Mark’s Tech Vlogs takes a deep dive into the Canisteo Smart Dual Shades, exploring their features, installation process, and real-world performance. If you’re looking for high-quality, Matter-compatible smart blinds, this review is for you!

📺 Watch the full review on YouTube: Canisteo Smart Dual Shades Review

Why Choose Custom Smart Blinds?

One of the best things about custom blinds is that they fit your windows perfectly. I’ve reviewed a few different custom blinds on my channel, and today, I’m covering Canisteo’s offerings, what I ordered, how I installed them, and my experience using them over the past few weeks.

Canisteo Smart Blinds – Features & Ordering Process

Canisteo offers a wide range of smart blinds, including:

• Zebra blinds
• Roman shades
• Woven cellular shades
• Roller shades
• Dual shades (which I tested)
• Outdoor shades

These come in various colors and blackout levels, and you can even order material samples before making a purchase.

Motorization & Smart Home Integration

All Canisteo shades are motorized, which means no cords or wands, keeping your setup neat and child-safe. Pricing starts at just over $100 for roller shades, increasing depending on the type and size.

For my setup, I chose the Dual Shades, which feature both a blackout shade and a semi-transparent privacy shade, providing full control over light and privacy.

Choosing the Right Motor

Canisteo offers multiple motor options:

• Standard Motor (included, remote-controlled)
• Alexa Motor (+$50 for Dual Shades, +$25 for most others)
• Z-Wave Motor (+$100 for Dual Shades, +$50 for most others)
• Matter over Thread Motor (+$160 for Dual Shades, +$80 for most others)

I opted for the Matter over Thread motor, which provides maximum smart home flexibility, working with: ✅ Apple Home
✅ Home Assistant
✅ Alexa
✅ SmartThings
✅ Google Home

Another choice is battery vs. wired power. I prefer battery-powered blinds combined with solar panels ($50 per blind)—this way, they never need charging.

Ordering & Installation Process

When ordering, you’ll need to:

1. Select color & blackout level
2. Choose motor type
3. Select power option (battery or wired)
4. Decide on inside or outside mount
5. Provide measurements (all in inches, even for international orders)
6. Choose valance & bottom rail style
7. Select motor side & additional accessories (solar panel, remote, etc.)

💰 Total Cost for My Order: $750
📦 Includes free shipping & cheaper than UK competitors

After ordering, manufacturing is done in China and shipped via FedEx.

Unboxing & Installation

What’s in the box?

• Blinds
• Screws & raw plugs
• Installation instructions

Installation Time: About 1 hour (for Dual Shades)
The Dual Shades are Canisteo’s trickiest blinds to install, mainly because you have to install two blinds in one frame. I also added a white valance, making precise mounting even more crucial.

Pairing with Apple Home (Matter over Thread)

Super easy setup:

1. Put the blinds in pairing mode
2. Open Apple Home and tap +
3. Scan the QR code
4. Name the blinds & assign them to a room

Since Dual Shades have two blinds (privacy & blackout), you need to pair each one separately.

Real-World Performance

After testing these for a few weeks, here’s my experience: ✅ Automation works flawlessly – My blackout blinds close at sunset and open in the morning via Apple Home.
✅ Fast response time – I can control them via Apple Home app or Siri voice commands.
✅ High-quality material – Sturdy fabric that even survived my cats pulling at them!
✅ Solar panels work great – Haven’t needed to charge them manually.

Downsides?

1. Cost – Custom smart blinds are expensive.
2. Depth Requirement for Dual Shades – Needs about 10cm clearance for a full inside mount.

Final Verdict: Are Canisteo Smart Shades Worth It?

Absolutely! These smart blinds are reliable, easy to automate, and provide excellent blackout & privacy control. Canisteo offers a great selection of custom shades, making them a fantastic choice for any smart home enthusiast.

🔗 Get your Canisteo Smart Blinds here: CanisteoBlinds.com
📺 Watch my full review on YouTube: Canisteo Smart Dual Shades Review

🚀 Like, comment, and subscribe over on YouTube for more smart home tech reviews!

The post Canisteo Smart Dual Shades with Matter Review appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

You can watch my video review of these blinds here.

What is SmartWings?

SmartWings is a company that manufactures custom blinds with smart motors, remote controls, and optional solar panels, shipping worldwide. While they are registered in Austin, Texas, their shades are manufactured and shipped from China.

SmartWings reached out and offered to send me a set of custom blinds to review. While I didn’t pay for the blinds, this is not a sponsored review, and SmartWings had no input on my opinions.

