SwichBot has been busy this year with the product launches! Not a single month has passed without them introducing something new to the market. It’s not the first time the company has automated windows fixtures. They have automated curtains (review), they have a device to twist venetian blinds (review), and now, you can buy a complete roller blind to fit your windows. Is the SwitchBot Roller Shade any good?
The whole package!
When I moved, it became apparent that the whole street had a view into my living room. Not a big problem during the daytime, but it’s a privacy concern at night! After all, I don’t wish to display my lounging life to the entire neighbourhood. I quickly bought cheapish (£60) blinds to fix that. I lasted days before the automation envy hit… I used to have all my windows fitted with smart devices… I wanted that luxury back. When I received the SwitchBot Roller Shade, I knew it would live in my lounge!
Unlike other solutions I reviewed, SwitchBot Roller Shade offers a complete smart device with the blind included. The company’s package included the blind as well as the entire mechanism needed to move it up and down. At launch, the SwitchBot Roller Shade comes in 2 colours (white and grey) – but with a bit of DIY, you can replace the included fabric to match your style!
The SwitchBot Roller Shade is sold in four sizes spanning from 22.8″/58 cm to 72.8″/185cm, which should cover most window sizes. Additionally, you can also bundle it with a solar panel (£25) that sticks to a window and keeps your shade battery topped up. The small remote for the blinds is included – in case you like a more hands on approach!
At the time of the launch, the product is available from £169.99, which, considering that small blinds set you back about £30-60, is not a bad proposition, especially if you take the build quality into consideration. While you shopping for it, consider adding a SwitchBot Hub 2 to enable cloud support and take a look at the Universal Remote from SwitchBot (review) if you want to enable more traditional controls.
DIY
If you ever had to pick blinds for your home, you know you have to specify the size and have them made for you. SwitchBot Roller Shade is cleverly designed which skirts around that issue. Thanks to the extendable aluminum profile the product fits into most windows within the size range specified on the website.
This flexibility comes at the price of trimming the blind before the installation. If you have never done this before, don’t panic. This process, while a little time-consuming, is relatively easy to follow and SwitchBot included all the tools required to complete it. It is important to pick the SwitchBot Roller Shade size that fits your measurements.
While the instruction mentions 2- 3 people and 40 minutes installation time, if you have installed roller shades before, you will complete this in under an hour by yourself. SwitchBot already has a perfect installation video (I strongly recommend you watch it before you do this), so I will skip the resizing of the blind.
Tips:
- Measure 3 times, cut once!
- The binding strip included is important; don’t throw it away
- Brackets can be installed at your preferred span
- The included stapler is too flimsy
The installation in my living room went almost without a hitch. The only problems I encountered were self-inflicted. I had to cut the blind short twice, as my window frame was not square and my first cut was far too wide. I also misplaced the binding strap used to fit the weighted profile at the bottom. I had to replace it with a packing strap, which rendered the included stapler useless (it was too week to pierce my binding strap).
If you already have fabric of the correct size, you would be able to replace the current one for one of your preference. Just check that your blind is of correct size. The whole thing just slides out from the assembly once the roller is unspooled.
These were the only problems I encountered while assembling and fitting the blind. I have to give it to SwitchBot – fitting SwitchBot Roller Shade into its bracket is so easy! I love the bracket design.
SwitchBot Roller Shade in use
The SwitchBot Roller Shade isn’t very loud, but for the couple of seconds it takes to unspool/spool the blind, it will be bearable. Once you switch the mode of operation to Quiet Mode – the time to spool/unspool the blind takes longer (approx 20 sec), but the motor is as quiet as a trapped bee inside a room.
While the SwitchBot Roller Shade is in operation, the sound is neutral to ear, and I quickly got used to the blind operation. I found the blinds to fit my window very well. Due to a small offset on one side (to accommodate the motor mechanism, the blind bleeds a little bit of light from one side. It’s not a significant amount.
How I use the SwitchBot Roller Shade
There are several reasons to automate your windows with blinds like this. The most obvious one is natural light control. Open blinds in the morning to gently wake up to your day, and close them at dusk to boost privacy. If you have a SwitchBot Meter or SwitchBot Hub 2 (review), you can also control the temperature in your room. Close the blinds on sunny days to limit the strain on your AC and close them early in winter to reduce heat radiating through windows.
If you picked the bundle that comes with a solar panel, you can also use a 1-10 scale light intensity to close or partially close the blind to prevent the Sun from penetrating indoors and heating your space excessively. These blinds are smart.
Another way to use the blinds is to bind it with the Universal Remote. I already have an automation, that moved my SwitchBot Curtains once my projector was on and turned the SwitchBot Bulb off when the cinema was ready; adding blinds to the setup took me less than a minute.
Smarts
To make your blinds smart, you’ll need a SwitchBot Hub (I recommend SwitchBot Hub 2, which comes with Matter support and a temperature sensor, which opens up extra automation options for your blinds), but you can use SwitchBot Roller Shade directly through your phone controls. Smart home integrations with Alexa, Google Home, etc, are available once you have a hub in place.
SwitchBot Roller Shade uses the SwitchBot app, and you’ll find the controls in the card associated with the device. Controls are simple: move the shade up or down, or assign up to 8 custom positions that you can trigger.
It’s nice to see separate controls for the included remote. The app allows you to specify custom positions UP/DOWN for blinds to match your needs. Click the remote once to move to position; click it again if you want to stop the blind early. It’s hard to reinvent the wheel here with innovative options. SwitchBot has everything you need to control these blinds. Bonus points for including USB-C passthrough in the remote, which can be used to charge the internal battery without reaching all the way up!
Shop for Switchbot
Get Switchbot devices in the following stores:
Final Thoughts
While the selection of fabric could be disappointing for some, the SwitchBot Roller Shade offers really well-made blinds that, thanks to the aluminum frame and design, look so much smarter than other solutions. They are elegant, durable, and bring that extra smart look to your SwitchBot home. Automating your windows should be your priority as it boosts privacy, helps with heating costs and changes the way you interact with your house. Let me know what you think in this Reddit thread.
🆓📈💵 – See the transparency note for details.
