The Easiest Smart Shades // Affordable & Quick Setup // Ikea Fyrtur

[@sylwestersuchecki9034]

Wow... I loved this video.. Speaking so fast but clear and no wasting time. Nice. Everything I needed to know about this item

[@arlenerenner776]

Thanks! Used your setup sequence on Tredansen paired to Smart Things. Flawless. (Then Alexa auto recognized and added). Easiest cross-system smart implementation I've ever encountered.

[@Themadbread]

Thanks to this video I pulled the trigger on one of those and installed on home assistant using zha+sonoff zigbee with literally zero problems, been a few days and had no issues or anything, only once mounting a cover on top because I really dislike the bare metal look / I accidentally holded the buttons so it resetted itself apart from that it all worked fine thank you for the video!

[@_w_w_]

Wait until your ZigBee connections drop from the mesh... I work on smart home technologies and after years of my work, I find it just silly that everything needs frequent battery replacement or charging... and dealing with RF issues that cause a device to drop from the group. I recently started to remove "smart" things from my home. Once you get up to dozens and dozens of smart items, you are not living in your home anymore, you end up servicing your home with the constant reset, battery management, connection management and so on.

[@MichaelBurko]

@ThisSmartHouse, great video, thanks! Do these report state (% open) and battery % to the Home Assistant?

[@TheDropForged]

I have had these blinds for probably about 2 years now here in the UK. I used these with SmartThings in the beginning and they worked absolutely perfectly every single time. But then I moved to Home Assistant about a year ago and like you mentioned, connection keeps dropping and half the time doesn't work. But my biggest gripe is that the preset drop position keeps falling every few centimetre day by day. What I mean is I set the drop position just above the window sill and gradually it starts dragging along the sill.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Hmm I hadn't noticed the change in the stop point on mine. Did you update the firmware? What are you using with HA, ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT? Things you want to check for your connection issues: #1 is your Wifi vs Zigbee channel, that was a GAME CHANGER for me. They overlap a lot. #2 is your HA's ZigBee stick away from the USB ports on your Pi (or PC)? Use a long USB extension cable #3 What devices you have that act as repeaters? If you don't have a clear path between the hub (or stick), then the commands get lost. I put all of my Aqara / Xaiomi devices in Z2M and I am going to move them back out, they were causing issues. I am working on a dedicated video on troubleshooting ZigBee, so look for that soon.

[@TheDropForged]

@ThisSmartHouse thank you for replying. Honestly I haven't bothered doing anything about it. I am using ZHA but have had this issue since the SmartThings days and firmware was updated at the time. I will look into all of your suggestions and will let you know. By the way love your videos. Also, just to let you know that I have been following you since SmartThings days but apologies for not subscribing at the time.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

I am happy to help! Thanks for being a long time viewer. I hope the quality has improved since the smartthings days.

[@Xenomystus]

That issue is most likely not caused by home assistant. It´s basically planned obsolence.

[@notthesnail]

If you haven't figured this out yet, the stop point seems to change if you haven't raised the shade all the way. I noticed this when I had an automation opening the shades to 1/4 or 1/2 open before closing them at night. It seems that bumping the rollers against the full open limit will reset the closed limit. It must be a design flaw, because I have one (much more expensive) powered roller from a custom blind company and it stops within a mm of the same position every time no matter what. Too bad it's a dumb shade.

[@dowen01]

Dropped you a like simply for that intro 😂 sure the rest of the video is great too

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Thank you! I like throwing in some fun now and again! 🤣

[@MarkGhali]

Love your videos! can you manually open and close these by pulling? or you have to use the buttons on it?

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Thank you! No you have to use the buttons, remote or smart feature to open or close. So if the battery is dead or the motor breaks then you cannot open or close the shade.

[@zolartan4442]

If you have it bound to your hub, no matter which one. native tradfri, ZHA, MQtt, Smartthings, etc... you can use those to precisely set the position then do the double tap on the blind. Don't have to mess around with trying to properly time the stop so its where you want it and having a mismatch between blinds by a slight closed position difference. One thing you do lose if you don't use the ikea hub.. firmware updates, at least easy transparent firmware updates. I have these on all my back windows and the back door. In time I'll add them to the other windows. They are not quiet but they are not very noisy either. they are just a light motor whine as they move. two I mounted on the wall, the rest are in-frame. the wall mounted ones are due to light filtering manual shades I have in those two windows. Using my Ecobee sensors I also have thermal management set up. if room temp > Target+3 , close. You also do not need to create groups in ZtMQTT for Google Home to move them as a group, just place them all in the same room. so I have two in the living room, while the are in a group in the tradfri hub, in google home I have a room called "Living Room" the blinds are placed in it and I can tell google to open/close/set to XX the living room blinds. Though I find Windows not Blinds to be more reliable as GH has a tendency to mistake Blinds for Lights.

