Finding Axis gear alternatives out there in the huge smart home market can be challenging.
Whether you’re looking for different devices for all of your roller shades or trying to know some good alternatives,
In this blog post, you will find nifty options for your automation ideas!
What were the requirements to be on this list?
- You should be able to control your window shades with at least a voice assistant or through your Smartphone. Read thoroughly on each smart device to choose which suits you better!
- Axis gear is proud because it automates your existing blinds. Most alternatives will advise you to replace the whole thing.
Soma Smart shades two
It’s cool to think how much time can it takes moving your window shades every day.
I guess if you do your math, it has to be at least a whole month closing and open them!
This axis gear alternative has a sleek design that will for sure enhance your room’s ambiance
And the good news is that they improved their old model:
- The motor is 4x times faster than the previous one
- It has an awesome slow mode which will allow you to wake up at your own pace.
A super cool feature is that you don’t need to plug it into the energy! That’s right it’s solar-powered.
It comes with a lithium battery, that will remain charged if the sun at your window is bright enough
It has a solar panel that feeds continuously the battery charging it without worries.
I’m thrilled how is solar-powered! You just need to know that you won’t be able to control your shades using your most preferred voice assistant If Wi-Fi goes off
This axis gear alternative is even smarter! And why?
Because it can also control your window shades according to the light outside.
You can program it so it will close by itself even if you’re not there
In the voice command front, Soma has it all covered. You can control it with the app using Siri, Voice Assistant & Amazon Alexa.
It’s way easier to configure your smart assistant with Soma because you won’t need a Smart Home hub or anything like that.
Compared to Axis gear, Soma smart shades can be installed on different roller shades chains.
I know, you have the normal ones! But in case your roller shades have a different cord, Soma can handle others too!
For the installation, there is not a winner here.
Both devices are simple and quick to install. It’s just a matter of putting the cord inside of it, Attach it to the wall, and your good to go!
Of course, there is another step because you’ll have to put the solar panel visible to the sun, but I guess that’s not too much to worry
One of my concerns when I saw this Axis gear alternative was sound, is it too loud? I don’t want to wake up because of it!
According to the manufacturer, it is around 40 Decibels in regular operation.
But in the slow mode, this shouldn’t be a problem, unless you have a very light sleep.
But hey, any motor in your room is going to make noise… it’s no surprise!
Axis gear alternatives: Move, an elegant solution for your shades
Blinds to go has nailed it with MOVE
Another awesome option for your already existing shades
And I’m thrilled how is solar powered! You just need to know that you won’t be able to control your shades using your most preferred voice assistant If Wi-Fi goes off
Don’t get me wrong, you can operate it manually, but it can be confusing if you don’t know all the perks and features of a smart device.
It happens the same thing with the Soma Roller Shade. If Wi-Fi is off, your smart assistant will die.
Another good reason to get one of these axis gear alternatives or even go for the one you already know is the fact that you would keep your existing shades!
That means that you’ll save money and time
Thinking about automation on your window shades? Well, you could create your morning and night routines using the Move App and get away to have a good night’s sleep.
When I’m home, and I’m feeling lazy in the morning, I don’t want to leave my room because it’s dark and cozy
With these schedules, I force myself to see the sunlight to get my #$%&& out of the bed
Speaking about the installation, it’s a no brainer really
It’s just a matter of attaching the Move device to the wall, feed it with the cord of your window shade
Install an app and you are set!
But if you are a follow-the-manual kind of guy, check it out here
MOVE is an affordable axis gear alternative because the price drops around 50% compared to its main competitor!
This means that perhaps built quality isn’t the best, but as long it can do its job, it’s fine by me!
And the question of the year: Does Move work with Alexa or Google assistant?
No, it doesn’t. Because it works with Bluetooth directly, Your MOVE device won’t be able to run using a regular voice assistant.
It certainly is smart, but if you want to use it directly with a voice assistant you may need to use a Hub to control it.
Keego Smart Roller shades
A not-so-known option for your window shades
And What I liked about this one was the price, because compared to all the axis gear alternatives that I showed you above, this one is cheaper!
It works with the beautiful, CO2 free energy of the sun!
You just need to stick the solar panel outside on the window and it will start charging it.
But you should know that it also works with regular electricity, you just need to add a solar charger to it making it eco-friendly!
Keego thought about designing this product so anyone can automate a roller shade at an affordable price…. Nice
It runs with Bluetooth, which will allow you to operate it remotely even if your Wi-Fi died
After performing a simple installation over your existing roller shades
Install the app and prepare yourself to create automation over your shades at all times!
Whether it is for your morning or night routines, this option comes with great possibilities for your whole house.
Click here if you want to check the price and availability on Amazon!
Axis gear alternative: Zemismart
Another no-so-known roller shade automation gadget
And one of the most appealing aspects of it is the price! Compared to axis gear is 5 times cheaper!
It works with the same Bluetooth protocol as Axis gear but without Zigbee.
For me, this is a big deal because I own a Smarthings Hub that is Zigbee compatible. It allows me to control almost any kind of smart gadget with any kind of smart speaker that I have and even with my Smartphone.
But hey, if your main purpose is to automate your roller shades and that’s it, it can be an excellent choice.
There’s an in-depth video where you can see both devices in action.
Their performance is nearly equal but in terms of automation, Axis Gear is the clear winner
Obviously, the materials used to built zemismart aren’t as great as the ones with Axis so I would expect that in the long run, this device is going to fail faster.
But one thing that really annoys me about these roller shades devices is that they run with Bluetooth as their main communication protocol.
Why? Because I’m the only one who is going to be able to control the shades! And if I’m not home and someone in my family wants to close them or open… they would have to whether pair it with their phones or just take it out. Again a real hassle.
I guess the best decision is just to get smart roller shades in your bedroom.
Conclusion
It’s incredible how there aren’t so many axis gear alternatives right now to choose from.
You certainly find some devices that do the job, but to be honest I was expecting a lot more to be on this list!
But at least we know we can automate our existing roller shades without having to replace the whole window.
It’s just annoying to do and you need to be very accurate with it. Otherwise, you could end up with a bigger window shade or with missing parts extending the installation for days
If you ask me, you should get the axis gear, but for the other shades, I would definitely give it a try to other options!