Have you ever been watching TV on the sofa comfortably when the sun comes along and ruins your fun by shining through your window too brightly? The simplest thing is to just get up and close the blinds, but at the time that feels so much like a chore, don’t deny it, we’ve all been there.

How much better would it be if you could just adjust the blinds from the comfort of your seat using a remote control? You don’t get up to change the TV channel so why should you do so to close the blinds? Well luckily you don’t have to anymore. Remote Control Blinds are becoming more common place in the home.

The only thing stopping most people from purchasing remote control blinds is the cost. The additional cost of a motor, sensor and remote can add quite a significant amount to the price of your blind(s). However the price does largely depend on the complexity of the product. Currently the cheapest remote blinds available are remote aluminium venetian blinds. This is because the only required operation is that the slats tilt. You don’t really need to raise and lower the blinds. If you do want to do that you can always do it manually of course.

That is the most basic example of remote blinds, however there are much more complex solutions such as remote blinds that raise and lower at certain times of day, blinds which raise depending on the ammount of light, really anything is possible, if you have the money to spend!

In terms of supplying power to the blinds motor you have two options: Mains Powered or Battery powered. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, we’ll address that in a future article. One difference worth mentioning is that anyone can install a battery powered option, in contrast to an mains powered option which requires a qualified electrician.

For remote blinds you obviously need a remote control, there is a good variety of these available on the market. Infra-red is the cheapest option, Radio Frequency is a superior but more expensive option. Most remotes can control more than one blind, around five blinds is the standard, which is usually enough for a room or two. If you are using a radio frequency technology remote you can control groups of blinds rather than single blinds. This means you could have a room full of blinds in one group which raise and lower simultaneously. 

One limitation of remote blinds is that the motors are only so powerful, this means there will be restrictions on the size of blinds you can have (to keep the weight down). Because of this you may have to settle for a lighter material if you have a large window, for example aluminium venetians are a lighter alternative to wooden venetians.

Overall remote blinds are definitely an option to consider if you have room for them in your budget, they certainly add a wow factor to your home and impress your visitors!