An electric blind goes up and down at the press of a button, on a timer, or from your phone. That’s a luxury for most windows, but a real answer for some: a roof window you can’t reach, a big run of patio doors, or a child’s room where you want no cords at all. This guide explains the choices you’ll face, what each one asks of you afterwards, and when the extra cost is worth it.

When an electric blind makes sense

They earn their money where a manual blind is awkward or unsafe:

  • Windows out of reach: roof windows, skylights, tall stairwell windows, or a window behind a fixed kitchen worktop. The roof-window guide covers those in detail.
  • Children’s rooms: a motorised blind has no cord or chain to hang free, which is the safest kind of operation (see child safety below).
  • Lots of windows, or very large ones: one button or a timer for a whole room, instead of walking round several chains.
  • Anyone who finds chains and cords hard to use, for example because of arthritis or limited reach.

They’re harder to justify on a single, easy-to-reach window, where a spring or cordless blind does much the same job for less. Electric versions cost more than the same blind with a chain, and there’s a motor, a battery and a remote to look after over the years.

Power: battery, solar or mains

This is the first decision, because it decides who fits the blind and what you’ll have to do afterwards.

Rechargeable battery

The battery sits in or next to the roller tube or headrail, and you charge it with a cable, usually USB. No wiring, so you fit it like any other blind. How long a charge lasts depends on the motor, the size and weight of the blind and how often it moves. As an example, Louvolite (a UK maker of blind components) says its rechargeable motors typically need charging about every six months, and take about six hours to charge (checked October 2026). Treat that as one maker’s claim, not a rule. A big, heavy blind that moves four times a day will drain faster than a small one that moves twice.

Before you buy, check:

  • where the charging socket is, and whether you can reach it. On a roof window, you may need a ladder and an extension lead each time;
  • whether a charger is included. Some retailers sell the cable or plug separately;
  • what happens when it runs flat. Most simply stop until charged, so a blind stuck down over a door matters more than one over a window.

Solar

A small panel on the window side of the blind tops up the battery from daylight. That suits roof windows and south-facing glass, and saves the charging chore. It works less well on north-facing windows, ones in deep shade, or blinds left down all day. Some makers still provide a socket for a top-up charge in winter; check before you rely on solar alone.

Mains-wired

A mains motor never needs charging, and suits large, heavy blinds and whole-house systems. The catch is that it needs power at the window. Some plug into a nearby socket; most tidy installations need a supply taken to the top of the window, usually during building work or redecorating.

That’s electrical work, not blind fitting. In England, some electrical work in homes, including a new circuit or work in a room with a bath or shower, is notifiable under Building Regulations Part P (Planning Portal: Part P). A registered electrician can certify it for you. Don’t take mains wiring on yourself because the blind comes with instructions.

Control: remote, app, hub and voice

Most electric blinds come with, or offer, a handheld remote. Multi- channel remotes control several blinds separately or together, and some have a built-in timer. That’s all many people need.

Beyond that, you’ll meet three set-ups:

  • Bluetooth to a phone app. The motor pairs straight with your phone, with no extra box. You get timers and groups, but usually only while you’re within Bluetooth range.
  • The blind maker’s own hub. A small box on your router links the blinds to an app that works away from home, and often to Alexa or Google Assistant.
  • Matter over Thread. Matter is a shared smart-home standard. Blinds that support it work with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa and others, and don’t need the maker’s own hub. You do need a Matter controller that is also a Thread border router. Some smart speakers and smart-home hubs can do this; check yours before you buy.

Ask what the app needs to work, and what happens if the maker stops supporting it. A remote that talks directly to the motor keeps working whatever happens to the app.

Making an existing blind electric

You don’t always need a new blind. Retrofit kits replace the chain mechanism of an ordinary roller blind with a battery motor inside the tube. Eve’s Motionblinds upgrade kits, for example, use Matter over Thread and come in versions for different tube sizes. The small-tube version, launched in February 2026, is for 25–30 mm tubes and blinds at least 57 cm wide (checked October 2026). Some blind retailers also sell their own conversion kits.