Ordering and Customization Options

On the SmartWings website, you can choose from a variety of blinds, including:

• Roman Shades
• Zebra Shades
• Roller Shades
• Woven Wooden Shades

These blinds also come with different blackout options and colors, allowing for customization to match your home decor. The set I received were white Roman shades with 100% blackout.

Pricing starts at £139 for filtering shades (24” width x 24” drop), with additional costs based on size and motor selection. Here’s a breakdown of the motor options:

• Standard Motor (USB-C, Remote-Controlled) – Free
• Zigbee or Alexa Motor – £30
• Z-Wave Plus Motor – £56
• HomeKit Motor with Thread – £80
• Matter Over Thread Motor – £95

I opted for the Matter Over Thread motor for flexibility in my Apple-centric smart home. You can also add a solar panel for £50 to keep your blinds charged indefinitely.

For reference, my custom blinds (39 ¾” wide x 65” high, Matter Over Thread motor, remote, and solar panel) would have cost £403.

Setup and Installation

The blinds arrived well-packed, taking about a week to arrive from China. The package included:

• Blinds
• Solar panel
• Remote
• USB-C charging cable
• Screws, wall plugs, and instructions

Installation was straightforward:

1. Secure the two mounting brackets on the window frame or wall.
2. Clip the blinds into place.
3. Attach the solar panel and plug it into the USB-C port.
4. Hold the setup button for six seconds until the blinds respond.
5. Scan the included Matter QR code in Apple Home to complete the setup.

I assigned the blinds to a room and added them to my morning and evening automation routines in Apple Home. Everything worked seamlessly, and I could easily control them via Siri, my Apple Watch, or the Home app.

Design & Build Quality

The Roman shades I received feel premium and durable, with a textured fabric. The motor housing is about 10 cm deep, slightly protruding from my window, but the design ensures it’s only visible from the side or underneath.

For those worried about battery life, the built-in battery lasts 6-8 months per charge, and the solar panel keeps it topped up in sunnier weather.

Daily Use & Performance

I’ve been using these blinds for a few weeks now, and they have been incredibly reliable. My HomePod Mini acts as a Matter hub, and the blinds open and close on schedule every time. Response time is around 2 seconds, and they operate quietly at 35dB.

The cordless design is also a plus, especially for pet owners.

Verdict: Are SmartWings Blinds Worth It?

SmartWings offers high-quality, custom smart blinds that work well, are easy to install, and integrate seamlessly with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, and more. While they are pricey, they are more affordable than UK-made smart blinds and hold up well against competitors like BlindsMagic.

If you’re looking for a reliable and stylish smart blind solution, SmartWings is worth considering.

🔗 Purchase SmartWings Blinds Here

Have questions? Leave a comment below! And don’t forget to subscribe for more smart home reviews.

The post SmartWings Matter-Compatible Custom Blinds Review: Are They Worth It? appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

If you’re going to buy either we recommend reading our full reviews. You can read our SOMA Tilt 2 review here and our Switchbot Blind Tilt review here.

Switchbot Blind Tilt vs SOMA Tilt 2 – Price Guide

Let’s kick off with how much these devices are going to set you back.

When purchasing either of these devices it’s important to remember that for out-of-home control and compatibility with services such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT and other services you’re going to need a Switchbot Hub Mini for the Switchbot Blind Tilt or a SOMA Connect for the SOMA Tilt 2.

The actual Switchbot Blind Tilt will set you back £70 (with discounts for multiple purchases) whereas the SOMA Tilt 2 costs £130.

For the Hubs the Switchbot Hub Mini will cost you £30 compared to £60 for the SOMA Connect. It’s worth noting that the SOMA Connect is a Raspberry Pi so if you have your own you can download the software free from the SOMA website.

SOMA Tilt 2 and Switchbot Blind Tilt – The Designs

Both have very different designs thanks to how they work.

The SOMA Tilt has a block rectangular design with rounded edges and is designed to stick to your wall or window frame. It has a flexible rod that connects to your blinds and an included solar panel which sticks to your window. The cable with the solar panel is pretty long which means you’ll need to work out some cable management.

The Switchbot Blind Tilt on the other hand is made up of two cylinders with the aim of matching the shape of your blind rod as it attaches to that. Much like the SOMA Tilt 2 it’s completely white but looks far more hidden than the Tilt 2 thanks to it attaching to your blinds. The Blind Tilt also has a solar panel but with a shorter cable and built in cable management it looks much tidier.

