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The DC motor and each of the gears are installed in a plastic enclosure which is one of the main reasons the Curtain 3 is so quiet, even in Normal mode. Beside a couple of screws, this piece is sealed shut with some kind of glue, significantly lowering the noise level the motor and gears produce. It's also stronger than before, capable of passing up to 36 lbs of curtains, and has a larger battery to ensure a longer time between charging, though the new Solar Panel could mean never having to charge it. ZDNET's buying advice If you don’t want to use SwitchBot’s kit, then there’s also an IFTTT channel, so you can achieve some of the same functionality using a different source, such as a smart thermostat. You don’t get quite the same level of control, plus you can’t restrict IFTTT rules to run between specific times unless you upgrade to a Pro account. Even then, it’s more fiddly to programme IFTTT Pro than it is to use SwitchBot’s app. The new SwitchBot Curtain 3 is much quieter than the Curtain 2 model, as it has a QuietDrift mode to keep the noise level at only 25 dB. This mode is slower, but it makes for a quiet, less distracting experience. The app isn't the most intuitive software I’ve ever used, but I eventually discovered a Silent option in the Motion Mode settings. “Silent” is an exaggeration, but it does run much quieter. It's a trade-off, because it runs much slower and opens the curtains only about halfway. Still, it does encourage me to get out of bed rather than doomscroll for half an hour.
The better method is to just automatically schedule your curtains to open and close at preferred times. There’s also a light-detection mode to trigger automatic opening when it identifies a certain level of illumination, but this feature is still in beta and did not work well for me. If you want remote control, you need to install the SwitchBot Hub Mini, which can also act as an IR transmitter if you want to control practically any device, from a TV to air-con. With the Hub installed, your SwitchBot Curtain will automatically communicate with this device (provided it’s within Bluetooth range). That gives you remote control over your curtains, including scheduling. The two rod hooks can be detached from the main unit of the Curtain 3. This is because SwitchBot has three different models of hooks for the Curtain 3: Rod, U-Rail and I-Rail which can be changed if needed. They attach by pressing the side clip buttons with your finger and only go in one way, so you can’t mess them up. Why would you need a robot that automatically opens your curtains anyway, they asked. “Need” is a bit strong, but the temptation of the SwitchBot is automation. Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up with sunlight touching your face instead of an alarm (or, in our house, a cat crying for breakfast)? Before the SwitchBot Curtain 3 can be used, it needs to be added to the app and calibrated. The app guides you through the process step by step, everything is visually explained to you and instructions are easy to follow. Once the device is added, you can slide the curtain in the app to open/close.Another interesting feature that you can turn on/off in the app is the Touch & Go setting which is basically a manual switch. As soon as the Curtain 3 senses you’ve pulled the drapes for over 5cm, it will automatically open or close them depending on the current position. Home Assistant Integration Still, even the new batch is far from perfect. For example, SwitchBots don’t always open the curtains as wide as I would by hand. They also tend to leave a gap between the curtains when they close. And I can't imagine them faring well with heavy curtains after seeing them struggle to fully open my small bedroom set. If you followed by API video exactly then your token and sign entity names should be good. Don’t forget to make sure that the DEVICE_ID value matches the ID of your paired curtains device, which you’ll find in your All Devices entity data. Curtains operate in performance mode by default, closing and opening at the maximum speed. There’s a quiet mode that reduces noise at the expense of speed. To be honest, the SwitchBot Curtain is so quiet anyway that most will find that there isn’t a need to change modes.
Opening up the plastic enclosure was a bit of a challenge, I was afraid of messing up the layout but curiosity got the better of me. There are a total of 6 gears which the DC motor turns, with two plastic spur gears in the middle. They are all oiled up to reduce friction/noise and increase their lifespan. The solar panel can supply unlimited power to the Curtain 3 according to SwitchBot, as long as it gets 3 hours of sunlight per day. It’s attached permanently with a clip via USB-C and hangs behind your drapes facing the window. The Curtain 3 bot carries the solar panel whenever it moves, keeping the battery charged at all times. Like other SwitchBot products I’ve tested, the Curtain 3 is built really well and feels like a premium device. It’s certainly a significant improvement over the Curtain 2, but if you already own the previous generation of SwitchBot curtain motors I do not feel it’s necessary to upgrade. And finally we create a cover entity to bring all of those components together. The cover entity calls the script and passes in the requested position. Because the SwitchBot API is actually expecting a value which is inverse to that used by Home Assistant, we just do a bit of maths to calculate the correct position value. The cover entity gets the current position from the position sensor we created earlier, but filtering out any values above 95 as 100, and below 5 as 0. Restart everything just to make sure it’s all created and you’ll be good to go! You can use your new cover entity on your dashboard, and even share to HomeKit / Alexa so as you can control it that way. cover:You’ll need to buy one SwitchBot Curtain per physical curtain. For two curtains that meet in the middle, you’ll need two SwitchBot Curtains. For testing, I had two SwitchBot Curtain Rod models.
