Best Curtain Bot for your Smart Home!! [HomeKit Edition]
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Shane reviews three smart curtain robots: Switchbot Curtain, Acara E1 Curtain Driver, and Xemi Smart Curtain Motor. He evaluates their compatibility with HomeKit, installation ease, battery life, and performance. Acara boasts a year-long battery life and high load capacity but limited rod compatibility. Switchbot, despite lacking native HomeKit support, offers a user-friendly app and the broadest rod compatibility. Xemi Smart, with native HomeKit support, has average battery life and comes with a remote. Shane provides insights to help viewers choose the best smart curtain solution for their needs.
Takeaways
- 🤖 The video reviews three smart curtain robots: Switchbot Curtain, Acara E1 Curtain Driver, and Xemi Smart Curtain Motor, focusing on their compatibility with Apple's HomeKit.
- 🏡 The Acara E1 and Xemi Smart Curtain Motors currently have native HomeKit support, while Switchbot Curtain is expected to gain support with the release of the Switchbot Hub Mini HomeKit version.
- 🔗 All three products require a hub for operation: Acara uses its own hub, Xemi Smart requires the Xemi Smart HomeKit Hub, and Switchbot connects via Bluetooth Low Energy to the Switchbot Hub Mini.
- 🔋 Acara boasts the longest battery life of up to one year, followed by Switchbot with eight months, and Xemi Smart with five months.
- 💰 The Acara E1 is priced at $89.99, Switchbot at $99.99, and Xemi Smart ranges from $100 to $150, with discounts and shipping costs varying by product and retailer.
- 🛠️ Installation processes differ, with Acara being the most straightforward, followed by Switchbot and Xemi Smart, which requires the most steps.
- 📐 Compatibility with curtain rods and rails is a key consideration, with Switchbot supporting the widest range of rod sizes.
- 🌞 Acara and Switchbot include an ambient light sensor for automation based on light levels, a feature not found in Xemi Smart.
- 📱 All three have their own dedicated apps for setup and control, with Switchbot offering the most user-friendly experience and additional performance modes.
- 🏁 The video concludes with a recommendation that the best choice depends on individual needs, existing smart home ecosystems, and specific curtain rod compatibility.
Q & A
What are the three curtain robots discussed in the video?
-The three curtain robots discussed are the Switchbot Curtain, the Acara E1 Curtain Driver, and the Xemi Smart Curtain Motor.
What is the main purpose of these smart curtain robots?
-The main purpose is to automate the opening and closing of curtains at specific times, based on certain conditions like sunlight or temperature, or when someone leaves or arrives home.
Which of these curtain robots currently has native support for Apple's HomeKit?
-At the time of recording, only the Acara and the Xemi Smart have native support for HomeKit.
What is the expected battery life for the Acara E1 Curtain Driver?
-The Acara E1 Curtain Driver boasts up to one year of battery power between charges.
What is the maximum load capacity of the Switchbot Curtain?
-The Switchbot Curtain has a maximum load capacity of about 17 pounds.
Does the Xemi Smart Curtain Motor come with a remote control?
-Yes, the Xemi Smart Curtain Motor comes with a remote control, which is not offered with the other two products.
What is the compatibility range for curtain rods for the Acara E1 Curtain Driver?
-The Acara E1 Curtain Driver supports rods between 25 and 32 millimeters in diameter.
How does the Switchbot Curtain connect to its hub?
-The Switchbot Curtain connects to its hub via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE 5.0) with proprietary power-saving BLE and mesh support.
What additional feature does the Switchbot Curtain offer that the others do not?
-The Switchbot Curtain offers the option to add solar panels for charging, which is not available as a standalone accessory for the other two products.
Which of these curtain robots has the longest estimated battery life?
-The Acara E1 Curtain Driver has the longest estimated battery life, claiming up to one year between charges.
What is the main downside mentioned for the Acara E1 Curtain Driver?
-The main downside mentioned for the Acara E1 Curtain Driver is its limited compatibility with a narrow range of curtain rod sizes.
Outlines
🤖 Introduction to Smart Curtain Robots
The video introduces three smart curtain robots: Switchbot Curtain, Acara E1 Curtain Driver, and Xemi Smart Curtain Motor. These devices can automate curtain opening and closing based on schedules or environmental conditions. The focus is on their integration with Apple's HomeKit, testing their features, compatibility, and determining the best fit for a smart home. The presenter, Shane, mentions that only two of the robots currently support HomeKit natively, with Switchbot expected to gain support in the future through a new hub. The video will cover installation, app features, compatibility, and more.
