I recently moved into a new apartment and since I’m trying to live in three smart home ecosystems at once – Apple Home, Google and Amazon Alexa – this was a chance to reset my smart home a bit, weed things out and also add some new smart gadgets.
My new place has lots of windows, which is a major win for natural sunlight, but also lots of classic shades that use a metal bead design for raising and lowering. That’s when I realized: wouldn’t it be great to open or close them with a tap on the app or ask via a smart assistant?
This led me to discover Ryse, maker of SmartShade controllers, bringing plastic or metal bead chains into the 21st century. Yes, it’s not a must-buy, but while it’s expensive, it’s a compelling home automation… and yes, a great party trick.
Wired or battery operated
I tested two SmartShades with batteries, essentially a self-powered version of the controllers that will eventually need recharging. I think they’re probably a better option for renters because you don’t have to look for an outlet to always provide power to the controller.
However, Ryse offers both options – priced at $149.99 for the cable or $199.99 for the battery. The SmartBridge, which allows control outside the home and allows integration with Alexa, Google Home or Apple Home, costs $80. So it’s not the cheapest upgrade in the world, but it aims to do what it sets out to do.
Simple to set up, but you’ll want to keep it safe
The price isn’t cheap, but the SmartShade Controller is a pretty well-built, albeit hefty piece of kit. It’s a rectangle with a pairing and power button on the top, an up and down arrow on the front to raise or lower the window shade, and a place to configure a plastic or metal chain on the back.
People with these types of shades probably know they can be picky, so make sure you install them correctly. Fortunately, the Ryse app for iOS and Android usually guides you well, and the included paper instructions fill in the gap.
However, signing up is easy – create an account, connect to SmartShade and set your open and closed positions. This pair is manual, but once set, the Ryse system is smart enough to know the different phases in between, so you can easily set it to open at 50%, 75% or even 18%.
In my experience, the SmartShade takes about 5-10 minutes to set up, so it takes about 20 minutes for a couple. They then very quickly move to the SmartBridge, enable more advanced control options and set it up using Apple Home, Amazon Alexa or Google Home. This is where the real magic begins, as Ryse offers some light automation, but integration with your preferred system is a little easier.
Whether you used the Ryse app or integrated into a smart home ecosystem, the shades responded quickly to commands—whether they were fully up or down—and even stopped at a more customized location. It also doesn’t make much noise thanks to the motor inside, below a few decibels; Most of the time I was moved by the light bell of the metal chain.
I only ran into one major problem – my top left shade chain actually broke when the Ryse moved it up and down, and that speaks to the need to secure the units pretty well. The SmartShade box includes a mounting bracket with screws; you’ll want to make sure you use it because the controller can’t swing or stand loose when pulling the chain. It will also add weight and add more stress.
If you don’t want to drill, landlords can use some heavy-duty control strips or similar glue, but make sure it’s tight. In the end I was able to fix the metal chain easily, but it’s still not a fun experience. Fortunately, that hasn’t happened to the hard drive or my top right shade since.
So yes, the Ryse SmartShade is an expensive but really handy smart home gadget. It’s a bit of a niche market to add smart controls to chain shades, but it’s probably cheaper than going out and upgrading the entire shade or blind system. I would also say that being able to go into Apple Home or Google Home and quickly adjust the shades, close them in bed or even set the scene for movie night is really useful. It’s also great to ask Siri to do the same.
If you can find one and can afford the cost, the Ryse controller and bridge are great together. I wish there were some integrated smart devices native to the SmartShade, but that’s more at the smart home level.