Motorised blinds availability to Ireland?

Ethereal Cereal

Hey

I'm looking for an online supplier of motorised blinds that will deliver to Ireland. Similar to https://www.poweredblinds.co.uk. Anyone know of anything?

If possible, I would like the somfy blind system, where the mechanism is build into the blind before its manufactured. I know ACME supply the motorised blinds, but I cant get much detail on price, or what exactly they supply.

thanks

440Hertz

Seems ACME supply Somfy - their logo is on ACME’’s website.

Ethereal Cereal

440Hertz wrote: »

Seems ACME supply Somfy - their logo is on ACME’’s website.

Thanks, I was in touch with someome from the local ACME store, since its not currently open, but they were vague on the details to say the least. I couldnt get a price off them. If I could order it online and have it delivered for me to fit myself, that would be ideal.

ted1

Home focus stock them

wexfordman2

Ethereal Cereal wrote: »

Thanks, I was in touch with someome from the local ACME store, since its not currently open, but they were vague on the details to say the least. I couldnt get a price off them. If I could order it online and have it delivered for me to fit myself, that would be ideal.

Been looking to automate my curtains and blinds for nearly 20 years nowz bit could never justify the price, literally 500 euro or even more per window.

Got some wifi controlled curtains for about 200 euro in amazon, and have to say, mightily impressed, and I went and bought 2 more sets from aliexpress at about 140 euro each. I've seen some motorised blinds that work by inserting a motor into the actual tube of the blind, so might give this a go as well.

ted1

wexfordman2 wrote: »

Been looking to automate my curtains and blinds for nearly 20 years nowz bit could never justify the price, literally 500 euro or even more per window.

Got some wifi controlled curtains for about 200 euro in amazon, and have to say, mightily impressed, and I went and bought 2 more sets from aliexpress at about 140 euro each. I've seen some motorised blinds that work by inserting a motor into the actual tube of the blind, so might give this a go as well.

Any details on them ?

wexfordman2

Have a look at zemismart wifi curtains, on aliexpress or on amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B085VKTS4F?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

€ 121,51 39%OFF | Zemismart New Design WiFi Curtain Motor Tuya Smart Life Customized Electric Curtains Track with RF Remote Alexa Echo Control
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mNJKPkp

The Amazon ones were I would say slightly better quality, but happy with both

Daveq

I seen an ad for these:

https://www.electrablinds.ie/home-page

Keep us posted on how you get on, I've started to look into smart blinds too.

FrankGrimes

I got Somfy motors fitted inside the roller tube for blonds Castle Blinds were installing. Controlling them via Velbus relays so they integrate into my broader Velbus and OpenHab controlled home automation setup. They are fantastic, 3metre wide blinds so I was worried motors would struggle but they are flawless and I can do things like automate them coming down when the Velbus weather station I have reads above a certain lux level on a really sunny day, and vice versa on a cloudy day. Not cheap but definitely in the “once it’s there you’d miss it if it wasn’t” category.

wexfordman2

FrankGrimes wrote: »

I got Somfy motors fitted inside the roller tube for blonds Castle Blinds were installing. Controlling them via Velbus relays so they integrate into my broader Velbus and OpenHab controlled home automation setup. They are fantastic, 3metre wide blinds so I was worried motors would struggle but they are flawless and I can do things like automate them coming down when the Velbus weather station I have reads above a certain lux level on a really sunny day, and vice versa on a cloudy day. Not cheap but definitely in the “once it’s there you’d miss it if it wasn’t” category.

Ah, another velbusinian :-)

10-10-20

Ah so this is where the three Irish OpenHABians hang out? lol
I use it for TRV's, but I was looking at IKEA's smart-blinds, but they only come in +20cm steps.
I'll have a read about Velbus to see if it's of my taste.

Ethereal Cereal

FrankGrimes wrote: »

I got Somfy motors fitted inside the roller tube for blonds Castle Blinds were installing. Controlling them via Velbus relays so they integrate into my broader Velbus and OpenHab controlled home automation setup. They are fantastic, 3metre wide blinds so I was worried motors would struggle but they are flawless and I can do things like automate them coming down when the Velbus weather station I have reads above a certain lux level on a really sunny day, and vice versa on a cloudy day. Not cheap but definitely in the “once it’s there you’d miss it if it wasn’t” category.

thanks very much, this is exactly what I'm looking for.

