Top pick for smart shades: SmartWings Motorized Light Filtering Roller Shades SmartWingsTop pickThese affordable shades set up easily and work well, but they require the use of a Matter-compatible hub.Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, Matter, Samsung SmartThingsSmartWings Motorized Light Filtering Roller Shades have an appealing modern style, and the motor operates so quietly you won’t notice it. They come in different versions, depending on the smart platform you prefer — Zigbee, Z-Wave, Apple Home, Alexa, and the model I tested, Matter over Thread. I’m happy to say that, for the first time ever, I was able to set up a Matter product without issue.Keep in mind that to use SmartWings with Matter, you’ll also need a compatible Thread border router, a device that acts as a sort of wireless hub. During my testing, the shades connected easily to Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Home through an Amazon Echo Dot Max, an Apple HomePod Mini, and a Google Nest Hub Max, respectively, acting as Thread border routers.You have the option to hardwire these shades, but there’s also a battery tucked away inside the top of each model. You can add a five-channel remote ($16 at the time of publication) and a solar-panel accessory ($50 at the time of publication) to your purchase for additional control and charging options.I used both Gemini and Alexa+ to set up sunrise and sunset Routines. Alexa+ worked much more seamlessly, in large part because my existing Amazon Prime subscription gave me access to Alexa+, which includes greatly enhanced natural speech, so it’s less wonky to make requests. In fact, Alexa+ proactively recommended setting up a sunrise/sunset Routine, and it did so without issue, without my having to spell it out. It’s nice.Wireless setup was remarkably easy. The Thread wireless version I tested connected easily to my Thread border routers mentioned above, so I was able to control the system using Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Home without issue. I found this impressive because Matter is a fairly new standard, and several previous Matter-enabled products I tested were extremely glitchy to configure. (And some I never managed to set up with certain platforms at all.)Because there isn’t a dedicated SmartWings app, instead you exclusively use the Alexa, Apple Home, or Google Home app to create any schedules and other automations. These features worked reliably in all three apps.The shades are well designed. SmartWings’ roller shades come in 15 different styles, ranging from the partial-blackout model I tested to others with various levels of filtering that let in natural light. Each option has between three and seven color choices—not a ton yet enough to give you at least a few finish options to fit your home decor.The 70% blackout model I tested, in the linen caramel finish, looks polished and modern, with no visible wires, cords, or other hardware. The optional solar panel hides behind the shade via included adhesive tape, and the shades were not clunky, heavy, or otherwise cumbersome to install.The solid design extends to the internal mechanisms of the shades, too. The motor was smooth and whisper-quiet, so these shades blend into the background and simply do their thing, without being loud or otherwise distracting.Flaws but not dealbreakersColor options are limited with some styles. While SmartWings offers a wide variety of styles to choose from (blackout, light-filtering, etc.), some of those options only have three color selections. This is just enough to give you some choice, but it might not cut it if you have a specific color in mind. That said, some other SmartWings styles are available in more color finishes.Privacy and security snapshotSmartWings does not have an app. App control is only available using Matter-enabled platforms and their related apps.The company does not collect any information from customers, according to a SmartWings representative.For more information, review SmartWings’ privacy statement.Upgrade pick: Lutron Serena Smart Roller Shades LutronUpgrade pickThese premium, well-made window shades have ultra-quiet motors and straightforward smart-home automations.Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, Samsung SmartThingsThe Lutron Serena Smart Roller Shades feature quality hardware, quiet operation, and easy-to-configure automations. And stylish designs are available in at least two-dozen color finishes for each fabric option: sheer Solar Screen, translucent Light Filtering, and blackout.The Lutron Caséta Smart Hub, sold separately, is required to enable Wi-Fi and any smart functionality in the Lutron app and with its supported smart-home platforms, including voice control. One hub works with as many as 75 Lutron devices. This hub connects to a router and then connects to Lutron devices using its proprietary Clear Connect wireless. We found it simple to set up via a tutorial in the Lutron app.If you want a remote control, you can also buy a Lutron Pico Smart Remote separately. One remote can control multiple Lutron devices, as long as they’re within 30 feet of the remote, according to Lutron.When I asked Gemini and Alexa+ using a Google Nest Hub Max and an Amazon Echo Dot Max what automations I should create for this shade, both suggested a “movie night” Scene. Alexa+ created a Scene that lowered the shades and dimmed the WiZ 60W A19 Color LED in my living room lamp. Gemini requires a separate Google Home Premium subscription to set up any automation for you. It also misunderstood me a few times and thought I was referring to the Leviosa Motor Shades.They are fuss-free. I created multiple Schedules, including one for sunrise and sunset, and these shades worked seamlessly, which was pretty delightful. I especially enjoyed walking downstairs in the morning to shades that had already opened without my having to do anything. At sunset, they automatically blocked the direct bright light that typically streams into the living room at that time of day.There are tons of style options. Lutron’s roller shades are sold in three styles: blackout, translucent, and sheer. Among those three main options, there’s a wide range of color choices per style, totaling more than 100 possible finishes. You can select the opacity and color finish, and you can also choose whether you want an “architectural” or a fabric valance (a cover that hides the top portion of the shade).The architectural valances are Lutron’s modern offering, and they come in white, black, bronze, or silver finishes. Fabric valances match the fabric you select for the shades. If you don’t want valances, you can pick whether you want the fabric to drape over or under.The hardware is as sturdy as it is good-looking. Lutron’s roller shade is solidly built, and it feels especially durable compared with all of the other models we tested. I’ve been testing this product for over two years, and it looks as good as it did out of the box — and performs just as well too.As a result of that durability, this shade was also the heaviest model we tested. During installation, I enlisted help from a second person to hold one side.Flaws but not dealbreakersThey use a lot of batteries. While the number of batteries varies based on the size of your custom shade, my 27-by-73-inch shade needed a comically high number — eight D batteries, for an added $17. Lutron notes in its FAQ that battery longevity is variable, depending on use, but that typically you should be able to trigger them “thousands of times” before the shades need new batteries. Anecdotally, we’ve installed and removed our test unit several times over the course of two-plus years, and I’ve replaced the batteries once during that time.They’re top-shelf expensive. Lutron roller shades are a premium product with a premium price tag. My one shade cost about $965, including the $90 Lutron Caséta Smart Hub (one hub can manage up to 75 devices). By comparison, SmartWings Motorized Light Filtering Roller Shades of the same size cost about $370, including a valance, a solar-panel accessory for charging, and a remote.Even the smallest shade that Lutron would let me build online — with the exact same specifications otherwise–still cost a whopping $890 (with the $90 Lutron Smart Hub added).Privacy and security snapshotLutron may collect data about your specific visit to its website and app.Lutron may encrypt and share anonymized usage data it collects with analytics firms, to learn how visitors interact with its site and app. It does not share or sell data for solicitation of non-Lutron products and services.Browsers with “do not track” settings do not work on Lutron’s site. Using the app, you have the ability to restrict what data you want to share.For more information, review Lutron’s privacy statement.
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