Everything You Need With SwitchBot Blind Tilt Controller // Review, Setup, Settings
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- čas přidán 24. 07. 2024
- The new SwitchBot Blind Tilt can create smart blinds in your home without tools and in just minutes. This is a true DIY smart blinds installation and it's something you can do in about 5 minutes.
SwitchBot smart blinds can be controlled in tons of ways, with Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, IFTTT, and Siri Shortcuts all being available out of the box.
Get on the Kickstart list here: switchbot-blind-tilt-solar.kc... (affiliate link)
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These SwitchBot Blind Tilt controllers are so easy to install. The custom control options in the app, the included solar panel for potentially extending the battery life forever, and the way they run in both a silent and a performance mode gives you the options you'll need. They're highly compatible smart blinds that will work with most horizontal blinds in your home.
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Brian - Věda a technologie
Alexa, "neighbour is doing her aerobic exercises in the garden". ......Blinds open. Alexa "her husbands back"...... Blinds close
😂😂😂
This would be great for the physically handicapped. You perform such a service for us. Thanks, Brian!
It really is. That's why I especially love this one. Physical movement is a service.
I kinda wanted to see more of it in action.
Very well thought out with the instructions and the measuring tape.
Sorry Hans! I'll try to show more another time :)
Switchbot keep pushing forward with useful versions of their hardware
Absolutely! This one's very good too. They're really coming into their own in a lot of ways.
Definitely want to get these for blinds on a vaulted ceiling wall.
I wonder if I can install my blinds backwards to hide the device and give it a cleaner look?
It'll really depend on your blind setup. If you can get the rod behind your blinds and you have the radius worth of distance between blind->glass, then you will be able to. I haven't seen much like that though Martin.
Watching this now as I just received 3 of them via the kick starter. They are so darn quiet compared to the Soma Tilt 2. The mount to the blind rail is a little different in the production and no longer integrated to the Solar Panel. The Solar Panel is still included, and just plugs into the side of the mount at the top. There are two light sensors in the device. One in the Solar Panel and one in the Motor unit, where the LED is. Switchbot have also included a proper template so you can install in the right position with no errors now. Really great device. The major drawback is no Homekit support, no API as of today (4 Jan 2022) and no support in Home Assistant.
In the App it looks like the plan to do an AI integration using the motor based light sensor to adjust the blinds depending on internal light level, as well as still having the option to use sunlight/external light to adjust the blinds. I am quite impressed with the Solar Panel. It still charges, even when not in direct sunlight as long as it is fairly bright.
Having the ability to use the wand and the app still knows where the blind position is really is a fantastic thing. Totally blows SOMA Tilt away with that. Unfrotunately, due to the lack of third party integration, I can't yet replace the two SOMA Tilts I have with these as I still use automations in Home Assistant. Hopefully that will change when the API is released, which is rumoured to be in February
I never had that Soma Tilt, so it's really great to hear your comparison come in Brendan. Also, great to hear you're getting them from the kickstarter already! I thought that would be longer. As for the API, watch for a new hub coming soon. I think that'll solve the HomeKit side. Not sure about HA, but it's a Matter Bridge too. ;)
Ooooo I gotta try this!
😃😃😃
EXACTLY what I need for smart blinds. Any thoughts on Home Assistant intégration?
Yeah so not yet, but SwitchBot has their system setup to be able to do this. No guarantees, but it should come soon.
Thanks Brian.
Thank you Ron!
Damn you Brian. I was trying to save some money. Oh well, let me open my Amazon app and order this. I've been waiting for this.
It's Kickstarter only right now :) Link below.
He Brian nice video.
One question my blinds are controller with a cord very thin. Can I use this controller as well?
Sadly no. Any of the cord ones or the chain ones won't work with this product. Sorry!
Installed mine today. Was a breathe and work great. Yet to see if the solar panels will suffice keeping them charged. Great stuff. Came with a hub, a remote and 3 nfc tags !
Fantastic to hear!
Could wand controlled vertical blinds like we have in Australia be used.
I think you could try but I don't have any to test. Torque maximums matter and are hard to measure so no guarantees
I've been waiting for something like this. The only option I had seen until now was Soma and they lack a lot of features, including the ability to use a physical button if needed. Switchbot is also cheaper... Can't wait to get this in Australia.
And I'm betting by the time you have it that Home Assistant is a direct connection and you're good to go. They're pretty great Brendan. Enjoy!
Great review Brian, thanks.
One problem I have found with the control of all the DIY automated blinds I have looked at is that their integrated schedules are too simple.
In particular for bedrooms, I like my blinds to open at sunrise or wakeup time, whichever is the later event. This ensures that sunlight during the summer months doesn't wake me up too early, and in the darker winter months it maintains privacy while I'm getting up with the lights on in the bedroom.
At night having the blinds close at sunset, or at a fixed bedtime, whichever is the earlier event, is of course trivial to solve with two schedules, so most blinds can do this OK.
