7 Best Smart Blinds and Smart Shades, According to Pros

Lutron's Serena Shades come in over 200 color options and three light-filtering levels to easily fit into your current decor. They're also highly interpretable with three control options: smart remote, their Lutron app or major voice assistants, like Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant. You can even customize your power options so that they can be battery-operated, hardwired or cordless manual. If fabric shades aren't your style, Lutron also offers wooden smart blinds and honeycomb smart shades.

Rachel Rothman, Chief Technologist and Director of Engineering at the Good Housekeeping Institute has found that Lutron has historically provided effective and reliable smart home products with a robust, easy-to-use app. The company provides in-home consultations and fabric samples as well. One thing to note is that their products are usually on the pricier side and you may not know the total cost until you've made all of your choices.

At under $200, these affordable motorized solar shades are ideal for anyone just dipping their toes into setting up smart home systems. Unlike other options at a similar price point, the Graywind shades are fully customizable to fit the size of your windows and offer a good range of colors and levels of light filtering. According to the brand, the shades are are thermal insulated and the batteries hold a charge for three to six months.

Reviewers love the shades' smooth motor action as well as how responsive the brand was to questions. Though the shades require two people to install, reviewers also raved about how simple the process was. The shades are compatible with Alexa, Google and several other voice assistants, though some testers had trouble setting up the Alexa integration.

These Bluetooth-enabled shades can be programmed to open at sunrise and close at sunset or you can set them to whatever schedule works best for you. Since they're solar-powered, you don't have to worry about replacing batteries or hardwiring them into your home (but there's also a USB to charge the battery if there's not enough sunlight).

Reviewers say that these shades are easy to install and there is a wide variety of colors and three light-filtering fabrics to choose from, including blackout options. It integrates with Amazon Alexa and Samsung SmartThings, though it does require a separate SmarterHome Bridge to work with either. Note that the website specifies that these are compatible with windows 21 to 73⅞ inches wide, so make sure you measure before ordering.

Leviosa shades are a great option for anyone who already has an extensive smart-home setup since they're compatible with nine different systems, including the usual suspects Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri in addition to systems like Samsung SmartThings, RTI, Control 4, Home Assistant and more. They're also incredibly customizable with four different light-filtering options, 60+ color and pattern choices and four power options: battery, hardwired, a wall plug-in or manual. They're custom-fit to your windows as well and come in a wide range of price options for all budgets.

The website also features a chart so you can compare them to other smart shade brands. Because of the variety of customization options, you won't know the final price of your shades until you finish the personalization process, but the Leviosa site is user-friendly and has a step-by-step process to painlessly build your perfect shades.

If you don't want to replace your current blinds, this automation kit could be a good solution. The system works solely with most horizontal slatted blinds (a.k.a. Venetian blinds) that have a lift cord. Keep in mind that this kit will only tilt blinds open and closed — no lifting and lowering like other systems on this list.

Smarterhome is Bluetooth-enabled and works with Google Assistant and Alexa, allowing you to use voice commands to control them — although, a bridge is required for smart home integration. Without the bridge, you can still set schedules, enable sun tracking and access the app. Using the app, you can set blinds to tilt on a schedule or enable sunrise and sunset automation for a natural transition in your home. You can also set temperature thresholds so the blinds will automatically close when in direct sunlight, keeping your rooms cooler (and by extension, saving on your electric bill). They're solar-powered too, so you don't have to worry about hardwiring or batteries.

SwitchBot's handy Curtain Smart Electric Motor scoots your existing curtains along their rod without any screwing or drilling required. Their newly upgraded version has cut some of the clunky plastic off the top rolling mechanism for a smoother push along the rod. You can use the SwitchBot app to set schedules to open and close the curtains, even when you're away. With the SwitchBot Hub (sold separately), it can be connected to Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa to open and close curtains by voice command.

The SwitchBot can push up to 17 pounds on round rods, U-rails or I-rails, so make sure your curtains aren't too heavy and your curtain rod is compatible when considering this option. They work with multiple styles of curtains, including grommet, tab top and ring top curtains. There's also a solar panel charger that is sold separately.

If you're looking to blend your new smart shades seamlessly into your home's current style, PowerShades has a very large selection of both motorized and manual solutions, high-quality fabrics including blackout options, different hardware color offerings and custom top treatments.

"I like this system because it has the option of so-called 'power over ethernet,' or PoE," says Rachel Rothman, who tested the smart shade in her home over the course of several months. "Ethernet cable is much easier and safer to work with than electrical wiring, simplifying the installation process for homeowners who prefer wired over battery-powered." The PowerShades offer multiple control options too: You can operate your shades from an app, an online dashboard or a regular remote control. The online dashboard lets you automate your window coverings and set schedules to raise and lower them at different set times. Aside from Apple HomeKit, you can connect them to a several third-party integration systems, so if you already have an extensive home setup, these can fit right in. Take note that, like the other customizable options on our list, you won't see a price until you're done customizing.