Best Curtain Bot for your Smart Home!! [HomeKit Edition]

[@ShaneCreates]

If the audio tracks are switching automatically to another language, please tap settings in the video and choose audio track > English. Sorry for the inconvenience. This video was translated and dubbed in Spanish and it seems to automatically switch on certain devices.

[@chadbonadonna3778]

Thanks for the tip! I was very confused 😂

[@chaskinsnc]

I figured you were trying to teach me Spanish :) Thanks for the heads up.

[@JustaGamert]

Half a minute in, welcome to Latin America!

[@waylinnelson]

Great video, just wish you touched on how loud each one is with a close up and distance test.

[@cefgaray3]

I have the SwitchBot. The quiet mode isn’t that quiet. Still trying it out.

[@jonathancineus6424]

I needed to learn about smart curtains, so the first place I came to check was this channel, and I’m not disappointed (as expected). Thanks Shane!

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks so much for the kind words!

[@TheLongIslanderYT]

Bought two Aqara curtain drivers during black Friday and received them on the (cyber)Monday after. The way my curtains are set up is that the left curtains are on the biggest rod, and in the middle, the telescopic (smaller) rod begins and that's what the right curtain sits on. So what ended up happening was the diameter of the bigger curtain rod was perfect for the left driver, but the telescopic rod was too thin for the right driver! Luckily, because it was still Cyber Monday, I bought the Switchbot drivers (and made sure they would work with the telescopic portion) and waiting on them now. Glad to see the Switchbot Homebridge plugin is fairly reliable as of 2022 and can't wait for their hub that supports HomeKit!

[@Mediiiicc]

Been waiting for this video. Thanks for the comparison!

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks for watching!

[@inelonwetrust9169]

Great video, very detailed. I’m glad you mentioned the type of pole with a transition which I have. Hope to grab one of these one day. I like the switchbot the best. Thanks for the great review.

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful.

[@morells09]

Ya I’m just waiting for that native HK support myself to get the switchbot

[@HeyTechi]

Fantastic comparison video Shane! Really good breakdown that must have taken you ages to create!

[@ShaneCreates]

Thank you! 🙏

[@cefgaray3]

Thank you Shane. Love your vids. Viva la HomeKitters!

[@othermanugg]

Great video. Just missing a noise comparaison. Witch one made less noise would have been interesting. I use SwitchBot on U-rail and I found it a bit loud. I’d try the aqara to check if it is more silent I think.

[@AndrewDee]

aqara is most silent, check other reviews

[@othermanugg]

@@AndrewDee thank you !

[@treal512]

Seriously

[@inelonwetrust9169]

Great review, finally picked up the smartbot.

[@GuyStrumtza]

as always great review. I'm try the switch bot but doesn't work well for me so I have replaced to the Aqara and now I'm very satisfied

[@ShaneCreates]

Glad to hear the Aqara is working well for you. Thanks for sharing. Can you specify what didn’t work regarding Switchbot that is now working well with Aqara?

[@GuyStrumtza]

@@ShaneCreates He was unable to close the curtain and after hours with the support they explained to me that the curtain is probably heavy. The robot started to close and in the middle it would just get stuck. The length of the rail is 4 meters but with the Aqara it works very well and now I plan to purchase more for versions of the rod for bedrooms

[@ShaneCreates]

Nice. The Aqara definitely supports a larger max load, so that would make sense. Thanks for sharing!

[@74385519]

@@GuyStrumtza May I ask where you bought the right rod

[@Console_Yourself]

Great video! Thank you for showing these.

[@qureshnoordin940]

Good job on this, help a lot of people like me when trying to make a decision. I just have one question that you might be able to help with. I’m trying to use these on shades I put in the garden that are at an incline of about 20degrees. Would just want to know if you opened, would they stay in place or roll back down ?

[@elsellodesalomon]

Genial Gracias por incluir audio doblado a Español!! Es una nueva opción de KZbin? O has usado software de tercero? Cuál?