Yea, I know ppl think automated blinds are a bit gimmicky, but since working from home, I get up in the mornings, and the house is pitch dark. I think an automated routine to raise the blinds would be really useful

ted1

Does anyone know the tube size that IKEA use for their standard roller blinds.

After a bit of research I'm going with Fyrtur blinds from Ikea. On price they probably can't be beaten and I've read the firmware gets updated quite a bit

wexfordman2

Ethereal Cereal wrote: »

thanks very much, this is exactly what I'm looking for.

Yea, I know ppl think automated blinds are a bit gimmicky, but since working from home, I get up in the mornings, and the house is pitch dark. I think an automated routine to raise the blinds would be really useful

I was thinking gimicky as well with regards curtains/blinds, but I'm a gadget freak so it didn't disuade me, cost was my main concern until recently, very affordable wifi curtains available now


Having put in smart curtains, what I would most definitely say, is they add a huge amount to the heat of the house with respect to insulation. Having the curtains closed in occupied and unnocupied rooms makes a noticable difference to the overall heat level in the house.

3 sets of curtains done, and the plan is to do the whole house in time.

ted1

[Deleted User] wrote: »

After a bit of research I'm going with Fyrtur blinds from Ikea. On price they probably can't be beaten and I've read the firmware gets updated quite a bit

They’ve very limited sizes. I think 140cm is there largest.

ted1

wexfordman2 wrote: »

I was thinking finicky as well with regards curtains/blinds, but I'm a gadget freak so it didn't disuade me, cost was my main concern until recently.

Having put in smart curtains, what I would most definitely say, is they add a huge amount to the heat of the house with respect to insulation. Having the curtains closed in occupied and unnocupied rooms makes a noticable difference to the overall heat level in the house.

3 sets of curtains done, and the plan is to do the whole house in time.

How finicky are they ? Was going to get the ones you linked to and some motors for blinds. Set them to open same time as the kids alarms and lights go on

wexfordman2

ted1 wrote: »

How finicky are they ? Was going to get the ones you linked to and some motors for blinds. Set them to open same time as the kids alarms and lights go on

Sorry, finicky was a typo, meant gimicky (as a concept, but I was saying they are not so much, for example heat retention when they close and open automatically )

. The zemismart ones I bought from Amazon are in my opinion very good quality, the ones from Aliexpress are also very good, but not quite as good quality as the zemismart ones (rail is a bit lighter for example).

That said, I will be buying more of the ones from.ali express, the difference in quality is not major, and I would be happy with either if I had bought them out of a major retail outlet, they are not "cheap Chinese crap" by any means.

Watch some installation videos on youtube, and do bear in mind, you porbably need to put a pelmut up.to hide the rail.

I'll see if I can post up some videos of mine later.

Ethereal Cereal

ted1 wrote: »

They’ve very limited sizes. I think 140cm is there largest.

Yea, the definitely dont work for me. One of my windows is 190cm, far too wide.
Also, am I missing something, they're completely non configurable, you cant cut them down to any size, so you need a window exactly the size they sell in.

Bluefoam

Deleted User wrote: »

After a bit of research I'm going with Fyrtur blinds from Ikea. On price they probably can't be beaten and I've read the firmware gets updated quite a bit

I've ordered one for one of my windows... It's the only window in the house that matches IKEA's sizes... No fault of IKEA, houses in allot of Europe are designed with standardised window sizes...

ted1

Bluefoam wrote: »

I've ordered one for one of my windows... It's the only window in the house that matches IKEA's sizes... No fault of IKEA, houses in allot of Europe are designed with standardised window sizes...

Same over here , it’s just the measuring tapes that we have not standardised

John_Mc

I had motorised blinds installed by ACME last year. They weren't smart but they could be set on a timer and had a remote control. They were battery powered and only had to be charged every 5 or 6 months.

ACME installed them - they used a brand called Louvolite: https://www.louvolite.com/product-range/motorised-blinds/

The only complaint I had was that the battery in the remote control was difficult to find when it needed replacing but you can get them in Halfords.

Don't bother with the smart/internet connected side of things - it's not worth the money in my opinion and I love my gadgets.

wexfordman2

John_Mc wrote: »

I had motorised blinds installed by ACME last year. They weren't smart but they could be set on a timer and had a remote control. They were battery powered and only had to be charged every 5 or 6 months.

