fire rated internal doors.
Energy Efficiency	Thermally insulated aluminium profiles and high-performance glass. Most energy-efficient.	Insulation achieved by foam or other inserts and high-performance glass. Less energy efficient.
Security	Multipoint locking with locking handles and security cylinders in doors.	Modern locking systems but designed for the limitations of steel.
Colours	The full choice of powder coated colours, textured and special finishes.	The full choice of powder coated colours, textured and special finishes.
Cost	Cheaper than any steel product.	At least three times the cost of a premium aluminium brand.
Lead Times	Approximately 6-8 weeks to install in your home.	Approximately up to 26 weeks to install in your home.

Identifying a Genuine Steel-Look System

So how can we help you identify the authentic steel look aluminium windows and doors? First of all, its to credit the iconic windows and doors by Crittall®, as this remains the genuine article and the inspiration for alumnium steel look windows and doors. But what we can do is point you to the best versions of these such as Aluco Elite, because the quality brands have captured the essence of steel windows and doors better.

We can put you in touch with showrooms around the UK selling both aluminium steel look windows and doors and steel windows. These are unquestionably the best showrooms to compare these two materials side by side and understand the best aluminium versions.

What to look for when choosing steel look windows

Not all aluminium steel-look windows and doors are made the same. Here’s what you should want in the steel look windows you’re about to buy.

Slimline profiles – Some brands fail to replicate authentic steel sightlines and disregard the correct proportions.
Rolled steel appearance – Models featuring rolled frames unquestionably come closest to genuine steel, offering the slimmest profiles.
Thin glazing bars and proper transom sizes – True steel-look aluminium windows must include several glazing bar options. 20mm and 25mm bars match actual steel window proportions.
Bespoke options – Inferior products limit design possibilities. Truly authentic steel-look windows come in various styles and finishes.
Correct thermal performance – Many steel-look systems only meet Building Regulations when triple-glazed. Double-check your U-values if double glazing is your preference.
Classic style with modern functionality – Despite their heritage appeal, steel-look windows should still be strong and secure. Look for double corner mitre cleats, hidden handle blocks, fire-escape or easy-clean hinges, optional child restrictors, dedicated bay posts, and robust security features.
Concealed trickle ventilation – Trickle vents are usually required on windows. Most other brands increase the window’s head dimension by 35–50mm to incorporate them. Opt for a better-designed steel-look system with a more concealed trickle ventilator design.

What to look for when choosing steel look doors

Some steel-look doors on the market take shortcuts in their design. Pay attention to:

The iconic feature backplate – Your door needs that distinctive, instantly recognisable backplate behind the handle; otherwise, it’s simply an ordinary door.
Slimline Profiles – Steel doors are inherently thin, and aluminium equivalents should be just as slim.
Rolled steel appearance – Doors with rolled frames offer the slimmest profiles and come closest to the look of genuine steel.
Thin glazing bars and correct transom sizes – A true steel-look aluminium door must offer both 25mm and 20mm glazing bar options. Beware that a 25mm bar with a projecting gasket can exceed 30mm in sightline.
No Dummy Sashes – French doors with side panels remain popular, but lower-quality doors rely on bulky couplers and dummy frames, ruining the clean lines of steel-inspired designs.
No fixed transom spacings – Some brands like Origin’s OB-36 cannot adjust the position of door glazing bars to match your chosen design. Other brands can.
Flexible Door Sizes – Check if you can get the door height you want. Some steel-look systems cap their maximum height at a lower limit.
Classic styling with modern functionality – Ensure doors have practical features like adjustable hinges, user-friendly thresholds, black colour-matched cylinders, and no dummy frames in the fixed panels.
Correct thermal performance – Many steel-look systems only satisfy Building Regulations with triple glazing, not double. Verify your glass specifications.
Attention to detail – A door should truly resemble steel, so look for refined flush bolts on secondary leaves and black colour-matched key cylinders, reflecting real craftsmanship.

The Floating Lock Design

The Floating Lock Design is the hallmark of genuine steel doors, where the handle and its backplate seamlessly connect into the glass, giving the illusion the handle floats unsupported.

