It was a couple of years ago when motorized blinds have just surfaced the market and were very expensive to install. Back then, there were only a few options available.
There is now a wider range of more affordable alternatives with new mechanics and new designs.
Even if there are a lot of options, it is still important to scout for the best ones in the market. According to a survey, three of the best models of motorized blinds for 2019 that should be installed in homeowners' windows includes the (1) Lutron Serena, (2) the Pella Insynctive, and (3) IKEA's smart blinds.
Serena is Lutron's newest design for smart shades. It is recommended that the designers or the homeowners take advantage of the free swatches that can be ordered ahead before making a final purchase. The Serena smart blinds can be controlled using the Lutron smartphone application. iPhone users can also control the smart blinds using their Apple HomeKit. Other remote gadgets that can be used to control The Serena blinds are the Wink 2 hubs, Google assistant, Amazon Alex, and Samsung SmartThings, if the house is equipped with a Nest Protect system, the blinds will tap into the smart system and will automatically raise when smoke or carbon dioxide is detected by the alarm.
Second on the list is the Pella. This high-end solution fits a set of motorized blinds between the two panes of glass in each of the windows. Raising the blinds can be controlled by a companion smartphone app. The downside is that controlling the Pella is not as universal as Serena. This means that Pella users will not be able to control the smart blinds using Alexa, Google assistant, Apple HomeKit, or IFTTT. To compensate, the Pella Bridge is a separate accessory which includes Z-wave, making the blinds controllable by Wink 2 smart home hub or other Z-wave systems. Other Smart Home gadgets that Pella Insynctive offers include garage doors, bolt lock, window sensors, and doors. One great feature of the Pella smart blinds is the thin horizontal solar panel that powers the wireless aluminum blinds with its cellular shades.
IKEA has a line of smart motorized blinds which they call Kadrilj and Fyrtur. The line of smart blinds should be out by April 2019 however due to delays and modifications, it will be launched in August instead. IKEA's blinds are also battery powered and can be connected to IKEA's Tradfri hub. This is the same hub that controls their Zigbee smart light bulbs. This means that Alexa, the Apple HomeKit and Siri, and Google assistant can be used to control the blinds, as well. Because IKEA has always represented simplicity, this model of smart blinds is designed as such. This makes it easy for the design to fit in almost any kind of window. Prices start at $110 for one window. In a few months, homeowners would be able to find out if the wait is worth it.