🔌 Unboxing and Initial Setup
This section details the contents of the boxes for each smart curtain robot, including motors, manuals, charging cables, and additional accessories like clips and beaded ropes. The Acara E1 has the largest battery claim of up to one year, while Switchbot and Xemi Smart claim eight and five months, respectively. All support USB-C charging except Xemi Smart, which uses micro USB. Solar panel options are available for Switchbot and Xemi Smart. The compatibility of each robot with different curtain rod sizes is discussed, with Switchbot having the broadest range. Installation processes vary, but Acara E1 is noted for its ease of installation.
🏡 Installation and Compatibility Testing
The video discusses the practical aspects of installing the smart curtain motors, including compatibility with different types of curtain rods. Acara E1 has a narrow compatibility range, which could be a limitation. Switchbot and Xemi Smart have broader compatibility. The installation process for each device is described, with Acara E1 being the most straightforward. The video also covers the use of additional accessories like rubber strips and beads to manage curtain tension. Maximum load capacities for each motor are compared, with Acara E1 having the highest capacity, making it suitable for heavier curtains.
📱 App Experience and HomeKit Integration
The presenter evaluates the user interface and functionality of the respective apps for each smart curtain robot. Acara and Switchbot offer the easiest setup and configuration, while Xemi Smart's integration with the Toya app is slightly more complex. All three robots can be paired with other motors for double curtain setups. Switchbot's app is praised for its user experience, including options for performance and silent modes. The video also covers the integration of these motors into HomeKit, with Acara and Xemi Smart having native support and Switchbot relying on HomeBridge for integration. The presenter discusses the reliability of the HomeBridge plugin for Switchbot and the potential for improved performance once native HomeKit support is available.
🏁 Final Thoughts and Recommendations
In conclusion, the video provides a summary of the pros and cons of each smart curtain robot. Acara E1 is praised for its long battery life and smooth operation but has limited compatibility. Switchbot is recommended for its broad compatibility and user-friendly app, despite the current lack of native HomeKit support. Xemi Smart is noted for its native HomeKit support and interchangeable parts but has a shorter battery life and slower performance. The presenter suggests considering the user's specific needs, existing smart home ecosystem, and the potential need for additional hubs when choosing a smart curtain robot.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Smart Curtains
💡Switchbot Curtain
💡Acara E1 Curtain Driver
💡Xemi Smart Curtain Motor
💡HomeKit Integration
💡Zigbee
💡Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
💡Battery Life
💡Maximum Load
💡App Experience
💡Automation and Scheduling
Highlights
Introduction to three smart curtain robot options: Switchbot Curtain, Acara E1 Curtain Driver, and Xemi Smart Curtain Motor.
Overview of home automation features for curtains, including automatic opening and closing based on time, presence, and light conditions.
Comparison of curtain bots' compatibility with Apple's HomeKit, with two having native support and one requiring a bridge.
Discussion on the future HomeKit support for Switchbot Curtain through the upcoming Switchbot Hub Mini.
Comparison of required hubs for each curtain bot, including Acara hubs, Xemi Smart Home Kit Hub, and Switchbot's Bluetooth Low Energy.
Battery life comparison, with Acara boasting up to one year, Switchbot claiming eight months, and Xemi Smart five months.
Pricing details for each curtain bot, with Acara at $89.99, Switchbot at $99.99, and Xemi Smart ranging from $100 to $150.
Installation process overview, highlighting the ease of use and compatibility with different curtain rod sizes.
Performance comparison, noting Acara's and Switchbot's faster operation versus Xemi Smart's slower speed.
App experience evaluation, with Switchbot's app receiving praise for its user interface and features.
Integration with Siri Shortcuts for Switchbot, providing an alternative to HomeKit support.
HomeKit integration details, including uncertified support for Switchbot and native support for Acara and Xemi Smart.
Ambient light sensor feature available on Acara and Switchbot, allowing for light-based automation.
Final thoughts and recommendations based on the pros and cons of each curtain bot.
Recommendations for considering existing smart home ecosystems when choosing a curtain bot.