This means that whilst design is subjective and down to personal opinion we actually prefer the Switchbot Blind Tilt thanks to it blending in a bit more and excellent cable management.

SOMA Tilt 2 and Switchbot Blind Tilt Compared – Features

A lot of the features between the two devices are very similar and some key features for both include:

• They both work with a large variety of blinds (Switchbot work with more thanks to using the existing rod rather than hook adapters).
• Both have solar panels included to minimise or completely reduce the need to charge
• Both connect to their hubs and apps via bluetooth
• Both are Apple and Android Compatible
• Both work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT (Hubs required).
• If not plugged into the solar panel the Switchbot Blind Tilt has up to 10 months battery compared to 30 days with the SOMA Tilt 2.

The SOMA Tilt 2 has the edge thanks to it’s Apple HomeKit compatibility.

However, the Switchbot App is so much better and more user friendly.

How easy are they to setup?

Due to the way they function both are setup slightly differently.

The SOMA Tilt is setup by removing your existing blind rod, attaching the correct attachment and then mounting your SOMA Tilt on the wall. From there you then use the app to configure them. The whole process of calibrating is quite painful as the process requires you to slowly adjust the motor until you’ve set fully closed down, open and fully closed open position. In total setup is around 15 minutes.

The Switchbot Blind Tilt is setup slightly differently and whilst Switchbot claim you can set it up in less than a minute we found it took us 5-10 minutes. Attaching it to your existing blind rod requires measuring its thickness with the included tool, finding the right adapter and then attaching the motor and solar panel. Calibrating takes place in the Switchbot app and takes 30 seconds as you just twist the rod closed down, closed up and open as instructed.

Overall, the Switchbot is a physically more tricky device to setup but so much less frustrating to calibrate.

How reliable are the Switchbot Blind Tilt and SOMA Tilt 2 to use every day?

When it comes to daily use we’ve been using the Switchbot Blind Tilt for a month and the SOMA Tilt 2 for just over a year and both let you control your blinds based on schedules (e.g. times of day, sunset, other devices etc.), you can set up automations with IFTTT, use voice control (we use Alexa) and using their smartphone apps.

Whilst both work we’ve found that roughly once a month the SOMA Tilt seems to lose its connection to the hub and automations just stop working. Our hub is close to the devices and wifi signal is strong so this is clearly a bug. It can be resolved by opening the SOMA app and operating them once via the app but it’s a little frustrating.

In addition to that the SOMA App only has a visual slider for your blinds which is really tricky to get used to especially for fully opening them. The Switchbot app offers a similar visualiser but also simple open/close buttons and buttons you can personalise.

The Switchbot app also lets you open and close your blinds based on light levels received by the device itself or the solar panel. This is a nice feature but still in BETA and still a little buggy (especially when using the device to detect light).

Soma Tilt 2 and Switchbot Blind Tilt Compared – Which should you buy?

In our opinion the Switchbot Blind Tilt is the clear winner. It’s more affordable, has a great app, works well every single time and has the nice addition of allowing you to still operate your blinds using the existing rod.

The post Soma Tilt 2 and Switchbot Blind Tilt Compared appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

The campaign has just launched today and you can back it here.

What is the Switchbot Blind Tilt?

The Switchbot blind tilt is a motor-based device that attaches to your Venetian blind curtain rod which allows you to control it via you phone, using Amazon or Google’s voice assistants and setup automations based on light sensitivity, time of day or activity of other devices.

This is a great way of making your existing blinds smart and allows you to easily open them automatically in the morning for a gentle awakening, close them at sunset or even make it look like you’re still at home during your holidays.

This type of product isn’t new and we’ve previously reviewed the SOMA Tilt 2 which does a similar thing. Switchbot claim that theirs is the best on the market and [spoiler alert] we think they’re right! Keep an eye on the blog over the next few weeks or subscribe to us on YouTube for a blog and video comparison o the two products.

How much does the Switchbot Blind Tilt cost?

The Switchbot Blind Tilt is launching on Kickstarter today for $69 (which we think will translate to £69). This puts it at nearly half the price of the SOMA Tilt 2 however, as with the SOMA, to take advantage of out-of-home control and voice/cloud services you’ll also need to SwitchBot Hub Mini which costs £30.

We also think, that much like Switchbot’s other products, the more Blind Tilts you buy the cheaper they’ll be however, without seeing the Kickstarter, we are unsure of this at the time of writing. Switchbot have already started the manufacturing process which means you’ll receive your Blind Tilt by Christmas!

