Verdict
Not much more expensive than traditional pull-cord operated blinds, the BlindsbyPost Somfy Motorised Blinds are a neat upgrade over dumb blinds. Pre-configured, the blinds install like a regular set, while the integrated battery means that there are no power cables to deal with. Smooth and quiet operation make these a joy to use, with the only minor drawback that the mechanism doesn’t record state, so smart applications can’t tell if the blinds are opened or closed.
Pros
- Very quiet
- Operates with high degree of accuracy
- Not much more expensive than normal blinds
Cons
- No manual controls
- Aerial hangs out
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CommunicationOperates using stateless RF, and compatible with all Somfy remote controls. -
Smart homeWith a suitable Somfy smart home box, the blinds can be controlled remotely via the TaHoma app or Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Introduction
Search the likes of Amazon, and you’ll find loads of retrofit smart controls for blinds, which typically work by using a motor to operate the blind cable.
Slightly ugly and a bit fiddly to fit, these products are a smart upgrade for existing blinds, but they lack the quality and smoothness of a set of properly automated blinds, such as the BlindsbyPost Somfy Motorised Blinds.
Powered using Somfy motors, these blinds are battery-powered and rechargeable, hiding the motor mechanism inside the blind tube. With decent smart home support, these blinds can be controlled locally via remote or from the smartphone app.
Design and features
- Made to measure
- Works with Alexa, Google Assistant but not HomeKit
- Doesn’t include charger, remote or hub
The beauty of the Somfy system is that it integrates the blind motor into the roller blind’s tube. It’s possible to buy these motors online to fit to your own blinds, although you must buy the right size for your blinds, and make sure you’ve got the extras, such as the Lithium-ION battery pack. It’s fiddly to get everything right, which is why it makes sense to go direct, such as with the BlindsbyPost Somfy Motorised Blinds that I’ve been sent for review. These blinds use the same Somfy controls and smart home interface as all Somfy blinds.
Having an integrated motor means that there’s little difference in the ordering process, compared to a regular set of roller blinds: follow the measuring instructions, based on whether you want the blinds recessed or hanging over a window/door, to give the width and drop of your blinds, pick your fabric and you’re done.
Impressively, the difference in cost between motorised and non-motorised blinds isn’t that much. Going for a set of thermal blinds (my office gets hot because of direct sunlight), I needed a set that was 250cm wide with a 205cm drop. A regular set of blinds cost £181.58 at the time of review; the motorised version was just £200.50. Almost a no-brainer.
However, the base price doesn’t include a couple of essential items: you’ll need a handset to operate them (there’s no manual control), and you don’t get the charger, either. A charger costs £13.50. According to the website, the charger has a 1.8m cable, although I measured mine to be a more useful 3.9m length, which meant that I could charge my roller blind without having to use an extension cable. Realistically, you only need one charger, as they’re compatible with all Somfy blinds, plugging into the charging port on the motor side of the blind, which is next to the wire aerial that dangles loose.
Remotes vary based on features, but the standard Somfy Cruze 5 RTS Remote that I was sent costs £14, and it can operate up to three different blinds, plus one group of multiple blinds at once. More expensive remotes are available with wider blind supports, and extras, such as timers.
BlindsbyPost ships its blinds with brackets (not screws or wall plugs), and has decent fitting instructions online. I found it took around 20 minutes to fit my blind, making sure that it was straight. The only extra step, compared to regular roller blinds, was that I had to wake the motor up by tapping the reset switch on the motor side.
All Somfy RTS systems, which BlindsbyPost use, have up and down positions, past which the blind won’t move. BlindsbyPost presets these based on the measurements that you provide. It’s possible, based on how the blinds have been fitted, that one or both of these might not quite be right. I found that my blinds slightly bunched up at the floor end.
Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to override the defaults and reprogramme the remote and blinds for new positions. Plus, there’s a ‘My’ button (the unmarked middle button on my remote) that puts the blinds to a third position. For example, I find that just over halfway is an excellent choice for me, as it blocks the direct sunlight while I’m working.
There’s a neat screw-in holder for the remote control, so I could hang the remote where it’s most convenient.
So far so good, but these blinds can also be made smart by adding the Somfy Connectivity Kit, which BlindsbyPost charges £85 for, although you can buy direct from Somfy for just £59.
Powered by USB and connected via Wi-Fi, this Connectivity Kit provides app control of your blinds. It’s straightforward to set up, and just need a button press on your remote control to learn the right RF signal to send to the blinds.
There’s a HomeKit code underneath, although here this is useless: HomeKit only works with devices that have two-way communication; the Somfy RTS products are stateless. That is, the command is sent to them, but the blinds don’t report back that the command was received or their current position, which means that an app can’t tell if the blinds are open or closed.
That means that it’s not possible to check, when you’re out, if you remembered to shut the blinds or not, as the app won’t tell you.
From the Somfy TaHoma app, there’s the same level of control as you get with the remote control: open, close and the ‘My’ position. It’s handy having a remote control like this, as the blinds can be opened and closed while I’m away.
From the app, Scenes can be created, setting which blinds open and close. With the Connectivity Kit, only Manual scenes can be created; if you want automation through the TaHoma app, the more expensive TaHoma Switch is required, which is also a Zigbee hub that can communicate with other smart devices.
I don’t really fancy paying the extra fee, so it’s good to see that Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant support are included. As well as offering voice control, although only open and close are supported (not the special ‘My’ position), I could automate my blinds using this system, setting my own schedule.
More importantly, by using Alexa I could automate when to open and close my blinds: I set up a routine that automatically opened the blinds when my Ring Alarm turned off, and closed them again when the Ring Alarm went into Away mode.
Performance
- Quick to respond to the remote control
- Very quiet and positioning is spot on
- Useful smart home integration
First, I have to say how quiet these blinds are. There’s a slight motor whir while they operate, but this is easily drowned out by music or TV, and the sound doesn’t travel from room to room. Precision is excellent, too.
As the blind reaches its upper or lower limit, the motor slows down for the last couple of centimetres, and I found that my roller blind stopped at the exact same position each time.
Although this system is stateless, the remote control was reliable. I never had a problem with it not sending out the right signal. As well as using the remote to fully open or close the blinds, I could also get them to stop at any position.
Smart home control is good, while I found that the Connectivity Kit proved to be reliable, too. Using it with an Alexa Automation, I’ve found that it opens and closes in perfect sync with my Ring Alarm, which certainly makes life easier.
Battery life is excellent. A charge should last for a couple of months, and that seems to be so based on my testing. The only minor issue is that the stateless design means that the app can’t warn me about a low battery, and I have to look out for the status LED turning orange.
Latest deals
Buy direct from BlindsbyPost
Should you buy it?
You want good value motorised roller blinds:
These ones cost little more than a regular set of blinds, but give you far more options for control.
You want more app control:
This system is stateless, so the app only gives basic controls, rather than letting you set multiple blind positions.
Final Thoughts
Compared to the regular set of roller blinds, the BlindsbyPost Somfy Motorised Blinds are quite remarkable value. There’s a minor issue of them not having any manual override should the battery fail, but with long lasting batteries this shouldn’t be an issue. I found these blinds far neater than retrofit solutions, such as the SwitchBot Blind Tilt or SwitchBot Curtain.
If you want motorised blinds without paying a premium, these are a great choice: reliable, quiet and neatly designed.
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FAQs
These blinds don’t transmit state, which makes them incompatible with Apple HomeKit.
You need the optional TaHoma Connectivity Kit.
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