May. 26, 2025
Our electric blinds offer a number of benefits, including elevated modern style and superior light-filtering and blocking capabilities. But their biggest benefit of all is perhaps the remote control and all the relaxation a few buttons can offer!
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No more struggling to get out of bed in the morning just to pull the curtains closed. No need to set the popcorn aside to address the glare interrupting movie night or Saturday morning cartoons with the kids. Remote controlled blinds are relaxation’s best friend!
Not having to get up to adjust the blinds is a perk the whole family can enjoy, but it can also give greater independence to children, seniors and anyone with physical limitations.
You’ll also be thankful for your motorized blinds when those inevitable stresses, strains and sprains of life pop up. We often don’t realize how often we do things like adjusting our blinds until doing so becomes temporarily more difficult.
Our easy-to-install motorized blinds don’t require permanent electrical installation, plugging directly into an electrical outlet to power a battery pack that is tucked away in the blinds by design. Using the TRÅDFRI gateway and IKEA Home smart app, blinds can be controlled in a number of ways.
Since they’re motorized, there’s no risk of an uneven rollup from clumsy pulls, so they’re always stylishly balanced when pulled down and discreet when rolled-up. In addition, the durable fabric looks nicer over time as there’s less handling.
At their most basic, smart shades, blinds, and curtains make life far easier, by opening and closing without someone having to deal with tangled strings or accidentally stripped shades. Like traditional models, they can shield your home from harsh sunlight, while also helping to insulate it from hot- and cold-air leaks. And they ensure privacy from that nosy neighbor (you know the one).
But what makes smart models so appealing is that they can be scheduled, using an app, to go up and down at a particular time of day, every day. And after they’re set up, you never have to lift a finger. That’s especially valuable if you have lots of windows in your home or just windows in hard-to-reach places. Besides relying on a schedule, you can open or close these devices as you wish, using a voice command to a smart speaker or smartphone, or using an app. And you can opt to trigger one device or a group of several simultaneously—for instance you might group the shades in one room, so that a voice command like “open the kitchen shades” triggers them all.
On a practical level, smart window coverings can also help boost your home’s security by making it appear as if someone is home when they’re not (this is especially effective when combined with smart lighting and smart plugs).
Most of these devices require another device called a hub, which plugs into your router or into a wall outlet to connect to Wi-Fi and enable smart functionality. Each Wi-Fi hub is slightly different, but they all help extend the connection range, allow for new features via firmware updates, and support adding dozens of branded devices. For instance, one Lutron Caséta Smart Hub can handle as many as 75 Lutron devices.
These affordable shades set up easily and work well, but they require the use of a Matter-compatible hub.
Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings
SmartWings Motorized Light Filtering Roller Shades have an appealing modern style, and the motor operates so quietly you won’t notice it. They come in different versions, depending on the smart platform you prefer—Zigbee, Z-Wave, Apple Home, Alexa, and the model I tested, Matter over Thread. I’m happy to say that, for the first time ever, I was able to set up a Matter product without issue.
Keep in mind that to use SmartWings with Matter, you’ll also need a compatible Thread border router, a device that acts as a sort of wireless hub. During my testing, the shades connected easily to Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Home through an Amazon Echo Dot with clock, an Apple HomePod Mini, and a Google Nest Hub Max, respectively, acting as Thread border routers.
You have the option to hardwire these shades, but there’s also a battery tucked away inside the top of each model. You can add a five-channel remote ($16 at the time of publication) and a solar-panel accessory ($50 at the time of publication) to your purchase for additional control and charging options.
Wireless setup was remarkably easy. The Thread wireless version I tested connected easily to my Thread border routers mentioned above, so I was able to control the system using Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Home without issue. I found this impressive because Matter is a fairly new standard, and several previous Matter-enabled products I tested were extremely glitchy to configure. (And some I never managed to set up with certain platforms at all.)
Because there isn’t a dedicated SmartWings app, instead you exclusively use the Alexa, Apple Home, or Google Home app to create any schedules and other automations. These features worked reliably in Alexa and Apple Home. The Google Home app currently has limited automations for smart shades. This is an issue only if you plan to exclusively use the Google Home app to automate your shades (see Flaws but not dealbreakers).
The shades are well designed. SmartWings’ roller shades come in 13 different styles, ranging from the partial-blackout model I tested to others with various levels of filtering that let in natural light. Each option has between three and seven color choices—not a ton yet enough to give you at least a few finish options to fit your home decor.