[@vimalramachandran]

Nicely compared and presented. Switchbot is what seems to work for me, Aqara is incompatible with my curtain rod.

[@jonathh14]

Did you get a feel for the power of these units? I've got a bi-fold with a 3 metre span, will a bot pull that size of curtain?? Guestimating??

[@vnckd5504]

After installation Zemismart Electric Curtain , can it open or close automatically when pulling by hand same as the Switchbot?

[@speedbird737]

@ 08:40 what you talking about? I have SwitchBot Rod 2 and they provide in the box a stick on device to address telescopic poles so switchbot can move freely over the transition part

[@Dr_Cole]

Wonderful video, Shane. I really liked the very literal side by side comparison as I am a research scientist. I also appreciate the balanced approach in your evaluations so as to not favor any product who may have recently been a regular sponsor. Recognizing that your home setup is likely to be very different as a frequent product tester, I wonder if you have any input on the range of coverage the G3 hub for Aqara can provide. Right now, the hub is in the front of the house. However, where I might use one of these is in a separate building in the backyard.

[@ShaneCreates]

Thank you Dr. Cole. My house is not too large so I haven’t really experienced any range issues with any of the aqara products throughout my house. In previous testing, it wasn’t until I got outside away from the house that I started having issues. That said, there’s a good chance the child devices won’t be able to reach the G3 in your scenario. You might consider some of their products that can act as zigbee repeaters, like the wall switch with neutral wire or the smart. Or honestly, if I was you, I’d probably get a separate Aqara hub for the building in the backyard and pair any Aqara devices to that one that are back there.

[@sasaaron]

hi , for Aqara , price for for 1 piece or a pair? usually curtains are in pairs

[@gr2goire726]

Thanks for the explanations. I think I'm going to wait until someone puts a native Homekit compatible one without any hub required out there... I would go for the Aqara but I'm not buying a hub just for that.

[@ottoernst6707]

definitely hoping for a thread/matter version to get some here.

[@morells09]

Understandable but if that’s the case, then you’re gonna be stuck waiting a while for a company like Eve or something to make a Thread compatible one. The thing with battery operated IOT devices is that they cannot sustain a WiFi connection due to power requirements so you’re almost certainly going to be looking at a proprietary hub in basically every scenario.

[@SylvesterWedufia]

Does it use remote?

[@NomanJohan]

And there is God who made all rod compatible with all female counterpart.

[@bbllaakkee]

you might be able to wrap some colored tape around the rod to help with that transition piece. easy fix if the rod is black! electrical tape for the win

[@ShaneCreates]

Great suggestions. Thanks!

[@piotragowski]

mega test! many thanks!

[@Osirls]

Yes but which is quietest?? Noise is the main reason I'm holding back. I don't want to wake up to a groaning motor, I want to wake up to natural sunlight!

[@daktusdurggery5505]

If I have a 6ft wide curtain explain how I’m supposed to get a curtain rod that long that doesn’t have a divider in the middle and isn’t “expanding”?

[@xjonasxv]

How did you connect it to homebridge? With ble bluetooth. Or openapi account with the hub? I would like to know the requirements

[@ShaneCreates]

I used openapi but now the SwitchBot curtains support Matter (with the Hub 2) and can integrate into homekit natively.

[@isleseayou]

Hey Shane. Have you made a video on smart roll up shades? We’re searching for 10 foot tall shades. Gonna need about 20. Needless to say, smart ones would be sweet

[@ShaneCreates]

Yes I’ve done a video on Lutron Roller Shades: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4jIlYWqaJ2daNU And Eve Roller Shades: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnqaYZ16hM19bKs

[@chaskinsnc]

Check out the Ikea smart shades. Much less and get the job done. They do not look as nice as the Lutron but very functional.

[@hanzadventure7094]

Where to buy?

