Hunter Douglas Hides The Battery In Its New Smart Roller Shades
Hunter Douglas is upgrading its smart roller shades, adding a new internal battery option for an even cleaner look, as it pushes the new PowerView Gen 3 system out the door. Cordless, rechargeable shades aren't new to the Hunter Douglas range, but these Gen 3 versions promise an even cleaner installation than the current battery pack tucked behind the cassette.
A new Internal Rechargeable Battery fits within the roller tube itself, avoiding a separate component and allowing the shade to fit within shallower window cavities. That's in contrast to the current PowerView rechargeable battery design, which slots into a bracket typically mounted behind the shade cassette.
Hunter Douglas says the new battery design is quieter than before, and will work with its Designer Roller Shades, Designer Screen Shades, Designer Banded Shades, Alustra Woven Texture Roller Shades, and Alustra Architectural Shades ranges. A full charge should be good for around a year of typical use; it charges with a magnetic connector, that the company says can be readily attached even from two stories below.
Wired shades are still available
Of course, there are also wired shades (not to mention other styles beyond roller shades) which might work better if you're starting from scratch in a new build or renovation. The advantage to the battery-powered versions is easier installation for existing homes; like with all Hunter Douglas products, the shades are custom made and can only be ordered (and installed) via the dealer network, rather than direct to consumer. Pricing varies accordingly.
The new model supports PowerView Gen 3, which Hunter Douglas announced back in May 2022. It marked a switch to Bluetooth, relying on direct Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connections between a smartphone or tablet and shades, with a new version of the PowerView Pebble Remote, or with a new PowerView Gateway acting as a bridge. That bridge also supports integration with third-party smart home platforms like Control4, Crestron Home, Crestron, Clare Controls, Elan, RTI, and others. The third-generation PowerView Gen 3 shades with the Internal Rechargeable Battery design are available to order now.