Lutron’s Serena Smart Wood Blinds are a pricey, but delightful addition to a smart home. © My cat looked up in interest the first time the shades moved, but then went back to his nap. If you want a more formal look, Lutron also sells a wallplate bracket that gives the Pico remote a built-in look, but it depends on the presence of a junction box in the wall. Lutron 3-Button with Raise/Lower Pico Remote for Caseta Wireless Smart Lighting Dimmer Switch, PJ2-3BRL-WH-L01R, White 4.8 out of 5 stars 999 $14.95 $ 14 . Even if you aren’t very handy, installation should take no more than 30 minutes. The Serena’s head rail pivots down to expose its battery compartment. You will receive a verification email shortly. Lutron also offers an optional back cover that not only reduces the amount of light leaking around the top of the shade when mounted inside the window frame, it also hides the mounting brackets when the shade is viewed from outside the window. But needing to set up two sets of rules using two apps instead of one just isn’t that big of a deal, especially since creating rules tends to be a one-time thing that only needs to be performed when you add a new component to your system. ... including several styles of automatic HomeKit window shades from Lutron… New York, Or, if you have a Nest Cam, it can turn on your Lutron-connected lights if the camera sees a person while you're away. Lutron controls are designed to look and work beautifully. The biggest knock on these shades is that they’re expensive. But I haven’t found the advantage of incorporating all my smart home devices into a single smart home app to be all that important. 95 $21.00 $21.00 Put together, they’re a no-brainer. Lutron's Serena smart shades aren't cheap by any stretch, but they let you further automate your home's devices. When ordering the shades online at Lutron's website you get myriad options, including shade type (honeycomb or roller), fabric (there are 150 types), opacity and color. Serena shades are more expensive than much of the competition, but Lutron delivers some great features in return for the extra coin. Learn more. Personally, I’ll deal with the batteries. For sure. One panel can power up to 10 honeycomb-style shades, but the panel costs $800—plus the cost of the electrician to install it. Our review will provide insights on how to install these smart devices as well as learn the pros and cons of smart shades … I selected one of their light blocking shades … See what GearBrain found while testing Lutron Serena smart Shades in a real home. Solar shades … If you’re installing more than one Serena shade in a room, Lutron’s $89 4-Group RF Remote Control can control up to four shades, either individually or all at the same time. Available in insulating honeycomb and roller styles, Serena shades offer a wide … Even assuming you don’t need the Lutron bridge, the same-size Serena shade would still cost $88 more. For one room, Alexa responds just fine to … A difference of 1.3dB isn’t likely to impact your satisfaction level with either product, especially once you’ve grown accustomed to the sound of the shades opening and closing, but it’s a difference worth reporting. The smaller (33.5 x 58-inch) Graber shade I reviewed in October had a list price of $483, including a simple two-button remote. Serena by Lutron motorized shades are more expensive than some alternatives, but they’re both a little higher end and a better choice for less-experienced DIYers and folks who might not be interested in pursuing a complete smart home system. That renders the Lutron app and bridge combo a pretty good smart home system all on its own. Once the shades arrived, I found it pretty easy to install them. Unlike lights, which get turned on multiple times a day, how often do you raise or lower your blinds? Somewhat confusingly, the Alexa app only has on-screen controls for "Off" or "On," which raises or lowers the blinds completely, but you can also say "lower shades 50 percent," and they’ll close halfway. There was a problem. Serena by Lutron Smart Wood Blinds review: Pretty enough, but also pretty expensive Wood blinds look more elegant than fabric shades, but their greater mass limits the onboard motor in … I found that to be accurate. Today's best Lutron Serena Smart Shades deals, We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices, Our Favorite Smart Home Gadgets and Systems, Chiefs vs Saints live stream: How to watch NFL week 15 game online, Microsoft reportedly making own Surface ARM chips to copy MacBook M1, Bears vs Vikings live stream: How to watch NFL week 15 game online, OnePlus 9 could fix the worst thing about OnePlus phones, Samsung Galaxy S21 release date, price, specs and leaks, Works with Alexa, Google Home, and HomeKit. Sync Serena smart blinds and shades with … Serena connects with more smart home brands than any other smart shade. Product Details. Lutron’s app doesn’t make you guess what the shade will look like at 20 percent. If you don't have any other Lutron products (such as its Caseta smart plugs), you'll also need a Lutron Caseta bridge ($80) to connect the shades to your Wi-Fi network. Both remotes depend on the presence of that bridge, however, so neither of them will let you escape that cost. Ultra-quiet and easy to install, Serena by Lutron shades … It took a little less than four weeks for me to receive mine after I placed the order. But I found the motor in the Serena shade to be very slightly quieter than the Somfy motor Graber uses. Compare that to a 9.6dB increase for the Graber shade. However, unlike a smart plug or light bulb that might cost $50 tops, smart shades are a serious investment. Lutron custom-builds the shades, then ships them to your home. Options include whether you want to get shades that need to be plugged in or ones that run on D-cell batteries. All you need is the Lutron App and Smart Bridge. Serena shades are more expensive than much of the … Once installed, the shades responded nearly instantly to both the app and the remote. I could also group the Serena shades with other devices, so that when I say "Alexa, Goodnight," the shades would drop down, the lights would turn off