[@giovanniturco6428]

Hi Shane have you ever tried the SwitchBot solar panels to charge the Aqara E1 Rod curtains if you have did it work

[@ShaneCreates]

Sorry, I have not tried that.

[@giovanniturco6428]

@@ShaneCreates thanks for reply the other day SwitchBot sent me out the the SwitchBot Hub 2 to test I did notices they was not matter label on the box I did factory reset again no joy if I could send you pictures of the SwitchBot hub 2 on here I would showing no matter logo sorry for being a pain

[@isleseayou]

I’ve seen your videos on smaller blinds. Didn’t know if there was like a smart motor to add on or what’s out there

[@brianminton6461]

gran video, gracias por hacerlo en español

[@LukasLiesis]

Can you do the test of how much weight they can push/pull? 12kg of Aqara is on the edge in my case. All motors suggested by curtain sellers do 20kg or even 40kg, when i ask if 12kg is enough everyone doubts if it's any good for night curtains. I wonder what would be battery life running with 12-15kg curtains and how would it perform at all. 12kg is possible with Aqara but will struggle with it or 12kg is all good and it would run even with 16-20kg? Where is real usage limit? That's something i would love to see in video.

[@danilolorenzetti712]

The SwichBot is strong enough to make a glass door open and close? It's a small light door. Thanks

[@ShaneCreates]

I’m not sure how this would work for a glass door. It doesn’t have a very high load capacity so I’m not sure if it would work.

[@danilolorenzetti712]

@@ShaneCreates Thanks for your time but I'm finding automatization for doors way cheaper than the curtain one! Don't know if that's happening across the world but here in Brazil it's and I must say again, WAY CHEAPER. I can't imagine why but it is the truth . Thanks again!

[@arturvolart9963]

​@@danilolorenzetti712opa, poderia falar um pouco mais sobre? Vai usar algum aparelho de abrir portas na cortina? Qual a sua ideia?

[@danilolorenzetti712]

@@arturvolart9963 opa! Não cortina mas uma porta de alumínio e vidro, é uma porta balcão de correr e queria automatizar o fechamento ao ligar o ar condicionado e abrir ao desligar o ar. A porta é bem leve. Porquê a pergunta? Vc trabalha com isso? Tem alguma ideia?

[@deadlypantz2448]

Wt is the best router for fiber optic network

[@mr2ns]

Where can I buy one from Aus? No one ships here.

[@diogobrancocardoso6165]

How about loudness?

[@basztmc]

can we make stop button for curtain in the same as open or close button?

[@ShaneCreates]

If using them in homekit, you can create automations or scenes to open/close them at any point.

[@basztmc]

@@ShaneCreates thanks, no stop action in homekit are sad.

[@ShaneCreates]

You can stop them wherever you want in homekit. Just use the slider to open or close them and stop wherever you want.

[@basztmc]

@@ShaneCreates now i use stop action on automation in the app (aqara) it can put in to some free button but can’t be the same (by if) with open/close (aqara d1 buttons with)

[@AndrewDee]

in aqara home you can do it, open/stop/close

[@freedom3eagle]

I’m sorry I have confusion due to newbie.. so in order to use any of these products we need a ‘hub’ that from their own company right? Even though they are HomeKit compatible or homebridge ? I don’t have any devices but want to build up. Which would you company do you recommend ? Aqara? Smart bot? Zemi?

[@ShaneCreates]

Yes each needs a hub from their own company. If HomeKit compatibility is important, I’d probably go with Aqara. Many options for hubs and accessories, plus they support all major voice assistants.

