Installing SMART shades in my Bedroom! (Lutron vs. Ikea)

Today we're installing Lutron Serena smart shades in my bedroom. These are super premium and work with HomeKit, but come with a large price tag. So, are they worth the cost?
Design & Buy Serena Shades:
geni.us/SerenaLutro
Other Lutron Products in Video:
Lutron Caseta Outdoor Plug: geni.us/CasetaOutdoor
Lutron Caseta Dimmer Switch + Remote Kit: geni.us/LutronSwitch
Lutron Fan Controller: geni.us/LutronFa
Lutron Caseta Smart Bridge: geni.us/LutronHub
NOTE: This description contains affiliate links that allow you to find the items mentioned in this video at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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geni.us/shanemember
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✅ LET'S CONNECT
► Instagram - shanecreates​
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► Website: shanewhatley.com​
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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:50 Lutron
1:15 Outline
1:48 Today's Installation
2:38 Hire a Professional or DIY
3:15 Customizing Your Shades
5:20 Accessories
6:56 Installation
8:34 Pair the Shades with App
9:22 Adding a Pico Remote
10:08 Performance
12:45 Ikea Comparison
14:30 Final Thoughts
15:45 Automate Your Existing Blinds
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🎥 RECOMMENDED VIDEOS
HomeKit 101 Playlist
geni.us/GettingStarted
Make Your Existing Blinds SMART!
kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHPIdGivaM1kj9k
SMART Outdoor Lighting with Lutron Caseta
kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJWmgYCJjZykhaM
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#HomeKit #SmartHome #Lutron

[@randygreen007]

4:20 “and it’s not getting any cheaper as we move along”. No truer words have ever been spoken.

[@rexhua4833]

Sleek and clean lines installation. Congratulations!

[@TheBradLloyd]

Excellent thorough review, Shane! You covered all the info someone would want to know when considering smart shades. These are clearly a premium product. I can't get over how smooth and in sync these run when being raised and lowered. Also, love the option for batteries so there isn't a separate power cord hanging down. They look so nice! 👌🏼

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks Brad! 🙏🏻

[@pianoman112182]

Thank you so much for making this video! I have been curious about these for a while, nice to see them in a setting outside of a catalog and get some real thoughts on them.

[@ShaneCreates]

Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@mathrocks7591]

They are great, if I buy 3 for my bedroom. The cost over $2100.00. I rather go on vacation . Not for me based on price. I rather get up and pull the string

[@landoag1041]

You are so crazy... I prefer Soma smart shade + normal shade. It does surport homekit and installation is so easy.

[@jap322]

Thank you. I was on the fence about this. I am going to move forward and pick this up

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks for watching!

[@terryf6593]

I agree with your assessment of the Ikea shades in that selection is VERY limited, basically width only. However, I don't agree with your assessment of setting up the Ikea shades. I have six in my house and had basically no difficulty in setting them up with the Trådfri gateway (which BTW is only $35) and these things work great with HomeKit. Rechargeable battery lasts a LONG LONG time and my six Ikea shades and gateway were only slightly more than ONE Lutron.

[@aidanmoran3881]

Been waiting for this appreciate your channel man!

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks Aidan! Appreciate you watching!

[@AdamsTechLife]

Great video Shane! Lutron has been solid for me with lights, haven’t heard much about the shades so this was a good video to watch!

[@ShaneCreates]

Hey Adam! The shades are just as good as the light switches, if you can believe it. Thanks for watching!

[@bradleycolwell7902]

Answering something you mentioned in the video about the small amount of light that comes in through the side when the shades are down. I’ve done some high end automation jobs including a few of the Lutron shades. Lutron makes a side channel the installs inside of the window on both sides of the shade, the shade slides up and down inside of this small channel. So when the shade is down, there is no light creeping in. It’s nice!!

[@ShaneCreates]

Nice! Thanks for sharing Bradley. I’ve heard about the channels for the shades, but didn’t realize Lutron made some. That is definitely worth checking out. Thanks!

[@AlexTeo]

i just did a similar video as well covering somfy, soma and ikea haha... makes me curious of lutron vs somfy blinds

[@MrKrystof78]

Hi Shane, great video indeed! Would you know by any chance any way to automate shutters by any chance? Been looking all over but can’t seem to find anything. Few solutions for shades but not any for shutters, which I find strange…

[@geek2330]

Shane, how about asking Lutron for a discount code so we can use. They’re just way too expensive.