ACME installed them - they used a brand called Louvolite: https://www.louvolite.com/product-range/motorised-blinds/

The only complaint I had was that the battery in the remote control was difficult to find when it needed replacing but you can get them in Halfords.

Don't bother with the smart/internet connected side of things - it's not worth the money in my opinion and I love my gadgets.

Any guideline price ?

John_Mc

wexfordman2 wrote: »

Any guideline price ?

Not that expensive if I remember correctly. About €200-250 on top of what the custom fitted blind cost on its own. No wires or anything so straightforward install and no additional cost.

wexfordman2

John_Mc wrote: »

Not that expensive if I remember correctly. About €200-250 on top of what the custom fitted blind cost on its own. No wires or an

ything so straightforward install and no additional cost.

That's is expensive though, a set of curtains can be fully automated for about 150 euro,.integrated to google, Amazon etc and with sxhedules.

A blind could be done for about 60 to 70 euro.with the same features

John_Mc

wexfordman2 wrote: »

That's is expensive though, a set of curtains can be fully automated for about 150 euro,.integrated to google, Amazon etc and with sxhedules.

A blind could be done for about 60 to 70 euro.with the same features

Ok, if you say so but I find it very hard to believe. I looked into this last year and couldn't find anything at that price range with that functionality.

Why don't you give the OP direct links like he/she asked for instead of criticising my contribution.

slicedpanman

Bluefoam wrote: »

I've ordered one for one of my windows... It's the only window in the house that matches IKEA's sizes... No fault of IKEA, houses in allot of Europe are designed with standardised window sizes...

There's videos on YouTube showing how to cut the blinds down to your specific size:

https://youtu.be/Y3wts5blIJc

Bluefoam

Instagram has been listening to me... Just got an ad for these guys:

https://www.blocblinds.ie/blocout?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialcpc&utm_campaign=IEProspectingLALs&fbclid=PAAaZ5vfjJLnkkjFk57-S3e8XpTuzqPukdPWd_u0R-Gn8EncYgYsk2SrvThDM

wexfordman2

John_Mc wrote: »

Ok, if you say so but I find it very hard to believe. I looked into this last year and couldn't find anything at that price range with that functionality.

Why don't you give the OP direct links like he/she asked for instead of criticising my contribution.

1) I'm not criticising your contribution, I am commenting on it, and adding my own contribution.

2) I already provided links to the op and others, including my opinion on the products I have used, a comparison,.pricing and two places they can look to purchase. I purchased one set for 119 euro in fact. Link's posted earlier.

3) don't be offended by other people.offfering a different opinion or contribution than your own.

ted1

John_Mc wrote: »

Not that expensive if I remember correctly. About €200-250 on top of what the custom fitted blind cost on its own. No wires or anything so straightforward install and no additional cost.

That’s far more expensive that the smart ones who said don’t bother with. ( smart ones are more DIY Install)

ted1

John_Mc wrote: »

Ok, if you say so but I find it very hard to believe. I looked into this last year and couldn't find anything at that price range with that functionality.

Why don't you give the OP direct links like he/she asked for instead of criticising my contribution.

He already did.

John_Mc

ted1 wrote: »

He already did.

No, he actually didn’t. He linked to curtains and the OP asked about blinds.

John_Mc

ted1 wrote: »

That’s far more expensive that the smart ones who said don’t bother with. ( smart ones are more DIY Install)

What smart ones with all the bells and whistles for €60 or €70?

wexfordman2

€ 40,67 44%OFF | Zemismart WiFi Roller Shade Motor for 37mm Tube Smart Life Alexa Google Home Control Support Alexa Google Home Control
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mMZvHZ3

The zemismart ones I mentioned and referred to.

Again, to the OP, and anyone who is interested, I have zemismart curtain rails,and find them very good, and the price is very affordable, I don't have the blinds, but, based on the curtains,.I reckon they are probably a good bet.

One of the rare occasions where I start looking for the ignore function on boards

Ethereal Cereal

I suppose you get the quality you pay for really. I think Somfy automated blinds are by far the best, and now whats supplied by ACME.