[@freedom3eagle]

@@ShaneCreates I have another question that still uncleared to me. I found few cameras from Aqara, xiaomi, etc and some product is HomeKit compatible some are not. Since its Wi-Fi models, I can use homebridge to use it with HomeKit even though it is not made for HomeKit right? How about storage? I have seen a lot of your videos and others to and got some idea with hub and zigbee but nothing about camera storage. Only thing I found out was 200gb I could plan is 2cameras and 2tb iCloud plan is 10+ cameras. How and is there a way to save synology Nas? Thank you for all of your video and support

[@freedom3eagle]

@@ShaneCreates I have another question that still uncleared to me. I found few cameras from Aqara, xiaomi, etc and some product is HomeKit compatible some are not. Since its Wi-Fi models, I can use homebridge to use it with HomeKit even though it is not made for HomeKit right? How about storage? I have seen a lot of your videos and others to and got some idea with hub and zigbee but nothing about camera storage. Only thing I found out was 200gb I could plan is 2cameras and 2tb iCloud plan is 10+ cameras. How and is there a way to save synology Nas? Thank you for all of your video and support

[@Cmi1267]

Should we wait for the switch bot to release one that works natively with HomeKit?

[@ShaneCreates]

My understanding is that they’ll be releasing a new Switchbot Hub Mini, that will provide homekit support to connected bluetooth devices, like the SwitchBot curtains. In other words, you shouldn’t need a new SwitchBot Curtain, just the new hub for HomeKit support.

[@NeilWatkinsfromaccounting]

$200 for each set is a lot just to open curtains. I’m a huge HomeKit fan, but that’s a lot to spend for a simple task.

[@estusflask982]

You should see how much smart blinds cost they are like $400-$500 each

[@NeilWatkinsfromaccounting]

@@estusflask982 yeah, I’ve seen some of them. Crazy expensive. It’s hard to get on board with that.

[@AZTenor94]

Would you say that the motors are worth the price point? They all seem to hover around the same range, but there seems to be a wide disparity between battery longevity.

[@ricardobranch1375]

Would you recommend Aqara with ZigBee setup or switchbot wth Bluetooth setup? I'm deep into an Alexa smarthome but Paul Hibbett converted me to ZigBee lol Guess trying to see if Bluetooth is comparable to zigbee or a bad idea

[@ShaneCreates]

Typically I'd choose zigbee over bluetooth, but I must admit the Switchbot stuff has all worked really well for me. That said, I do have a lot more Aqara products in my setup all the time, since they do all support HomeKit natively right now.

[@TimDeWaele]

I have curtains that I have to pull up with a chain. Is there a solution for that too?

[@ShaneCreates]

Yes there are a few. Aqara has the E1 roller shade driver. Zemismart has a similar product. Soma Shades is another that might work. All should work with a pull chain.

[@JohnSmoleskis]

great video. Thanks. I got the Swithchbot curtain rod 2. My curtain rod has a join that the motor sometimes has a problem with. The touch and go threw off the calibration after just two times :( Had to recalibrate, which isn't hard. It's just a nuisance. The Homebridge works well for me. Looking forward to the Hub Homekit integration.

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks for sharing your experience John.

[@farooquncc]

Hey Shane, is it not possible to expose the Aqara motors to HomeKit if using the G2H (non pro) hub? Not much info out there except one Amazon review that said I would have to get a different/newer hub

[@ShaneCreates]

I did not test it with the G2H camera hub, but I would not find anything on their website or documentation stating this as a limitation. Everything says a “hub with zigbee 3.0” which should include the G2H.

[@farooquncc]

@@ShaneCreates Thanks for the response. That’s what I assumed too. Also, when selecting the hub to add the devices to, the G2H was not an option listed; I had to manually add them via triple clicking the button on the G2H. I’ll keep playing with it and if not I was probably gonna get the G3 soon anyway

[@ShaneCreates]

Maybe reach out to Aqara support if you have issues with that, just for an answer. I’ve seen in the past them release a product that only supported all but one or two hubs, and then they added support for the rest via firmware update shortly after. Maybe that’s happening.

