Our need was blackout blinds for the big window behind our bed -- that window faces my neighbor's side door, and their motion-based exterior entrance light really lights things up (especially when winter snow is present). Cats and other varmints regularly trigger that light, so it can be distracting when trying to fall asleep.
We keep a (non-blackout) fabric curtain over that window at all times -- it allows a nice amount of light to filter through during the day, but too much of that other light at night.
So installing smart blackout blinds behind that curtain has been a huge win... The blinds automatically open in the morning and close in the evening. If my wife wants to nap up there during the day, they can be closed via button or google command to really darken the room nicely.
Mine are Third Reality -- I like those because they take AA batts, so I was able to easily wire up a battery conversion kit. Those wires aren't attractive, but they are hidden behind the fabric curtain, so no one's the wiser.
It's probably a thing worth experiencing. I opted for a likely expensive option, particularly down my way, everything is expensive down here... But the convenience of having your blinds close at a designated time of the day, whether it be a certain time of day, sunset or just a mode transition, plus open when you want, that is a nice feeling. I would liken it to having your lights transition to a specific state based on similar criteria. If you can justify the same for your blinds, then... congratulations
For me (with no committee to convince ), I have west-facing blinds I wanted to close around 2pm if I imposed an annual logic, or a lux rule if I could be bothered :-)... Additionally I also open and close my blinds when I transition to Day and and Evening modes, which can include a mode transition based on both Sunset/Sunrise and/or Lux from my outdoor Hue Motion sensors.
My blinds motors are Somfy motors, controlled via a Bond bridge using Hubitat, Home Assistant, the Bond App and in extreme situations the physical remotes provided as part of the motor install.
We have a two story house with a wall of windows in the living room, which is open to the second story. The windows face the sun all afternoon and it gets very warm, even with AC on. I use SunCalc to check when the sun is beaming into the living room. If the AC is on, I want the windows closed during that time. If it's winter, I may elect to open them during that time to help with heating.
I close them again in the evening when it is darker outside than it is inside so my neighbors can't see in.
The windows can also cause glare on the TV screen. I haven't implemented this yet, but I think I'll have the blinds close when the TV is on if the sun is coming in from that direction.
Lastly, I have the blinds close when we are not home. Maybe this makes no difference, but the UV from the sun causes the floor, furniture, paint, etc. to fade over time. No need to let more UV in if we aren't home to enjoy it.
UV is the main reason I choose to close my West-facing (setting-sun-facing) blinds... If only to reduce the fading of things like lounges and other furniture....
I'd add that the option to control my bedroom shades from a Google Home in my Bathroom has also, at times, been a useful asset If only to shield the neighbours from some unsightly views that some would pay... well something to see.... But many would pay to avoid... quite rightly...
I can't speak much to the lifetime of the components; I got my first smart blinds in 2019, and while they are still going strong, this probably isn't enough time to say. In my case, the smarts are a retrofit product (iBlinds), not built into the blinds themselves. There are both types of products (this and all-in-one) out there. But in any case, this hasn't been a problem for me so far.
I'm even less worried about "software." Mine are Z-Wave, and I don't see that being a problem any time soon. I could definitely understand this concern for new companies that make you use their app and might disappear at any point — or possibly for even established companies like Lutron (not that they'll disappear any time soon, but unlike Z-Wave or Zigbee, their software is the only option).
As for their worth, I suppose that's up to you! This was something I had wanted to automate for years, so I was pretty happy when I finally found a product that could work with Hubitat (I was never interested in the Bluetooth, etc. options that only worked with the vendor's app). I can't say it's making a dent in my gas or electric bills, though I do have them automated based on sun times and summer vs. winter. However, I can say the same for most things I'm doing with my hub. I didn't start this hobby to save money or only do things I absolutely need.
I use not so cheap motors (see Iblinds v3). They're very well made. That said our reasons are...
1: Privacy at night. Our house has 11 windows on the 1st floor, 14 on the second and 7 on the 3rd. I don't like being in a fishbowl at night where everyone can see in. Going to each blind each night and closing them then reopening them in the morning is impractical.
2: Heating and cooling. Depending on the sun location and the temp outside, during the day the blinds are adjusted to either minimize heat during the the summer and maximize heat during the winter, This also helps save money.
3: Automating them when we're away to look like we're home.
It feels like my comment on the Cartoons topic.... If you get blinds involved... $$$ will be involved and you just have to accept that fact.... It really depends on the impact the blinds have on your life and the impact the automation will have...
I will say it was far cheaper when we got our custom kitchen roman shade at blinds.com to add a 3rd party motor (am43) then it would have been to get something like zebra blinds or iblinds.com automated shades. I mean those companies charge out the yin yang...
Most things in my house are decided by committee, but automating our blinds was a good idea nonetheless .
My wife and I often have different preferences when it comes to having shades up/down at various times of the day/night.
In general, having most shades go up automatically in the morning, and down again in the evening, works for both of us. And then the ability to control via dashboard or voice assistant is convenient at times as well.
I also need to add an automation for our bedroom, which gets a lot of Sun exposure in the afternoons and forces the mini-split a/c in that room to work harder than it should.