BTW I am currently using the Soma Blinds Tilt 2 add-on motor for my venetian blinds and implementing the above automation rules in SmartThings.
Hey David! Yeah that's a great point and the Scenes in the SwitchBot app can manage this for you. You just pick sunrise at the location (with a time shift to before or after if you'd like) as the trigger for your schedule. That'll adjust through the summer and winter for you!
I think that's what you're after right?
@@AutomateYourLife Hi Brian, actually while using astronomical time (with or without an offset) will work automatically for the sunset/bedtime action, it won't for the sunrise/wake-up action. The latter requires some conditional logic that determines when sunrise occurs relative to a fixed time such as:
When sunrise occurs after 07:00 (wake-up time) then open blinds at sunrise.
But if sunrise occurs before 07:00 then open blinds at 07:00
I have the above setup in SmartThings and it then works automatically throughout the year for all my blinds and curtains.
I gotcha! Yeah that's where those true hubs come in hey
Also, I ran my automation through Alexa and the routine opens or close at sunset or sunrise... on top of that I can say 30 minutes after sunrise or 22 minutes before sunset. Very flexible.
Hey Brian ! I love this ! I've been looking for something cheap like this , only thing I gotta buy a hub too.... hubs make me obsess over stuff I want but don't need in the app. (Samsung vacuum, wyze gunsafe , phillips syncbox ) but this one I may be able to justify for buisness ! It's good to open the blinds in the winter because the sun helps with heat right ?
Yep! You gotta do it right, but it helps with heating. Watch the video next weekend for more there :)
Thanks Brian! I've been waiting a long time for this.
Are you still able to manually twist the rod to open the blinds?
Yep! And even better, SwitchBot recognizes when you're doing so and adjusts % open
@@AutomateYourLife Awesome. Thanks for the quick reply!
What's your opinion of the solar powering? Is it still efficient after a couple days? Is there a long wait before being fully charged? Does it keep things at 100%? Do you need direct sunlight?
Yeah that's not something I really addressed. So I'm losing about 1-2% every week (with quite a bit of movement). That's without direct sunlight on all of my windows. So I'd say that they're good, but that if you want it to stay charged fully then you'll need direct sunlight.
If you turned the blinds around so the rod is on the window side it would hide everything and make the wiring for the solar panel easier.
If you can do it, yeah! The only thing I'll warm about there is that your strings may end up in the back...and your want may bang against the window a bit
Please explain how to share switchbot blind control between iphones. Or is it even possible?
Just login to the same account on two phones is easiest
My horizontal wood blinds don't have a rod, they have two pull strings for changing the angle of the slats. Is there a solution for me?
There are a few out there. Just not something I have at the moment. I think look for Soma
This is great. But I have a question: Your smart home seems to use everything in Bluetooth. Does it make network congestion?
Oh my home is mostly Zigbee and Z-Wave. SwitchBot's one of the few Bluetooth makers I use. Either way, I don't experience network congestion on the Bluetooth side and I don't have WiFi or Bluetooth reliability issues. At least not that I've noticed or been able to attribute to this.
I do have some videos on the channel that discuss all this though because it can happen!
We're using Sunsa wands. The Switchbot kits seem to offer a few advantages over Sunsa at a lower price! It'll be interesting to see how they hold up over time.
Something to watch for sure with these. They seem really stable and the motor seems really well supported. The only thing is the gear mechanism is plastic and that could wear potentially. Maybe the stickers come off too inside the gear. Heat's a funny thing :)
@@AutomateYourLife Don't worry, Brian .the material of the brain gear is generally nylon or POM, which can withstand withstand hundreds of kilograms of force
Ok 😃
I like the less is more mentally so these look sort of bulky. Are they a eye sore and how is the connection, do switchbot devices keep a consistent connection or does one have to continuously reconnect them?
Great review as usual and thanks!
Hey there,
So SwitchBot is pretty good at maintaining a connection and not forcing you to setup again and again. In fact, I don't think I've ever had to re-set something up. However, you want to make sure that one of their hubs is fairly nearby. I have 2 in my home and have full coverage. So just keep things relatively close and you're good to go!
Eye sore? Nahhhh...but that's going to depend on your own eye mostly. It's definitely there but I have yet to have anyone mention it to me. They don't know till the blinds move...then they know ;)
I'm glad that you were able to get this early. I'm a beta tester. I'm lucky. 1. I can't understand how it would work. If you don't use the solar panel, wouldn't it just spin itself on the wand? I'm using the solar panel but
2. I stuck mine on the side panel not the window because wouldn't it not work if you opened your window on a nice cool day?
3. I have a pixel 6 phone and they have noted connectivity issues with that platform. I have a tablet that works but even once you have it cloud connected the app doesn't work with a Pixel phone
In general, this is a really great device and the noise. I don't think you're going to have it opening and closing while you're sleeping and so who really cares or there's noises all over your house anyway like in the kitchen or living room
you got one？
@@khuang3370 I was one of the lucky beta tester
Hey Lance,
The solar panel just charges the battery. It changes nothing else from a physical standpoint. So you either charge by panel or by USB every so often!
