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Making your home into a smart home is cool, rewarding and necessary. Well at least that’s what I keep saying to my wife, but is it really? Over the past couple of years, I’ve been buying and setting up all kinds of sensors and devices and recently got the opportunity to review a motorized roller shade from SmartWings for our office. In this article we will cover what options you have, what you get for your money and is it actually worth getting smart blinds. Let's get into it!
First let’s talk a little about SmartWings - it is a company specializing in blinds and shades. They offer an extensive selection, including standard light-filtering and blackout options, as well as automated curtains, exterior shades, and more. With nearly 50 product varieties, their range is pretty impressive.
However, the actual products they offer are secondary to their secret weapon: the intelligent motors that power the shades. These smart motors are compatible with a wide array of platforms, from the popular consumer choices like Google Home and Apple HomeKit to more professional systems such as Control4 and Crestron. In terms of connectivity, they support a variety of wireless protocols, including Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, and the latest standards like Matter over Thread. Additionally, all their motors and controls are backed by a 3-year warranty, which is always nice to see.
In our example, we use Home Assistant and utilize the Zigbee protocol for communication. I prefer using Home Assistant due to its interoperability, as it allows me to get the best from different systems. If I really wanted to, I could mix and match different systems. This also means I need to tinker with it to make things work, but that is a topic for another video.
First let’s go over the process on how we planned for the blinds and what are the considerations.
If you already have your mind set on getting smart blinds or drapes and have some sort of smart system in place, the process should be straightforward. First step is to figure out what space do you have and how things will be mounted. For instance, in our case, we opted for blackout blinds and needed to decide whether to mount them inside or outside the window frame. SmartWings offers an excellent guide for taking measurements, and they emphasize checking for adequate space during the ordering process.
After taking all the measurements, consider how you will power the SmartWings Roller Shades. While they come with batteries, you might prefer a permanent power solution using direct wiring. Plan the placement of the power connection carefully, ensuring it's near a power outlet or easily accessible. In our case, we positioned the power connector close to the wall to simplify potential hardwiring in the future.
An optional solar panel can be installed on the window to enhance the battery life, but its effectiveness depends on your specific needs and the amount of sunlight the window receives. In our tests over the past month, we noticed a decrease in battery life despite using the solar panel, as the window gets less than an hour of direct sunlight daily. Additionally, the cable for the panel is quite short, so plan carefully before choosing this option. If you don't like the appearance of the panel, you can adjust the blind limits so that, when fully opened, the blind covers the panel from the inside.
Back to the blind ordering, you will need to decide between an inside or outside mount and provide precise dimensions for a perfect fit—they even accommodate the most unconventional sizes. Next, you'll select the type of motor, which determines compatibility with various systems, from a basic remote control to advanced Matter over Thread integration. The choice of top and bottom bars is primarily aesthetic, enhancing the appearance but also adding to the cost.
Additionally, there are accessories like 5-channel remote control, 15-channel remote control and Helix dial remote. These are particularly handy if you’re managing multiple blinds and shades throughout your home and wish to operate them either individually or collectively using a tangible device. We’re currently evaluating their Helix Dial remote, capable of managing up to 8 channels. This versatile device can either be stand alone on a desk or be wall-mounted in a convenient location, such as beside your thermostat.
Lastly, you’ll need to choose the roll type and, as mentioned earlier, the motor side. This decision is crucial, even if you don't plan to wire it up immediately—consider and plan for future possibilities. And all the way at the end you can specify Room Label, this can be handy if you are ordering multiple units, so you know which one is which.
Once you've customized everything, you can proceed with the order. However, be aware that due to the extensive customization options and smart home integration, SmarWings blinds are not cheap—especially if you add extras like the solar panel and control unit. On the plus side, they offer free delivery worldwide, which is a significant advantage considering the potential cost savings.
Then we wait for them to be shipped. The lead time will vary based on your choices and the sizes you selected. Our order took 3 weeks to arrive.
Once we received the blind, the installation of it could not be simpler. Our unit is about 2 metres wide, so we had 3 brackets to install to the top of the window frame. After that, the blind box just clipped into place. They provide a detailed manual on how to power it on, and it comes pre-calibrated but if you need to adjust the end points, that can be done as well.
After enabling the blind, I simply held down the connection button and added it as a device on Home Assistant, where it quickly synced up. Setting up the remote control was just as easy.
In Home Assistant, you can control the blind to go up, down, stop, and even set the percentage of how much it should open. It also displays battery life.
The next part is more exciting and is going to be individual – home automation. In our example, we want the blind to come down whenever the lights are on to provide privacy and stay down during the night. In the morning, it should open up, and that’s exactly what we set up. Every time we turn on the light in the room, the blind automatically comes down. If it’s before 6 PM, once the light is off, the blind opens up. After 6 PM, if the blind is down and the light is off, it will stay closed until the morning when it will open automatically.
We did notice that this blind is not exactly quiet, registering 46 dBa at a distance of 1 meter. If it was in the bedroom and opened in the morning, it would certainly wake me up. I wish there was an option to slow it down, which would make it quieter. Currently, our blind, which is 127 cm in length, opens and closes in 21 second.
In general, the Helix Dial remote worked flawlessly. For the most part I just left it on a desk to make quick adjustments if needed. It’s straightforward and convenient, however while testing it, we encountered some issues. The dial remote became unresponsive; neither the buttons nor the wheel worked, even after charging it. The screen was completely frozen, displaying "1". After reaching out to SmartWings, their representative kindly explained that they are aware of the issue and are actively working on fixing it. For us, the fix was actually quite simple – on the back of the dial remote, there are some holes. We were advised to use a small wire to short the two leftmost contacts. This reset the unit and fixed the problem. I hope they fix this for good moving forward.
Another thing to note is obstacle avoidance. If there's something in the way, the blind won't detect it and will continue lowering itself onto the object. I wish they had a solution for this, as it could damage the material. When raising the blind, it just moves up without sensing obstructions, which could also damage the motor if it gets snagged.
Which leads us to the main question – is it worth getting smart blinds at all?
If you value the convenience and added privacy that smart blinds offer, they can be a good investment. However, if you are budget-conscious or do not have a strong need for the added features, traditional blinds might suffice.
A roller shade in general is a pretty simple device. Making it smart and setting up creative automations is what gets me excited, and maybe its overrated but I like it. The overall process from ordering to setting it up was simple and well documented, but I would probably say the price is a bit too steep. What do you think about them? Would you set-up a whole house with these? Let us know in the comments below!