The SwitchBot Blind Tilt is a quick, easy and affordable way to control your blinds from your phone – no DIY necessary

Thinking of buying a smart blind? Think again

SwitchBot Blind Tilt attached to blinds and in app
(Image: © Future)

TechRadar Verdict

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt will turn any standard venetian blinds into smart blinds by using a motor to twist the control wand for you. It's a very simple idea, but one that SwitchBot has executed well. The Blind Tilt is quick and easy to fit, and ideal for renters who often aren't permitted to take a drill to their landlord's walls. It isn't particularly attractive, and its motor makes quite a lot of noise; but it's cheaper than buying a whole smart blind, and SwitchBot's mobile app is a pleasure to use.

Pros

  • +

    Works with virtually any venetian blind

  • +

    Can be installed in 10 minutes without any drilling

  • +

    SwitchBot app is nicely designed and easy to use

  • +

    Integrates well with all the major smart home platforms

  • +

    Much more affordable than a purpose-made smart blind

Cons

  • -

    Bulky, not very attractive

  • -

    Motor is quite loud

  • -

    Requires additional Wi-Fi hub

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SwitchBot Blind Tilt: one-minute review

Smart blinds can be set to open and close remotely on a regular schedule, or when triggered by an event, via an app or using voice controls. However, they’re pretty expensive – which is where the SwitchBot Blind Tilt comes in. Like many of SwitchBot’s products, it’s designed to be retrofitted, and means you can make your existing blinds "smart" rather than replace them. It offers the ideal solution for renters or homeowners on a budget.

The Blind Tilt works with venetian blinds, using a motor to twist the wand to open and close the slats completely, or open them partly to control the amount of light allowed into the room. It’s a very simple idea, but one that SwitchBot has executed well. Having installed a unit to one set of blinds, I found myself wanting to fit the Blind Tilt to every window in my home.

Operated via the SwitchBot mobile app, you can set the blinds to open and close remotely, or – even more helpfully – make adjustments to them on a schedule. If you don’t mind the sound of the motor, the Blind Tilt is an affordable alternative to one of the best wake-up lights for rousing you with natural light in the morning.

SwitchBot devices are also compatible with all the main smart home ecosystems, and the Blind Tilt worked almost seamlessly with Google Home in my tests. It wasn’t quite as responsive as a smart light, but integrating it into my smart home was a piece of cake. Best of all, it's a far more affordable solution that having to invest in a whole smart blind, and can be set up in about 10 minutes.

SwitchBot Blind Tilt: price & availability

  • Much cheaper than buying a whole smart blind
  • Bundle discounts and frequent sales
  • Requires an additional Wi-Fi hub

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt launched in 2022, and is available to buy direct from SwitchBot and major retailers including Amazon. It has a list price of $69.99 / £69.99 (about AU$110), with discounts available if you buy a set of two, three, or four units. SwitchBot also runs regular sales, with discount codes on its website that are applied to products in your basket automatically. You'll find all today's best prices below.

Even without discounts applied, the Blind Tilt costs far less than a full motorized smart blind. For comparison, the SwitchBot Adjustable Smart Roller Shade launched in early 2025 comes in at $199.99 / £169.99 (about AU$320) for the smallest size without a solar panel.

To use either the Blind Tilt or the Adjustable Smart Roller Shade, you'll need a SwitchBot hub, whose prices start at $39 / £35 (about AU$60).

  • Value score: 5/5

SwitchBot Blind Tilt: design

  • Quite chunky, visually unattractive
  • Can be fitted in 10 minutes
  • Very simple to install and remove

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt doesn’t require any drilling, and can be installed in about 10 minutes using the 3M adhesive pads included in the box. These hold the unit firmly in place (I’ve had one installed for several weeks without any sign of movement), but can be removed easily if necessary.

Replacement pads are available to buy directly from SwitchBot, so you can take the Blind Tilt with you when you move house.

SwitchBot Blind Tilt components on table

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt comes with all the fittings you need, but you'll need to buy a Wi-Fi hub (shown on the left) separately (Image credit: Future)

The Blind Tilt has several different components that have to be positioned in exactly the right place for the blind wand to rotate correctly, but it comes with templates that make this a piece of cake. There’s no need to use a tape measure or a level – just follow the instructions to the letter (there are printed directions included in the box and videos are available online), and you can have the whole system working in about 10 minutes.

Before installing the Blind Tilt, you’re instructed to make sure your blind header and wand are cleaned using the alcohol wipe included in the pack. With that done, you use a small plastic guide to measure the rough circumference of your blind wand and choose an appropriately sized connector. If your wand is on the cusp of two sizes, choose the larger one to ensure the connector clamps around it fully.

The main part of the Blind Tilt is a white, cylindrical unit containing the motor and battery, which slides onto a connector stuck onto the header of your blinds. You’re provided with a cardboard guide that helps you position this at the correct distance from the wand, whether you want to fit it on the right or the left. Once that’s done, just clamp the main motor unit onto the wand, and you’re ready to start.

You can recharge the Blind Tilt via USB-C, but if your window gets enough sunlight, it will be far easier to use the solar charger included in the box. This attaches to your windowpane using 3M tape, and plugs into the Blind Tilt using a short cable. It isn't a particularly attractive solution, but it’s effective and will be mostly obscured by your blinds when you’re indoors.

SwitchBot Blind Tilt attached to blinds

The Blind Tilt is quite large when fully assembled (Image credit: Future)

The Blind Tilt isn't the most elegant solution, but that's the price you pay for retrofit smart home devices. If you want something more discreet, you'll need to part with more cash for a purpose-made motorized blind.

