A Stylish and Affordable Step Into Smart Window Treatments
These motorized roller shades deliver a well-executed blend of style and practicality, offering a clean visual upgrade and reliable everyday performance. They are easy to operate once set up, with smart features that enhance convenience without being overwhelming. Their strongest advantage is value, providing a highly capable motorized shade system at a price point that is significantly more accessible than premium alternatives.
PROS
- Clean, modern aesthetic with hidden hardware and fabric valance options
- Strong smart home integration via Matter compatibility
- Flexible power setup with battery and optional solar charging
- Good balance of light filtering and daytime privacy
CONS
- Custom ordering process requires careful measurement and planning
- DESIGN
- EASE OF USE
- PRICE
A hands-on look at custom motorized shades with Matter support, solar charging, and a clean modern design for everyday living spaces
When it comes to upgrading a space, one of the easiest things to do is change out your window dressings. We’ve updated the curtains in our living room several times and even keep extra sets of curtains so that we can change them periodically. We have a large sliding glass door in that room and a smaller window on the wall. Over the past year, we’ve been trying to make incremental changes to the space so that it feels fresh and new. When we moved our furniture around, the full-length curtains we had on that smaller side window just didn’t make sense anymore. The bulk of the fabric was just becoming too cumbersome to deal with on a daily basis.
Since we upgraded my fiancé’s office with motorized shades last year, we thought it might be a nice upgrade for the living room, too. So, we got Light Filtering Roller Shades from Kincmo for that window.
About Kincmo Motorized Roller Shades
The Kincmo Motorized Light Filtering Roller Shades are designed to bring a balance of comfort, convenience, and modern style to everyday living spaces. There are different variations that are offered, but I opted for the ones that have 75% light-filtering fabric, which was similar to what the curtains provided for us.
The shades soften incoming sunlight while maintaining privacy, making them well-suited for areas like living rooms and kitchens where natural light is welcome but glare is not.
This system combines custom-fit sizing with cordless, motorized operation, allowing the shades to be raised or lowered effortlessly using a remote or smart home controls. With Matter-enabled connectivity, they can integrate with platforms like Apple Home, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa, making it easy to automate daily routines or control them with voice commands.
A battery-powered motor paired with an optional solar panel helps reduce maintenance, offering long-lasting performance without the need for hardwiring. The addition of a fabric valance and wrapped bottom bar gives the shades a more finished, polished appearance, allowing them to blend naturally into a variety of interior styles.
Overall, these shades are a practical solution for those looking to upgrade from traditional window coverings to something cleaner, quieter, and more connected, while still keeping spaces bright and inviting.
Specs (according to the set we got)
- Shade Type: Motorized roller shades
- Fabric: 75% light-filtering (Aqua Waves pattern)
- Privacy Level: Daytime privacy with diffused natural light (not full blackout)
- Mount Type: Outside mount
- Final Dimensions: 41.5” W × 41.5” H
- Roll Direction: Standard roll (fabric rolls off the back)
- Color/Finish: White hardware with patterned fabric
- Valance: Fabric insert valance (white) for a finished look
- Bottom Bar: Fabric-wrapped bottom rod (white)
Motor & Smart Control
- Power Type: Battery-powered motor
- Motor Position: Right side
- Motor Type: Standard motor with Matter-compatible hub
- Smart Home Support: Works with platforms like
- Apple Home
- Google Home
- Amazon Alexa
- Automation: Scheduling, scenes, and voice control (via Matter)
Controls & Operation
- Remote Included: 15-channel LCD remote
- Multi-Shade Control: Yes (control multiple shades individually or in groups)
- Operation Type: Fully cordless, motorized lift/lower
Power & Charging
- Battery: Rechargeable internal battery
- Solar Panel: Upgraded external solar panel for extended battery life
- Charging Option: USB charging cable included
Additional Details
- Warranty: Standard 2-year warranty
- Room Assignment: Living Room, Kitchen (for grouping/remote setup)
- Safety: Cordless design (child and pet safer)
Pricing & Availability
The base price of the Light Filtering Roller Shades is approximately $115 per shade. The price is dependent on the options you select. My particular configuration ended up being approximately $428 per roller shade. The shades are all custom-made to your specifications so the lead time can be a little long depending on availability.
Here is a breakdown of my exact order.