But https://www.electrablinds.ie/ supply a somfy system, for one blind 150 x 150 @ €242.15
and https://www.blinds-2go.ie/ who supply a generic non branded motor, (I think what wexfordman2 posted above) for one blind 150 x 150 @ €162.56

I have 5 rooms in the house to do, so thats not a small amount of money, but still I think having a smart hub compatible system is worth the extra €500.
Also, both those options above are considerably cheaper than ordering from ACME

wexfordman2

Ethereal Cereal wrote: »

I suppose you get the quality you pay for really. I think Somfy automated blinds are by far the best, and now whats supplied by ACME.

I cant comment, I havnt used either blind type to be honest.

Ethereal Cereal wrote: »

But https://www.electrablinds.ie/ supply a somfy system, for one blind 150 x 150 @ €242.15
and https://www.blinds-2go.ie/ who supply a generic non branded motor, (I think what wexfordman2 posted above) for one blind 150 x 150 @ €162.56

I didnt post the blinds-2go link, it was a link to a zemismart motor with wifi. The motor fits inside the tube. Again, I have not used this specific part, but have used and have the zemismart smart/motorised curtains which are wifi and IR remote controlled, and find the quality to be very good.

Ethereal Cereal wrote: »

I have 5 rooms in the house to do, so thats not a small amount of money, but still I think having a smart hub compatible system is worth the extra €500.
Also, both those options above are considerably cheaper than ordering from ACME

5 of the zemismart blind motors with wifi control (so integrated to google/alexa etc) would set you back about 250 euro in total. Worth testing with at least one to get confidence. I plan to, just need to order in some actual blinds and check the tube diamater.

ted1

Ethereal Cereal wrote: »

I suppose you get the quality you pay for really. I think Somfy automated blinds are by far the best, and now whats supplied by ACME.

But https://www.electrablinds.ie/ supply a somfy system, for one blind 150 x 150 @ €242.15
and https://www.blinds-2go.ie/ who supply a generic non branded motor, (I think what wexfordman2 posted above) for one blind 150 x 150 @ €162.56

I have 5 rooms in the house to do, so thats not a small amount of money, but still I think having a smart hub compatible system is worth the extra €500.
Also, both those options above are considerably cheaper than ordering from ACME

I imagine that blinds 2 go are buying generic ones and applying paddy tax. I'm going to measure the tubes for the IKEA roller blinds i have. (175 wide) and order some of the generic ones and will post a review and video once installed.

wexfordman2

https://photobucket.com/u/wexfordman/p/6e9369c0-4d05-443a-b1b4-b551899971e9

Quici video if the zemismart automated curtains. Note, my phone mic is very sensitive, so they sound noisy, but in reality are quiet, if you even listen to the volume level when I lift the curtains to show the motor, it sounds like I am dragging a sheet of plywood across a floor.

The zemismart ones are quieter than the other ones I have, but as I said, I have 3 sets of smart curtains now, and the zemismart are the ones I would recommend , slightly better quality.


Be interested if anyone gets the blinds with the built in motor, it's in my wish list for the moment

TheChizler

wexfordman2 wrote: »

Be interested if anyone gets the blinds with the built in motor, it's in my wish list for the moment

It's on the long finger but hoping to to try it out in the next few months if I get my act together!

wexfordman2

wexfordman2 wrote: »

Quici video if the zemismart automated curtains.

Very cool.
What happens if someone closes/opens them manually?

wexfordman2

BrownFinger wrote: »

Very cool.
What happens if someone closes/opens them manually?

Once you tug one curtain, the motor kicks in and does the rest, and the status is updated .

So, you have manual control, an rf remote control, app control, scheduled control, and control via Google or alexa.

If you have no power, they work as normal and can be manually opened/closed.

Where I find them most beneficial, is in bedrooms, for example, a bedroom, you might not go near till late at night, but if you shcedule them to close at sunset, then they close automatically. The most noticable difference here is heat, you genuinely notice a difference in heat retention within the room, which you tend to not get with manual curtains that you dont often close unless you are in the room. The bedrooms are actually warmer.

A genuine practical application/benefit, for what is to many a gadget.

jmBuildExt

Apologies if im repeating anything guys - I've only speed read the thread.