Transcripts
today we're going to take a look at
three curtain robots that you can use to
make your curtains smart automatically
have them open or close at certain times
of the day
when you leave or arrive home when it
gets too hot too bright you get the idea
we have here the switchbot curtain the
brand new acara e1 curtain driver and
the xemi smart curtain motor i'm a home
kit user so we're going to get these
into home kit we're going to test them
out and i'm going to try to help you
determine which might be the best for
your smart home
let's go
yo what's up guys my name is shane if
this is your first time here and this
channel is all about building an easy
smart home using apple's home kit with
new videos published every sunday and
live streams every wednesday so we're
going to compare these three curtain
bots today links are below in the
description in case you want to pick one
up for yourself i've also put time codes
in the video as usual in case you want
to skip around to any certain parts of
the video because we do have a lot to
cover we're going to talk about
everything from the installation the
apps and features compatibility and much
more
and as usual we're gonna focus on the
home kit integration today i remember
not too long ago there were no options
for something like this in home kit so
i'm pretty excited to now have you know
a few options to talk about but that
said only two of these currently at the
time of recording have native support
for homekit and that is the acara and
the zimmi smart the switchbot does not
but i wanted to include it in today's
video for a couple of reasons one
switchbot has recently announced that
they will be bringing home kit support
to more of their products in the near
future with the release of their new
switchbot hub mini home kit version so
eventually this switchbot curtain should
gain home kit support whenever that new
hub is released it does work right now
through home bridge or hooves which is
how i have mine integrated into home kit
so that is an option for now if you have
a similar setup and two switchbot is
kind of the og when it comes to these
curtain bots they were the first that i
remember and i've just been doing this
for a long time this rod version here
that i have is in fact like the second
rendition of this product so i figured
it would be good to compare these others
with this one because i do think they've
got you know some things right here over
time all of these products do require a
hub there are numerous acara hubs that
you can pair the e1 curtain driver to
the xemi smart products
do require the xemi smart home kit hub
i've done videos on both of these that
i'll link in the description if you're
trying to figure out you know which hub
is best for you both the ximi smart and
the acara curtain motors connect to
their hub via zigbee and the acara is
actually claiming future support for
matter as well once that rolls out and
the switchbot connects via bluetooth low
energy it is ble 5.0 which is sort of
the best you know version of bluetooth
and they say their bluetooth technology
features proprietary power saving ble
with mesh support so
i don't know whatever that means i do
have my switchbot connected to the
switchbot hub mini and with that you can
get access to cloud services like alexa
and google assistant and siri shortcuts
so this does support series shortcuts
which is great and might be a good
alternative for you since there's no
home kit support but as i've said i do
have mine connected to home bridge which
does give me that you know uncertified
home kit support each one can support
both curtain rods and rails switchbot
and akara have separate versions so you
have to make sure you know you get the
right one when you order whereas the
xemi smart one simply comes with
different attachments to use based on
whatever kind of curtain setup you have
the akara costs 89.99 the switchbot
costs 99.99 and the zimmi smart costs
100 and 150 at the time of recording it
says it's normally 175 but i doubt that
also beware shipping costs especially
with the xemi smart because that one is
shipping most likely from china
which probably costs a little bit to
ship and will also probably take longer
than two days both a car and switchbot
you can get you know probably free
shipping from amazon at least
and i have seen discounts on both of
these products both the car and
switchbot run specials pretty often so
you can probably find some good deals
you know if you're shopping during the
right time contents in the box of each
are pretty similar especially with the
akara and switchbot with switchbot you
get your manual the curtain motor these
clips and charging cord and then you get
these little beaded clippy things more
on this in a minute that's everything we
get in the switchbot box and as you can
see a car is very similar we have some
clips charging cable motor itself
manual here is uh some little plastic
ropey thing which is uh kind of the
equivalent to that switchbot beaded
thing and we have the top part that
wraps around the rod that the motor
hooks into and that's everything in the
acara box and the ximi smart pretty
similar except there's not any beaded or
those little clippy rope thingies here
we have the motor and all the different
connectors uh you know you'll use the
proper one depending on which type of
rod or rail curtain setup you have and
the xemi smart actually comes with the
remote so that's something that the
others don't have when we put them
together you can see the size difference
is pretty obvious the switchbot is
clearly the smallest here with this
little compact design the akara is
pretty huge now let's talk battery life
akara boasts up to one year of battery
power between charges with its onboard
6000 milliamp battery so that's pretty
good i guess the car is utilizing that
bulky size for that good battery this is
the longest lasting battery of the three
switchbot claims eight months of battery
life and the xemi smart claims five
months of battery life with only a 3 000
milliamp battery of course battery life
will vary depending on your usage and
conditions both the akara and the
switchbot support usbc charging and the
xemi smart uses micro usb both switchbot
and xemismart have a solar panel option
that you can purchase if you want one
solar panel from switchbot is 19. and