Yeah if you've got an opening window near the top of your want you might wanna look at a different install. It's a pretty long cable though.
And yes, connectivity on Android 13 with Bluetooth is broken in many apps. It takes a while for BT to make a connection. This is being worked on by Google and SwitchBot, but it's not just a SwitchBot problem by any means.
@@lance3198 Yes you are lucky, we sent 500 machines to the world for user testing, I am the product manager of this product, I chose you haha
Don't worry about this, the final product can choose not to install solar panels, we have made improvements. There are also some improvements, including compatibility issues with your phone, although this is an Android issue
I was just thinking the other day about how hard to reach the blinds behind the sofa are in my bay window. This seems like the perfect solution. While cost seems reasonable, I've never bought off of kickstarter so I have a newbie question. Are products usually cheaper once they are off Kickstarter and released to open market?
Yeah so they can be, but most companies actually raise prices. For SwitchBot, I think you could see sales come in after the Kickstarter comes through and my links are always a guaranteed 10% off the list price. So maybe $10-$15 on this one, but you'll be waiting a while!
@@AutomateYourLife Thanks for details. I placed order for 3 but forgot to enter a discount code.🙃 While I can modify order there's no place to enter it. So I'll have to cancel and then add, but don't remember seeing a place to enter one.
Oh there's no discount on Kickstarters. Just on SwitchBot's store products. They aren't offering this product on their store and won't until after the Kickstarter is completed. Or at least that's my understanding
@@AutomateYourLife Wow glad I decided to mention this here. Thank you!
He said it depends on the size of your rod. Oh my!
It always does...doesn't it?
when in canada!
I think you could get it to Canada on the Kickstarter. I mean, I've got them in Canada now...so they work.
You should check out the Sunsa Wand :)
Cannnnnnnn do!
Why does this device not work with vertical blinds? I have vertical blinds that have a thin wand just like the horizontal blinds they show in pics and vids.
I'm not sure! It probably could, just no guarantees
I will give them a try as soon as Amazon starts selling them. I like switchbot. Thanks for the video!
@@suddenlysilber will fit in the future
Brian, have you done a video discussing the changes essentially nerfing IFTTT and google assistant custom commands? I searched your vids but couldn't find anything. I'm sure all of us that sub to you would be interested in your take and what future you think there is to keep these integrations alive or if this is dead in the water.
Hey Stu. Thanks for asking about this! I haven't put anything out specifically, but I am including IFTTT news in our general news videos. I'll look at this though. It's a bit of a busy schedule and I want to see a few more announcements before I'm sure about the pattern...but there is a pattern I'm a bit concerned about.
@@AutomateYourLife
Thanks Brian. Really love your work.
Thanks man! Really appreciate it!
Well, since you released this video, Switchbot "upgraded" their tilt mechanism and it now no longer works for blinds that have a cover. I've escalated within their company and their recommendation to me was to "leave the cover off". Nice look LOL but not gonna fly with the wife (or me for that matter). Dang, i was disappointed since this was the only solution I've seen that had a reasonable endorsement (yours!). New blinds, just to get automation, would be so expensive! (I'd upload a pic showing the problem but doesn't look like i can)
What kind of cover?
Why would you buy anything right now when we are so close to To having new devices come out matter compatible
Yeah and I get that take. Honestly though, SwitchBot's not going anywhere and these pretty much work everywhere already. So I guess it depends for the average person if they want to wait years for a Matter version!
1:54 that's what she said!
She always does 🤣
@@AutomateYourLife seriously, though, thank you for all the informative content. Usually if stuff gets the Brian seal of approval I am sure it is worth being in my house.
I'll try to keep earning that trust! Thank youuuu!
Take my wallet.
Alright I will!
If only it came in different colors to better match the color of the blinds. It’s kind of an eyesore.
Yeah, it's just a kickstarter at the moment but maybe it'll come in a few other colors. Honestly though, I don't notice it.
This is the ugliest home control I believe you posted. How lazy do we have to be to purchased this…IMHO
*bought 3*?
When will they be on sale ?
They're on the Kickstarter now. Link below!
@@AutomateYourLife Yes I did receive that by email but I would prefer to order directly to SB. So may be I will wait. Tx anyway mate !
@@AutomateYourLife well, committed myself for 3 and received an extra 3 nfc tags, cheapos from switchbot, like what 3 $ !!!! Not cool, but at leasr 3 solar panels included, now lets wait.
Hey! Just some constructive criticism LifeHackster reviewed the SAME product in like HALF the time and was VERY comprehensive. Don't get me wrong I'm subscribed to your channel and LOVE your reviews/videos but sometimes you carry them out just a bit too long. Short and sweet and to the point is what viewers prefer and not waste 20-30min of their lives over pretty simple products. This product opens/closes horizontal blinds and was EASILY explained in less than 9min.
All good John. Thanks for the feedback.
LOL I initially watched LifeHackster review and then thought what does AYL think about this, so here I am.