Before you buy one, measure the outside diameter of the roller tube (with the fabric unrolled) and the width of the blind, and compare them with the kit’s limits. Check the motor is strong enough for your blind, too. Heavy blackout fabric on a wide window needs more power than a light roller over a small one.

Measuring and ordering

You measure for an electric blind exactly as for a manual one: see the measuring guide. A few things are different:

  • Size limits. Motors have minimum widths as well as maximum sizes, so very narrow windows may not take one. Check the limits on the product page before you measure.
  • Motor side. Some retailers ask which side the motor and charging socket should go. Pick the side you can reach and, for wired blinds, the side the cable comes from.
  • Depth. A motor can make the headrail or roller a little bulkier. Check the depth needed for an inside-recess fit.

Electric versions are sold for most common types: rollers, romans, pleated, skylight blinds, day and night and some venetians. If you’re still choosing a type, start with the which blind for which window chooser.

Child safety: cords are gone, coin batteries aren’t

A motorised blind with no cord or chain removes the cord-loop risk that the child-safe blinds guide explains. That’s why it’s one of the safest choices for a nursery. If your electric blind also has a manual chain or cord, the usual rules still apply: tensioner fixed taut, out of reach.

Watch out for remotes, though. Many use coin-cell (button) batteries. If a child swallows one, it can cause severe internal burns within hours. The Child Accident Prevention Trust’s button battery advice says to keep products with button batteries out of reach, make sure battery covers are secure, and go straight to A&E if you think a child has swallowed one. Put wall-mounted remote holders high up, and keep spare batteries locked away.

DIY or pay a fitter?

Battery and solar blinds are fitted just like manual ones, so the fitting walkthrough applies. Pairing a remote or app usually takes a few minutes with the maker’s instructions.

Paying someone is worth it when:

  • the blinds need mains wiring. You’ll need an electrician anyway, and some fitters work with one;
  • the windows are out of reach or over a stairwell, which is often why you wanted electric blinds in the first place;
  • you’re doing several rooms or a whole-house system and want one company to measure, fit and set everything up, and to come back if something goes wrong. The measure-and-fit services guide explains how that works, and the questions to ask a blind fitter apply here too. Add one more: who do I call if the motor fails, and what does the warranty cover?

The cost guide and the DIY vs professional comparison help you weigh it up.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Do electric blinds need an electrician?

Battery and solar models don't: they fit like an ordinary blind and charge from a cable or a small panel. Mains-wired motors do need a power supply at the window. Unless there's already a suitable socket, that means electrical work, and in England some of it (such as a new circuit, or work in a bathroom) is notifiable under Part P. Use a registered electrician.

How often do you charge a rechargeable blind?

It depends on the motor, the size and weight of the blind and how often it moves. Makers commonly quote months between charges. Louvolite, for example, says its rechargeable motors typically need charging about every six months. Check the figure for the motor you're actually buying, and expect it to be shorter on big, heavy blinds that move several times a day.

Do I need a hub for smart blinds?

Not always. Many motors work with a supplied remote, and some connect straight to a phone app by Bluetooth. You usually need a hub (the blind maker's own, or a Matter controller with a Thread border router) for voice control, control away from home or linking blinds to other smart-home devices.

Can I make my existing roller blind electric?

Often, yes. Retrofit kits replace the chain mechanism with a battery motor inside the roller tube. They only fit certain tube diameters and blind widths, so measure the tube before you buy, and check the blind isn't too heavy for the motor.

Are electric blinds child safe?

A motorised blind with no cord or chain removes the strangulation risk of cord loops. But the remotes often use coin-cell (button) batteries, which are very dangerous if swallowed. Keep remotes and spare batteries out of reach, and check the battery cover is screwed shut.

Free tools to use with this guide

  • Which blind for which window? Start from your room or window and see which blind types suit it, and which to think twice about.
  • Quote comparison sheet Line up two or three fitting quotes side by side: total price, deposit, guarantee and what is confirmed in writing.