Switchbot Blind Tilt Review – The Spec

The Switchbot Blind Tilt is pretty simple when it comes to spec. It connects to your phone and the Hub Mini via Bluetooth…this has a really good range and can reach my Hub Mini which is a couple of rooms across and one level down in my house.

It has a battery inside that can last up to 10 months on one charge but also comes with a solar panel which you stick onto your window meaning that you’ll never need to charge it.

The Blind Tilt supports Apple and Android apps and works with IFTTT, Siri Shortcuts, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. There’s no Apple HomeKit support which is a shame.

In the box you get the Blind Tilt, a solar panel, a long USB-C cable for separate charging, a variety of accessories to use depending on the thickness of your blind rod, some instructions and some handy tools for measuring and setup. There’s also a stick-on clamp for the top of your blind for nice cable management.

The Blind Tilt is compatible with blind rods between 6.3 and 10.2mm or 12mm in diameter which covers most blinds!

The device has a variety of AI and sensors inside to detect light sensitivity and has a 37db quiet operating mode or 47db performance mode.

The Design

The Switchbot Blind tilt attaches to your existing curtain rod and so Switchbot have given it a rounded design which helps it blend in…especially if your blinds are white.

It has two cylindrical parts, a larger part containing the battery and motor plus the USB-C port at the top for attaching the solar panel or charging cable and then a smaller part which opens and attaches to your rod.

The solar panel is small and compact and, as it sticks to your window you don’t really see it anyway…but it looks nice!

How easy is it to setup the Switchbot Blind Tilt?

In the press pack Switchbot say you can set it up in less than a minute…you can’t!

We found it took 5-10 minutes to setup which included measuring the rod, finding the right attachment, fitting the tilt device and the solar panel and pairing it with the app and configuring it.

The included instructions are easy to follow and the app also talks you through the process. It’s a little fiddly at times but made easier by well written instructions. The measuring tool shows that Switchbot have really thought this through!

Calibration is the easiest process we’ve come across with smart blinds because you just twist the rod to open, closed up and closed down positions as per the app instructions…this is done in less than 30 seconds.

From this point you can setup any automations you want to.

Using the Switchbot Blind Tilt

Switchbot Blind tilt” class=”wp-image-3552″ width=”216″ height=”444″/>

There are four ways you can use the blind tilt and over the last month we’ve used all 4.

Controlling Blinds Using the Switchbot App

From the homescreen of the switchbot app you can easily trigger open and closed options…clicking into the device gives you a nice slider and more buttons for personalising your open/closed preferences e.g. you can create a 75% closed up button!

It’s also here that you setup automations, turn on cloud services and check that the solar panel is charging the device.

Automations for your blinds

There are several built-in automations you can use. You can use scenes to cluster devices together and operate based on the status of other Switchbot devices such as a remote or even if the temperature hits a certain level.

The most useful option is the option to open/close the blinds based on light levels. In using this we found that using the Blind Tilt as the measuring source was a little unreliable but that using the solar panel as the light source gave better results…this mode is still in beta testing so we expect it to improve over time.

Using Your Voice

The most common way we’ve used to control these smart blind tilt devices is using Amazon Alexa…a simple ‘Alexa, open office blinds’ works every time with only a small delay before the Switchbot Blind Tilt kicks into action.

They’re also compatible with Google Assistant but we haven’t tested that.

Finally, you can open your blinds with the rod

For those moments when you have guests round and don’t want to grant them access to your smart home or when you need to make a tiny adjustment you can still operate the blinds using the rod. The really clever thing here is that the Blind Tilt knows you’ve done this and still works when you send it a command in the future. This is super smart!

Our Verdict – Should you buy the Switchbot Blind Tilt?

We have been super-impressed with the Switchbot Blind Tilt in using it every day for a month. It looks good, works well every time and basically takes every frustration we have with the SOMA Tilt 2 devices which we’ve had for a year and fixes them! It’s so good that as it launches today on Kickstar we’ll be replacing the SOMA Tilt’s with them!

You get back the Switchbot Blind tilt on Kickstart here.

The post Switchbot Blind Tilt Review appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

What is the SOMA Tilt?

Manufactured by SOMA, a company with a focus on making dumb blinds smart, the SOMA Tilt and SOMA Smart Shades 2 are two products focused on making venetian blinds (with twist-to-open rods) and pull cord blinds smart. I’ve been using the SOMA Tilt for a couple of weeks with their SOMA Connect accessory (which provides voice control, HomeKit support and out of home options).

