Test: This cheap connected gadget that rolls up your blinds will change your life (no) | NextPit

The Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1 roller shutter motor installs in minutes and makes existing pull chain blinds connected. We tested for you this gadget which costs around 80 euros.

NEXTPITTV

More

  • Easy installation and commissioning
  • Numerous possibilities for setting up routines and automatisms
  • Support for IFTTT, Homekit, Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant
  • Solid workmanship and at the same time a low price

Less

  • Not ass buttons should react faster
  • The engine runs quite slowly

The Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1 in brief

Thread the chain of your awning, mark the position, glue or screw the box, scan the QR code and that’s it. In just ten minutes, you will have made your blind connected thanks to the Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1. The app also offers numerous configuration options and the manufacturer offers a wide range of compatible connected home products.

Considering the price of around 80€, one has a sufficiently solid construction which, thanks to the integrated battery, does not require a permanent electrical connection. Only the motor should, for our taste, turn a little faster and the buttons on the housing react a little faster. But that shouldn’t bother those who operate the blinds fully automatically anyway.

Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1

The Roller Share Driver is controlled either by the two buttons or by the application / © NextPit.

The Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1 is currently available for around 65 euros in various online shops, including Amazon. To be able to use the device, you will also need a hub, for example the Aqara Hub E1, which you will find from 20 euros.

Aqara G3 Camera Hub

In our test, we used this surveillance camera called Aqara G3 Camera Hub as a Zigbee hub / © NextPit

Design and installation

Aqara’s Shade Driver E1 roller looks like a Nintendo Wiimote at first glance. But instead of flying across the room playing Wii Sports Tennis, the Roller Shade Driver simply clings to the wall and raises and lowers your shade. This is particularly pleasant because thanks to the integrated battery you will not need to lay any cables.

For installation, you will first need to remove the plastic cap at the top end of the Roller Shade Driver E1. Below is the shaft of the electric motor, on which there is a housing for the common bead chains of blinds. If your awning uses another type of chain, you will find three other adapters in the box.

Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1

Hang the Roller Shade Driver E1 at the lowest point and mark the position on the wall. You can then attach the wall bracket. Alternate chain adapters are included in the box. / © NextPit

All you have to do is hook the Roller Shade Driver E1 to the chain of your roller blind at the lowest possible place, hold it against the wall and mark the lower end of the roller blind with a horizontal line. housing. Then separate the wall bracket from the housing and place it with the lower end at the height indicated. This is done either with the supplied adhesive pad or with two dowels and screws also supplied.

Then it will be enough to put the roller shutter motor on the wall bracket and the installation will be finished. With the two up and down buttons on the housing, you can move the roller shutter up and down electrically. But beware: the motor has no limit switch and continues to rotate endlessly in both directions.

Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1

We fixed the wall bracket for the Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1 to the wall using the supplied adhesive pad. It holds like a bomb / © NextPit.

During the test, the fact that the axis of our awning and the axis of the motor were offset by 90° did not pose any problem. When installing, just make sure that the chain is not too tight. The string should only have slight tension, not be taut like a guitar string.

Configuration

The second part of the setup is done in the app. To be able to use the Roller Shade Driver E1, you will need a Zigbee hub. The Aqara Hub E1, which costs around 30 euros, is a cheap solution. However, Aqara also offers several smart home products with a built-in hub, such as the G3 Camera Hub (see hands-on test), which also do some additional tricks, but more on that later.

To set up the Roller Shade Driver E1, simply scan the QR code on the back of the app and follow the instructions on the smartphone screen to set the motor endpoints for the highest and lowest position. low. During the test, it took no more than two minutes to configure the roller shutter motor.

Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1 Screenshots

Determine the direction of movement, set the highest and lowest position, and the setup will be complete. / © NextPit

But now the most exciting part begins: You will be able to configure different scenes and automations for the Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1. In the case of automations, for example, you can make the roller shutter motor move at specific times, for example at 6 a.m. from fully closed to 90%, in the afternoon to 60% and in the evening again at 0% or completely closed.

You can also connect other sensors to the Roller Shade Driver E1. As the G3 Camera Hub offers gesture recognition, you can for example close the blind with a wave of your hand. It actually worked without issue during the test. Otherwise, you will find in Aqara’s portfolio many buttons and toggle switches, motion detectors, vibration detectors, door and window sensors and much more. Don’t hesitate to take a look.

Also, you will be able to configure some scenes with multiple components, for example for “Movie”. In this case, the room will be automatically darkened and the room lighting will be reduced, for example. These scenes can then be controlled by the voice assistant, for example by Siri. By the way: The Roller Shade Driver E1 is also compatible with Homekit and can therefore be integrated into your Apple ecosystem. Also, it is compatible with IFTTT, Alexa and Google Assistant.

Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1 Screenshots

If you have an Aqara camera with gesture control, you can close the blind by High Five (left). The Roller Shade Driver E1 also supports Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as IFTTT. / © NextPit

Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1 – Performance

When it comes to performance, the Roller Shade Driver E1 doesn’t have much to be ashamed of. The engine managed to make our editorial store work without any problems. However, it turns relatively slowly. It took 33 seconds for our 2.20 m long blind to go from the bottom to the top. The application certainly allows to configure the speed on three levels, but the fastest option was already selected.

Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1

The engine has good power, but it’s not very fast / © NextPit

The buttons on the Roller Shade Driver E1 could also react a little faster for my taste. Each time you press it, a second elapses before the motor starts. If the awning works almost autonomously thanks to scenes and automatisms, this is not at all negative. But if you want to get to the balcony immediately, it should go a little faster.

As mentioned at the beginning, the Roller Shade Driver E1 is battery operated. According to the manufacturer, the battery can last two months if you open and close a 1.80 m long blind once a day. Due to the lack of an endurance test, we were unfortunately unable to verify this information. After three days of testing, the battery health dropped from 51% to 49%, but this value seems plausible.

Battery charging takes place via a USB Type-C port. You can therefore connect, for example every two months, a power bank or a mains charger to fully recharge the battery. If you have a power outlet nearby, you can of course also plug the Roller Shade Driver E1 permanently into the power supply.

final verdict

From installation to commissioning, it took only 10 minutes during the test and the Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1 worked as promised by the manufacturer. Only the slow response was penalized. Both the keys and the motor itself should react or work faster. Given the purchase price, however, we can live with it, especially if the blind is rarely operated manually.

We want to thank the author of this article for this incredible material

Test: This cheap connected gadget that rolls up your blinds will change your life (no) | NextPit