Loading...
Serving Vancouver & Portland metro · Same crew from measure to install
Loading...
Both are quality retractable screens. The right one depends on your opening, your weather, and how you use the space. Here's a straight comparison from a crew that installs these every week.
Phantom Screens is the name most Pacific Northwest homeowners recognize — and for good reason. It's a well-built, widely available retractable screen, especially strong on doors and standard windows.
FeltsCustoms is an authorized MagnaTrack dealer. We chose MagnaTrack for one main reason: most of our work is large covered patios and pergolasthat take real wind and wind-driven rain off the river and through the gorge. For those openings, MagnaTrack's magnetic track and wind engineering are purpose-built — it holds taut up to about 75 mph where many retractable patio screens start pulling out of the track around 25.
Below is an honest side-by-side. If Phantom is the better fit for your project, we'll tell you.
| MagnaTrack | Phantom | |
|---|---|---|
| Best-fit opening | Large covered patios, pergolas, commercial dining | Doors, windows, smaller openings |
| Wind performance | Holds taut up to ~75 mph; Defender storm line tested past 156 mph | Great for doors/windows; not positioned for large-opening high-wind patios |
| Max single drop | Up to ~30 ft wide × ~30 ft tall (wider when ganged) | Optimized for smaller spans |
| Track system | Patented magnetic track — self-corrects, resists jamming & blow-out | Zipper/track retention |
| Motorization | Simu / Gaposa / Somfy + Bond, Alexa, Google, Control4 | Manual & motorized options |
| Fabrics | Solar, insect (Nano), clear vinyl, storm — full line | Solar & insect mesh options |
| Local install | Field-measured & installed by FeltsCustoms (Vancouver WA / Portland OR) | Via regional distributors |
Comparison reflects FeltsCustoms' field experience and published MagnaTrack specifications. Phantom is a trademark of its respective owner; we are not affiliated with Phantom Screens.
Magnetic track self-corrects under gusts and holds to ~75 mph. The Defender line is storm-rated past 156 mph — the difference between screens that stay put and screens that blow out.
Single drops up to ~30 ft wide and ~30 ft tall make it ideal for covered patios, pergolas, and restaurant dining — openings smaller systems can't cover cleanly.
Simu, Gaposa, and Somfy motors integrate with Bond, Alexa, Google Home, and Control4. Drop at sunset, open with a tap. We program it at install.
Same crew from measure to install across Vancouver WA, Clark County, and the Portland metro — not a drop-ship through a distributor.
It depends on the opening. Phantom is an excellent, well-known brand — especially for retractable screens on doors and standard windows. MagnaTrack is purpose-built for larger covered-patio and pergola openings and uses a magnetic track engineered to hold taut in high wind (up to 75 mph, with the Defender storm line tested past 156 mph). For big Pacific Northwest patios that take wind and wind-driven rain, FeltsCustoms installs MagnaTrack for that reason.
Standard MagnaTrack motorized screens hold taut in winds up to about 75 mph, where many retractable patio screens start to pull out of their track around 25 mph. The Defender hurricane line is impact/storm-rated and tested well beyond that. We still recommend retracting any screen in sustained extreme wind.
MagnaTrack spans very large openings — single drops up to roughly 30 ft wide and 30 ft tall, and wider when ganged — which makes it a strong fit for covered patios, pergolas, and commercial dining spaces. Phantom shines on doors, windows, and smaller openings.
Both offer motorization. MagnaTrack GEN 4 pairs with Simu, Gaposa, and Somfy motors and integrates with Bond, Alexa, Google Home, Control4, and more. FeltsCustoms programs everything during installation.
FeltsCustoms is an authorized MagnaTrack dealer and we install MagnaTrack systems. We're happy to talk honestly about how it compares to Phantom and other brands so you can choose what's right for your space.
We'll measure your opening, talk through the trade-offs honestly, and quote the system that actually fits your space and our weather — no pressure.