- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Smart Shades
Posted on 10/3/20 at 1:38 pm
Posted on 10/3/20 at 1:38 pm
I'm looking at 4 shades in new construction that are automatic, work with Alexa, and have near or total blackout option. Got my house pre-wired for power supply. I've been quoted for Lutron and Hunter Douglas.
Lutron Sivoia is apparently the only wired option for Lutron, but is outrageously priced. Got priced for the Serena/Triathlon which is more reasonable, but battery powered. The batteries allegedly last for 3-5 years so not an issue to change, but would be wasting my pre-wiring that I paid for.
Also got quotes for wired Hunter Douglas which is even more reasonably priced. Online reviews show a lot of connectivity issues, but the ones I can find all seem to be old so I'm not sure if there is a software update.
Any reviews or suggestions? I'm in New Orleans. I have Alexa, SmartThings controlling most of the house but also do have an AppleTV for control. No other Lutron or HD in the home. HD checks all the boxes and is the best price but I'm worried that if they frequently disconnect then it'll defeat the purpose.
Lutron Sivoia is apparently the only wired option for Lutron, but is outrageously priced. Got priced for the Serena/Triathlon which is more reasonable, but battery powered. The batteries allegedly last for 3-5 years so not an issue to change, but would be wasting my pre-wiring that I paid for.
Also got quotes for wired Hunter Douglas which is even more reasonably priced. Online reviews show a lot of connectivity issues, but the ones I can find all seem to be old so I'm not sure if there is a software update.
Any reviews or suggestions? I'm in New Orleans. I have Alexa, SmartThings controlling most of the house but also do have an AppleTV for control. No other Lutron or HD in the home. HD checks all the boxes and is the best price but I'm worried that if they frequently disconnect then it'll defeat the purpose.
5
Posted on 10/3/20 at 4:49 pm to TheChiefHasArrived
I have Hunter Douglas. Had them for about 18months. I think I had to reset one shade about two weeks after we got them and not one issue since.
I also have Alexa, Smartthings, and Logitech Harmony. We have them auto-open at sunrise and close at sunset. I can also close, open, with Alexa and I have them set up in routines like Movie Mode that turns on the home theater and close the shades.
The HD app is really good.
Cost us between 850 & 1000 per shade and I would definitely do it again.
I also have Alexa, Smartthings, and Logitech Harmony. We have them auto-open at sunrise and close at sunset. I can also close, open, with Alexa and I have them set up in routines like Movie Mode that turns on the home theater and close the shades.
The HD app is really good.
Cost us between 850 & 1000 per shade and I would definitely do it again.
This post was edited on 10/3/20 at 4:56 pm
Posted on 10/3/20 at 10:12 pm to TheChiefHasArrived
i almost went with lutron serena and wish i had. my shades are still dumb 4 years later and the kickstarter i paid into is no closer to releasing their crappy control than they were when i invested.
the hunter douglas sound intriguing. how big were your windows?
the hunter douglas sound intriguing. how big were your windows?
Posted on 10/4/20 at 12:10 am to CAD703X
My biggest are like 34 by 82 or so.
Ended up going with HD Banded Shades. They are so simple and elegant looking. Not sure I would ever go with anything else.
They can be "open" an letting light in while still blocking UV and you can't really see into the house unless you walk up close.
Ended up going with HD Banded Shades. They are so simple and elegant looking. Not sure I would ever go with anything else.
They can be "open" an letting light in while still blocking UV and you can't really see into the house unless you walk up close.
This post was edited on 10/4/20 at 12:21 am
Posted on 10/4/20 at 10:15 am to SG_Geaux
I just see a TON of HD reliability issues online. Obviously there are issues with looking at reviews since only pissed off people post them, but thinking I may shell out the cash for the Lutron, especially since I found Home Depot installs them and my quote was a ripoff. I just know I'd be kicking myself (read: my wife would complain too much) if I had the same issues. Reddit also says that there may be the possibility of hard-wiring these, can anyone verify this?
This post was edited on 10/4/20 at 10:30 am
Posted on 10/4/20 at 11:05 am to TheChiefHasArrived
Mine are not hard wired. I went with batteries. I haven't need to change batteries yet after 18 mos
Posted on 10/5/20 at 7:09 am to TheChiefHasArrived
New online brand called Tilt we are considering, seem to have really good reviews
Posted on 10/5/20 at 8:17 am to LSU-MNCBABY
someone has to say it...ikea has cheap smart shades now 
assuming of course you can knock out the windows and replace them with ones that match the 2 sizes they offer.
assuming of course you can knock out the windows and replace them with ones that match the 2 sizes they offer.
Posted on 10/5/20 at 6:28 pm to TheChiefHasArrived
quote:Who are you getting the Lutron pricing from locally?
Lutron Sivoia is apparently the only wired option for Lutron, but is outrageously priced. Got priced for the Serena/Triathlon which is more reasonable, but battery powered. The batteries allegedly last for 3-5 years so not an issue to change, but would be wasting my pre-wiring that I paid for.
Posted on 10/6/20 at 7:02 am to TheChiefHasArrived
Had Hunter Douglas on floor to ceiling windows in my old place for three years. No major complaints. Never had any connection issues.
I think once a shade’s lower limit got out of whack but super easy to reset.
I did not have the latest hub they have that works with Google and Alexa, but was happy with the previous generation without it.
Used them way more than the old blinds I had and they cooled my place down a lot. I had eastern and southern facing windows with direct sunlight from 730a to 3p.
Make sure you check their samples in the sunlight, some of them looked a different color under a bulb.
Batteries on the shades I used daily lasted several months, the shades I rarely used lasted years. I also had previous generation battery packs so assume you’ll get longer life out of them as well.
I think once a shade’s lower limit got out of whack but super easy to reset.
I did not have the latest hub they have that works with Google and Alexa, but was happy with the previous generation without it.
Used them way more than the old blinds I had and they cooled my place down a lot. I had eastern and southern facing windows with direct sunlight from 730a to 3p.
Make sure you check their samples in the sunlight, some of them looked a different color under a bulb.
Batteries on the shades I used daily lasted several months, the shades I rarely used lasted years. I also had previous generation battery packs so assume you’ll get longer life out of them as well.
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News