In a nutshell, the SOMA Tilt is a white block with a cord that attaches where your venetian blind rod would usually go. When it activates the cord is turned causing your blinds to open or close. This is achieved via your smartphone or via a variety of other services when you use the SOMA Connect (which is the essential accessory).

Priced at around £90-110 for the Tilt and £40-80 for the Connect (depending on if there’s a sale on) the Tilt and Connect aren’t cheap but are certainly cheaper than new blinds. The connect is also a Raspberry Pi under the hood and so you can create your own connect (they even have the software on the help section of their website).

The Design of the SOMA Tilt and SOMA Connect

The SOMA Tilt is a white block with rounded edges. It’s bigger than expected but understandable when you consider it needs room for a sizeable battery and a motor. The base of it has a jack input for charging and the top (or side the way I’ve mounted it below) has the wire for connecting it to your blinds. The SOMA Tilt comes with a selection of adapters to ensure that it will fit most rod fittings.

The SOMA Tilt also comes with a solar panel you can stick to your windows. This is great because it means you won’t have to worry about charging. In using it I’ve found that the solar panel is enough to keep the Tilt topped up but I’m yet to see if reach 100%…of course, this will depend on the direction your windows face and the time of year.

The SOMA Connect on the other hand is smaller but also has rounded edges. What SOMA don’t show you on their website picture is that the sides have a lot of ports (4 USB ports, a memory card slot, a HDMI port, a MicroUSB for connecting power and an ethernet port to be precise) and this is because the SOMA Connect is a RaspberrryPi with their own software on. This means you could save a bit by picking up your own and using the software from the SOMA website (here’s how) and as the software isn’t too intensive even the Raspberry Pi Zero which costs £30 including a case etc. should run this with no problems.

Setting up the SOMA Connect and SOMA Tilt

The set up of the SOMA Tilt has a few steps but is fairly easy. You start off by downloading the smart shades app and then plug in the Tilt to power and it’ll make a noise. The app then talks you through adding it, connecting it to your blinds and configuring the open up and open down settings. From then you can open and close your blinds in the app. If you have more than one Tilt you can also link them and it’s also from the app you can set schedules.

Setting up the SOMA Connect is slightly less intuitive but also done from the app. To set up the Connect you must be close to it and you add in your Wifi settings. From then on you can find your ID which you’ll need to link your SOMA devices to Alexa, IFTTT etc. You can also add it into Apple’s Home app by clicking the + in the home app and searching for an accessory without a code, this adds the Connect and your Tilts into your Home app.

If at a later date you need to reconfigure your SOMA Connect Wifi then you basically have to go through the setup process again as, weirdly, the Connect isn’t listed in the Smart Shades app. In using the Connect I’ve found that the Wifi signal is wildly unpredictable even when next to my Eero router but the ethernet connection makes it work with Alexa, IFTTT, Apple Home etc every time so I recommend an ethernet connection.

Using the SOMA Tilt

Once set up, you may need to adjust your blind setup (this is done in the Smart Shades app) but generally using the SOMA Tilt is easy. If you’re using the smart shades app you can open it and swipe on your blinds or blind-groups to open or close by anything from 0 to 100% (although bizarrely there’s no simply ‘open’ or ‘close’ options which can make the swipe gestures a little irritating) and out of the box that’s the functionality of the SOMA Tilt.

In my opinion, this is why the SOMA Connect is a must-have accessory because it enables you to set up routines based on other smart home devices or times of day using a variety of services including IFTTT, it gives you voice control with Google or Alexa and let’s you use it in the Apple Home app (my go-to way of using them). This means you can leave those irritating swipe gestures behind and only use the smart shades app when you want to check battery level. The SOMA Connect software is what turns the SOMA Tilt from a gadget into a genuinely useful smart home product.

SOMA Tilt Review – What’s the Verdict?

The SOMA Tilt is a great way of making existing venetian blinds smart with some nice features than include being able to group blinds together however certainly requires you to pick up a SOMA Connect or a Raspberry Pi to make the most of it and really have automation options (including our of home use). It works well and, whilst setup requires some adjustment I’ve been pretty impressed with it.

The SOMA Tilt however is let down by the Smart Shades app which feels like it’s been thrown together without much thought of user experience. There’s some nice visuals but nothing feels intuitive. This makes the Tilt a smart home product for people who are used to technology and not ideal as your first smart home product.

You can read our other smart home reviews here or pick up a SOMA Tilt here.

(if you prefer a video review check out my video review on YouTube)

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