I'll just throw in my experience on the matter (its a bit rambly)
I just installed ikea smart blinds last week. 7 blinds in total (6x80cm + 1x60cm) they are all in a row around a patio door leading into a wrap around window at the end of my extension (window and door are at 2 different levels)

I didn't really research other blinds (until after i installed them).... but i had the whole tradfri light system integrated with alexa and a DIY smart home alarm system, and i know how to hack the tradfri hub to control the blinds myself if i need to.... this is what mainly swayed me towards making the ikea blinds work for me.

ted1 wrote: »

Does anyone know the tube size that IKEA use for their standard roller blinds.

40mm according to this guy @ 2:52 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU3QduvbkRc - same as somfy.
I actually had one opened up (further details below) - but didnt check the diameter for myself.

blackout (fyrtur) V non-blackout (kadrijl)
They only have 2 types. I actually ended up buying the non-blackout first by mistake. The kadrijl (non blackout) ones are actually a darker grey in colour than the Fyrtur (blackout) ones - i think this is what confused me when ordering online.
Anyway, since i couldnt return them (returns closed, click n collect only during level 5 lockdown) I proceeded to put them up anyway (well i put 2 of them up and just the brackets for the rest). IMO they (kadrijl) are pretty useless. I don't know why anyone would want that level of light coming in.
I ordered the Fyrtur ones and have the kadrijls packed up and ready to go back for a refund when they re-open properly. I've since installed the Fyrturs and they are much better.

See pic of the 2 types side by side -
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xv22UbfgoIMzs_0WIZkTmB9jsm8Cy6Y3/view?usp=sharing

Cutting the blinds
People will prob be interested in this. I had to cut one of them. There's plenty of youtube videos, I had a look around til i was comfortable with the procedure.
This is the one i mainly followed (except i didnt put tape on my tape measure, i remembered the number, like a normal person ) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL6LPZZoFlo
It was really easy, and you wouldn't notice the cut to the frame - even though i used a blunt hack saw blade.
I'll concede that if you look really closely at the material when the blind is down you may see where the scissors slightly deviated, but there were no frayed edges or anything like that.
Took me a bout half an hour if i had to do another one id say id have it done in 15 mins.
Tip: Mark the frame all the way around and draw a line up the material putting in plenty of measurement points and joining them up. Use a decent hacksaw blade and a decent scissors for cutting the material.
(Note: I only cut the Fyrtur one, the material on the kadrijl is lighter but I'd say it would be ok to cut too)
Also in that video i linked, he doesnt say anything about making a hole for the endcap screw after you cut the frame. I just measured where the old hole was and made a new one, the aluminum was easy to drill. That said, you would probably get away with having no hole/screw at all.
Also, after he cuts the material he leaves a bit of material glued to the tube. This is easy to get off, just run a stanley round it in line with your cut and it peels off relatively easily.
And another thing I just noticed, when he marks the bottom rail for cutting @1:20, he should mark it after removing the end cap as apposed to before.

For me personally (considering myself mildly handy), even though ikea say they aren't for re-sizing, I would not let this get in the way of a purchase.

Installing (physical)
you need to fit 2 brackets to the reveal or you can fit them to the face of the wall above the window. I just put mine up with brown rawl plugs as the plasterboard was dabbed on and there was a decent (but not huge) gap between it and the steel lintel above. They are well secure IMO. I didn't want to go drilling into the steel.
The position of the brackets can be anywhere along the frame tracks (obviously try space them out to carry the load evenly) ....but this gives you a bit of leeway - e.g. if you have battens you want to go into you can move the bracket along to match. In contrast, with blinds that have end fixings - there is only one place you can drill your holes - downside of having the frame though is that the blinds are a bit bulkier and sit a bit lower than traditional end fixed blinds.

Max drop length
Setting the max drop on the blinds was really easy, you just lower the blind to the level you want using the buttons on the frame of the blind, and double click one of them when its at desired level. After this your blinds will never go lower than that level. (theres a way to undo it, i cant remember the details, particular button combo or something)
One set of my blinds were at the max 2m but the other was about 1.4m because of the window sill.


Installing (app + controls)
Each blind comes with battery, charger, signal repeater, and up/down switch.
The book that comes with it kind of contradicts what the app says. Its like the book is telling you how to install it so it can be run standalone with the switch. In this case the repeater is mandatory.
My advice is if you intend running the blinds from your hub (i.e. using the ikea app on your phone or alexa/google assistant) then ignore the book and go straight to the ikea app to install it. Each controller can control up to 4 blinds, and I used the book's instructions to pair 2 controllers to a set of 4 and a set of 3 blinds.
Then when i went to the app to use it from there, i basically had to go through the whole pairing process again, pairing the controller(s) with the blinds after i had paired the controller with the hub.
I still have a repeater plugged in, but I'm not sure I need it, and I havent gotten around to trying it.
All that said, its not the hardest thing in the world to do.