- Mount Type: Outside Mount
- Width (inch): 41*(+$66.00)
- Width Fraction: 1/2′
- Height (inch): 41* (+$56.00)
- Height Fraction: 1/2″
- Please Confirm The Dimensions: 41.5 x 41.5
- Power Type: Battery-Powered Motor
- Motor Type: Standard Motor + Matter Hub(+$69.99)
- Valance Type: Fabric Insert Valance (White) (+$15.99)
- Bottom Rod Type: Fabric Wrapped Bottom Rod (White) (+$15.99)
- Motor Side: Right Side
- Roll Type: Standard Roll
- Remote Type: Upgraded 15-Channel LCD Remote(+$32.99)
- Solar Panel: Upgraded Solar Panel (+$52.99)
- USB Charger: USB Charger(+$2.99)
- Extended Service: Standard 2-Year Warranty
Installation
One thing to note here is that Kincmo has dozens of different combinations to choose from. This particular set made sense for our space, but there are many different colors and styles to look at.
In the past, I’ve had some issues with installing window dressings. Some have not been mounted into the window frame properly and others have literally fallen off the wall. It’s kind of a sad confession for me to make, but because of this, I’ve got a little bit of anxiety built up around the installation of window treatments.
The motorized roller shades are nothing to fear though. The instructions they come with are easy to follow and the main assembly of the shade simply snaps onto a wall-mounted bracket. You snap the bracket into place and then hold the shades up to the wall so that you can mark where you want the brackets to be mounted. Now, the nice thing about this step is that you can slide the brackets along the roller shade’s assembly frame. It’s suggested that you attempt to mount them approximately 4 inches from the edges. I would say the only reason not to do that is if you aren’t on a wall stud. You can place the wall mounts in the studs and then snap the shade in place.
As noted above, I selected the outside mount option. This means that the mounting bracket and entire roller assembly will live outside the window frame. Our frames are very shallow and because our windows open horizontally, I just thought the outside mount would be much easier to install.
The first thing I did in the installation process was to take down the old curtains. I had all the parts of the shade laid out on a table and studied the installation guide. I made sure our drill was charged and had my trusty ratcheting screwdriver on standby. I measured where the middle of the window shade was and marked it with a piece of painters tape. That way I could line that up with the center of the window when I held it up to mark where the brackets should go.
After marking where the brackets needed to go, I held one up and drilled a pilot hole into the wall for each screw hole. Then I screwed the provided screws into place. An extension piece is included for the wall mount, but you may not need it depending on how far away from the wall/window sill your shade is sitting in the closed position.
Once both brackets were in place (and the level was checked), I lifted the shade assembly up onto them and snapped it into place. When we first installed them, the roller needed to be plugged into power to charge the battery. We did order the solar panel as security for the window’s battery being charged, but for the first day or so, we left it plugged into power.
Once the physical installation was complete, I moved on to the app connection. The shades came with a pre-programmed remote that is very easy to use. I opted to add-on the Upgraded 15-Channel LCD Remote. It’s very modern looking and it comes with its own wall mount so you always know where it is. For the first few days after installation, I actually just used the remote for operation just so I could see if it was difficult for day-to-day use. In reality, it is not, but you really do get so much more functionality if you connect the shades to a smart assistant.
There are three motor options when you place an order.
- Standard
- Matter over Thread
- Standard + Matter Hub
Now, since we already have Apple Home and Matter devices in our home, I could have selected the Matter over Thread option, but then I wouldn’t have had the option to use the shades with a remote. I wanted that as a backup. So, I opted for the Standard + Matter Hub. This means that the intelligence is in the hub and not the motor itself. The hub does give you the option to connect to smart home systems (Alexa, Google, Apple, etc.).
It’s not particularly difficult, but there are some extra steps that are involved because I used the Matter Hub. My favorite part about having the shades connected to our smart home is that I can have them open at sunrise and close at sunset. To me, having motorized roller shades is the epitome of home automation.
Conclusion
After living with these for a couple of weeks, the biggest takeaway is how much they change the feel of the room without drawing attention to themselves. The rooms both feel more intentional now, with softer light during the day and far less visual clutter compared to the curtains. These shades strike the perfect balance between function and appearance, giving the upgraded feel I was hoping for.
For more information, visit kincmo.com
