SwitchBot Curtain In-Depth Review: Automate the Dumb Stuff

[@justinbaker2883]

This is awesome. Blocking and bringing in sunlight can really change your heating/cooling costs especially when you are away from home. Appreciate the review!

[@Chemy.]

Being honest, the most used to have smart devices we are, the more we want, so anything automation and domotics is nice to see even if we are not in that market, video liked as always James

[@coutts_adventures]

Is there any difference in motor noise between the original model and the new switchbot curtain 2?

[@swervature]

1. Thanks for such an in-depth review. I was actually surprised at how much you covered. Great review, as always. 2. To me, this seems as worthless as the Smart Kettle that you can connect to before leaving work and have exactly 143.2 degrees F water when you get home. Maybe it's the 'merican in me who likes tea cold, lol. 3. Does anyone else remember The Clapper? Am I really that old? 4. "Grandpa? Do you remember where were you when Skynet took over?" ** "It all bagan with the remote switches and those curtain closers. That's what pushed the mashines over the line. I was still in America back then. We drank our tea so, so cold in those days..." **

[@MakeUseOf]

Thanks Jake! Can't agree on them being worthless though... I never closed my curtains before testing this out. Just couldn't see the point. With energy prices as they are in England right now (ie. insane), I need any bit of help that I can get to insulate rooms.

[@swervature]

@@MakeUseOf -- Clarify; These are 'useless' to ME, lol. I have only 2 sets of curtains. The windows in my apartment here in Oklahoma all face west. Great in the winter, but oh my god, it turns into an oven in the summer. The first year all I had were mini-blinds. The AC would kick on around 10 in the morning and stay on until after midnight. That was with it set on 75F. I put up sun-blocker curtains and now the AC comes on a few times a day at 71F. They let indirect light in over the tops so I usually leave them closed. I open them in winter to watch the snow, but aside from that my view is the side of a grocery store, lol. I can see where these would be a great help to someone with limited phyical capabilities or wheelchair-bound. I still stand by my Skynet comment, though 😁 "All your curtains are belong to us."

[@frankraym]

Trick if curtain gets stuck put a shower curtain rod cover on top of your current curtain rod

[@jasonmhite]

I hate Switchbot's model of Bluetooth + a cloud based hub. Their products would be so much more interesting with Zigbee. I have their button presser but it's such a pain in the butt to integrate with Home Assistant.

[@MakeUseOf]

Fair point, but I think Zigbee would restrict their potential market. Being bluetooth based means anyone with a smartphone is a potential customer.

[@taizzle70]

Hi Muo where can I buy the new rod 2?

[@MakeUseOf]

Good question, I was under the impression it would be back on the shelves by now. I'll ask our rep.

[@MakeUseOf]

Current batch was sold out - May 20th they'll be back in stock, apparently.

[@taizzle70]

@@MakeUseOf aw man what a bummer. I guess I'll wait till the 20th. Thanks for the info!

[@MakeUseOf]

New purchase link, finally: amzn.to/3wh4sRe !

[@taizzle70]

@@MakeUseOf thank you for all the help and info! I've already purchased it and it's pretty great! I definitely recommend rod2 over rod1. I had major issues with rod1 because i couldn't wait for rod2. Then the company actually reached out and exchanged it for the rod2. awesome people over there

[@therealsharps]

Does it work on trad curtain rail

[@MakeUseOf]

Trad?

[@lwutx3]

How many come in a box?

[@MakeUseOf]

...one

[@chicmaria9]

Cool~

[@Rachel_M_]

Oh yeah, it's such a hassle to open and close my curtain from my bed.... This device would actually be more work and more time consuming 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@08ryanalollipop]

It makes a lot of sense as a nice natural way to wake up in the morning instead of a blaring alarm

[@Rachel_M_]

@@digisam6160 or maybe I could just A) look at the weather report and leave my curtains closed all day, whichbis the best way to keep a room cool. (ask any Australian).... Or maybe I could walk literally feet acroos the room, contributing to my step count. A little forethought and a proactive approach will always be far superior to the reactive, unolanned approach you seem to be advocating for.

[@Rachel_M_]

@@08ryanalollipop 🤔. My bed is by the window. Its sooooooooo much hassle to move my arm litterally inches to close or open the curtains. Takes liiterally seconds. Go to bed at a reasonable time in relation to your wakeup time and you will wake up natirally anyway. (hint, average 8 hours before you wake up). I also have a sleep monitoring app which gently wkes you at the optimum phase of sleep instead of dragging you out of stage 4 sleep. It also records snoring etc and provides a wealth of information over time, such as how moon or weather cycles affect sleep, and makes suggestiins to improve sleep quality. This is exportable as a spreadsheet which can be sent to medical professioals, along with recordings it takes, and can help diagnose issues such as sleep apnoea. £19 a year for all that useful data. If you have issues waking up in the morning I feel sorry for you, but "smart curtains" onky nask the symptoms not the underlying issues. Far better to improve sleep quality through healthy sleep in my opinion. "early to bed and early to rise....." and all that 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@Rachel_M_]

@@digisam6160 ps. As for lamps etc, simple plug in tiners which have been available for decades are a great solution, and probably far more reliable than a smart systen. They are and Established technology 👍

[@Rachel_M_]

@@digisam6160 if you're thay disabled you will have a carer. This device will give carers reason to spend less time with the people they care for. Himan interaction is far more crucial than you have considered..... Any more " 'but what about isms"? Newsflash! Disabled people have been around since befoe computers were even invented, never minds art tech... How did they ever manage bedore 🤔

[@Rachel_M_]

To the creator. Check the misogyny and sexism in my thread below...you lost a sub.

[@MakeUseOf]

I'm not seeing anything, but it's possible they deleted their responses already.

[@Rachel_M_]

@@MakeUseOf does the word "mansplaining" mean anything? Obviously, because i'm a woman, i'm "silly" and don't know how photocells, passive infrared, microwave detectors work.... Despite selling electrical and electronic components for a living.... I was going to start "femsplaining" about all the SMART tech I also sell but evidently he didn't like women having an opinion. I'll get back to tbe kitchen, naked, barefoot and pregnant, and start making his sammich right away...

[@Rachel_M_]

@@MakeUseOf don't worry, I'm used to being a threat to men's fragile egos... I'll take my threat elsewhere

[@Rachel_M_]

@@MakeUseOf pop quiz. What's the current price on 100. 6mm 6242Y? And how does this differ fro 100m 6mm 3x coee SWA? How cheap can you get me a TSB 27 tester? what is the maximum electrical lengthe of a CAT5 cable? What's the best way to prevent NEXT/FEXT. Next t8me you sell a LANTEk 4S certifier let me know..... Check out the price on one 👍