We live in an era where time is more precious than ever, but we are still stuck doing errands that demand that precious time we’re never getting back. Even a simple one-minute chore, like shutting windows or opening window blinds, adds up to over 20 days in an average person’s life. But fortunately, we also live in an era where smart appliances can take over these time-consuming tasks. In this article, we will explain how smart windows and shades can give you that one extra minute each day along with convenience, comfort, and utility.

Have control over your smart shades and windows

As with all smart devices, the main and most obvious feature is that you can control your device anytime, from anywhere. Upgrading your shades and windows gives you the convenience of controlling them directly from your smartphone. You can decide which position should your windows be in, as you would with conventional windows, but without having to actually go to them. Control also means you can check on them at any time and anywhere, and adjust them as you please.

Let’s see how making your windows and shades smart can actually improve your life.

6 Benefits of smart windows and shades

Opening your windows and adjusting your shades may not be the most tedious and exhausting errand, but it still is an errand. Each time your room is too bright, too dark, too hot, or too stuffy, you have to stand up and take care of it. Smart windows and blinds will take care of that for you.

1. Smart shades and windows simplify your life

Even if that extra minute per day doesn’t quite convince you, there are still many reasons to upgrade your regular shades and windows. Making them smart means that they’re operated by a motor, which is hooked to a controller which communicates with your smartphone via a specialized gateway. This allows you to operate your windows and blinds remotely, without any strain, right from the comfort of your couch. Even if the couch you’re currently resting on is in another country, you can still access your smart home hub and close that window you accidentally left open.

But wait, there’s more. Smart shades and windows can also be programmed to work on their own – they can follow predefined rules, or be paired with other smart devices and act according to their input or output. This way, they can be automated to open and close when they’re supposed to, relieving you not only from having to operate them but also from having to think about them.

2. Wake up in a natural and smart way

Alarm clocks are fine, and they do what they’re supposed to, but not without shaking you violently from your peaceful sleep and making you miss the ending to that exciting dream you were having.

Smart window shutters can be set to let the first rays of sunshine in your room, serving as nature’s alarm clock and ensuring a much smoother transition from the world of dreams to the actual world. And in case you’re not a morning person, they will faithfully keep all the sun’s rays out of your room until you’re ready to take on the day.

Either way, the choice is yours to make.

3. Add some extra security and protection to your home

Leaving your home and realizing you forgot to close your window shutters, or even windows, can be pretty frightening, but not if both are smart appliances. By turning your blinds, shades, and windows into smart blinds, shades, and windows, you’ll never have to worry about this again. This way you can lower your shades and close your windows remotely, or have them do that automatically, and thus preventing any potential damage to your property.

Although less obvious, smart shades can also help keep your home safer from intruders, and intervene in case of a break-in. In such case, the blinds will open, alerting your neighbours and passerby and enabling them to call the authorities in time.

If a mishap of some other kind happens, such as a fire, blinds and windows will automatically open, exposing every possible escape route.

To relieve you from unnecessary stress while on vacation, smart blinds can simulate your presence by opening and closing as they normally do, and thus discouraging any potential burglars from acting. And to give you some extra sense of security while home, windows and blinds can automatically shut all potential entry points to your house, letting you sleep even tighter.

4. Smart windows and shades help with heating, cooling and lighting

Smart shutters can work together with the heating system to open up and let the sun heat your room to a comfortable temperature, and closing, when that temperature is reached, to prevent overheating. By simply collaborating with the heating system’s thermostat, smart shutters help control the temperature in your home, leaving your AC and heaters switched off longer.

This way, your home will be filled with natural heat (or stay naturally cold), making the home cozier and making you more environmentally friendly.

Harness the power of the sun even further and light your rooms up with natural sunlight. Let the smart shades do the work in your stead, let them send the sun’s rays into your room, making it brighter and cozier.

And as a bonus, nature will be grateful for each minute you left your light off and read your book on the sunlight instead.

5. Smart technology saves you money

Apart from making your home cozier on their own, smart shades help you decrease your heating, cooling and even lighting needs. There are several actions with which smart shades can help decrease your bills, such as:

• Allowing the sun to heat your room during the day in winter,
• Lowering during the winter nights, providing some extra insulation and preventing heat from escaping your home,
• Lowering during hot summer days and deflecting excess heat,
• Greatly decreasing the demand for artificial light by lighting the room with natural sunlight.These points prove that smart shades are not only an exciting addition to your home but also a sound investment. They directly help decrease your heating and electricity bills and, in some cases, even eliminate the need for an AC unit altogether.

6. Make privacy cocerns a thing of the past

Our home is a place where we feel safe from the outside world, a place when we do things our way, a place where we can enjoy some privacy. Windows, however, are literally holes in walls, which may block the outside from coming inside, but not from seeing inside.

With smart shades, you won’t have to worry whether your neighbor from across the street or people passing by your house being curious about your whereabouts. They can be set to lower at dusk – or at any other time that’s convenient to you – and let you enjoy your free time in private.

Easy to integrate

Much like other smart devices, smart shades and blinds can be easily integrated into your smart home and taught to work together with other devices. There are many controllers on the market, compatible with any motorized windows and shades. And this technology isn’t limited to only one type of shades, you can automate your indoor shades, outdoor shades, blinds, even curtains – pretty much anything that covers your windows and has a motor attached to it.

Maybe you’ve always wanted your windows to open each time you turn the radio on, but couldn’t – then you’re just one set of smart windows away from this. But maybe you want something more realistic, something more convenient out of this technology. We’ve already mentioned several features smart blinds and windows offer by being paired with other devices – acting according to room temperature, the sun’s brightness, the weather outside, the current time – but this technology offers you much more. A great example is pairing them with voice control, thus giving you control over them even when you forgot your smartphone in the other room.

Be part of the future

There is one more reason why you’d love smart shades and windows we can think of, even though it’s less practical. Like most smart devices, they are simply a great gadget to have, whether it’s for your comfort, utility or just making your friends jealous. Smart windows and blinds are definitely a part of the tomorrow that you can already start using today.

To conclude, smart shades and windows are new and exciting additions to any smart home or a great way to start turning a regular home into a smart one. Whether you’re a tech person, an average Joe or just someone who needs an extra minute of free time per day, these devices will save you time, save you money and simply make your home more convenient. Now that sounds like a sound investment!