The 70% blackout model I tested, in the linen caramel finish, looks polished and modern, with no visible wires, cords, or other hardware. The optional solar panel hides behind the shade via included adhesive tape, and the shades were not clunky, heavy, or otherwise cumbersome to install.
The solid design extends to the internal mechanisms of the shades, too. The motor was smooth and whisper-quiet, so these shades blend into the background and simply do their thing, without being loud or otherwise distracting.
Google Home functionality is limited. Google hasn’t yet enabled scheduling and automations with shades in the Google Home app. This is an issue for all shades, but it’s more of a problem here since there isn’t a SmartWings app to fall back on if you can’t access certain features in the Google Home app (and you also don’t plan to use Alexa, Apple Home, or Samsung SmartThings).
For more information, review SmartWings’ privacy statement.
These premium, well-made window shades have ultra-quiet motors and straightforward smart-home automations.
Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings
The Lutron Serena Smart Roller Shades feature quality hardware, quiet operation, and easy-to-configure automations. And stylish designs are available in at least two-dozen color finishes for each fabric option: sheer, translucent, and blackout.
The Lutron Caséta Smart Hub, sold separately, is required to enable Wi-Fi and any smart functionality in the Lutron app and with its supported smart-home platforms, including voice control. One hub works with as many as 75 Lutron devices. This hub connects to a router and then connects to Lutron devices using its proprietary Clear Connect wireless. We found it simple to set up via a tutorial in the Lutron app.
If you want a remote control, you can also buy a Lutron Pico Smart Remote separately. One remote can control multiple Lutron devices, as long as they’re within 30 feet of the remote, according to Lutron.
They are fuss-free. I created multiple Schedules, including one for sunrise and sunset, and these shades worked seamlessly, which was pretty delightful. I especially enjoyed walking downstairs in the morning to shades that had already opened without my having to do anything. At sunset, they automatically blocked the direct bright light that typically streams into the living room at that time of day.
There are tons of style options. Lutron’s roller shades are sold in three styles: blackout, translucent, and sheer. Among those three main options, there are dozens of color choices per style, totaling over 100 possible finishes. You can select the opacity and color finish, and you can also choose whether you want an “architectural” or a fabric valance (a cover that hides the top portion of the shade).
The architectural valances are Lutron’s modern offering, and they come in white, black, bronze, or silver finishes. Fabric valances match the fabric you select for the shades. If you don’t want valances, you can pick whether you want the fabric to drape over or under.
The hardware is as sturdy as it is good-looking. Lutron’s roller shade is solidly built, and it feels especially durable compared with all of the other models we tested. We’ll have to use it long-term to give an official verdict on how it holds up over time. But it seems perfectly capable of lasting for years without issue.
Want more information on Smart Electric Roller Blinds? Feel free to contact us.
As a result of that durability, this shade was also the heaviest model we tested. During installation, I enlisted help from a second person to hold one side.
They use a lot of batteries. While the number of batteries varies based on the size of your custom shade, my 27-by-73-inch shade needed a comically high number—eight D batteries, for an added $17. Lutron notes in its FAQ that battery longevity is variable, depending on use, but that typically you should be able to trigger them “thousands of times” before the shades need new batteries. Anecdotally, we’ve installed and removed our test unit several times over the course of a year, and the batteries are still fine.
They’re top-shelf expensive. Lutron roller shades are a premium product with a premium price tag. My one shade cost about $965, including the $80 Lutron Caséta Smart Hub (one hub can manage up to 75 devices). By comparison, SmartWings Motorized Light Filtering Roller Shades of the same size cost about $370, including a valance, a solar-panel accessory for charging, and a remote.
Even the smallest shade that Lutron would let me build online—with the exact same specifications otherwise–still cost a whopping $890 (with the $80 Lutron Smart Hub added).
For more information, review Lutron’s privacy statement.
The louvers on these slick smart blinds subtly open and close throughout the day, to optimize lighting based on the position of the sun.
Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings
Lutron Serena Smart Wood Blinds are attractive, they work reliably, and they’re easy to install. Their standout feature, Natural Light Optimization, automatically opens and closes the blinds at different angles throughout the day, to account for changes in the light, and it works beautifully.