[@ShaneCreates]

I do usually try to get discounts for ya’ll whenever I can. I don’t think Lutron does that, but I’ll double check.

[@joshwl2003]

Thought about these a few times for our bed room because we have windows above our bed. They are painfully expensive even for a 23x23 window.

[@coenfilm]

I have the Serena shade over my sliding door. It is awesome. After trying two vértice blinds and drapes I decided on the Serena Shade. It’s electric, off white and blackout. It works with HomeKit and opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. It has worked every day for a year and a half except one day when I had trouble with HomeKit. A woman from Serena called to see how my shade is working. She said they are working on making the wood blinds HomeKit compatible but that was a year and a half ago. They are expensive but dramatic and reliable.

[@ShaneCreates]

That’s awesome, thanks for sharing!

[@Polkster13]

Love the channel and the in-depth reviews. I have learned so much from this channel and I can say that it has helped me take informed buying decisions. When I first started out, I did not want any extra hubs, but after watching your videos and having you answer some of my questions via email, I went with the Lutron Hub and have now changed out all of my light and fan switches to Lutron Caseta switches. Yes they were a premium compared to other switches, but like you said you get what you pay for. Mine work flawlessly all of the time. I have neutrals in all of my switch boxes so I went with all wired switches and no Pico remote. This way I can control everything from the switches manually if I ever have an issue with the WIFI not working. I wish I had the money to switch out all of my "dumb" 2" wood blinds to these shades. However, I did watch your other video on automating the wood blinds and I believe we will start by changing out the pull-cord mechanisms with rod controlled mechanisms on 6 of our blinds. Thank you for the link where we can get the replacement mechanisms. All of the other blinds already have rod controls. Then, go through and start adding the Soma controller to my existing wood blinds. Luckily for me I have lots of head room in my attic and I planning on putting the controller in the attic and wiring them to A/C through the attic, so no batteries.

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks Frederick! I’m glad the channel has been helpful! I definitely understand looking for alternatives, especially if you have many windows to do…it adds up real quick! Soma has been a good retrofit solution. Not perfect, as discussed in that video, but as a much cheaper alternative, gets the job done and it’s just great having everything working and automated in HomeKit!

[@tonyvokey7607]

I have Lutron switches for my fans and lights but I chose to go with Hunter Douglas for my motorized window shades. Hunter Douglas is HomeKit compatible and works seamlessly. They are slightly less expensive than Lutron and I thought they had more of a selection. Great video! 🙏

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks Tony! Appreciate the comment! Options are always good. I haven’t had a chance to try Hunter Douglas shades yet but they seem pretty nice too.

[@elevateyourcreativeness]

Shane, great video coverage! I'm all about making sure that the products a person buys works for their personal taste and appearance! I will be glad when all smarthome products all work with Thread or Matter, thus eliminating the need for all of the extra hubs! I thought I would only have to build one special room for all of my high fidelity theater gear, now I may have to do one just for my Smarthome hubs and router switches. Lol !

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks Gregg! I'll be glad to see that too, but I think we are still pretty far from seeing the day when we won't need any extra hubs.

[@tombe1412]

Well, thank you very much for this great video. It feels like it was made for me specially, after my comment on last weeks video. 😜 This is exactly what I was interested in! Btw are there any manufactures of outside roller shutters that come with HomeKit support?

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks for watching Tom! Glad it was helpful! I’m not too sure about outdoor roller shutters. I think some people have used a relay to automate these, but I haven’t looked too much into that. Not sure if there is anything out of the box available for roller shutters.

[@dannybroddy]

I really like these shades, I watched a few other videos as well on them, they are slick and unlike the ikea shades they are fast and they are perfectly synced. All Lutron products work flawlessly in HomeKit which is a big plus as well. Thanks for sharing!

[@ShaneCreates]

Couldn’t agree more. Thanks for watching Danny!