Using them with alexa
This is predominantly how we control the lights so wanted the same with the blinds. In summary it works well for opening and closing - no issues at all. Added all the blinds (blind 1, blind2, blind 3 etc etc) to a group and away you go - alexa, close "the group name" blinds.
However for some reason, alexa doesnt support the percentage feature for groups.... but it does for individual blinds. So i can say alexa, set "blind 1" to 50% - but i cant say alexa set extension blinds to 50%.
Now, to get around this i set a routine called "blinds halfway" to set each individual blind to 50% when i say "Alexa, blinds halfway". But because i had "blinds" in the name, alexa seems to take this as an attempt to use the blinds smart device feature, rather than recognising its one of my routines.
So i dropped the "blinds" from routine name.... and it worked...once!
At the moment, If i press the button for the routine it works, but if i say "Alexa, halfway" i get a funny error tone back from her. Not sure what the issue is, but i think i'll be able to resolve it.
One thing to note if you have multiple blinds in a set, whether you use the physical controls, your home assistant or the app... the blinds don't all go up/down at the same level. They will all stop where they are supposed to, and they move at the same speed, but they start moving at slightly different times meaning they are not in an exact straight line when they are opening/closing. The difference I am talking is max 30/40mm. Most people wont care, it can annoy some people though.


Over-all I'm happy with them in general and how they work. The biggest negative is the size constraint. On one stretch, Ideally I would have liked 2x 1.6m blinds instead had to go for 4x .8m. This results in a gap of about 40mm between each blind side by side when they are down.

Hope it helps someone decide.

Krusty_Clown

Just thought I'd share my findings, after buying a couple of automated blind motors. I went for the BENEXMART Wifi Roller Shade Driver purchased on Amazon, when they were £59 each (I bought two). I went with this style, as I wanted the solution to fit in with my pre-existing blinds, which are large (180cm x 220cm) and have beaded cords, and it was significantly cheaper than other options, which were all around the £100 region. I should mention that roller blinds with beaded cords seem to be on their way out, for child safety reasons, but I'm sure I'll be able to get replacement blinds after these ones get a little shabby.

The blind motors are pretty big, so if aesthetics are a big thing for you, you may want to opt for something built into the roller. Not such a big issue for me, as the blind motors are out of sight and quite inaccessible. These come with a 5254.054ma battery, which should be good for six months, and you can plug in a USB cable to charge them up without having to remove them (which is pretty easy to do anyway), which was also a selling point, as one of the blinds isn't anywhere near a plug socket.

I had initially thought that the separate USB Wifi 'dongle' plugged into the base of the blind motor, but I was wrong on that one. The USB dongles need to be powered independently, which is a bit of a pain. They seem to be an RF to Wifi converter, but the range seems good and I haven't had any problems, once I found a couple of sockets with always-on USB power. They were super easy to fit (less than 10 minutes each), easy to configure despite incorrect instructions, and once you have installed the Tuya app, operating them is easy, from the supplied remote controls, Google, Alexa, etc. The blind motors themselves are really quiet and very smooth, and you can set an upper, lower and mid-point blind heights. If you have multiple blinds (e.g. conservatory), I'm not sure that these would be the right solution for you, as while you can create routines (and integrate with IFTTT etc., you'd need to have one Wifi dongle per blind, which would be annoying. So, a (relatively) cheap and cheerful solution that works well, if it fits your environment.

Ethereal Cereal

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Just thought I'd share my findings, after buying a couple of automated blind motors. I went for the BENEXMART Wifi Roller Shade Driver purchased on Amazon, when they were £59 each (I bought two). I went with this style, as I wanted the solution to fit in with my pre-existing blinds, which are large (180cm x 220cm) and have beaded cords, and it was significantly cheaper than other options, which were all around the £100 region. I should mention that roller blinds with beaded cords seem to be on their way out, for child safety reasons, but I'm sure I'll be able to get replacement blinds after these ones get a little shabby.