and the thermostat would lower its temperature. Lutron’s Serena shades often come with complex arrangements that would be a technician’s dream, but an inexperienced assembler’s nightmare. With Lutron, you can create end-to-end human centric lighting control solutions from a single provider. Using IFTTT, you can also create a scenario where the shades will automatically lower if your smart thermostat rises above a certain temperature. Those features are apparent in both the shade’s industrial design and its ease of use. Would it be easier? You’ll need additional spacers if your window trim is thicker than a 1/2 inch. Lutron Caseta Review: The smart, reliable lighting solution For the most part, everyone else is always gushing about how good these Lutron switches are. But they’re a fraction of the cost of our other picks, and they work with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant. Keep in mind, though, that choosing textured fabrics and colors other than white will cause the price of the blinds to quickly skyrocket. Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. In the realm of home automation, it seems like you can get pretty much anything anymore. Discover wired and wireless automated shading solutions - Palladiom, Sivoia, Triathlon. We steer you to products you'll love and show you how to get the most out of them. In terms of quality of material and build quality, this round would be a tie between Serena and Graber. They're well-thought-out shades, but their price will keep them out of reach for most. TechHive |. Unlike traditional shades, Lutron's Serena smart shades don't have exterior cords to raise and lower them. The optional back cover hides the head rail’s mounting brackets, contributing to a cleaner finish when viewed from the other side of the window. Serena smart shades might be the smartest smart home product I've encountered. But if you’ve previously purchased any Lutron Caséta lighting or ceiling fan controller, you already have the bridge and the app that goes with it. While this means you can only control them using an app or a remote, it also means that a child will not be able to accidentally strangle themselves. Shades – While both systems are compatible with Lutron Shades, there are a couple of differences. As I said earlier, Serena shades cost more than Graber’s product, although the price differential is less stark if you already own a Lutron bridge. Serena smart shades offer the beauty, luxury, and quality of a Lutron motorized shade at a more affordable price. It is also compatible with Apple’s HomeKit technology. The $25 Pico remote is relatively tiny at 1.25 inches wide by 2.5 inches high, and it’s wafer thin. They can be programmed to work fully automatically, so they open when the sun rises and close when … When ordering the shades online at Lutron's websiteyou get myriad options, including shade type (honeycomb or roller), fabric (there are 150 types), opacity and color. Ikea is bringing some smart shades to the U.S. in April, so it may be worth the wait to see how much they’ll cost, and how well they work. The model reviewed here requires six D cells; smaller shades or shades with lighter fabrics get by with varying numbers of AA cells. Human centric lighting is a broad approach to lighting that changes over time to … Next, I had to connect the Lutron Bridge to my router with the included Ethernet cable, though I wish the company would develop a Wi-Fi version. You can pair the remote with a single shade or have it control all the shades in a single room. Lutron’s five-button Pico remote for controlling its Serena shades is excellent, but it will add $25 to your bill for each shade you order. Serena Shades by Lutron Electronics Review. Please refresh the page and try again. For other home-automation gadgets, be sure to check out our best smart home devices page. I also opted to get a pico remote ($25), which let me raise and lower the shades without needing to open the app on my phone. Lutron makes some of our favorite smart switches and plugs, so we’ve long been curious about its Serena motorized window shades. Lutron’s app lets you create scenes with disparate components in your smart home, including Sonos speakers (smart and otherwise). Lutron has been very good about integrating its smart-home products with other services; not only do the Serena shades work with Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings and Apple's HomeKit, but you can also pair Lutron's products with thermostats from Honeywell, Nest, Carrier, and Ecobee, as well as Sonos systems. Options include whether you want to get shades that need to be plugged in or ones that run on D-cell batteries. I chose the latter, mainly for aesthetic reasons: I didn't want a cord dangling from the top of my window. I registered a 8.3dB increase in noise level while the shade was opening from fully closed to fully open. The Pico Remote’s size makes it easy to misplace, but you can mount a plastic block to the wall and slide the remote onto it, so the shades can be controlled from the wall just like a light switch. Shades … Copyright © 2020 IDG Communications, Inc. Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2018 Apparently, despite Lutron's strength in blinds and shades, the Alexa support for blinds and shades is appalling. NY 10036. Michael covers the smart-home, home-entertainment, and home-networking beats, working in the smart home he built in 2007. The back cover prevents some light leakage around the head rail, but it’s not perfect. Ultra-quiet and easy to install, Serena by Lutron shades provide industry leading battery performance and can be controlled by either a handheld remote control or mobile device. Visit our corporate site. The fabric itself feels very high end, though, and the entire shade is quite attractive both when closed or partially open. Alternatively, you can mount the shade outside the window frame or above it. When you need to replace the batteries, simply flip two levers and the battery compartment drops down. 88 more do the work $ 21.00 $ 21.00 $ 21.00 Serena shades are more expensive much! 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