[@farooquncc]

@@ShaneCreates Great idea! I’ll try that, thanks

[@AndrewDee]

it's possible, I've added to G2H by clicking the g2h button 3 times. no problems so far

[@RamonBalthazar]

I just bought the SwitchBot and am really annoyed that Siri Shortcuts only work if you have the hub. I really do not understand it. My phone is connected locally via bluetooth to the thing. Why do I need a hub for this??

[@Boinzy476]

Yeah, but how loud are they?

[@anthonyscott5134]

Not sure if you’ll see this since this video is 5 months old, but perhaps someone in the thread will be able to answer this. A while back Shane put up a video where I think he showed how to control a Siri shortcut in HomeKit. Watching THIS video about the Switchbot curtain got me thinking. The Switchbot literature, and I believe Shane in this video, both stated how Switchbot Curtain can be setup in shortcuts and controlled my Siri. If that is true, then according to Shanes’s previous video on controlling a shortcut by means of a HomeKit automation should apply to controlling a Switchbot Curtain shortcut by means of a HomeKit automation. Does this make sense?

[@ShaneCreates]

Hey Anthony. You really can't control Siri Shortcuts via homekit automations. There are some edge-case workarounds but for the most part it really isn't possible, unfortunately.

[@anthonyscott5134]

@@ShaneCreates , Ahhh, ok. Thanks ma man! Guess I’ll just have to keep waiting on Switchbot to add HomeKit functionality to its curtain. Wish they’d hurry up!

[@therealjonwsmith]

I had the issue with my curtains catching on the rod and I think those clips look hideous on the curtains. I have this product that is basically wd40 on steroids, it doesn’t rub off. I carefully wiped it on the top and sides of the rod, now everything moves perfectly.

[@ShaneCreates]

Nice tip. Thanks Jon!

[@SoleRisk]

What is the product

[@detaer]

The white Tshirt is so well lit. I can see the quality of the fabric, I can see it bunch up at the speakers rippling biceps... His face however isn't lit well at all. Did he do his lighting setup with a black shirt then switch to a white one? Is he selling shirts? Who knows.

[@eyhtwozed2606]

Still waiting for a company to make one for rod pocket curtain

[@ctlspl]

Bro your audio tracks are messed up.

[@ShaneCreates]

Please tap settings in the video and choose audio track > English. Sorry for the inconvenience. This video was translated and dubbed in Spanish and it seems to automatically switch on certain devices.

[@adityanihlani8804]

My curtains are way heavier so I guess will need to install motor. There's no way any of these bots will take that kinda load

[@carpediemarts705]

We have had personal computers now for 40 years. Why did this just become a thing post 2020?

[@UberHackersCom]

Your killing me with all of these hubs lol, I would use Accra it it was hubless. I have solar panels on my roof and every watt counts(not really but I do watch my wattage use)

[@S2580ss]

Was this in Spanish for anyone else?

[@ShaneCreates]

Please tap settings in the video and choose audio track > English. Sorry for the inconvenience. This video was translated and dubbed in Spanish and it seems to automatically switch on certain devices.

[@michaelannanack1033]

💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰🏠👆🏻

[@nathanmaximoff]

Aqara support SUCKS! My E1 driver keep reports that is fully closed and, man, I don’t even have a way to factory reset them. Garbage

[@250Rem]

Something wrong with you me and you keep on switching over to Spanish to English and starting to drive me crazy not giving me any good info as well

[@ShaneCreates]

Please tap settings in the video and choose audio track > English. Sorry for the inconvenience. This video was translated and dubbed in Spanish and it seems to automatically switch on certain devices.

[@MrKyoo]

Why is this in Spanish? lol

[@ShaneCreates]

Please tap settings in the video and choose audio track > English. Sorry for the inconvenience. This video was translated and dubbed in Spanish and it seems to automatically switch on certain devices.

[@antoniuscaesardscandia]

Your voice seems feminine and Spanish 😂

[@TtheAlien]

Can’t speak Mexican

[@IsendiMichael]

How can I contact u