Thinking about upgrading to smart windows—anyone tried View vs SageGlass?

Yeah, that lines up with my experience. I went with View about two years ago, mostly because my living room is basically a greenhouse in the afternoons. The up-front sticker shock almost made me bail, but after running the numbers (like you did), it actually penciled out pretty well—especially since I was already thinking about replacing some old, leaky windows anyway.

The repair thing had me nervous too. My installer warned me that local shops would probably just shrug if anything went wrong, but so far, no issues. I did have one panel stop responding last winter during a cold snap—turns out it just needed to be power-cycled and then it was fine. Their tech support walked me through it over the phone. Not exactly plug-and-play, but not a nightmare either.

On the energy side, I’m with you: my AC costs dropped more than I expected. Didn’t really believe the hype until I saw the bills myself. What surprised me most was how much less the floors and furniture faded—didn’t even think about that perk until later.

One thing I’ll say: if you’re not in full sun for big chunks of the day, it might feel like overkill. My buddy put SageGlass in a north-facing office and says he barely notices a difference most days (except for glare control). For south or west exposures though? Total game changer.

I do kinda wish there was a more “dumb” manual override for when tech acts up, but so far, haven’t really needed it. Guess time will tell as these things age...

Totally get what you mean about the sticker shock. I hesitated for a while too, but like you, once I factored in the energy savings (and honestly, just being able to sit in my living room without roasting), it started to make sense. That bit about the fading floors really rings true—mine used to get so washed out by August.

I do kinda wish there was a more “dumb” manual override for when tech acts up, but so far, haven’t really needed it.

Same here. I’m always a little nervous about smart stuff glitching, but so far, no big headaches. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

That’s the thing with all this smart tech—when it works, it’s awesome, but you never really stop worrying about the day it just... doesn’t. I’ve put in both View and SageGlass for clients, and honestly, most folks don’t run into big issues. Still, I always tell people to keep the manual blinds as a backup, just in case the app decides to take a nap. Energy savings are real though—one guy told me his AC bill dropped almost 20% last summer. Not too shabby for a window.

That’s the thing with all this smart tech—when it works, it’s awesome, but you never really stop worrying about the day it just...

I get what you mean about the tech “taking a nap.” Had a client’s SageGlass freeze up during a heatwave—ended up taping a sheet over the window until support got back to them. Not ideal, but rare. I’ve seen the energy savings too, though. If you’re worried, just keep some cheap roller blinds in a closet as backup. The app stuff is great when it works, but I wouldn’t ditch manual options entirely.

The app stuff is great when it works, but I wouldn’t ditch manual options entirely.

That’s a really practical take. I’ve seen the same thing happen—tech is awesome until it decides to throw a fit at the worst possible time. We put SageGlass in our sunroom last spring, and while it’s been mostly smooth, there was one weekend where the auto-tinting just... didn’t. Ended up with the room feeling like a greenhouse. Luckily, we had some old blackout curtains stashed away from before the upgrade and just clipped them up for the day. Not pretty, but it worked.

Honestly, I wouldn’t say these issues are frequent, but they do happen. It’s like any smart home stuff—sometimes you just need a backup plan. The energy savings have been legit though; our AC isn’t working nearly as hard in the afternoons now. If you’re concerned about reliability, here’s how I’d approach it:

1. Keep your old blinds or grab a cheap set that fits, just in case.
2. Make sure your Wi-Fi is solid—half the “outages” are just connectivity hiccups.
3. Learn the manual override (most of these systems have a way to control them without the app).
4. Don’t be afraid to call support right away if something glitches—they’re usually pretty responsive, at least in my experience.

I don’t know much about View, but SageGlass has been good overall for us. Just be prepared for a learning curve and the occasional “tech nap,” as you put it. The peace of mind from having a backup makes it a lot less stressful if something does go sideways.

Honestly, I still get a kick out of controlling my windows from my phone... but yeah, I’m not about to toss my curtains just yet.

That’s a solid rundown, and I really relate to the “tech nap” comment. I went with SageGlass for our living room remodel last year—mostly because I geek out over automation and energy efficiency. You’re right about the learning curve, though. The first week, I spent more time troubleshooting the app than actually enjoying the new windows. Turns out, my router was just a little too far away, so the signal kept dropping and the tinting schedule would randomly reset. Once I added a Wi-Fi extender, things settled down.