[@lancebryant2868]

I have not been able to find the method to remove the Serena inside mount honeycomb shades. I have to remove the shades and brackets for painting the trim. Can you possibly point me to a video or maybe somebody can explain how. I'm sure there is an easy method. Thanks

[@brittanyparker-vaughan2881]

My in-laws have these throughout their house and they’re amazing, buuuuuuut daaaaang that price. We’re gonna have to pay our mortgage off first 😂

[@ShaneCreates]

Haha I understand that!

[@ameliaamelia4798]

It’s a steal compared to budget blinds and 3 day blinds.

[@dominica2392]

Shane I love your videos as always! You could build a wood frame 🖼 casing around the window to keep the extra light from coming in on the sides it would truly be blacked out.

[@ShaneCreates]

Thank you! The little bit of light coming through doesn’t bother me much (still MUCH better than before, as mentioned). But that’s a great idea for anyone who is real sensitive to that light or needs complete blackout. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@John110Pinnacle]

Agree that Lutron shades are fabulous. I have a new both a recent Lutron HomeKit version and also some 10 years old, also automated. The reliability is amazing with the shades working everyday for ten years. Also have Somfy, which are good, just not the premium level of Lutron.

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks for watching John! And thanks for sharing your experience also. Amazing they’ve been rock solid for ten years!

[@DW-ph2xg]

Very well explained Shane. Lutron shades are exactly what you have shared with you viewers. I paid 3 times more per shade (🇨🇦) and mine have 16 “D” batteries per shade. No regrets.

[@ShaneCreates]

Wow that’s a lot of $$! The fact that you have no regrets says it all, regarding the quality and reliability of these. Thanks for sharing Doug!

[@NeighborOne]

Going on 9 months with 5 Honeycomb shades. They all go up and down multiple times a day. Still original batteries. $4,000 later and not one complaint.

[@ShaneCreates]

Haha nice! Thanks for sharing Joseph!

[@movingloz]

Omg they’re awesome. Australia here, I’ll have to check out if I can get them here. Really sick of the limitations with HomeKit products here.

[@afmm007]

They are amazing, Ive got these setup everywhere. And where you have side like leaks, you just need some shade aluminum track, its a fitting sort of setup, however it does get it done and looks super high end. Also, add some night stand remotes.

[@ShaneCreates]

That’s great, thanks for sharing! I’ll have to look into that.

[@63GBPackerfan]

Our whole house has the Lutron Serena shades and we couldn’t be happier. They rock.

[@ShaneCreates]

Wow I bet that’s amazing!

[@63GBPackerfan]

@@ShaneCreates Once we got the first shades installed, we did the rest of the house in installments. They are very pricey, but you get what you pay for. We have all honeycomb ones. The battery life definitely varies. Even though they don’t recommend it, we have used rechargeable batteries without any issues. Great work on your channel BTW. I have pretty much converted our whole home into a smart home. My only issue is the HOOBS. I only use it for my Ring cameras, but I have to restart it daily.

[@ShaneCreates]

Very nice, thanks for sharing. And thanks for the kind words! Sounds like you’ve got a pretty great HomeKit setup!

[@JasonRaneses]

Just completed a retrofit of my entire place with Lutron, some 75 switches. One you start it’s hard to stop. 😊

[@ShaneCreates]

Wow, that's awesome!

[@TheQuietCornerofYoutube]

Is Lutron available In the UK as I can’t find them anywhere :/

[@Mr.Tec01]

cheaper version on Amazon…same custom made half the price…I connect them to homekit with Hoobs…spent 700 for all three and the bridge…they are AWESOME! know how you feel

[@ameliaamelia4798]

Great video!

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks!

[@m.j.r.technologyreveiws1075]

For such a hefty price, a practical use of the solar energy coming from outside the window should definitely have been incorporated into the product.

[@danoliver7161]

Shane have you tried the lutron smart PRO bridge? With the Pro bridge and Hoobs Pico Plug-in you can use pico remotes to control other non-lutron devices. Better than a Flic button

[@ShaneCreates]

No, I only have the regular Lutron smart bridge, not the pro.

[@geek2330]

One final question, since you mentioned the small opening on the sides and light coming thru, did you measure the window exactly but they still trim it a little bit to be on the safe side? Wondering if one needs to order but then add a quarter of an inch so it covers the sides completely?

