Sponsored review of Zemismart Matter Roller Shade Driver
Zemismart were kind enough to send me their newest Matter over Thread Roller Shade Driver in return for a review and some feedback. I am not a full-time blogger, I do not have a YouTube channel or any other review platform, this is not my professional career, this is just an average users opinion and review into the Zemismart product.
I did not buy this item and Zemismart have not asked for a specific review or directed me what to say. The review is entirely my own honest opinion of the KO product and its operation.
I’ve used Zigbee Zemismart roller shade drivers before when I was a SmartThings user a few years ago. They worked well and I only replaced them as they naturally died. I was therefore keen to try their new gear. Particularly now I’m on a new platform (homey) and have overhauled my entire smart home set-up
Zemismart were great with communication and quick with posting the item to me. I’ve had the motor installed for just over two weeks now and overall, I’m impressed with the whole experience and Homey integration.
What’s in the box….
In the box you get the roller shade motor, 2 3M self adhesive pads, 3 motor cogs for different size ball-chains, screws and wall-plugs and the user manual. There is also a QR code to scan for online manual. There is also a sticker on the front which has a handy tip for setting the up/down limits.
Size and Shape
The motor is quite wide so it suits a deeper window where there is adequate space in front or behind the blind. Unlike its older Zigbee predecessor which was tall and thin, this is a shorter, wider body. It measures at 6cm Wide by 13.5cm tall. The Aqara in comparison is 16.5cm tall and 4cm wide
Installation
This is a retro-fit option, it comes with a strong 3m sticky-pad and screws. It will work with roller shades, zebra blinds, venetian blinds and honeycomb blinds that use a pull cord with beads between 3 and 6mm.
The mounting plate has ratchets on the back so it can be fitted on your wall and then moved down to create tension on the cord and to allow you to remove your blind if needed. There is then a cover plate that covers the cog.
Integration and control
This will work with Homey Pro, Homey Mini and Homey SHS. I run Homey Self hosted Server on a designated windows machine in VmWare. For my thread network I have a single network which is made up of multiple hubs sharing the same credentials – this giving a strong thread mesh within my home. I installed the blind twice so that I could compare functionality between instal methods;
On both occasions the blind paired with homey without any issue. On the first occasion I used the recommended RIVA SMART. This is a community app which was automatically suggested for install – I do have the official Zemismart app and a few Tuya app versions installed so I was surprised to see this app chosen over them. I used the app and it loaded and recognised the blind without any issues. I did later look at the supported devices in the official Zemismart app and by the looks product page it suggests only the Zigbee versions are supported. However of course there should be no need for the app;
On the second occasion Ignored the app and used its native Matter Pairing. These motors support the Matter over Thread protocol. Again pairing was very quick, the blind is responsive and controls and options remain identical.
With both install methods control was instant. I created some basic flows so that the blind close automatically in the evening or when I activate my Lounge TV mode. Flows ran exactly as they should and on time.
Within the menus it shows an option to reverse the blind direction, reporting intervals, matter information. In Homey, a quick action is available to show if the blind is closed, this can be enabled or disabled as you see fit – however I found on a few occasions that this caused the blind to get a Timeout 1000 warning. I had to close the Homey app and reopen it to get control of the device again.
Homey has a number of flow cards available in the WHEN/AND/THEN sections. Flows can be made depending on the state of the blind or battery state.
Manual control is simple. On the device, turn the large knob on the front and the blind will move in the direction you have set and then press it to stop (direction can be reversed in Homey device card settings)
To set your limits, you must toggle a little switch on the bottom of the device, move it to where you want and then press the knob in, repeat for the second limit and then toggle the switch back over. I think this is great because it means that to change the limits, you must physically use the device, they can’t be ‘accidently’ deleted in the Homey app or settings.
Here are the Homey flow cards available for the device.
When cards
And Cards
Then Cards
Of course when paired with your smart home there is option to the add it to voice control or control it using your preferred smart home app or dashboard. However, another option is the little RF remote that’s provided with it. I think this is a nice touch. Yes, technically this can be achieved with any button using flows in homey but a dedicated little remote is just a handy extra on the occasions you left your phone in the other room or have one of those days where Alexa/Siri or Google just cant understand your voice.