The blind motors are pretty big, so if aesthetics are a big thing for you, you may want to opt for something built into the roller. Not such a big issue for me, as the blind motors are out of sight and quite inaccessible. These come with a 5254.054ma battery, which should be good for six months, and you can plug in a USB cable to charge them up without having to remove them (which is pretty easy to do anyway), which was also a selling point, as one of the blinds isn't anywhere near a plug socket.

I had initially thought that the separate USB Wifi 'dongle' plugged into the base of the blind motor, but I was wrong on that one. The USB dongles need to be powered independently, which is a bit of a pain. They seem to be an RF to Wifi converter, but the range seems good and I haven't had any problems, once I found a couple of sockets with always-on USB power. They were super easy to fit (less than 10 minutes each), easy to configure despite incorrect instructions, and once you have installed the Tuya app, operating them is easy, from the supplied remote controls, Google, Alexa, etc. The blind motors themselves are really quiet and very smooth, and you can set an upper, lower and mid-point blind heights. If you have multiple blinds (e.g. conservatory), I'm not sure that these would be the right solution for you, as while you can create routines (and integrate with IFTTT etc., you'd need to have one Wifi dongle per blind, which would be annoying. So, a (relatively) cheap and cheerful solution that works well, if it fits your environment.

Thanks a mill for this post, from looking around at a few options, Im going to try this setup first and see how it works as well. Im sure I'll be back with plenty of questions.
Like you, my blinds are very wide (in two rooms anyway), 220cm. Im hoping the mechanism wont struggle with a blind this width...

manster

I use Ajax Online Blind Engine Motor– Smart WIFI Blinds Motor for Roller, Horizontal blinds, and curtains with pull cords & side mechanism. Compatible with Alexa, Google Home and Apple Siri Using Shortcuts.

Wired solution and can be noisy for the few seconds that it is on. No need for a hub. Big advantage for me was that you can set up on LHS or RHS. Having the ability to turn on via Alexa is nice but having them automatically come up / down at sunrise/ sunset or when we are away is the real winner.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07YL4L498/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_FLe8Fb3H81VCN?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I went with the IKEA Fyrtur. I have them working with the switch but cannot connect them to my Echo Dot 4th Gen. I don't have a Tradfri and didn't think I needed it with the Echo 4 Dot as it acts as a Hub. But when I put the blind on pairing mode Alexa doesn't pick it up as a new device. I can't get the IKEA home app running as I don't have a Tradfri to pair with it. Anyone any ideas?

Edit: turns out my Echo Dot doesn't have the Zigbee hub so I'll need to get a hub to get it to work through Alexa

Krusty_Clown

Ethereal Cereal wrote: »

Thanks a mill for this post, from looking around at a few options, Im going to try this setup first and see how it works as well. Im sure I'll be back with plenty of questions.
Like you, my blinds are very wide (in two rooms anyway), 220cm. Im hoping the mechanism wont struggle with a blind this width...

Just in case you hadn't invested yet, just spotted this on Aliexpress, which seems to have the Wifi module built-in (which would be a lot more convenient), but is a powered version (rather than battery), which explains why it is so much cheaper (€38 delivered from China - may get hit for additional vat/customs). Otherwise seems identical in operation. Or alternatively, the same battery version which requires external Wifi USB dongle is €52.54 delivered from Belgium. I'm going to order the mains powered integrated Wifi model and give it a pop - also interfaces via Tuya.

Basq

Anyone see a good price around Amazon DE / ES / FR on battery ones?

See the powered ones available for about €50 here: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B08R77YZWZ?tag=haggle-android-es-21&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1&ref_=d6k_applink_bb_marketplace (albeit from Spain with an EU plug presumably)

EDIT: Spotted Krusty's post above. Option from BangGood looks solid.

Torn actually.. internal WiFi model but mains powered Vs external WiFi but battery powered.

wexfordman2

I would go for the powered version for definate as long as you can get power to it.

Basq

wexfordman2 wrote: »

I would go for the powered version for definate as long as you can get power to it.

Yeah - haven't even gotten the blinds installed yet so I have the option but problem is a lack of plug points on RHS where I'd need cable to go (at least for the option for manual use).

Could run an extension point behind couch in front of it I suppose.

Like the idea of battery and reputable ones do last months - though not sure about these ones.

wexfordman2

If you havnt got the blinds fitted yet, have you looked at the ones where the motor is fitted inside the tube ?