[@ShaneCreates]

It probably depends on the mounting style you go with. Mine were inside mounted, meaning I mounted them inside the window frame (yes I did measure exact). That also means I couldn’t add a quarter of an inch because the mount and head unit wouldn’t have fit. The head unit of mine fits in just perfect. But that is probably something you could do for outside mounted shades as it wouldn’t matter as much to be exact.

[@geek2330]

@@ShaneCreates Yes, I'd also do inside mount as well. So if you measured exactly, it looks like they base the cutting for the head board but the width of the fabric is a tad shorter. I personally like complete blackout for sleeping

[@PerMejdal]

Well, I cannot find a homepage where you can choose and customize the blinds showed in the video… The link in the description no longer works, and searching did not give any meaningful results.

[@ShaneCreates]

The first link in the video description should work and can take you to the Lutron website where you can customize your blinds. Maybe it's a region issue?

[@ktkyletaylor8212]

We are currently picking out shades for our entire home and have decided to go with Hunter Douglas and their Powerview (Homekit) shades. Pretty nervous about this move, since it’s quite an investment. My gut wanted to go with Lutron, but it just didn’t work out that way. Fingers crossed 🤞🏼.

[@lvandcrpt1]

Let me know how those work out for you. I’m torn between them and the Serena shades

[@ShaneCreates]

Good luck Kyle! Follow up and let us know what you think once you get them!

[@kdm313]

Great review. As with most things. You get what you pay for.

[@estusflask982]

What is that light at 15:34

[@ShaneCreates]

Xiaomi bedside lamp 2. (old) video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaumg42Jja6si6s

[@danieldismassantana]

You mentioned the wood ones are not compatible with Siri. So that means that aren’t compatible at all with HomeKit ?

[@ShaneCreates]

Yes, that is correct.

[@danieldismassantana]

@@ShaneCreates I missed that when I ordered mine. I talked to the install tech though, he said he worked for Lutron before. So he might have a way to make it work.

[@beerymr]

Shane, appreciate your reviews. A single question. Have you purchased any Lutron Serena shades with your own money? This response will add some balance to the review.

[@ShaneCreates]

The only Lutron Shades I have are the two in the bedroom, both were provided to me for review.

[@beerymr]

@@ShaneCreates Thanks. They look incredible, but that’s a ludicrous price.

[@kill-quest]

If your interested in how to cut out the light leakage on the edge the youtuber “Get Hands Dirty” had a great video on this topic. It’s not the easiest thing to do, but you seem more than capable enough

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks for the tip! I’ve heard that Lutron may even sell channels that you can install to help this also. Definitely worth looking into. Thanks!

[@Daksap]

You are funny man. Did you get more after installing the Lutron shades? 😅

[@Humphrey181]

Here’s a question I’ve ever seen addressed. How do you transfer a smart home to a new owner? What do we need to look out for? What work is required by the new owner?

[@ShaneCreates]

I suspect most things will usually move with the owner, but I guess not everything will. Most devices will need to connect to the network in some way. So it’ll depend on the devices, but I imagine most will need to be factory reset and reconfigured by the new owner and connected to the new owner’s network.

[@rgarza7264]

“hands down probably one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had trying to connect a smart device to HomeKit…” Have you ever tried adding a Wemo device to HomeKit? 😂 I enjoy my IKEA shades. I agree it was a weird process to get them paired to the bridge and took a couple of tries.

[@ShaneCreates]

Haha yea I’ve got a couple of wemo light switches. Didn’t really have any problems with those personally. I wanted to smash that Ikea hub with a hammer before I was done with it LOL.

[@geek2330]

@RG3 I heard bad things about WEMO but I bought a smart plug on sale at Costco and it has been working rock solid for a month every night turning on/off an outside light and it installed easy to HomeKit.

[@nicodlttr5261]

Cool video, cool curtains! They really look perfect, but we have to be honest, for that much money they should be! I am also curious about the EVE/Coulisse curtains. It's been a while since I've heard of it. Knowing EVE products it will also be great. And hopefully they are a little less expensive too! What is most annoying in the EU is that it is difficult to find good switches that are affordable. Yes, EVE now has 1 with thread. But 100€ each! You don't fill a whole house with that!

