rf9000 Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Guys, Im looking for recommendations on the best motorized blinds at the lowest cost. There are many new lower cost products coming to the market these days and wondering if anything new works as well as the older brands that still charge an arm and a leg. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggzlot Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 23 minutes ago, rf9000 said: Guys, Im looking for recommendations on the best motorized blinds at the lowest cost. There are many new lower cost products coming to the market these days and wondering if anything new works as well as the older brands that still charge an arm and a leg. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks The best at the lowest cost usually negate each other. Somfy is mid priced Qmotion/Lutron are higher priced Rollease is available now for C4 too and I think the price point is closer in the Somfy range vs QMotion/Lutron The materials you pick also can have an added cost factor as well. alanchow 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Cohen Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Hunter Douglas is now getting more into this area - they did a training at our office a month or so ago. They claim a price-point significantly lower than Lutron. I can't speak to the quality or value, just that they might be another option to consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnpublic Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Search for Bali in this forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkimedes Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 Blinds aren't cheap in general, and they will be up for a significant amount of time. Chances are you will use them EVERY day. Don't skimp here. Look into Lutron Triathlon if budget is a concern. Battery life in the 3-5 years is typical. Hardwire options available, and you'll need a Caseta SmartBridge Pro for contol and integration. Look into the forums and FaceBook groups. Lutron is always preferred. paulromi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnGordon Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 www.serenashades.com These are made by Lutron and work with the Lutron Smart Bridge Pro to connect to Control4 systems. Let me know if you are interested in our Serena Shades discounted pricing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnpublic Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 you can skimp. Bali + Vera was about 1/6th the cost i was quoted for Lutron Serena. Homerlovesbeer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rf9000 Posted January 8, 2020 Author Share Posted January 8, 2020 And how do those work compared to Lutron? Really good? And do the quality of fabrics, etc. compare? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhyPhy Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 As everyone else said, Lutron is the reference standard. They have the widest variety of fabrics, the quietest operation, and the longest battery life. But those things have a cost. If low cost is more important than highest quality, then the new IKEA roller blinds are something to consider. They don’t directly integrate into Control4, but can be controlled via the Homebridge driver or with Google voice/IFTTT, but both are more hacks than full integrations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lippavisual Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 Sure, buy the cheap blinds, but be prepared to hear a jet airplane taking off every time they are used. if that doesn’t bother then great. Otherwise, Lutron and QMotion would be top choice, with the higher end Somfy models as third. Some Somfy’s are extremely loud too. c44me and chopedogg88 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rf9000 Posted January 8, 2020 Author Share Posted January 8, 2020 Ok. I guess I will compare pricing. Lutron can be bought from Lowes and HD so that is good I guess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KWD Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 Any experience with Powershades? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo1738 Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 20 minutes ago, KWD said: Any experience with Powershades? My question too. My integrator is using them bc they have POE and Data over same Ethernet so it's better in that regard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lippavisual Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 Powershades are a newer product and probably haven't gained much traction yet. I personally haven't seen them yet either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnpublic Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 19 hours ago, lippavisual said: Sure, buy the cheap blinds, but be prepared to hear a jet airplane taking off every time they are used. if that doesn’t bother then great. Otherwise, Lutron and QMotion would be top choice, with the higher end Somfy models as third. Some Somfy’s are extremely loud too. Jet airplane, huh? guess we are flying different planes. Having actually compared them - the "cheap" blinds are not particularly loud, in either absolute or relative terms. Louder than Lutron? Sure, but unless you have some special needs, you're going to be using them about three times/day, roughly 30 seconds of the 86,400 in a day. I enjoyed spending the ~13K I saved on something other than my C4 dealer and a Lutron shop. Maybe it's just me AJ_, Jeffrey, Homerlovesbeer and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lippavisual Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 4 hours ago, wnpublic said: Jet airplane, huh? guess we are flying different planes. Having actually compared them - the "cheap" blinds are not particularly loud, in either absolute or relative terms. Louder than Lutron? Sure, but unless you have some special needs, you're going to be using them about three times/day, roughly 30 seconds of the 86,400 in a day. I enjoyed spending the ~13K I saved on something other than my C4 dealer and a Lutron shop. Maybe it's just me To each their own man. I've done the side by sides as well. I've also seen a wall of cheap blinds and when they go up or down together, I get out the noise cancelling headphones. So, yeah, a jet airplane. 