Graber Smart Motorized Shades
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AffordabilityCost is an essential factor when you are remodeling your existing home windows or building out a new one. The price depends on the window design and color you select. According to many homeowners, Hunter Douglas is more expensive than Graber. Grabers quality is comparable to Hunter Douglas, but they have options at a lower price.
MotorizationWindow coverings come in a standard cord control option to raise and lower them. But in this fast-moving world, people always look for luxury that will save their time and effort. And the same applies to the window dressings also. Pulling a cord or chain is always a hassle. Outfit your shades with smart technology and operate them from anywhere in the room.Both Graber and Hunter Douglas offer motorization for your shadings, but their systems are slightly different. Know the differences
Hunter Douglas
1. Powerview Motorization This system lets you access your blinds and shades through a remote button or using a smartphone device.2. SoftTouch Motorization A battery-powered system that uses a wand to control the shades.
Graber
Similarities Between The Shade Store And Hunter Douglas
Although this article focuses mainly on the differences, some similarities exist between The Shade Store and Hunter Douglas.
Let us check them out now:
Window treatments can create holes in your pockets. The same goes for Hunter Douglas and The Shade Store items. Their products are highly expensive for the quality they offer.
When opening or closing, the shades, drapery, and blinds make no noise. This is applicable for both Hunter Douglas and The Shade Store.
- Free Design Guide
Hunter Douglas and The Shade store have expert design consultants who pave the way for flawless window treatments that too for free. You can have a showroom experience sitting right at home.
Best Roller Smart Shades
We dont have a lot of experience with this type of shade, yet, but we dig the Powershades TruePoE for its innovative means of integrating with a home network. Instead of relying on disposable batteries, the motor in these shades receives both electrical power and command-and-control messages over an ethernet cable . Having hardwired access to power makes the motor in these shades more than twice as fast as the battery-powered models weve reviewed. DIYers take note: Powershades does not sell direct to consumers youll need to talk to a professional installer if you want one.
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Solar Shade Materials And Options
Solar shades are made from a woven and coated material. They are commonly made of vinyl, but other options are also available. They also come in a variety of colors and patterns, such as light beige, different grays, or even dark browns and blacks. Variations in the weave pattern can provide a textured look in combination with color selections. With so many options, they play an important role in complimenting the decor of a room.
Uv Protection And Energy Efficiency
Besides protecting your furnishings from damaging UV rays, Designer Screen Shades provide excellent , reducing the amount of heat that escapes in the winter and enters in the summer, so you stay comfortable all year long. And for more light control, you can combine two Designer Screen fabrics of varying opacities on the same shade.
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Do Solar Shades Offer Privacy
Yes and no. The higher the openness level , the better you can see through the fabric. But during the day, you have a little more privacyyou can see outside, but others cannot see into your home. When your lights are on at night, the effect is the opposite and outsiders can see inside. You might want to consider adding a liner to your solar shades, or for a more dramatic look, layer your shades with curtains.
Since solar shades on their own dont provide as much privacy as other shades, they work best in more public areas like , , , sunrooms and patios as opposed to bathrooms or bedrooms. You might also notice them in business offices, where they reduce glare on computer screens, or restaurants, where you can take in the surrounding views.
Security Privacy And Smart Shades
Wirecutter takes security and privacy issues seriously, and to help you understand which data the companies you are bringing into your home may be taking out with them, weve compiled this table to answer some of the most common questions people have regarding privacy and security. We reached out to the companies that produce our top picks and asked them to respond to an extensive questionnaire to confirm issues we think should be of primary concern to any potential buyer. Here are the results we think you should consider before making a purchase.
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So Which One Stands Out
You might ask, Which one stands out?
After comparing the similarities and differences between the two companies, we think The Shade Store is better.
Among all the Hunter Douglas competitors, The Shade Store gives it a neck-to-neck competition.
The following reasons make The Shade Store stand out:
- Reason 1: Rechargeable Batteries
The batteries for motorized shades can be recharged, so you do not have to throw out the shade once the battery is dead.
Hunter Douglas does not provide such rechargeable batteries, so it does not last long.
- Reason 2: Direct Purchase from Site
There is absolutely no need to involve a third party to purchase products from The Shade Store.
You can see the products by yourself and purchase directly from the website.
However, be sure to check the product features and descriptions before you proceed to buy.
- Reason 3: Easy Installation
You would not like to face constant issues in the window treatment due to improper installation.
The Shade Store gives a perfect installation that is found nowhere else. This is why users prefer The Shade Store over Hunter Douglas.
- Reason 4: Free Swatches
Who does not love free privileges? The same goes for The Shade Store. People love the free swatches feature.
They can create a simulation sitting at home via this feature.
Wrapping Things Up
That is an end to The Shade Store vs. Hunter Douglas. You are now aware of all the differences and similarities between them.
Hunter Douglas Window Treatment Products
Sheer Shading
Hunter Douglass line of sheer shades gives the appearance of the blinds floating in mid-air. Their construct is a row of s shaped blinds with clear to slightly-tinted fabric connecting them on the blinds face and rear. The idea is to give you privacy while enjoying the natural outdoor light at the same time.
