Tech

SwitchBot Blind Tilt is the simplest way to automate existing blinds


minh-blind-tilt.jpg

advantages and disadvantages

pros

  • Easy to install
  • Low price
  • Reliable response
  • Solar panel included
Defect

  • visually remarkable
  • Need your own hub to be really smart

SwitchBot has found its niche in retrofitting existing home appliances and products, such as lock the door, to make them smart. And now the company is building a blind tilt mechanism with an included solar panel to automate the window blinds for you. this smart SwitchBot Blind Tilt just launched for sale on Amazon following a successful Kickstarter campaign, where it was billed as the world’s easiest-to-use smart solar-powered blinds.

It’s a small device that attaches to the vertical torsion bar on a horizontal curtain and rotates it to tilt the curtain open or close, all controlled by you from your mobile device or via voice commands to Alexa or Google Home.

Your phone communicates with the SwitchBot Blind Tilt via Bluetooth, but it can also connect to Wi-Fi if you add a SwitchBot Hub.

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt box on the table next to the potted plant and the printer.

This little box includes everything you need to make your blinds smart.

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

Blind Tilt comes with its own solar panel, making it an easy plug and play option. You never have to worry about climbing into a chair to charge or finding a long enough charging cable; I found it a simple, hassle-free solution to my blindness woes.

SwitchBot launch campaign raised $357,390 from 1,825 new Blind Tilt backers, resulting in the company offering the service on Amazon And Amazon UK.

specifications

Weight 4.6 ounces
size 1.9 x 1.1 x 5.7
Color White
Material ABS plastic with UV resistant coating
Battery life 10 months or almost unlimited with solar panel
connect BLE – Wi-Fi with SwitchBot Hub
Noise levels 37dB in Silent Mode – 47dB in Performance Mode
Home automation system Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts, IFTTT SmartThings
Add-ons Light sensing, scheduling, and automation on the SwitchBot . app

Why do you need a smart blind tilt?

Upgrading your existing blinds to make them smart might seem unnecessary for most windows, but if you have hard-to-reach windows or always want to wake up to morning light and don’t need The butler opens the blinds for you like you’re royalty, the smart slant blinds are created with you in mind.

Also: Best smart blinds: Schedule a real sunrise alarm for yourself

Window curtain view with SwitchBot Blind Tilt

See SwitchBot Blind Tilt after installation.

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

Out of all the things we had to fix right away in my 24-year-old house, you know what’s not on my priority list? Alternative window treatments. I want new, crisp smart window shades in every room, but when you’re talking at least $200 to $300 per window, the cost adds up very quickly.

Since spending thousands of dollars on new blinds isn’t my top priority right now, it’s easy to overlook. Anyway, how hard is it to twist your wand to open your blinds every morning? Well, let me introduce you to my bathroom curtain.

SwitchBot Blind Tilt . installed curtain

Here are the annoying curtains above the tub: You can see the Blind Tilts SwitchBots have been installed.

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

We have a corner window in the main bathroom that lets in a lot of light during the day but also lets people outside see into our bathroom at night. Problem? These blinds are directly above a large soaking tub, so whenever we wanted to open them, we had to step into the tub to reach them. We would do this in the morning, only to forget to close them until one of us had showered separately each night, frantically calling others to close them so the neighbors wouldn’t have a free view.

Also: Best soundproof curtains: Noise cancellation and light blocking

We decided to always keep them closed to avoid this hassle and only turn on the lights when in the bathroom during the day. This is why as soon as the SwitchBot Blind Tilt came out, I knew exactly where it was going: Master bathroom curtain.

So I set it up that very night, thinking it would be the answer to my prayers — I’d watch the curtains open to the morning light while the copper Angels singing in the background. I was very excited.

Close-up view of Blind Tilt

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

You see, I’ve studied tilt blindness before, quite extensively. i tested automatic blinds in different homes and as I researched replacing our homes with smart ones and was hit with the overwhelming cost of it all, I decided to look at retrofit options. .