The above images show an example for installing the bot on ring top curtains. The method is similar for any kind of curtains, the side hooks are spring loaded so all you have to do is pull them down and clip them onto the rod. My curtain rod is fairly thin (around 18mm), but the Curtain 3 was able to grip it firmly. Now QuietDrift mode will use up a lot more of your battery compared to normal fast mode. So whilst it is brilliant to watch QuietDrift in action, I am struggling to find a reason to use it myself. Let’s say you are automatically opening the curtains in your bedroom in the morning, you might use QuietDrift so as to not wake you up. But your curtains are opening, surely that will wake you up anyway so what’s the point? There are some interesting settings in the app for configuring the SwitchBot Curtain 3. For example, the device can operate in two operation modes producing different noise levels and consuming battery: If you have tabbed curtains then there are adapters you’ll need to fit for those, and if you have an extendable pole then you’ll need to fit the included adapter to your pole too so as the robot can make it over the step. pypi: - git+https://github.com/the-ress/pySwitchbot.git@curtain3 apk: [] Code language: YAML ( yaml )The cable of the panel goes through a plastic tube which swivels on three places for flexibility. This prevents the cable from damage while hanging from the curtain bot. You can skip the solar panel if you want too, the battery should last about 8 months on a single charge (open and close once a day) but I highly suggest you get it too because it’s relatively inexpensive. Using the SwitchBot Remote was the preferred method of interaction. Thanks to the direct Bluetooth connection between the Remote and SwitchBot Curtain, I never encountered any issues with the system failing to respond. I have various types of blinds and curtains in my home, the most common being beaded chain roller curtains (controlled with Aqara E1). Now I’m thinking I should switch to drapes and use the SwitchBot Curtain 3 everywhere instead. It’s so quiet! Next find your rest sensor configuration, the section where you created your ‘all devices’ sensor. Add the following new position sensor configuration to it making sure that you change the DEVICE_ID to match again. rest:
SwitchBot is running a sale currently in various online stores, here’s how to get the most of it depending on your location. Cleverly, Scenes can be restricted to only run between certain times, so you won’t have curtains open in the middle of the night. I use all SwitchBot devices with Home Assistant, if you are interested in digging deep into their ecosystem and HA Integration, here are a few of my articles: You might get a little overwhelmed when looking at all the things inside the box, but it’s actually really simple to install. If you get the solar panel too, it’s even simpler as you do not need to charge the device with an USB-C cable. Provided you have the SwitchBot Curtain installed correctly, and it isn’t too tight, it works brilliantly. There’s a pitched whine to the motors as they power your curtains open or closed, but the system worked flawlessly for me over a period of weeks.
SwitchBot Curtain 3: QuietDrift in Home Assistant
What is it with teenagers and curtains? They either don’t bother closing them when it gets dark, or they never open them during the day. SwitchBot have very kindly offered to help me with this little problem. They’ve sent me a pair of the new SwitchBot Curtain 3 robots which are designed to turn almost any type of curtain into a smart curtain. Connectivity was not an issue for me, but It’s important to note I work diligently to eliminate interference between Bluetooth, Zigbee and Wi-Fi. I use Bluetooth proxies with cheap ESP32 boards to create a better connection and integrate Bluetooth devices in Home Assistant. To house the batteries and a motor powerful enough to move a set of curtains, SwitchBot Curtain is rather large (116 x 65 x 51mm). Its clip slides up and then you squeeze the top to ratchet the motor into place. It’s important that you only clip the SwitchBot Curtain into place to the point it feels secure; squeeze it too hard and it won’t move. After the pathetic first attempt at opening my curtains, I tried refitting the SwitchBot. I placed one on the right curtain and one on the left. There's a kind of ratcheting arm that goes over the curtain rod, with little wheels on the inside, and you clamp it on the rod between the first and second curtain rings. (You can also get SwitchBots that work with U Rail and I Rail curtains.) The SwitchBot Curtain 3 is currently not officially supported in the official integration. However, some awesome people in the community forums managed to create a working python library and add the Curtain 3 in Home Assistant. Please note, you need Bluetooth or Bluetooth Proxy enabled to use this:
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