xemi smart actually has combo packs that
you can get with the solar panel
included and you can get even a double
pack if you need like two motors for
your curtain i didn't see anywhere that
they sold the solar panels individually
i'm not sure if i just missed that a car
is the newest one here so far and there
is no solar panel from acara but with
that one year battery life on the akara
maybe having a solar panel really isn't
that big of a deal i'll be using the rod
version for each of mine i actually
don't have curtains in my home so that's
why you see this curtain testing rig set
up in the corner of my studio here you
might want to check the compatibility of
your curtain rods before making a
purchase acara only supports rods
between 25 and 32 millimeters that is a
very small range and the first rod that
i tried to use the akara on was just too
thin it simply would not work the
switchbot has a much better range
supporting rods between 15 and 40
millimeters and the ximi smart supports
a range of 20 to 28 millimeters so still
not as good as switchbot but definitely
better than the acara i think that's
probably the biggest downside to the
akara motor it's just such a small range
of sizes you know that the rod version
supports they each have good
documentation on the sizes that they
support for eye rails and urls also it
does appear that switchbot has the most
compatibility here also just be sure to
check this real closely before making
your purchase you know regardless of
which brand or style you go with now for
the installation i've only done testing
with the rod type so i can't speak on
the rail type specifically again a car
would not work on my thinner rods the
switchbot and the zimi smart had no
issues here now if you're using a double
rod you know where there's like a
smaller part
kind of inside the bigger part i really
can't recommend any of these too freely
i had issues with all of them trying to
get over that little transition part now
switchbot does show the curtain motor
working fine with this type of setup on
their website i did do some testing it
did get hung up a few times so just be
warned there is a good chance you may
have issues if you have you know one of
those longer double rods like this if
you have a single rod with no
transitions you shouldn't have any
issues at all installation was pretty
straightforward on all of them but the
acara definitely takes the cake on this
one again assuming you have a curtain
rod you know that is the correct
diameter to install it you just put the
top part on and snap the little clips
together you double tap the button on
the motor and the hooks will raise hook
them on the top part and then double tap
again and the hooks will retract
tightening the motor onto the rail
super easy i really love the
installation on this acara one switchbot
recommends putting the two pieces on the
rod separately and then just snapping
them together
by any means not a bad installation at
all not quite as smooth and you know
elegant as the car insulation but
pretty easy installation here xemismart
recommends adding the rod hooks first
and then you insert these little pins
then you snap the motor and tighten it
to the rod
you want to get this as tight as you can
now a car tells you to install these
little rubber strips with the clips
along the curtains and the switchbot
also has something similar with those
little beads but i really don't see the
need for this personally i guess the
idea here is so you can pull your
curtains closed without having them like
stretched all the way out again i don't
really see the need for this in my
little testing setup
but i it is an option on both the car
and switchbot if that's something you
care about as you can see i tested out
two different types of curtains the
grommet curtains and these here with the
little loops for this type of curtain
you'll need some type of clip or
something here so the curtain doesn't
get wrapped up in the motor wheels
switchbot has good documentation and
provides clips for this type of curtain
acara doesn't really mention this but
you could probably use the little clips
that
were provided in the acara box to do the
same thing with that motor of course it
doesn't look near as good on a curtain
like this because you can see the motor
so easily whereas the grommet style
curtains pretty much hide the motor
completely akara has a maximum load of
about 26 pounds or 12 kilograms
switchbot has a maximum load of about 17
pounds and zoomy smart's right there in
the middle with a maximum load of about
22 pounds or 10 kilograms so if you have
huge bulky curtains a car might be the
you know one you need again that larger
size probably being utilized for a
stronger motor the each can be added in
their own app the akar app the switchbot
app and the xemi smart actually uses the
toya app a car and switchbot are
probably the easiest to add with the
best setup and configurations you know
options and stuff like that in the app
the toyota was a little more confusing
but eventually i was able to get it
added to that zimmy smart home kit hub
and with the xemi smart and acara since
i already had those hubs paired and
working in homekit once i added them in
their app they automatically showed up
in the home app which is awesome
switchbot requires using a home bridge
and the switchbot plugin in order to get
those into homekit as of right now but
you know that's a topic for another day
i will put a link to the plug-in that i
use down below if you are using
homebridge and want to check that out
all three allow you to pair them with
other curtain motors so if you have
curtains that you know open and close
from the middle you can use two motors
in order to accomplish that i feel like
the switchbot probably has the best app
experience of the three the ui just
really makes a lot of sense to me both
configuring the curtains and controlling
them is all very clear in the switchbot
app they give you the option of a
performance mode or a silence mode which
is nice performance mode will be much
faster but louder and the silent mode
will be more quiet but a bit slower i
didn't see any different modes like this
in the acara or the ximi smart or the
toya apps all three will show you the
battery levels in the app both the car
and the switchbot have a touch and go
feature which allows you to still open
and close the curtains manually i just
