How to Choose the Right Smart Blinds for Your Home: A Comprehensive Guide to Enhance Your Living Space
There are a number of Smart Blinds home products that make it easy to add automation to your window treatments. These include smart shades and blinds, smart roller shades, and smart blackout curtains. They let you control your blinds and shades with an app or by giving a command to your smart speaker, making it possible to adjust them without having to reach for a remote or raise your arm over your head. They're also designed to operate automatically based on sunrise and sunset times and indoor temperatures.
Existing blinds and curtains
Some models are designed to retrofit into existing blinds and curtains, which can save money. For example, the Eve and Lutron Serena Shades have a small device that attaches to your window frame, then plugs into the cord or chain of your existing blinds. This device then uses a wireless hub to communicate with your other smart home devices, allowing you to control them using an app or voice command. It also includes a solar monitor and temperature sensor to help automate your blinds, adjusting them depending on the amount of sun exposure they're getting each day and your indoor temperatures.
Smart blinds and shades are designed
Other smart blinds and shades are designed from the ground up to work with your existing window frames and are available in a range of colors and fabric types, including cellular styles that offer added insulation and privacy. Some of these options are even more affordable than their counterparts, such as IKEA's Fyrtur. They're available for as low as $160 for a 72x76-inch blind, though this model does require you to have IKEA's Tradfri smart gateway, a Zigbee-based wireless hub that you'll need to link to your WiFi network.
Motorized blinds
Most of the motorized blinds and shades we reviewed connect to a mobile app that allows you to control them with a smartphone or tablet. Most also support voice controls via virtual assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri. These models can be triggered to open or close by simply giving a command to your smart speaker, or can be set up with daily or weekly schedules.
Included remote control
Some of the models we tested feature a built-in motor that operates your Smart Blinds when you press down on a button. Others, such as the Somfy Roll Up Wirefree, use a motor that you activate by using an included remote control. These blinds can be paired with other sensors that can trigger them to open and close based on motion, sunlight, and more.
Conlcusion
Although they may seem like an extravagance, smart window treatments can make a huge difference in your daily life by saving you the effort and energy it takes to raise or lower your blinds manually. They can also save you money on energy bills by lowering your need to artificially heat or cool your home. We think it's worth the upfront investment to save time, reduce your energy consumption, and get a little bit of a technological edge. Just be sure to weigh the cost of these features against your current needs and budget when deciding whether to go for smart blinds or shades.
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