[@fugixi]

Regarding your sync issues, could you create an actual zigbee group and control them as one unit that way instead?

[@ThisSmartHouse]

I could create a group in Z2M, but it won't fix the issue because it is an issue between the controller and the shades. But after I changed my ZigBee channel to 13 (I think), I don't have as many problems. They are pretty much rock solid.

[@MrWonszBoa]

Very instructive video - thank you!

[@Cborri]

Can you mount these shades to the outside of the window frame instead of the inside?

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Yes you can. The mounts work either way.

[@Brokenboysoldiers1]

Hello, thank you for your video. Do you think it is possible to change the fabric of the shade to a longer one? Can the motor be configured longer than the initial length? I need a 2m50 shade I was thinking of modifying this one. Many thanks

[@kiril135790]

its not possible

[@Brokenboysoldiers1]

Thanks

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Actually you could if you want. There is a maximum length (all of the shades go the same distance, you can just set the stop point).

[@kiril135790]

@@ThisSmartHouse The problem would be that no more fabric would fit on the roll, either the fabric would have to be thinned out or the holder would have to be rebuilt

[@ThisSmartHouse]

@kiril135790 Very true, I don’t think you can make it any longer than the longest one sold. Unless, as you said, use thinner material. But if you purchased a shorter one, you could make it longer. Up to the maximum size.

[@guywebster8018]

Im very much a get what you paid for kind of guy. I have all google products (camera, chromecast, nest hub) and phillips hue bulbs. Learned the hard way buying cync bulbs. Do NOT buy cync. So I spen a chunk and shocked at how well they work. Had to get govee outdoor strip for my outside patio and I cant even keep the thing connected to my google hub so I just have them set on timers and Bluetooth. One router. Small condo. Easy peasy. My q is will buying say an ikea product will I have the same issues as I did with cync and govee keeping this thing connected to actually work like a smart product by cheaping out?

[@letthatsinkin4128]

Is the included Zigbee repeater something you must use? Or do you only need it if the blinds are far from the Zigbee stick and/or other repeaters in the network? In my case, the blinds are going to be in the same room as the actual Zigbee stick/antenna.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

They are not required it just helps strengthen your ZigBee network.

[@franscene23]

Great video thank you so much

[@ThisSmartHouse]

You are welcome!

[@kylemendoza8860]

Can I pair them with a third party smart button?

[@Reicoy]

Could you use two remotes with a single repeater? I like the idea of having a remote by my bedside and another closer to the windows so i dont need to keep the remote with me.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Are you pairing it to a hub? If so yes, you can make two different remotes to one blind. The repeater will work with any near by device on the same network.

[@saralopez8200]

Can these be left plugged for power? I need a shade for a window in my foyer that is 20 feet up the wall. There’s an outlet next to it.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

No. These have to use the included battery. Unless someone has found a way to hack it.

[@matthewkelly7442]

Does anyone know the depth measurements? Wanting to know if I can fit this in between my plantation shutters and the window.

[@tman984]

can the remote control mutiple blinds without the hub?

[@ThisSmartHouse]

No I don't think so.

[@TL-tm8uz]

My windows actually measure 31.5 inches on the inside. Will the 32 inch blinds fit inside?

[@ThisSmartHouse]

I would double check the dimensions on the IKEA website to make sure they fit. Because if it shows 32 inches then I don't think you are going to get them to fit. If you have an IKEA near by try one and then return if it doesn't fit.

[@JulienGordon]

Depending on battery chemistry, keeping it topped off for three months will eventually ruin it. Lion batteries don't like to be held at full charge for long. Hold them at full charge without using stored energy will damage the battery. Keep Lion batteries at 50% charge till needed then quickly bring them up to needed charge state for better performance.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Are you referring to the spare? I don't leave it plugged in constantly, plus if it dies it is pretty cheap to replace.

[@pjcliffo]

Found your video very helpful. I think these blinds are great and worth every cent but they are a pain to set up and probably put a lot of people off. You made it a bit easier and understandable. Cheers

[@johankarlsson7484]

Any experience with the batterylife?

[@ThisSmartHouse]

It really depends on how often you use them. I would say twice daily (open and close) they will last 3-4 months. But I end up having to change batteries more often because they sometimes drop off my Zigbee network. So I just swap the batteries when that happens.

[@mohafar3429]

What if I fix it outside of the window on the wall (wider width) where there would be a gap in depth between the window and the shades? What would be the issues with that? This way I can solve the issue with the unlatching window width

we have done that inside, and i think the width is not a problem, you don't have to insert it into the window gap, so it is working as intended

[@danev6972]

How many inches is the bracket (the longer part)?..Just got new thicker windows installed and I only have 2.25" to work with-- with inset mounting. Thx.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

I will confirm when I get home (I have one to install) but I think they are around 4". I will verify.