feel like if you did this a lot then it
might eventually throw off the
calibration a little bit you can create
automations and schedules in all of
these apps but the acara and the
switchbot motors actually include an
ambient light sensor
on the device itself that you can
utilize in automation so you'd face the
sensor towards a window or something
like that where you can have the shades
automatically open and close based on
the light levels so that's pretty
awesome a nice little feature and know
that a cara light sensor is not exposed
to home kit unfortunately however the
light sensor on the switch bot is
actually exposed to home kit when using
home bridge but it doesn't seem to be
very reliable again that switchbot is
not native home kit support so take that
with a grain of salt once it does gain
native home kit support maybe we can
kind of revisit that and take another
look in homekit they all function
similarly to something like shades
roller shades if you've ever used
anything like that in home kit you can
change the icon to a cool little curtain
icon that opens and closes the acara
curtains also show you the battery level
and the charging status in home homekit
or the home app the xemi smart does not
and they all work well as expected in
homekit even the switchbot using
homebridge that plug-in seems very
reliable and should do just fine until
there is native homekit support for
switchbot curtains if that's the route
you go performance in general is good
for all of them again i experienced
issues with all of them a little bit on
those double rods so do keep that in
mind the acara and the switchbot ones
are definitely faster so they probably
have better motors stronger faster
motors the xemi smart one is noticeably
slower i do like that i can change the
mode of the switchbot to be slower and
quieter if i want but otherwise it moves
pretty fast which i kind of like so what
are my final thoughts what are the pros
what are the cons and which one is the
best so i know the acara one is big but
i really like the long battery life that
they claim on this again they say up to
a year between charges which is really
good plus this one has the largest
maximum load if that's something you
need to consider so that's a good option
if you have really big heavy curtains
the acara motors do operate very
smoothly and does probably seem to be
the most secure one and stable on the
rod while it's moving it definitely has
the best installation process of the
three
but its lack of compatibility with many
rods does make it hard to recommend
unless you have the perfect setup for it
that compatibility and the size are
really my only issues with this acara
curtain motor if you have a compatible
rod and can hide the motor behind your
curtains i do think it's a good option
especially if you already have an akara
hub of some sort it is a solid
well-built product and it seems to
operate very well and native home kit
support is great of course they are
claiming future support for matter which
may be an important factor for some a
solid product but this one is definitely
not for everyone if you're not as
concerned about native home kit support
then it's hard not to recommend the
switchbot curtain again they've been
doing this for a while and seem to have
really you know ironed out a lot of the
kinks the product is built well and
supports the largest range of rod and
rail sizes it's definitely the smallest
of the bunch a slightly weaker battery
than the acara but eight months
estimated battery life is not bad and
still better than the xemi smart one
plus you have the option to add solar
panels which is nice i like the app
setup and the controls the best in the
switchbot app compared to the others
i like the option to put the motors in
performance or silence mode it does have
the lowest max load of the three so that
might be something to consider we can
deduct some points also of course for
lack of home kit support you know at the
moment but it does integrate with siri
shortcuts which might be enough for many
um apple users and not to mention the
switchbot homebridge plug-in is very
good if that's something you have set up
like i do and finally we have zimmy
smart it has pretty good compatibility
for rails and rods and it is cool that
it comes with interchangeable parts
depending on you know what type you need
it has the lowest estimated battery life
of all three so you'll probably have to
charge this one a bit more and it uses
micro usb versus the other two that use
usbc that said they do offer solar
panels so if i went with this one i'd
probably go ahead and get those solar
panel bundles setup and configuration
was a little clunky using the toya app
but once i got it all set up it does
work well and of course native home kit
support thanks to that zimmy smart home
kit hub is always a good thing it is
slower than the other two and lack some
of the extras you'll get with the others
like the ambient light sensor and the
ability to automate based on that it
does feel a little bit cheaper than the
others especially
you know around the connections that
attach to the rod i'd probably go with
this one if native home kit support is
an absolute must but your rods maybe
aren't compatible with the acara curtain
motors so as you can see we have some
pros and cons for each of these but it's
really nice to have the options you
really need to consider i think your use
case and setup and maybe also consider
which brands you've already bought into
or are considering buying to since they
all do require a hub
in order to use them like this for
example if you already have an akara hub
or a zimmi smart hub might make the most
sense to just go with that brand so you
don't have to buy another hub i hope
this video was helpful if you're
considering acara check out this video
right here where we discuss all the
different hubs and which one you know
might be best for your smart home and
over here we have my video on the xemi
smart home kit hub that we discussed
today and some of the accessories you
can add to homekit with it subscribe and
turn on notifications for new videos
every sunday and live streams every
wednesday feel free to bring any
questions to the live stream and we can
discuss thanks so much for watching and
i'll see you in the next one
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