[@ShaneCreates]

Yes, it will be interesting to see what Eve does with the curtains… I’m also looking forward to that. Eve products are a little pricey too, but they are quality. Also, they pretty much have the market for homekit Thread products, so I think people are willing to pay. I’m excited to see where it all goes over the next couple of years.

[@midgeta6864]

You might want to check out OmniaBlinds, just announced HK with Thread! Custom sizes and materials also with free shipping worldwide.

[@ShaneCreates]

Yes, that is the partnership between Eve and Coulisse, but they aren't available just yet. Eve makes really great products for HomeKit so I'm very excited to see this hit the market as well.

[@StreetsToRemember]

Hi there, why haven’t you done any video on the whole IKEA Tradfri eco system? I hear that eco system is mature now. Would be great to see

[@ShaneCreates]

Well, as mentioned in this video, I tried the Tradfri hub with the shades and it was a terrible experience for me. I returned the hub, as well as the blinds. If it went a little smoother, I would have gotten some more Ikea Tradfri products to try out with the hub. But after that experience I didn't want anything to do with that hub. Maybe it's something I'll revisit one of these days. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@BrianABowlin]

Lowes has a relatively inexpensive option ($100-$150) that you should look into. A friend of mine has these all through his house. Search for Allen & Roth Roller Motorized 23-in x 72-in Gray Blackout Cordless Motorized Roller Shade

[@ShaneCreates]

HomeKit compatibile?

[@BrianABowlin]

@@ShaneCreates No, not out of the box, but I believe there is a hub that you can use with it that is HomeKit compatible.

[@tharais]

Shane: Right on about getting what one pays for. There is a lot of cheap, copycat, junk being sold these days. Especially in HA. And especially over the internet. I got a cheap (

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks for the comment Tom. Sorry to hear about the experience with your blinds. It's tough to spend that kind of money, but I agree... sometimes going with a brand that has a proven track record like Lutron can save many headaches, and probably even money, down the road.

[@laiblegurevitch]

Eve has shades now

[@artieartya]

Wow. Is there really a market for $700 shades for one bloody window??! This is complete madness.

[@Dis2good]

Yes! Worth every penny!

[@graffmixer]

Great video and great product but the major thing for me is the price. Paying $349 (my window dimensions) for one shade is crazy and for a premium product, why does it use D batteries??? Do they still make D batteries??? 😂😂😂 . Great product. Think Lurton should think of lowering their prices

[@jbarajasp]

He changed the beginning saying easy instead of affordable hehe

[@ShaneCreates]

Haha I did that a long time ago…like over a year ago. The problem I found is that “affordable” is relative. What’s affordable to one person is not to another and people always had issue with that no matter how inexpensive a product was. So now I’ll just show ya’ll the stuff, keep it simple, and let you decide what’s affordable. 😉

[@BlazerRox]

Throwing shade at Ikea...sorry I couldn't help it

[@ShaneCreates]

😂😂🤣

[@lvandcrpt1]

The real question is what does the Mrs think?

[@ShaneCreates]

She loves them. They are staying! 😃

[@shadow.banned]

$350 or no deal.

[@Gzus]

Yikes! Over $700 for a single window? No thanks.

[@midgeta6864]

Waaaaay too much $$$$$!

[@Polkster13]

You get what you pay for. These are "Premium" blinds and they have the fit and finish that goes with that term. They are also custom made, one-at-a-time, so there is significant building costs in offering that choice. These are not mass produced like other products, where you can get cost savings by having scope of scale. I recently had a client replace just the windows in their house because they didn't feel like they were as energy efficient as they could be. They paid over $78,000 USD for just that one project. They are doing a lot of renovations to their house. I couldn't afford that but I am happy that they could and that it will make them happy. So, yes these are expensive; but if you consider they are made by hand, one-at-a-time, with many, many options, with a premium fit and finish, then they are probably priced correctly for what you are getting. They are also going to be out of the budget for a lot of people but that is not Lutron's fault. Like Shane said, "You get what you pay for."

[@midgeta6864]

@@Polkster13 No one said they aren’t worth it. Just too much for the average homeowner (myself included)…. I too am happy for those who can and sorry for those who can’t. Same with $78000 windows.

[@anthonywall1228]

ikea shades SUCK!. Lutron is the way to go if you're smart is home built around Homekit.

[@birdseye2059]

bec. ikea didnt send you for free lutron did