As with Lutron’s shades, with these blinds you’ll need to buy the Lutron Caséta Smart Hub separately to connect them to Wi-Fi and enable any smart capabilities.
Note that motorized smart blinds do not raise and lower, as shades do—instead their louvers open and close. (Raising and lowering blinds requires physically lifting them; more on this below.)
Natural Light Optimization is a standout feature. You can set these blinds to open and close for sunrise and sunset, and you can also enable Natural Light Optimization to automatically adjust the angle of your blinds’ slats all day, based on the position of the sun.
I installed my Lutron blinds on one of the two west-facing windows in my living room. Because of the direction the window faces, bright light streaks in starting in the late afternoon. Most of the time, we get up and lower our shades manually until the sun is a little less intense. With Natural Light Optimization, the blinds made micro-adjustments automatically throughout the day, so we never once had to make our own tweaks to avoid a blinding glare.
Manual lift works really well. It’s not just the smart features that stand out on these blinds. If you’ve ever wrestled with a cord to either raise or lower blinds, you know the struggle of trying to get the angle just right before they cooperate.
Lutron’s clever design ditches the cord entirely, so you can simply lift from the bottom to raise your blinds to the desired height. When you want to lower them, pull them down gently.
They are luxury-priced. Window coverings of any stripe tend to be pricey, and Lutron’s are custom-made and actual wood. But the estimate for outfitting a house or even just a few rooms is eye-watering, since these shades are $700 a pop (a bit less if you buy several of them because this price includes a Lutron hub).
They require 12 AA batteries. Like the Lutron Serena Smart Roller Shades, these blinds use a lot of batteries. Instead of eight D batteries, the smart blinds rely on smaller AAs—and Lutron specifically recommends lithium AAs (which run around $35 for a pack of 12). Lutron claims batteries should last for “thousands” of runs before needing to be replaced, which is at least somewhat reassuring. We’ll keep an eye on that and report back if there are any interesting developments.
For more information, review Lutron’s privacy statement.
These smart curtains open and close quietly and reliably, and they’re a great option in places where Wi-Fi is spotty.
Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings
The SmartWings Motorized Drapery smart curtains combine simple installation with reliable performance over Thread, support for all of the major smart-home platforms with Matter, and easy manual control when you don’t have your . The price is decent, too, so this is our overall favorite option for smart curtains.
As with the SmartWings Motorized Light Filtering Roller Shades, with these smart curtains, you’ll need a Thread border router to operate them.
The Thread connectivity works great. I installed these curtains in a room that doesn’t get a steady Wi-Fi connection. But I had no issues with this Thread-connected product, which relies on a mesh network of compatible hubs and other smart devices to operate, rather than Wi-Fi. If there’s a pesky corner of your home that doesn’t get a reliable Wi-Fi connection, these shades might prove especially convenient (as long as you have the requisite Thread border router, such as an Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen), an Apple HomePod Mini, or a Google Nest Hub Max).
Installation was easy. The curtain rod was easy to mount to the wall. You can also mount it to the ceiling, if that works better for your setup.
The instructions were a little sparse, though, and I had to reach out to SmartWings to clarify how to connect part of the curtains to the rod. SmartWings says it’s updating its instruction manual to include a page on this portion of the installation. The included curtains were also simple to attach to the rod, once I understood how to do it.
I’d suggest adding on the optional valance, for an extra $25, since the top rail has exposed hardware that looks somewhat unfinished.
If you already have curtains that would work on this type of track, you can save some money and just get the SmartWings Motorized Drapery Rod Kit. It’s the exact same thing, minus the curtains.
Manual control works great too. For those times when you’d rather not yell out a voice command and your isn’t nearby, there’s a remote control. You can also manually pull the curtains open and closed. Once you start opening or closing the curtains, the motor kicks in and handles the rest for you.
There’s no battery-powered option. You get to choose between plugging these curtains into an outlet and hardwiring them. A 39-inch cable is free with your purchase, but for just a few bucks, you can upgrade to either a 79-inch or a 118-inch cable.
I would really like to see a battery-powered option with a solar-charging accessory, similar to the company’s smart shades. It would be nice to have a way to operate the curtains without having to hide a power cord or potentially needing to enlist an electrician to hardwire them for you.
For more information, review SmartWings’ privacy statement.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Embossed Fauxwood Blinds Manufacturer.
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