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I installed these smart window shades in 10 minutes - now I want them all over my house
Smartwings Roller Shades
pros and cons
- The Smartwings brand offers some of the best value for money in smart window treatments.
- Installation is easy, and the shades are simple to use.
- Lots of customization, and solar panels for recharging.
- The shades give off a plastic smell in the room for the first three days after installation.
- There's no way to manually control the shades if the battery dies unexpectedly.
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There's nothing like having an "open sesame" moment when you wake up in the morning and your window shades automatically roll up. There are various ways to automate existing shades and curtains, and while smart window treatments can get expensive quickly, the Smartwings brand offers some great value for money.
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I've had the Smarwings shades in my home for a few months, but I suffered a back fracture that prevented me from installing them. After finally enlisting my husband to install them, I was actually surprised by how easy the process was. Of course, I couldn't do them with multiple broken vertebrae, but he did it in a few minutes.
My hands-on experience
I've seen and used many smart and motorized shades at work, and I was incredibly impressed by the Smartwings models. I've tried the newest models at trade shows, used older versions at short-term rentals, and have tried several retrofit options at home. Smartwings proved to offer some of the best value alternatives to premium smart shades, namely those from Lutron.
One of the best things about the brand is the level of customization they offer. You can choose whatever size you need for pretty much any window in your home (just make sure to measure twice before buying), choose the finish, color, smart home protocol, and even whether to add a solar panel.
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Our original windows have the original window treatments, PVC blinds, and we've added blackout curtains in our bedrooms over them. From the street, you could see that our 27-year-old blinds were showing their age, with a couple of broken slats that didn't do anything for our home's curb appeal. Replacing the old blinds with new motorized shades was a big upgrade both inside and out.
Why smart shades are worth it
I chose blackout roller shades and added light blockers for my kids' rooms. Four motorized blackout shades with Zigbee motors and light blockers totaled around $1,200. This can be considered a lot for two bedrooms, but keep in mind that window treatments can get expensive quickly, with homeowners often paying between $15,000 and $50,000 if you do the whole house at once.
Add to this that you're also getting not only motorized shades, but smart ones, and the bottom line is that Smartwings offers some of the best value on the market. At this price, outfitting my entire 3,000 square-foot home with smart motorized shades would cost under $10,000, including a large one for a sliding glass door.
Because Smartwings is a retailer, you also don't need to go through a salesperson or consultant or pay hefty installation costs. You can even buy them through Amazon.
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I found very few downsides with these shades. The first is that they gave off a plasticky smell for the first three or four days after installation. It went away with an air purifier in the room, but it was noticeable at first. Smartwings says these shades are made from recycled plastic, which is a definite plus, and that the smell eventually went away.
The motor has a USB-C port to charge the shades' battery, but there's no way to manually control them if the battery dies, which is unfortunate. You just have to plug them in or wait until they're fully charged.
ZDNET's buying advice
The Smartwings shades are extremely quiet, they look and feel durable, and offer seamless integrations with different smart home platforms -- including Amazon Alexa for voice control. Smartwings offers motors with support for various protocols, including Matter over Thread, Zigbee, Z-Wave, HomeKit, Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings.
You can add motorized shades to your home and leverage Smartwings' many integrations with other ecosystems to control them with a third-party remote or create automations that open or close them when the sun is shining on a window.
Why Smartwings gets an Editors' Choice award
The Smartwings smart window shades earned a ZDNET Editors' Choice award because they offer the best value for your money in the category. They give you a "set it and forget it" experience that offers convenience and reliability across smart home ecosystems, especially if you're a fan of DIY smart home solutions.