Anyone using any smart powered blinds

chazman88

Depending on budget I would recommend checking out QMotion blinds. Definitely the higher end of the market but I’ve had them installed for a few years and they’re faultless.
Not even had to change the batteries yet!

jouster

had a quick google but in honesty I'm a bit put off by the fact that you just can't get any prices online...finding resellers is simple enough but either the product is so high end that they arent the sort to put proces online or they are so ridiculously priced that they are aiming for a certain style of home or office where cost isnt an issue...for now I think I'll stick with Bloc blinds and similar where I can see a price before I even take things futher

Thanks for the recommendation anyway, always good to have options and others will be able to see them too

chazman88

All very true.

They are definitely aimed at the Custom install end of the market which isn’t normally easy to find prices for online.

As a very (very) rough estimate you would be looking at £600 upward for each blind.

MJH1962

Have you looked at Somfy? I've just installed a set of 3 bespoke roman blinds for my bay window using Somfy kit (3 made to measure headrails, lithium battery packs and 6 channel remote control with timer) supplied by e-tracks.co.uk for £650.

jouster

Good to have a rough idea...and in fairness that more than i had planned to spend...

jouster

i was aware that Somfy offer something...and as that is one of the house alarms I may end up going with it would work on that front too.

shahedz

This puts me off too. Anything where you can't get a quote immediately I know will be horrendous.

I hate anything too which you need to go through a dealer too. A friend had Creston installed and the amount he spends yearly just fixing bugs and maintaining it - not to mention not being able to use it.

I would much rather install anything else that is aimed at an end user install than specialist installers.

jouster

They all have their place...but it's not for everyone...

My old boss who I installed all of his tech/audio/video and computers....he got a quote to have  Kaleidascape installed in his home...he showed me the quote and i almost spat my morning coffee out....especially as my home-built system with more storage did the same job at a fraction of the cost.

chazman88

If your friend has to spend large amounts bug fixing a Crestron system then it was installed/programmed badly from the start. I design and program Crestron (and other high end systems) for a living. We focus on making sure the system is tested fully so that we’re not returning to fix bugs all the time.

A Crestron system is only as good as the people installing it.

I do agree it’s not for everybody though.

Kaleidescape is an odd one. It definitely has a price to it (which I don’t entirely agree with) but there is absolutely nothing that actually matches its functionality 100%.

Yes home made systems can come close, IF you’re happy to tinker and fix things when it doesn’t quite work.

But for somebody who has the budget and literally wants to insert any disc and it “just works” then Kaleidescape is the only option.
It’s also the ONLY system available (commercial or home made) that is technically 100% legal.

(I would like to point out that I don’t have a kaleidescape system, I have a home made system for a fraction of the cost that does nearly everything Kaleidescape does)


I think most of the high end brands have a certain place in the market but they have a price point that matches. A £600 blind is probably better than a £200 blind, but probably not 3x as good. Just as a £15,000 media server is better than a £1500 media server but probably not 10x as good.
At the high end of the market it’s definitely a law of diminishing returns, but I’m sure that’s also the fact with anything in life......

Gerry557

Ive been looking too. I need a blind for a window a smidge over 3m wide. A lot wont go that wide and then it needs to cover the edges.  Blackout will be good for the PJ but not for the family. I might have to get x2 one to shade the room and the other to blackout.  Im looking at perfect fit blinds as one of the options.

Will be interested in any results