[@danev6972]

@@ThisSmartHouse awaiting for your reply.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

I guess I was a little bit off. The metal part of the bracket is just under 2.5 in. If you include the plastic tablet you used to release the shade it's just under 3 inches.

[@SingaporeDonoghues]

I have a room which will need 7 blinds , do I need to use 7 repeaters plugged in 24/7 ?

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Nope. You can probably get away with 2 or 1. The repeaters just boost the signal, so once you establish your mesh Network it will figure out which repeater is closest and just use it.

[@mtgentry]

@@ThisSmartHousedon’t the other Zigbee items in your house act as repeaters themselves? Why do you need dedicated repeaters? Thanks for the video!

[@lafabricadeluz]

No es necesario, tengo 1 repetidor con 2 cortinas y funciona perfecto

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Other powered devices do repeat however some things like bulbs have problems. So adding extra repeaters in places where you might have a weak signal help.

[@Shaq2k]

Still haven't figured out what to do with the usb cable, lol Anyway, I feel a bit scammed after installing these. The do NOT close out the light. They leak light both on top and on the sides.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

I use the really long cables for all sorts of stuff. As far as the light leaking in it really depends on your windows just like any other shade

[@riyadhalzahrani6280]

Im using alexa as my zigbee hub but the remote control doesn't work

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Alexa would have to support both the shade and remote. I know it works on Zigbee2MQTT, but not sure on Alexa.

[@TwanJaarsveld1]

How to set the limit ?

[@ThisSmartHouse]

I show it in the video. You can set the lower limit by manually moving the shade to where you want it. Then double press the up or down button to set the limit. To clear an old limit just put the shade all the way up and double press up or down.

[@tokyoam]

Don't get scammed - these Ikea Fyrtur blinds break within 1 year. I had 4 of these blinds in the living room and bed room. Unfortunately, Ikea has a 1 year warranty and past 1 year, all 4 blinds broke in a matter of a few months of each other. Save your month - DON'T BUY!

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Like I had mentioned in my review, I had three that broke. It looks like the older versions had a lot of issues.

[@connorlawsonsmith]

@@ThisSmartHouse how does one tell the difference between the “old” version and the “new” version?

[@jakubpatera2548]

Why does it cost 165-245 USD in my country 😢

[@ThisSmartHouse]

They were on sale at my Ikea last time I was there. But they might be updating them soon... What country are you in?

[@christianbiesbrouck1290]

Good video, but unable to use, too fast to quick and visual steps missing the demo only talk. only for young public

[@haraldperryrhoden1986]

You can buy the shades «to large» and cut them to proper fit.

[@55ting55]

Can’t set shade length. Your instructions doesn’t work

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Did you reset the length first? To do this roll the shades all the way to the top, then double press up or down. Then you can set the length manually with the buttons. Once you have the correct length, double tap up or down to lock it in.

[@55ting55]

@@ThisSmartHouse I’ve got it now, seems like the button on the blinds is dirty. I have to press it more than double, more like five or six times to get the blinds to reset its length. Thank you.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

@55ting55 well I'm glad you got it figured out. Maybe a can of air to spray those buttons out. I did find that there's a variation between some of the older blinds, their buttons were flush to the outside versus the new buttons that poke out somewhat.

[@theattorney6072]

Too small measurements unfortunately

[@galdakaMusic]

Expensive

[@ThisSmartHouse]

They are a lot cheaper than the competitors. A regular manual shade is $50 from Home Depot...

[@JB-h4q]

A little fast talker…… I go for 0,75x 😅

[@MahatasinAzad]

The pairing instructions were fast, and incomplete. If you are a beginner, look elsewhere.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

What part didn't you understand? Most viewers stated they were able to follow the instructions.

[@muimuhadresh3986]

Affordable?! Probably not

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Have you priced out motorized shades?

[@Xenomystus]

@@ThisSmartHouse Considering mine are basically slowly failing after 3 years of usage i would not consider them as cheap as it looked like. Loved them for the time but it seems they are constructed badly/planned to be broken after a few years only. One of two is completely broken down now the other one works but began to not have the proper endponints anymore. After a reset seems to be ok but i think it will inevitably fail at some point too.

[@fishburitto3914]

farter

[@ThisSmartHouse]

😂 That's one way to pronounce it.

[@DGraham-i3y]

What's your point? Are you installing imaginary shades on an imaginary van? I hate these shades.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

What is your point?

[@gpbeck]

Sorry but you’re talking way too fast.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Unfortunately that's the game we have to play with youtube. We have to get through as much information as possible in the shortest amount of time to maximize watch time. If it is honestly too fast for you there is a option in the settings in the KZbin player to slow it down to .75

[@htko89]

Set playback speed to 0.75 then. Gear icon on the video controls