What I found is that there are very few options for automating existing blinds. And not for lack of trying; At various points during my research, I found countless small companies trying to sell retrofit options for their blinds. From the wand attachments, to replacing the entire tilt mechanism at the top, there are two things that set me apart from the various retrofit options: Reviews are terrible for how bad it is. their reliability and things that actually work cost up to $170.

So I’m happy to see the SwitchBot, with all its retrofit experience, try its hand at the slanted blind market, especially at the $80 price point.

Installation process

Blind tilt handle

SwitchBot

I received two units, one for each window above my bathtub. When I unboxed the first one, I quickly grabbed the instructions and started the setup that was sure to change my life. The box includes the blind tilt mechanism, charging cable, solar panel, and setup instructions.

compatibility:

  • Blind rod diameter: 15mm – 40mm
  • Wand circumference: 47mm – 125mm
  • curtain size: Blinds must be less than 9.8 feet wide
  • charger: If the solar panel does not receive enough sunlight to charge the battery, the device can be charged using the included cable.

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt is basically a small robot that spins a blind wand for you, powered by a battery that is charged using the included solar panel. Because of this mechanism, the device needs to grip your wand tightly in order to work, so you have to attach the adapter and coupler to the blind’s wand, but the SwitchBot includes several adapters in the box. to make sure you get the right adapter.

Then you just need to connect the unit to the solar panel and stick the panel to your window with 3M backing, where it will receive enough sunlight to keep the battery charged and healthy. Tilt of the active smart curtain.

SwitchBot Blind Tilt

Most of the SwitchBot parts that need to be attached come with a 3M backing.

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

It took me about 10 minutes and no tools to install the first one and the other took less than 5 minutes, as I am now used to what to do and expect, so it is a very simple process simple.

Once Blind Tilt is installed, just open the SwitchBot app on your phone, go to the add new device section and your phone will pair with Blind Tilt via Bluetooth.

If you have a SwitchBot Hub or small center, you can use it to control Blind Tilt over Wi-Fi, from anywhere, and add automation. It can also be added to Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Siri Shortcuts for voice control.

We have a Mini Hub as well as a SwitchBot remote control. And, while I was initially disappointed to learn that I couldn’t group both of my blind angles to control them both at the same time with the remote, SwitchBot has just added the feature to the app. This means I can control both blinds at the same time via the app or voice control, as well as with one of these little wall remotes.

Eyestrain or eyes open?

Blind Tilt on a window

While it’s not a “seamless” fit, I don’t mind the addition of the twisted wand.

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

Yes, you can see it, it doesn’t blend in perfectly with your blinds or replace a blind wand, but it’s not too noticeable or something that bothers me personally. One: My blinds are white, so is the blind wand. Two: I don’t think anyone notices the motorcycle because who’s going to look for it? However, if anyone notices, it would be a great opportunity to get my phone out and do a demonstration of the blind tilt mechanism.

Could this be the smart blind tilt that changes all? SwitchBot certainly wants to. The company is also known for Convert CurtainBotautomatically opens and closes existing curtains, so doing the same for curtains seems like a natural step.

bottom line

I admit that I was surprised by this SwitchBot Blind Tilt. It was responsive and consistent whenever we used it, and it ran quite smoothly on schedule: Our blinds always open in the morning and close at 6:00 pm, rain or shine – – and it continues to be reliable and consistent now, almost four months after installation.

It’s not a noisy device, although you can hear a very faint buzzing if you’re a few feet away from it. However, I will admit that I once bathed my toddler in the large tub directly below and didn’t even hear the curtains close until I looked up and realized they were already there. . Life gets so busy that we don’t even hear it most of the day.

I kept expecting Blind Tilts to fall or break but they kept going strong. I wish the curtain opening and closing was a bit quicker, although it only took about 15 seconds for each step, but that’s something that can be done in subsequent samples.

In the end, I never heard the chorus of angels as the curtains opened to greet me in the morning light. Instead, it became an invisible part of my daily life — which I didn’t even realize. And with retrofit attempts like this, I think that’s probably the biggest win: It’s so reliable that you never have to worry about it. It just works.

Alternatives to consider

SwitchBot isn’t the first company to attempt to automate existing blinds, although it has succeeded in combining affordability with good performance. Here are some alternative options to consider if this doesn’t work for you:

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