(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
I've always been a fan of floor to ceiling windows. Not only do they flood your room with natural light, but they can also give your home an open, airy feel. Plus, there's no topping those amazing panoramic views. The downside, which very few people talk about, is you get zero privacy since anyone can look straight into your apartment day or night.Earlier this year, my wife and I became homeowners and while we absolutely loved our new floor to ceiling windows, over time we found ourselves conflicted. On the one hand, we loved our oversized windows, but as the weather warmed up and more people ventured outside, we started looking for ways to add a little privacy to our home — without losing the larger than life views that came with our unit.That's where SmartWings came into the picture. The company offers a wide variety of window treatments including zebra, cellular, Roman, and dual shades. We settled on the dual shades because you can opt between a light filtering shade — when you want some light to enter your home — and a blackout shade — when you want complete privacy.The pros
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)Like most of its products, the SmartWings Motorized Dual Shades are highly customizable. The shades are made to order and you can choose from a wide variety of colors and fabrics. When ordering dual shades, you get to pick the front shade and back shade. The latter one is closest to the window. I like that you can even customize how much light you'd like to block and/or allow into your home.SmartWings lets you order fabric samples so you can see which patterns and colors work best for your room(s). You can also choose whether you'd like battery operated, solar powered, or hardwired shades. We opted for battery operated, which are rated to last for up to six months between charges. (You charge them via a USB port embedded in the motor).After choosing your preferred style, you'll need to decide what type of motor you'd like powering your new shades. Options run the gamut from a standard motor (operated via remote control), Zigbee, Alexa, Z-Wave Plus, or a Matter Motor Over Thread. I love that SmartWings supports so many wireless platforms so you can choose the one that works with your ecosystem.Once you've gotten your basics down, you'll need to measure your windows. You can opt to do this yourself or you can find a local contractor via the SmartWings homepage. They'll pair you up with someone who's familiar with SmartWings and can even show you the fabrics in person.Since I'm horrible with DIY home improvement projects, we settled on a local contractor to measure and install our shades. Because SmartWings shades are custom-made, I highly recommend this option because the slightest miscalculation means your new shades won't fit properly. That said, the SmartWings website offers some tips and guidelines for installation if you prefer the DIY approach.Once the shades were installed, we opted to control them via a remote. The DualShades worked as expected and I love that we can have the light filtering shade down during the day and the blackout shade at night when watching TV or when we want complete darkness.From the mounting brackets to the valance, SmartWings shades are heavy duty and designed to last for years. They feel and look like premium shades. I also like that the motor that operates the shades is very quiet and you can even program the speed at which you'd like the shades to move. If you live in an Alexa, Google, HomeKit, or SmartThings environment, you can even use voice commands to raise/lower your shades.Cons
