Lights, electronics, and even appliances can be switched on and off with a word. It’s time your curtains get smart, too. Starting today, October 22, you can get the SwitchBot Curtain through its Kickstarter campaign. The Switchbot Curtain is a motorized device you can attach to your existing curtains in minutes. Once installed, you can use voice commands or an app to open and close your curtains.
Voice controls are compatible with Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Siri, and HomePod. If you don’t have a smart hub or speaker, that’s okay. You can use the SwitchBot app on your phone instead, or the wireless remote.
Using the device, users can schedule when they want their curtains to open and close automatically. For example, if you want your curtains to close at sunset and open at sunrise, you can set your preferences in the app. A built-in light sensor can detect when the sun comes up and goes down to trigger open and closing automatically. Or, if you want to sleep in, you can schedule the curtains to open later in the day.
“The ability to automatically wake up to daylight while still going to bed in the true dark can do wonders for sleep and now it’s easy to achieve,” said SwitchBot CEO Connery Lee in a press release. “SwitchBot Curtain also allows you to automatically block out unwanted mid-afternoon sun or make it look as if someone’s home when you go away — it’s a simple solution to a variety of everyday issues.”
The SwitchBot Curtain device can be used with many types of curtains, including U-rail and I-rail track types, and any rod type. To set things up, you connect the hooks that come with the SwitchBot Curtain to your existing curtain rod or rail and you’re done.
“Curtains themselves can be a big investment and it would be a waste to have to get rid of them if you do want to enjoy motorized curtains,” said Lee in the press release. “At SwitchBot, we are big believers in ‘retrofitting’ homes to make them smart instead of simply replacing everything. That was a big part of our inspiration for SwitchBot Curtain — achieving that ‘smart’ lifestyle with minimal excess products.”
The SwitchBot Curtain is powered by a rechargeable battery that lasts 8 to 12 months depending on how often you use it. If changing the battery on your curtains sounds like a drag, you can opt-in for a solar panel add-on.
SwitchBot is available for a special price on Kickstarter of $69. The device has a delivery date of April 2020.