I completely agree that keeping manual options around is just smart. I actually kept my old roller shades in storage, and I’ve had to pull them out twice—once during a firmware update that took longer than expected, and another time when we had a power outage during a heatwave. Not ideal, but it saved us from roasting.

One thing I’d add: check if your breaker panel is easily accessible. I found out the hard way that a quick power cycle can fix some glitches faster than waiting for the app to reconnect. Not something the installer mentioned, but it’s been handy.

Energy savings have been noticeable for us too—our summer electric bill dropped by about 15%. But yeah, there’s always that “what if” in the back of my mind, especially with guests over. I still get a kick out of adjusting the tint from my phone, but I’m not ready to give up on basic backup solutions either. Sometimes old-school just works better when tech decides to take a break.

Appreciate your detailed tips—especially about support responsiveness. That’s reassuring.

Sometimes old-school just works better when tech decides to take a break.

I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I think relying too much on manual backups kind of defeats the purpose of going smart in the first place. I went with View last fall, and after a few hiccups during setup, it’s been pretty much hands-off—no need to dig out old blinds or mess with the breaker. Maybe I just got lucky with the install, but I haven’t had to reset anything since.

That said, I do see the value in being prepared for outages. Still, I’d rather focus on making the tech reliable enough that I don’t have to keep a Plan B ready at all times. For me, the whole point was to ditch the hassle of shades and cords. If I’m still dragging them out every couple months, I’d start to wonder if the upgrade was worth it.

Energy savings are real, though, no argument there. My winter bill dropped more than I expected, which was a nice surprise. Just not convinced I want to keep a backup system forever—feels like the tech should be able to stand on its own.

I totally get wanting to trust the tech and just let it do its thing—if I’m honest, that’s what sold me on the whole “smart window” pitch in the first place. I went with SageGlass for my sunroom last summer, and I was really hoping to retire my old blackout curtains for good. For the most part, that’s what happened. The auto-tinting has been a game changer, especially during those brutal July afternoons when the sun used to turn the place into a sauna.

That said, I did run into one weird glitch after a power surge last fall. The system froze in “full tint,” which made my living room feel like a cave for a day and a half. It wasn’t the end of the world—just had to wait for a tech to reset things—but it did make me appreciate having the old curtains tucked away. Not that I want to use them, but it’s kind of like keeping a spare tire in the trunk. You hope you never need it, but if you do, you’re glad it’s there.

I agree, though, that the whole point is to make life easier, not swap one kind of hassle for another. If I had to mess with manual backups every month, I’d be pretty frustrated. But for me, one hiccup in six months isn’t a dealbreaker, especially since my heating bill dropped about 20% over winter. That was a nice surprise.

I guess it comes down to how much risk you’re willing to live with. If you’re in an area with stable power and good support from the installer, maybe you can go all-in and ditch the backups. But if you’re like me—dealing with occasional outages or just a little paranoid after years of dealing with finicky gadgets—it’s not the worst idea to keep a Plan B in the closet.

One thing I wish I’d known: the install took longer than promised (ran into some wiring quirks in my 1970s house), and there was a bit of sticker shock with the final bill. Still, no regrets so far.

That bit about the power surge freezing your SageGlass made me laugh—I had something similar happen with my “smart” thermostat last winter. Suddenly it decided my house should be an icebox until a tech could sort it out.

“it did make me appreciate having the old curtains tucked away. Not that I want to use them, but it’s kind of like keeping a spare tire in the trunk.”

- Looked into View before settling on SageGlass. Both seemed solid, but honestly, I couldn’t get a straight answer from either rep about how their systems handle total power loss.
- From what I gathered, both rely on low-voltage power to switch states. If the juice cuts out mid-transition, you’re stuck with whatever tint you had at that moment. Not ideal if it’s the middle of summer and your windows are pitch clear…
- I did read somewhere that View has a “fail-safe” mode where the glass defaults to a certain tint if it loses power, but I couldn’t confirm if that’s always reliable or just marketing speak.
- One thing I noticed: SageGlass was a bit more upfront about needing backup power for critical areas (like bedrooms). Ended up adding a small UPS just for peace of mind—same idea as keeping those old curtains handy.
- Honestly, it seems like most smart home stuff is great until something goes sideways. Then you’re back to basics and hoping you kept the manual.

If anyone’s actually had a View system go down, would love to know how it behaved in real life.