I recently moved into a new apartment, and considering I'm trying to use three smart home ecosystems at once – Apple Home, Google, and Amazon Alexa – this was a chance to do a bit of a smart home reset, declutter some things, and add some new smart gadgets.
My new place has lots of windows, which is a huge benefit in terms of getting lots of natural light, but it also has a lot of classic shades with a metal bead design that can be raised or lowered. So I thought it would be cool if I could open and close the shades with the tap of an app or by asking my smart assistant.
That led me to discover Ryse, a SmartShade controller manufacturer that's brought plastic and metal beaded chains into the 21st century. Admittedly, it's not something you necessarily need to buy, but it makes for a fascinating, albeit pricey, addition to home automation… and, of course, a cool party trick.
Wired or battery
(Image courtesy of Future/Jacob Krol)
I've been testing two SmartShades with battery packs, which are essentially self-powered versions of the controller that will eventually need to be recharged. I think they'd be a better option for renters, since they don't require you to constantly hunt for an outlet to power the controller.
Ryse makes both options, priced at $149.99 for the wired and $199.99 for the battery. The SmartBridge, which allows for on-the-go control and integration with Alexa, Google Home, or Apple Home, is $80. So it's not the cheapest upgrade in the world, but it does what it needs to do.
It's easy to set up, but you need to ensure security
Though it's not cheap, the SmartShade controller is a pretty well-made, albeit rather sturdy, piece of kit: It's rectangular, with pairing and power buttons on the top, up and down arrows on the front for raising and lowering the window shade, and a spot on the back for setting up a plastic or metal beaded chain.
Anyone who wears these types of sunglasses probably knows they can be tricky, so make sure you put them on properly. Luckily, the Ryse app for iOS and Android walks you through the process pretty clearly, filling in where the included paper instructions leave off.
Onboarding is easy though: create an account, connect to SmartShade, and set your open and close positions. This pairing is done manually, but once set up, the Ryse system is smart enough to recognise the different stages in between, so you can easily set it to 50%, 75% or 18% open.
In my experience, it takes about 5-10 minutes to set up the SmartShade, which means about 20 minutes to pair. After that, you're up and running quickly with the SmartBridge, enabling more advanced control options, and setting it up with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, or Google Home. This is where the real magic begins. The Ryse offers light automation, but is a little easier to integrate with your preferred system.
Whether you use the Ryse app or integrate it with your smart home ecosystem, the shades respond quickly to your commands, raising or lowering all the way, or even stopping in a more customized spot. And with the motors inside clocking in at under a few decibels, they're virtually noiseless, mainly just a light chime as the metal chains move.
We only ran into one major issue: the top left shade chain broke while Ryse was moving the shade up and down. This is a good sign that you need to secure the unit tightly. A mounting bracket with screws is included in the SmartShade box. Make sure you use this bracket to keep the controller from swinging or standing on its own while you're pulling on the chain. It also adds weight, putting extra stress on it.
If you don't want to drill holes, renters can use strong command strips or a similar adhesive, but make sure it's securely fastened. I was eventually able to easily repair the metal chain, but it was still not a fun experience. Luckily, that hasn't happened to that fixture or the shade on the top right since.
So, the Ryse SmartShade is a pricey, but really useful, smart home gadget. Adding smart controls to your chain shades is a bit of a niche market, but it's probably cheaper than upgrading your entire shade or blind system. It's also super convenient to be able to access your Apple Home or Google Home to quickly adjust your shades, close them when you're in bed, or set the scene for movie night. Likewise, it's cool to be able to ask Siri to do the same thing.
If that's what you're looking for and can stomach the cost, the Ryse controller and bridge combo is great, though I wish the SmartShade had some native smart features, which is pretty much the norm for smart home gadgets.