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Best Smart Shades OverallSmartWings Motorized Roller Shades

$180 Amazon

Runner-UpYoolax Motorized Cellular Shades

$119 Yoolax

Best UpgradeLutron Caseta Smart Shades

$399 Lutron

Best-Looking Smart ShadesOmniaBlinds Smart Roller Shades

$350 OmniaBlinds

The best smart shades (also called automatic curtains) used to be luxury gadgets found only in high-end hotels or the homes of the rich and famous. Nowadays, they are more affordable and accessible than ever. You can measure up, order, and install them yourself. I've spent years testing smart shades and retrofit options to smarten up my regular shades, blinds, and curtains.

Automated motorized shades may sound frivolous, but they offer practical benefits. Beyond scheduling and voice commands, you can enjoy greater privacy, regulate the temperature by keeping the sun out or the heat in, and be gently awakened by natural light. But even our favorite smart shades have their pitfalls, so check out my tips at the end so you can avoid them.

Note: I list starting prices here, but these always rise substantially when you begin to customize your shades.

Updated April 2026: I added PowerShades, honorable mentions for Kincmo, Weffort, and Brignnox, longer-term impressions for some entries, and a note on brands to the FAQ. I also removed discontinued products and updated prices.

- Best Smart Shades Overall

Photograph: Simon Hill

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SmartWings

Motorized Roller Shades

$180 Amazon

$160 SmartWings

For sheer versatility, it’s impossible to look past SmartWings. You can choose every conceivable style, color, size, or smart home ecosystem. I tested made-to-measure shades in my living room and found them easy to install with the fixings provided. I drilled holes directly into my PVC window frames, screwed in the brackets, and the shades snapped into place securely with the spring mechanism, which ensures they are easy to remove should you ever need to. There’s a USB-C port at one end and a button to control the cordless shades, though you also get a remote control that offers up and down controls and saved presets. You can also install a solar panel to continually charge your shades, but it’s kind of ugly, so I have been using a power bank instead. Battery life has been somewhere between three and six months.

There's compatibility with all the major smart home ecosystems, including Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, and Samsung SmartThings. I tested SmartWings' latest Matter-compatible shades, adding them directly through the Apple Home app by scanning the QR code on each shade. I can ask Siri to open or close them, use the slider in the Home app on my iPhone, or trigger them with a smart button or motion sensor (I tried all these methods). Connectivity-wise, Matter (Thread), Zigbee, and Z-Wave are available. Just make sure you choose the right model for your home. I like that there’s no need for another hub since my Apple TV 4K works as a Matter controller and Thread border router.

The SmartWings shades have worked reliably for several months now, look classy, and everyone in my home loves them (apart from the cats, who always seem to get a fright when the shades open or close). On that note, the shades are relatively quiet (no louder than 50 decibels according to my Apple Watch). A couple of times, I have had one of the shades disconnect and show as unresponsive in the Home app, but deleting and pairing again always got them working.

- Runner-Up

Photograph: Simon Hill

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Yoolax

Motorized Cellular Shades

$119 Yoolax

$169 Amazon

Yoolax is another solid option for smart shades and blinds (it's the brand behind Graywind). The company offers made-to-measure shades and blinds in a wide range of styles, colors, and finishes, but smart home compatibility is a bit more limited than our top pick. Fitting these cellular shades was simple (same mechanism as the SmartWings). The top section is relatively bulky with a USB-C port and a button to control the shades at one end. I was happy with the valance, which snaps on magnetically to give it a neat look. The supplied remote control works well, and you can set preferred positions. The solar panel (sold separately) stuck easily to the bedroom window and has kept the battery topped up, so we never need to worry about recharging. Without the panel, you are looking at between three and six months of battery life.

We opted for a honeycomb shade, which is much thicker than a regular roller shade, but does an excellent job of keeping the sun out, or the heat in, and also reduces sound from outside. Paired with curtains, this shade offers complete darkness. Sadly, smart home compatibility is limited to Amazon Alexa or Google Home. The Zigbee motor can connect directly to a handful o

Best Smart Shades, Blinds, and Curtains (2026): Motorized, Tailor-Made, and More | WIRED