1 or 2 windows, whatever. But when you're doing a bunch and they are all automated based on sunrise/sunset, no thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c44me Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 5 hours ago, wnpublic said: Jet airplane, huh? guess we are flying different planes. Having actually compared them - the "cheap" blinds are not particularly loud, in either absolute or relative terms. Louder than Lutron? Sure, but unless you have some special needs, you're going to be using them about three times/day, roughly 30 seconds of the 86,400 in a day. I enjoyed spending the ~13K I saved on something other than my C4 dealer and a Lutron shop. Maybe it's just me Which brands are you referring to? Have some older HD and they are relatively loud as well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntlord Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 I made the mistake of buying Hunter Douglas. Biggest mistake I've ever made in the automation space. I was trying to save money, and that was super short sighted because they suck. The only answer is Lutron. Pay the extra money. It's worth it. Darkimedes and chopedogg88 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnpublic Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 33 minutes ago, c44me said: Which brands are you referring to? Have some older HD and they are relatively loud as well... Referring here to Bali. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anon2828 Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 I can confirm QMotion is really good. Integration with Control4 is simple. Shades have been pretty bulletproof. You're going to find that regardless of shade motor (Lutron, Somfy, QMotion) you are going to find a fabric you like. Many manufacturers use the same fabric manufacturer (for example, Mermet), but may put their own branding on the fabric - point being, you're getting the same thing. I agree to stick with Lutron or QMotion. Note that my decision on QMotion was due to ability to fit larger openings (width), hem bar control (ability to control shade by pulling the hembar), good integration with Control4, and simple wiring using just CAT5/6. If you are doing a deep dive into this stuff, would encourage you to also look at Screen Innovations (SI). They ultimately use a Somfy motor, but their cassettes are small and modern, and they have a lithium ion rechargeable solution as well and good integration into Control4. Shades are difficult (sizing, fitting, etc) and expensive. No way around it. chopedogg88 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveC4 Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 I went with a company (can’t remember their name but it started with a G?) my local shade dealer recommended. Said they’re big in residential. They had great fabrics, and use Somfy battery powered motors. He’s my neighbor so he said he gave me a “great deal”, but for 12 windows (9 of which are all next to each other) I’m paying about $5.5k. That included 2 Somfy MyLink devices, battery charger (they’re rechargeable batteries) and installation. A fancy valance too. They should be here around the 25th of the month and I’m happy to post details/videos/pics/opinions once they show up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveC4 Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 The shades I ordered are from Graber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo1738 Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 45 minutes ago, ILoveC4 said: I went with a company (can’t remember their name but it started with a G?) my local shade dealer recommended. Said their big in residential. They had great fabrics, and use Somfy battery powered motors. He’s my neighbor so he said he gave me a “great deal”, but for 12 windows (9 of which are all next to each other) I’m paying about $5.5k. That included 2 Somfy MyLink devices, battery charger (they’re rechargeable batteries) and installation. A fancy valance too. They should be here around the 25th of the month and I’m happy to post details/videos/pics/opinions once they show up. Please do post pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SY3 Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 3 hours ago, ILoveC4 said: The shades I ordered are from Graber. I saw Graber at Costco recently and didn't know if they integrated with Control4. Good to know that they do. Just stating my window treatment automation search and gathering intel. Look forward to your updates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveC4 Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 13 minutes ago, SY3 said: I saw Graber at Costco recently and didn't know if they integrated with Control4. Good to know that they do. Just stating my window treatment automation search and gathering intel. Look forward to your updates. Yep - the MOTOR is what needs to integrate. Somfy motors do. Costco may sell them with different motors in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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