Automation
Are motorised blinds worth it?
Worth it on some windows, an indulgence on others. The difference is usually about reach, size and how often you touch it.
·6 min read
Where it genuinely pays
Motorisation earns its money when a blind is hard to reach, heavy to operate, or part of a group you want to move together. A row of windows in a double-height void is the clearest case: without a motor those blinds simply do not get used.
Large outdoor blinds are the second obvious case. A wide span in a heavy fabric takes real effort by hand, and that friction means people leave them up when they should be down.
- High or hard-to-reach windows, stairwells and voids
- Wide or heavy blinds, particularly outdoor blinds
- Banks of windows you want to move as one
- Rooms where you want scheduling: closing during peak afternoon heat automatically
- Anyone with mobility or reach limitations
Where a manual blind is smarter
A single accessible window in a spare room does not need a motor. Neither does a blind you set once at the start of summer and barely touch. Spending the motorisation budget on better fabric or a better-specified blind will usually give more day-to-day satisfaction.
The honest test is how many times a week you will actually operate it. If the answer is once, put the money elsewhere.
What automation actually adds
Beyond convenience there are two real benefits. The first is energy: scheduling blinds to close during the hottest part of the afternoon reduces the heat load on the house whether or not anyone is home, which manual blinds cannot do.
The second is safety. Removing cords and chains eliminates the loop hazard entirely, which is a significant consideration in homes with young children or pets.
Practical considerations
- Power: hardwired motors need a power point planned before the wall is closed, so raise it early in a build or renovation
- Battery motors avoid that but need periodic recharging, typically measured in months
- Control: remote, wall switch, app, or voice through a smart home platform
- Integration: Somfy works with the major smart home systems, so blinds can join existing routines and scenes
- Wind sensors are available for outdoor blinds and are worth considering in exposed positions
A middle path
You do not have to motorise everything. Most homes we work in end up with motors on the windows that need them — the high ones, the wide ones, the outdoor blinds — and manual operation everywhere else. That usually delivers the benefit at a fraction of the cost of doing the whole house.
Good to know
Common questions
Do motorised blinds work with Google Home or Alexa?
Yes. Somfy integrates with the major smart home platforms including Google Home and Amazon Alexa, so blinds can be added to existing routines and controlled by voice alongside lighting and other devices.
Can existing blinds be motorised later?
Sometimes, depending on the system and the hardware. It is far cheaper and cleaner to specify motorisation at the outset, particularly where a power supply needs to be run. If you think you may want it eventually, it is worth planning the power point now.
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