  • Design score: 4/5

SwitchBot Blind Tilt: performance

  • SwitchBot app works flawlessly and is attractively designed
  • Blind Tilt is easy to control using third-party smart home platforms
  • Motor is quite noisy, and may be too loud to use as a wake-up light

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt is very easy to use and should be compatible with almost any venetian blind. I attached it to a small blind on a door leading to my balcony without much space to maneuver, and it worked perfectly.

In order for the Blind Tilt to work, you need the SwitchBot Hub, which uses Bluetooth to connect the Blind Tilt (and other SwitchBot devices in your home) to your Wi-Fi network. Note that this isn't included in the box; it's a separate purchase. You might get one as part of a bundle if there’s a deal running; but otherwise, you’ll need to pay at least $39 / £35 (about AU$60) for the SwitchBot Hub Mini.

The SwitchBot Hub Mini with Matter compatibility costs a little more, and the SwitchBot Hub 2 is pricier still, but has a screen, physical buttons, and supports more devices than the other two models.

Setting up SwitchBot Blind Tilt within SwitchBot app

Connecting the SwitchBot Blind Tilt to the SwitchBot app is super simple. Just press the button on the motor unit and the app will locate it within a few seconds (Image credit: Future)

Linking the Blind Tilt to the SwitchBot Hub Mini via the SwitchBot app is straightforward. Just hold down a button on the motor unit to put the Blind Tilt in pairing mode, and the Hub Mini will find it automatically.

The trickiest part of the whole experience is "teaching" the Blind Tilt the degree to which it needs to rotate the wand to open and close your blinds. To do this, rotate the wand manually as prompted and the app will record how far it needs to twist, and in which direction. Just be careful not to turn the wand the wrong way – or you’ll need to restart the calibration from scratch.

The SwitchBot app is attractive and simple to use, with your devices organized into rooms. There are quick access buttons for opening and closing the slats (up or down), or you can use a slider to make minor adjustments. The app also lets you create a schedule (which is very useful) or set the blinds to open or close on a delay (less so).

Controlling SwitchBot Blind Tilt in SwitchBot app

You can adjust the angle of your blinds using a slider in the SwitchBot app, open or close them fully with a tap of a button, and set schedules (Image credit: Future)

Adding the Blind Tilt to Google Home was straightforward, too. Log into your SwitchBot account through Google Home, and you should be able to see your SwitchBot devices, add them to rooms, and control them using the app or a smart speaker.

The experience of using the Blind Tilt through Google Home didn’t feel quite as polished as operating it through the SwitchBot app (if you use the slider to open and close the blinds, there will be a noticeable delay before the change registers on-screen), but it integrated easily with the rest of my devices and was simple to open and close with spoken commands. You can even link it to a smart bulb so the blinds lower when the light is turned on.

Controlling SwitchBot Blind Tilt with Google Home

The Blind Tilt is operated the same way as a smart light bulb in Google Home, although it's a little slower to respond (Image credit: Future)

Other than the lack of a hub included in the box, my only real complaint is that the SwitchBot Blind Tilt is rather loud in operation. My husband could hear it in the next room, and having three working in sync to open all the blinds in a room simultaneously creates quite the cacophony. I like the idea of waking to natural light in the morning, but I’d have a hard time sleeping through it.

  • Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the SwitchBot Blind Tilt?

Swipe to scroll horizontally
SwitchBot Blind Tilt score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

Much cheaper than a smart roller blind, and can often be found at a discount.

5/5

Design

Easy to fit, although not very attractive. Practical rather than beautiful.

4/5

Performance

Simple to control through SwitchBot's app or one of the major smart home platforms (albeit a little sluggish).

4.5/5

Buy it if

You're renting

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt doesn't require you to make any permanent changes to existing fittings, plus you can remove it easily and re-use it in your next place.

You're on a budget

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt is much cheaper than investing in a whole motorized blind.

Don't buy it if

You don't have venetian blinds

The Blind Tilt doesn't work with roller blinds, or shades that don't have a vertically hanging wand.

You're picky about aesthetics

This isn't the most attractive device in the world. If you want something clean and neat-looking, you'll need a purpose-made smart blind.

SwitchBot Blind Tilt: also consider

Not sure that the SwitchBot Blind Tilt is the right solution to your window-dressing needs? Here are two other options to consider.

Image

SwitchBot Roller Shade

SwitchBot's smart roller blind comes in a wide variety of sizes, and you can replace the fabric with one of your choice. It's one of the cheapest smart blinds around, and works with Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, or SwitchBot's own nicely designed app.

Image

SwitchBot Curtain 3

If you have curtains rather than blinds, this little bot will slide along the rail or pole to open and close them. It's more expensive than the Blind Tilt, but cheaper than a whole motorized curtain rail.

How I tested the SwitchBot Blind Tilt

I installed the SwitchBot Blind Tilt on the blinds in my bedroom at home, and used it for several weeks. I started out controlling it via the SwitchBot app, then connected it to the Google Home app and operated it via the Google Home app on a Google Pixel Tablet.

I used it with the SwitchBot Hub Mini, which was in the same room about four meters from the Blind Tilt.

First reviewed March 2025

Cat Ellis
Homes Editor

Cat is TechRadar's Homes Editor specializing in kitchen appliances and smart home technology. She's been a tech journalist for 15 years and is an SCA-certified barista, so whether you want to invest in some smart lights or pick up a new espresso machine, she's the right person to help.

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