Smart Blinds Without a Big Cost

Motorized connected blinds, and other types of window coverings, have largely been a luxury in the smart home space. The SmartWings Window Coverings with Matter changes that equation with a value price, sharp design, and excellent connectivity options.

SmartWings Window Coverings

SmartWings motorized Zebra Blinds blend functionality with style. Featuring double-layered striped fabrics and an intelligent design for light control, these blinds use a roller system where transparent and non-transparent layers alternate, offering the ideal amount of light at any time of day.

Pros

• Lots of smart home compatibility options
• Nice looking material
• Smooth installation

Cons

• All the different accessories can add up in price
• Matter compatibility is the most expensive platform

Price and Availability

SmartWings Window Coverings come in various styles with different fabric types in each. I tested the Zebra Shades which start at $189.99 for a 24-inch width and go up in price for larger-sized windows.

The coverings from SmartWings support different smart home platforms which can add cost to the product, depending on which connection type you need for your home. Despite multiple factors, I found the price competitive compared to other smart blind options from professional installers.

A Nice First Impression, in Multiple Ways

Despite being able to join a smart home with wireless connectivity, the SmartWings Window Coverings appear like any other blinds or shades. Taking the motorized Zebra Shades out of their box, I was instantly impressed by the fabric quality and other materials.

Previously, I tested the BlindsMagic Matter-connected roller shades, and their value impressed me. This time around, with SmartWings, I decided to see if its slightly more complex Zebra Shades would be up to snuff.

The measurements I provided were spot on, and the shades fit exactly in their places. They came with all the needed accessories, including two brackets for the smaller shades and three for the larger ones—in addition to screws and drywall anchors.

One of the things I appreciated the most out of the box was the long USB-C cable provided for charging the shades. I have plenty of cables to plug the blinds into a portable battery pack, but the included cable is at least 10 feet long. (I’m not sure I have any that length.) Having the longer cable means I can reach an outlet directly, in the case of one unit, instead of needing to use a power bank for it.

Connected Window Coverings Are a Dream

It took me longer than I’d like to admit how much new window coverings can improve a room’s appearance and appeal. But now that I’ve experienced the convenience of smart, connected window coverings, I would have a hard time giving them up.

One of the windows I installed the SmartWings Window Coverings on never got opened, despite having an ocean view, because it was hard to reach. Any motorized blinds with a remote can fix that problem, but for me, automation makes connected blinds a dream.

Whether I’m home or away, I can have the blinds rise to a certain level at an exact time and close automatically. As Apple upgrades its Home app over time, more possibilities could be added. (One thing I hope Apple adds to its smart home app is a list of actions happening in your home.)

Currently, you can interact with connected products based on things like whether your phone arrives or leaves your home, times of the day, or whether other products are used. I recently added a different brand of smart blinds to my kitchen so I could have these SmartWings ones upstairs open or close when the downstairs ones are used.

The point is that having smart, connected window coverings provides a lot of flexibility in how they get used.

The App Experience Will Depend on Your Platform

There’s no SmartWings app for controlling the smart window coverings. Instead, you’ll need to rely on whatever smart home platform you want to integrate them with. I used the Matter variant and integrated the blinds into Apple’s Home app.

Getting the blinds into the Home app only required scanning a small QR code on the bottom of the blinds. Once they were set up in the Home app, I could use Siri to open or close them or set them to a specific level—open to 50%, for example. I could perform the same task using the app as well and tap on the device’s icon.

One downside to not having a dedicated app that knows about these specific blinds is that the controls are less tailored. For example, it’s hard to know what percentage the Zebra Blinds should be opened so that they let the most light in and both slits are lined up.

So far, I’ve had to experiment and then remember the different levels. If I want the blinds mostly down but open to let light in, that’s open to 3%. This aspect is less of a concern for more standard roller blinds, but it’s still worth noting.

The other solution for opening the blinds to a specific level is not to use an app at all. While I don’t think any remote is mandatory when purchasing, the company does recommend one, and I would probably agree. I was sent the basic $15.99 remote and it’s well worth its cost to handle basic tasks when you’re phone isn’t around. The one I received was pre-configured and worked quickly.

Battery Life Shouldn’t Be a Worry

You can get the SmartWings Window Coverings hardwired into your home, but that involves a lot more work to run wires, potentially, throughout your walls. I doubt most people are interested in that solution. I opted for the standard battery-powered option with no solar panel.

SmartWings advertises that the blinds will work for about 600 cycles, or an estimated four to six months. After testing my Zebra Shades for over a month and extrapolating the power level out, the company’s estimate seems accurate.

I have no problem attaching a USB-C cable to the blinds and a power bank for a few hours twice a year to keep them powered. (This is the one I use.) You’ll have to decide if charging blinds is too much of an inconvenience.

Should You Buy the SmartWings Window Coverings?

If I hadn’t just reviewed another budget smart blinds product, I might have been shocked by the quality and value that SmartWings can provide.

As it stands, I was less surprised, but I was still thoroughly impressed by the SmartWings Window Coverings with Matter. The fit and finish, battery life, and seamless smart home connectivity have me considering what other windows in my home might need these connected Zebra Shades.

There are several factors to consider when choosing smart blinds, such as size and design, that will be unique to each person. But when it comes to one-off windows or places that could especially benefit from automatic daylight, I have almost no hesitation recommending SmartWings.

SmartWings Window Coverings

SmartWings motorized Zebra Blinds blend functionality with style. Featuring double-layered striped fabrics and an intelligent design for light control, these blinds use a roller system where transparent and non-transparent layers alternate, offering the ideal amount of light at any time of day.