Hunter Douglas currently has three lines of sheer shades- Silhouette, Pirouette, and Luminette.
Cellular Honeycomb Shades
The benefit of cellular honeycomb style shades is their insulation value. Between both surfaces of the shade is a series of air pockets that insulate the indoors from outdoor weather.
The line of cellular honeycomb shades is called Duette. They are available in a 100s of fabrics and colors to choose from.
Roman Shades
Roman shades operate similarly to a honeycomb or any other drawstring shade but are made from fabric with deep folds.
There are three lines to choose from at Hunter Douglas- Vignette, Solera, and Design Studio.
Roller and Solar Shades
Roller shades are the classic type of shade that most of us are used to, but those found at Hunter Douglas are more stylish than the regular old white pull-down.
In all, there are five lines to choose from- DesignerRoller Shades, Designer Screen Shades, Design Studio, Designer Banded Shades, and Sonette.
Woven Woods
Hunter Douglas has crafted woven wood shades to complement a traditional style décor along with more contemporary styles.
Shutters
Vertical Blinds
Wood and Metal Blinds
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Best Prices Today: Hunter Douglas Duette Shade With Powerview Automation
The primary appeal of motorized top-down/bottom-up shades is their ability to open and close in two directions: They can open by dropping the top of the shade down from the windows head to the sill, and by lifting the bottom of the shade up from the sill to the head. But Hunter Douglas couldnt justify the lofty price tag of its Duette with PowerView Automation shades unless they were also the most luxurious and innovative shades weve reviewed to date.
Top-down/bottom-up shades are a fantastic option because they enhance privacy without completely blocking light from entering the room. If your window faces a busy street, you can lower the shade down from the top to admit light without exposing your room to a view from the street. Or you can drop the top of the shade down in the early morning, so the room is bathed in morning sunlight without impeding your ability to move about the room freelyanyone looking toward your window will only be able to as much of you as you wish to expose. And since these are motorized smart shades, you can create automated schedules to reposition the shades as many times each day and night that youd care to program, including at sunrise and sunset.
This review is part of TechHives coverage of the best smart shades, where youll find reviews of competing products, plus a buyers guide to the features you should consider when shopping for this type of product.
Living With Hunter Douglas Motorized Shades
I’m a smart home geek my partner, meanwhile, doesn’t care about tech and would rather have as little to do with it as possible. Happily the Duette shades have proved a hit on both fronts. They’re easy enough to use with the Pebble Remote that day to day operation is simple and convenient, while the smart home integrations offer a huge amount for me to play with.
Hunter Douglas says it expects the battery wands to last about a year of typical use before they need a recharge. It’s been about five months now, with at least daily opening/closing, and I’ve not seen the battery gauge in the PowerView app drop for any of the four. In use there’s a quiet whir as they move: in a 35 db room, it rose to 40-42 dB when I was stood six feet away from one shade as it closed or opened.
As well as the privacy aspect, there’s been a nice uptick in insulation too. Thanks to the Duette shades’ honeycomb construction trapping air in-between, there’s a noticeable improvement in heat versus the bare window alone. During the winter that’s been 6 degrees Fahrenheit or more, which is considerable when you consider pretty much a whole wall of the room is glazed.
Though the shades fit within each window recess, there’s still a gap along the edges so that they don’t get caught. If you need absolute darkness, Hunter Douglas offers optional rails it calls LightLock, that install down the sides of the window frame. That might be worth considering in a bedroom.
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Hunter Douglas Powerview Shades Connectivity Reliability And Use
In our home, we have smart shades in a few rooms. Our living room window is outfitted with a set of Lutron Serena Shades, and then we also have a basic set of automated shades in our bedroom.
For starters, there is the convenience factor. Each day we bustle around, readying for the day, and head to the studio with at least an iPad Pro, iPhone, and coffee in hand, if not some new products we’re reviewing or some early AM chow. It’s a lot to carry as you walk into a dark room.
So, we have a handy couple of scenes set up. “Hey Siri, it’s a workday” comes out of our mouths as we walk in the door which will automatically turn on the office lights, the set lights, open the shades, and start our morning playlist on our HomePod.
Every time, without fail, the shades will quickly, after only a second or two delay, begin to act. We’ve only had the shades go unresponsive when using the Home app and try to adjust both bars quickly.
If we adjust the middle rail and then quickly while the shades are still moving try to move the bottom rail, it will say unresponsive for just a moment. Otherwise, they’ve been rock-solid, and reliable.
That is all due to the PowerView hub that bridges your shades onto your Wi-Fi network. Our PowerView hub is in the same room as the shades, so we may have a best-case scenario here.
Charging the batteries is accomplished via a charging dock that plugs into your wall. We just tucked this behind our couch, so it wasn’t an eyesore but was easily accessible.