The advantage of Floating Lock is that you can choose doors to be fully glazed with no bars. And choosing this design gives also gives you the thinnest external doors in the UK today. There really is nothing slimmer.

As of writing this article only Aluco Elite offers an aluminium version of this Floating Lock. It’s otherwise only available with a steel door.

aluco fully glazed floating lock door in a kitchen, one of the slimmest aluminium doors — The Aluco Floating Lock Door.

It just looks like Steel

Ultimately, trust your eyes. Compare real steel with its aluminium counterpart, and you’ll quickly spot which products truly capture that authentic steel aesthetic.

aluco black steel look — Aluminium steel look windows by CPB Wiltshire.

Choosing the Right Steel Look Windows Supplier

Visit a Showroom. This is the best way to no only get hands-on experience with steel look windows and doors, but also understand and compare products to avoid being dazzled by a single brand’s marketing.

Get in touch for details of showrooms near you offering an excellent experience windows and doors.

sherborne showroom — Sherbone Windows, some of the best steel-look showrooms.

Questions to Ask Your Supplier

Before committing to a purchase, ask:

Is this a genuine steel-look system or a standard window with bars added?
Who makes my new windows and doors?
How do the sightlines compare to real steel windows?
What glazing bar options do you offer and are they proportioned like steel?
Are the doors designed with dummy frames and connection pieces?
What are the thermal performance ratings and will I need triple glazing?
How will trickle vents look on my windows and doors?

Energy Efficiency, Security, and Safety

All modern steel look windows and doors in aluminium offer you thermally insulated frames and high-performance glass units. However, this could be where the similarities end.

You much check the U-Values carefully with your suppliers and verify what you’re told. There are still a good number of these products that only meet Building Regulations as a triple glazed product, whilst heavily marketed as double glazed. U-Values on windows and doors can be misleading so make sure the information you are given or told is correct.

Thanks to modern hardware, you’ll find multipoint locking on virtually all brands, with a selection of window handles. Not every product is security tested, but this does imply they’re not secure. Doors are probably the worst culprit when it comes to security ratings. Get in touch for advice.

All doors and low-level windows will come with toughened safety glass and you can upgrade to laminated glass for additional protection. Ask for low thresholds on external doors if you have family with accessibility requirements. Windows should have fire-escape hinges. Trickle vents will invariably be required in most projects.

Our Recommendations and Final Thoughts

There are now so many steel-look windows and doors on the market that you can easily feel overwhelmed by clever advertising or supposedly “authentic” designs. While some mainstream brands invest heavily in marketing, their products may lack refinement or the true look of steel. Prices can also be misleading—less well-designed systems sometimes cost as much as more premium, carefully engineered products.

When searching for a supplier that truly understands steel-look glazing, it’s essential to focus on brands or companies with a proven track record and genuine specialisation. Look for those that were early innovators in the steel-look field, as they tend to have refined products developed through years of experience. Aluco, Alitherm, aïrMOD are such brands. If a supplier focuses heavily on steel-look windows and doors, that often means more expertise, better products.

A comprehensive range is another sign of reliability. Suppliers offering both external and internal steel-look solutions—complete with matching profiles, hardware, and design consistency—demonstrate a deep understanding of the aesthetic.

Ideally, you want a system that replicates real steel sightlines, proportions, and detailing, from rolled edges to slim glazing bars. Showrooms again are the best place to try out the quality firsthand, and a business that offers expert guidance throughout your decision-making process is equally important.

Above all, look for precision engineering, handcrafted quality, and the freedom to customise your windows and doors with different finishes, sizes, and accessories. From a practical perspective, confirm they meet modern standards for durability, security, and thermal performance. By thoroughly researching a supplier’s history, visiting their showroom, and reviewing their product range, you can feel confident you’ve chosen a reputable source for your steel-look windows and doors.

Above all, remember that the cheapest option isn’t always best, and a higher price tag doesn’t guarantee true authenticity. By seeing as many systems as possible and asking in-depth questions, you can invest in aluminium steel-look windows and doors that capture the timeless charm of steel without sacrificing modern performance.