I went with one of Lutron’s shade lines, which I’ll acknowledge definitely requires some disposable income. But they are extremely high quality, like most things Lutron makes, and I expect them to last a very long time.
Exactly why I chose to go with iBlinds. The new house already had new dumb blinds and the cost to replace brand new blinds with plenty of life left was not worth it in my mind at the time. But I caught the iBlind Black Friday Sale and put in 6 motors for the price of 1 automated blind. The plus in my mind was price as well as if a motor fails the whole blind doesn't have to be replaced or hope that you can get a replacement part/motor from the company which I am sure is not cheap. The wife actually asked for them to be automated because she ran around the house opening, adjusting, closing blinds (when the wife asks for automation you must jump all over it ). Now that I have them, I love them. Movie Time, all the blinds close to cut down on TV glare, morning all blinds open, afternoon blinds tilt to help block the sunny side of the house and keeping rooms cooler, sunset front blinds close so I am not in a fishbowl, etc. Any reason you have to touch your blinds can be automated.
Currently I have either faux wood blinds from Menards (living room and kitchen), or insulated cellular shades (bedrooms). I think I paid $40 or so each nearly a decade ago for them, so I have probably about $350 in blinds for the whole house? I also have drapes from Ikea on most windows, so maybe all said and done $1000 for both?
For my modest working class house I wouldn't even consider blinds that cost many hundreds if not thousands of dollars each, that would be overkill. I don't play that game of having to be better than everyone. That said, I am considering purchasing the Ikea smart shades, they are relatively inexpensive. If they last a decade I would be happy with that. I would be OK if they even lasted 5-6 years because by then I probably would be painting and redecorating anyway, (last painted 5 or so years ago) and it would be time for something new.
I want to do just a couple windows with blinds, my living room window faces South, and it gets hot in there during Summer days even here in Michigan. With paying over $0.20 per KWH for crazy expensive electricity during peak hours, I try to save however I can. I would bring up blinds in AM, and close or partially close at Noon or so. I would re-open them later in the afternoon when the sun was again out of view, and close at night.
In the Winter at night the windows feel cold even though I have good windows. I twould be nice to have blinds up in the daytime to capture solar energy, and close at night to keep warmth in.
No blinds. Only two curtains and just one of those is automated using these motors and this driver.
Automating the living room picture window curtain set me back about $130. Most automations are based on sunrise, sunset, and presence. I must have set up voice commands, also, because my wife asked Alexa to close just one side and it worked. Happy spouse, happy house.
Would I do this for all of the windows? No way. I could make a case for a few, though.
This reminds me of when remote control ceiling fans were first introduced. I wondered who would be so lazy as to not get out of the bed/recliner to adjust the speed.
Fast forward about 15 years. I have 5 smart ceiling fans with the KOF module, along with a myriad of switches, sensors, and outlets in addition to my 12 IKEA Fyrtur blinds.
Plastic gears are fine if the design is robust. My shades close at sunset, the shades on the west side open to 55% at sunrise. The shades on the east side of the house open to 55% at noon when the sun is above the house. The blinds on the west side of the house close to 33% 2 hours before sunset. At sunset they all close.
This keeps the heat load at a minimum, stopping the sun from heating the carpeting on the east side of the house.
IKEA blinds are less expensive than most brands. Biggest complaint I have read is they are noisy. Perhaps if all 4 blinds in the living room were commanded all at the same time, but the blind is usually moving for less than 30 seconds.
The motor housing is the same no matter the width of the blind. The blind assembly can be cut to fit a window exactly with just a utility knife, hacksaw, marker, tape measure, and patience.
I fit in with the rest of the crowd. Mix of iBlinds V2 and V3.
I have 5 windows facing SW. In the winter I have the blinds open at an angle that gathers as much sun as possible. In the summer when the house gets up to "door open" temp the blinds open to 50% to stop any direct heating. At Evening they close for privacy and Morning they open again, depending on the time of year and internal temp.
My downstairs blinds all close when the TV is turned on to quash reflections and open after the TV turns off - if it's still Day.
My smart blondes are one of the best purchases I've ever made. I only have them outfit with one room which is the living room with the TVs.
I sit down on the couch and I notice glare on the TV coming from the windows. Last thing I want to do is get up and close the blinds, I'm lazy. Just tell Alexa to close them and my room is dark in 15 seconds. Worth it.
Just like when I forgot to turn the lights off in the garage and it's night time and I peek out the window and I can see them on 100 feet away. Just tell Alexa to shut off the garage lights. Worth it.
Some people have different wants and needs than you. I like to be able to turn my air compressor on from the house so It's full once I get it to the garage and I don't have to listen to it pump up.
), I have west-facing blinds I wanted to close around 2pm if I imposed an annual logic, or a lux rule if I could be bothered :-)... Additionally I also open and close my blinds when I transition to Day and and Evening modes, which can include a mode transition based on both Sunset/Sunrise and/or Lux from my outdoor Hue Motion sensors.
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). Now that I have them, I love them. Movie Time, all the blinds close to cut down on TV glare, morning all blinds open, afternoon blinds tilt to help block the sunny side of the house and keeping rooms cooler, sunset front blinds close so I am not in a fishbowl, etc. Any reason you have to touch your blinds can be automated.