Top Roller & Solar Shades
- Sonnette® Cellular Roller ShadesThese modern cellular shades combine the insulating construction of a cellular shade with the clean lines and simplicity of a roller shade.
- Designer Screen ShadesDesigned to provide UV protection while reducing glare and heat gain in a room, Designer Screen Shades are available in a range of openness factors so you can select the view and level of light you want.
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Conclusion: Graber Blinds Vs Hunter Douglas Blinds
Both Graber and Hunter Douglas have some wonderful window treatment options you are sure to find the perfect solution to your window dressing needs once you have a look at their amazing selection of high-quality products. To read more about their blinds, follow these links: Graber Blinds& Hunter Douglas. Or, contact a Grahams expert to discover more about Graber blinds vs Hunter Douglas blinds.
Graham’s is your local Graber and Hunter Douglas dealer.
Hunter Douglas Powerview Shades Installation
For our installation, Hunter Douglas handled everything for us. They advertise a white glove service where aside from you putting in the order, they come and measure to ensure the exact fit, have your shades custom made for you, then return to install them as well as set up all the connectivity features.
Our tech was prompt, professional, and did an outstanding job throughout the process. Some people want a DIY approach, and others want to sit back and have the assurance that everything is being taken care of and appropriately installed. Hunter Douglas offers both but recommends the latter.
It is one thing to order standard shades independently, but smart shades are much more expensive. Should you measure wrong or make a mistake during the installation, you’ll be out a good chunk of dough.
The installation didn’t take long once the shades were ordered. The tech mounted some brackets, added the shades, connected the bridge, set them up in the Hunter Douglas app, and programmed the remotes.
Finally, he helped us add them to HomeKit.
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Who Should Get These
Anyone who might benefit from blackout curtainsthe sleep-deprived, the night-shift worker, the day napper, the home theater ownerbut who doesnt like the look of them might opt for blackout shades instead. For our blackout curtain guide, experts told us that room-darkening, and not true blackout, window treatments are the best option for most people.
Budget Pick: Redi Shade Original Blackout Pleated Paper Shade
*At the time of publishing, the price was $35.
The Redi Shade Original Blackout Pleated Paper Shade is your best option if you want a more affordable or temporary window treatment and dont mind a bit of light filtering in. It comes in packs of six, can be cut to width, and couldnt be easier to installjust peel and stick. This isnt the best long-term solution, since the shade is less attractive and less durable, and doesnt come with a warranty.
This paper shade blocked substantially less light than competitors did in our external flash test, tinting the light that passed through with a reddish hue. However, Wirecutter supervising editor Winnie Yang has a similar model from Redi Shade installed in her home and finds that this isnt an issue with windows that receive indirect light.
Our panelists agreed that they prefer cellular or roller shades over paper models for style and durability, but pointed out that paper shades might come in handy in certain situations, such as in a basement, garage, or dorm room, or as a stopgap measure until you find a more permanent solution.
This shade comes in two sizes: 36 inches by 72 inches and 48 inches by 72 inches , but you can cut it to the exact size you need. If youre particularly crafty, you can even cut paper shades into hexagons, semicircles, or other irregular shapes, allowing you to inside-mount on non-rectangular windows.
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Best Cellular Smart Shades
Hunter Douglas Duette with PowerView motorization smart shades are elegant, sophisticated, and luxurious. These are top-down/bottom-up shades, which means they can open in both directions, a style that provides the ultimate in privacy and light control. And Hunter Douglas accessoriesfrom its innovative battery wand power solution to its Pebble remote controlsare absolutely top shelf. They are not inexpensive, however, and there is no DIY option available.
Solar Shades: Openness Explained
Openness refers to how tightly the fabric is woven. The lower the openness level and the tighter the fabric weave, the better it blocks the sunbut the less you can see through the shades. The higher the openness level, the looser the weave and the less it blocks the lighthowever, you have better visibility. Designer Screen Shades come in openness levels ranging from 0% to 14%, so you have options for filtering light.
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Hunter Douglas Duette Powerview Shades Verdict
It is, perhaps, a rite of new-homeowner passage when you discover just how much quality shades actually cost. On that front, Hunter Douglas is definitely in the premium end of the market, though I feel like you get what you pay for. Along with the array of fabric colors and finishes, build quality seems high, and the motorization system works cleanly and consistently.
Meanwhile, the fact is that I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this final result in any other way. The combination of top-down, bottom-up, motorized shade with rechargeable battery in a custom size to suit atypical windows is so far outside the remit of off-the-shelf blinds, there was just no route for me to go DIY. Though the cost is not-insignificant, it’s also not outlandish for a home decor product with a lifetime warranty for the shades and five years on the motorized components. Since PowerView integrates with other smart home platforms, you could feasibly mix-and-match with cheaper shade options on less unusual windows.
Best of all, though, is the feeling that we can use the space more freely, worrying less about who might be looking in, but without needing to block out natural light. Factor in the home automation potential and there’s a whole lot here to like, but it’s really how seamlessly Hunter Douglas’ shades fit into daily life which sets them apart.
