The SwitchBot Curtain came in an exciting array of connectable devices for the smart home which included SwitchBot Curtain, SwitchBot remote, SwitchBot Solar Panel, SwitchBot Thermometer and Hygrometer and SwitchBot Hub mini. The various units are designed to work for one app on your phone, reducing the need to have multiple apps for each product. This provides an ecosystem of integrated units for the smart home The kit comes with no screws or bolts or hardwiring, electrician required.
Features:
Works with – retrofit property.
- For any types of curtains rail No matter it is Rod, U Rail track, or I Rail track, SwitchBot Curtain can always fit.
- Support U Rail Curtain
- Support Rod Curtain
- Support Rail Curtain
This kit is designed to work with (Note the SwitchBot Hub Mini, is required for this to work and sold separately)
This is excellent for the ecosystem to control the units from a security perspective open and close the curtains at random times or used for other features in terms of connecting to the thermometer/ hydrometer to check the temperature or turn off / on other connected devices.
Make your curtains smart in seconds, also makes your existing curtains motorized and automated with 30-second installation. schedule, and touch and go.
The marketing team for SwitchBot may get legal action and in my opinion, this is false marketing without giving the full truth, and are setting up customers to fail.
The process involves opening the box, read the instructions, download the app via the QR code, register your account, await a SwitchBot verification code via email, physically set up the SwitchBot curtains, set up the app on the phone, and configure, calibrate the curtains, notwithstanding read the 48-page guide for installation and charge the kit for 10 hours, if taking a short cut and not reading the manual prepare for the “ Factory reset on numerous occasions “ by holding the contact button for 15 seconds. All this in 30 seconds installation!
Battery:
Charging takes 10 hours while once charged lasts an excellent time up to last 8 months depending on the usage. An alternative option to minimise the need to charge the kit would be to purchase (sold separately) the SwitchBot Solar Panel which would mitigate the need for charging, The kit is supplied with modern USB C charging cables which if not going for the solar panel option could be charged leaving a power bank attached to the SwitchBot Curtain overnight removing the need to remove the SwitchBot Curtain from its hanging position. This is a real positive for the smart home. The other devices came with a standard battery which is easily changed as required.
SwitchBot Thermometer and Hygrometer
Once configured which is easy, this will mirror the temperature in the room to your app which is ideal to set alerts if the temperature drops below a certain temperature e.g., Child’s bedroom which can be configured to take an action. The Hygrometer is used for measuring the humidity of the air. For maximum heating effectiveness and comfort, humidity levels should be between 30% and 50%. In the summer, a maximum of 55% is tolerable this is great to be aware of if monitoring the elderly. The Thermometer is slow to change temperature, having placed this is a fridge down to 2 degrees Celsius, on placing within the kitchen it took approx. 10 minutes to raise back to the normal temperature while appears correct when compared with 2 other temperature gauges. The app does keep a record, which can be displayed graphically of the temperature which can be exported as required for a day, week, month or year.
SwitchBot Hub mini
This is required to allow the technology to connect the smart home to your router and connected remotely to the devices and the likes of Alexa. This as many products do not support connection from your router on 5G and do not support does not support WEP and WPS for now, (which as stated by SwitchBot ) makes users vulnerable. If this does not connect instantly on the first go, a requirement may be required for a techie to login into your router to configure firewall rules as troubleshooting.
SwitchBot remote,
The remote is possible the most used items, simple in what it does, configured via the app to e.g., top button press = close, bottom button = open. Again, instructed in the manual but configured via the App. This is ideal as once configured, no app, phone, Wi-Fi etc. is required just press the button to open or close which has worked faultlessly once configured and calibrated.
App use, SwitchBot:
The app has got a rating of 2.8 out of 5 with over 100k downloads, the rating would not be considered a good rating but can often be caused by an older version of the software or bug. In my opinion, I believe this is a fair result for the app having various issues on the initial setup, (albeit tried on an older phone – and got an error when tried to use the Forget Password – error Validation error detected, with code lingo in terms of the details must satisfy regular expression pattern.) This was again used on newer android phone and technically worked with FAQ, but a lot of time spent on trial and error, (Hence read the manual and app details to prevent hours of futile time setting up)
Once the app is set up, controlling the curtains or configuration of the other devices was standard in terms of adding a new product with challenges to establish how to link one product to another, various links to videos were available to view online in this area via the FAQ.
Brand:
SwitchBot has been around since 2016 with a tag line of, we help you to create a comfortable home with innovative smart home products. Which I would agree with (once their app get a makeover) https://switch-bot.com/
Overall:
My biggest niggle on this product is the claim “30-second installation” which is compounded by an app that still requires work and manuals that in my opinion are written by someone English is not their first language. Notwithstanding the above, the product once setup works well, and has been the focal point of many visitors who have been very impressed with the simplicity of the unit, allowing it to be used via the App, or remote once configured, alternatively connect via various smart home option E.g., Alexa. Again, the simple things have been done, pulling one curtain manually, the Touch & Go kicks in to close/open both curtains as required ensuring an equal balance with both open / closed as required. The remote, or the Touch & Go requires no smartphones required once setup and has the advantage of no cables needed to run or electrical wiring to be done. Keeping with one standard brand in terms of one smart home ecosystem again is another positive ensuring when you change the phone or do a smart reset you are not stuck with numerous apps to configure as required. This is ideal for the elderly if set up by a junior person and calibrated to allow them easy of use for the curtains and visibility to see the temperature of the rooms when away.
This has the potential to be a colossal winner once the app & setup nuances are updated.