Speed and motion
There are 3 speeds to this motor. They can be adjusted simply by turning the wheel in the direction you want to move the blind as its in motion.
I’ve tested this in its fastest mode and I have attached to move a blind 2m in height. On the same window is another motorised blind which has an Aqara motor and so I ran the two side by side to compare. The Zemismart takes 1.50secods to move the blind its full length in its fastest mode. Motion is smooth and the stop/ start commands on the app are instant. In comparison the Aqara takes 1.30. What I do like on the Zemismart is the rotary knob on the front. Its more intuitive / tactile than the Aqara – turn to move, Press to stop. The Aqara on the other hand has small buttons which I find annoying.
Noise
I used a generic DB app on my iPhone an stood 1m away. Nothing else was running or moving in my room but these levels obviously include standard atmospheric noise, as they would in real life. On its fastest speed It measured an average of 52db when the blind was in operation. If sat watching TV and the blind routine kicks in, it is quite noticeable, particularly if it’s a large blind and takes a while. If I had a few of these in the same room it would be a very obvious noise. In comparison to the Aqara motor which averaged at only 36db at the same distance. They are barely noticeable when in operation when your TV is on. In its slowest setting, the Zemismart was still louder and averaged at 44db.
Battery and Longevity
I can’t comment properly on longevity as I’ve only had it a few weeks. My older Zemismart motors lasted years so I’ve got no doubt this will too.
Battery life is significantly better than Aqara’s thanks to the 6400mAh rechargeable battery. Aqara only has a 1000mAh battery and despite all of mine having solar chargers, I still regularly get low battery warnings or instances where charge is so low, the blind doesn’t move. The Aqara battery life is terrible on all 5 of my Aqara motors.
With the Zemismart I’ve not yet added a solar charger or recharged since install and its still showing 90% battery.
Of course I can, like the Aqara add a small USBC solar charger to keep this topped up or plug it in via USB C battery pack or mains supply.
Cost and delivery
The blind can be purchased on Zemismart’s website. Its currently $69. Usual price is $99 which personally I feel is a little expensive. The Aqara is usually around £59 on Amazon
There are options for delivery from China, USA, Canada EU and UK. I had UK delivery an waited just over a week for it to arrive.
Conclusion
4.5* out of 5
Overall this is a perfectly decent blind motor. Zemismart are not new to this industry and so its not surprised it works well.
I couldn’t quite give this a full 5 stars. This is only down to the slightly higher noise and slower speed in comparison to the Aqara. I do also feel the cost is perhaps a little high if sold at full price. I would be much more inclined to buy this at the cheaper sales prices compared to its $99 RRP.
I do believe the battery capacity is a big advantage and the tactile control of the device is also a nice touch.
Matter over Thread is obviously the newer ‘industry standard’ these days, however, Im not going to get into the comparison of Zigbee VS Matter over Thread or the pros and cons. There are several arguments for and against each protocol and I will leave that is down to your personal setup and experience. Zemismart do offer this product as Zigbee only so you can have the same device without Matter over Thread should you choose.
Whilst its perhaps not as quiet and quick as the Aqara alternatives I already own, its not something that’s caused me any concern. Slowing the blind down does make it quieter, its just the balance of noise vs speed. For me, slightly quieter motion over the speed is the best option. Overall Homey integration is brilliant, no lag or delay and flows work as expected.
Zemismart have been very active in the Homey community addressing app issues and updating things quickly from what ive seen.
Would I buy this product. Yes. It’s a good product that works well and supports the newest Matter over Thread technology without needing any other Hub or hardware to get it working out of the box. Its great to see smarthome platforms acknowledge Homey instead of just
Thanks again to @Zemismart_Official for sending me the product.
If you would like to buy on or look at any of their other products, visit the link here.
Zemismart Matter over Thread Built-in Battery Blind Driver Retrofit Roller Shade Motor
I am not affiliated to Zemismart and get nothing for any purchases made via the link.
Thanks for reading
