UK Smart Curtains

I am looking for a Smart Curtain solution for use in the UK, for the benefit of our friends in the colonies they apparently refer to curtains as ‘drapes’. This should not be confused with the various types of blinds.

There are numerous smart blind solutions available but it seems very few smart curtain solutions. What makes my search a bit harder is that I also want Apple HomeKit compatibility.

Somfy might have been a solution but despite originally promising to add HomeKit compatibility to their Tahoma gateway almost two years ago they have now gone completely quiet on this and even removed such mentions from their website. Ironically they are listed as a member of the CHIP group along with Apple, Google, etc.

Slide have stated they intend to add HomeKit to their solution but have yet to start on this.

Soma do various smart blinds and have a HomeKit gateway which is still not yet officially certified but even ignoring that they only do blinds and do not do curtains.

Lutron do offer a solution in their QS range and QS can be linked to HomeKit but this range is astronomically expensive. Unfortunately they still stubbornly refuse to do a European version of their Caseta range which otherwise I would have already bought for lighting.

I have also seen a product listed under multiple names as a ‘smart’ curtain product but the way they add the HomeKit support they claim is a con. Rather than their smart curtain product being truly HomeKit compatible it merely is triggered by a separate smart plug socket. When it detects power going on/off this triggers their motor. There is zero actual built-in HomeKit support meaning it is impossible to say ‘open to 50%’ or similar.

These leaves the only one I have found so far which is part of Xiaomi’s Aqara range. They have both a smart curtain product and a gateway which supports HomeKit. Unfortunately their current gateway has a plug literally built-in to the back of their hub meaning it is a horrible thing to try plugging in and prone to being knocked or due to its weight and cables gradually working loose. They have announced a new hub with a normal cable and plug but this has yet to start shipping. Their product line is also a complete mess as it is ‘polluted’ by MiHome products and older items which are not HomeKit compatible and it is also a confusing mess as to which country server you add your hub to. However it seems that as mentioned their Smart Curtain system plus one of their hubs i.e. the forthcoming new M2 model would do the job.

Note: I am aware I could use HomeBridge but I am first looking for a true HomeKit solution.

If anyone else has other suggestions I would welcome them.

I’m keeping an eye on these, look interesting and cheap compared to alternatives. Still looking for funding though:

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@James_Prince
Thanks for listing SwitchBot. I had seen them but not looked at them in detail as they did not come up in a HomeKit search. I checked them now and they use HomeBridge so are not yet at least truly HomeKit compatible.

I would therefore at the moment still be leaning towards Aqara.

As long as SmartThings is the platform you want your smart blinds you connect with, you can add HomeKit capatibilites to any device with homebridge

Is there a cheapest option in the UK yet? I have a Grommet curtains and am looking for a solution other than Switchbot so any advise will be appreciated

Why not SwitchBot? Since this thread was first started, they have released their SwitchBot hub 2 with Matter support, which allows you to bring the curtainbot into either homekit or smartthings. I have this and use it daily in my own home, and I’m quite pleased with it. It’s a little bit noisy, but only while the curtain is moving and not terrible.

If you can be specific about what you don’t like about the SwitchBot, we could be more helpful in suggesting alternatives. :thinking:

Thanks @JDRoberts, it’s just the cost thing as I need 5 of them.

I purchased one from amazon 6 months ago just to try whether it works but returned it due to high cost. It worked flawlessly and am having 6 or 7 of their products right now including the mini-hub.

So, any other cheap Zigbee alternatives?

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@AutomateYourLife has done a good video comparing Switchbot and Aqara for curtains if you want to see the relative advantages of each

Can the NEW SwitchBot Curtain 3 Beat The Aqara E1 Curtain Driver? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iNN93J9KsDM

As things move fast…

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Thanks John!

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