I hear you on the blinds—mine always seem to collect dust no matter what I do, and those cords are just a disaster waiting to happen. I’ve been eyeing the smart glass options for a while, but I get nervous about relying on tech for something as basic as sunlight. My neighbor had SageGlass put in last year, and it’s cool, but he mentioned it sometimes lags on cloudy days. Still, not having to mess with blinds every day sounds pretty appealing... just not sure if it’s worth the price tag yet.
That’s funny, I feel like my blinds are magnets for dust too—no matter how often I clean, they’re grimy again in a week. I’ve looked into View and SageGlass, but honestly, the price makes me pause. My cousin put in View last fall and loves it, but she did mention the app can be finicky sometimes. I get the appeal of ditching cords (I’ve got a cat who thinks they’re toys), but part of me wonders if I’d just miss the old-school simplicity. Still, not having to wrestle with tangled blinds every morning sounds pretty tempting…
- Price tag is a real sticking point for me too. I looked at both View and SageGlass when we redid our windows last year—couldn’t justify it, honestly.
- Old-school blinds aren’t perfect (I’ve got a dog who chews the cords, so I get the pet struggle), but if something breaks, it’s usually a cheap fix. Not sure how easy or fast repairs are with smart glass.
- I also worry about software updates. My neighbor’s “smart” thermostat stopped working after two years—he had to replace the whole thing.
- Dust is annoying, but I just run a microfiber over the blinds every week. Not glamorous, but it works.
- I do like the idea of no cords, but not sure I’m ready to go full Jetsons yet. Maybe prices will drop in a few years…
I get the concern about price—smart glass isn’t cheap, especially compared to traditional blinds. But I think it’s worth weighing the long-term benefits a bit more. For example, electrochromic windows like View and SageGlass can cut down on cooling costs by reducing solar heat gain, which adds up over time if you’ve got a lot of sun exposure. I’ve seen some clients recoup a chunk of the upfront cost through lower utility bills, particularly in larger homes or those with big west-facing windows.
On repairs, it’s true that fixing a cord on blinds is straightforward. With smart glass, though, most issues are either electrical (like a faulty controller) or software-based. The hardware itself is pretty robust—these panels are designed for commercial installs too, so they’re built to last. That said, software support is only as good as the company behind it...and yeah, if they drop updates or go out of business, that gets tricky.
I will say: cleaning is definitely easier—no slats for dust to settle on—but you do lose the ability to tilt for partial privacy or light control. Not everyone loves that tradeoff.
Yeah, the cleaning part is a huge plus. I seriously hated dusting blinds—never felt like I got them clean. But I do kinda miss being able to angle the slats for just a bit of privacy without blocking all the light. Also, I’ve had a couple of smart gadgets go “dumb” after the company folded, so that’s in the back of my mind with these windows. Still, not having to mess with cords or broken wands is tempting. The energy savings would be nice, but I’m not totally convinced it would pay off fast enough in my smaller place.
I get where you're coming from on the privacy thing. Honestly, going from blinds to smart glass is a trade-off. You lose that fine-tuned control of slats—sometimes you just want a little light and a little cover, not full-on "cave mode." But in my experience (we put in SageGlass two years ago), I don’t miss cleaning those stupid blinds at all. The fingerprints on the windows are way easier to deal with than dusting every slat.
About the “smart” risk—yep, that’s real. I’ve had a few gadgets turn into expensive paperweights when companies shut down or dropped support. That said, both View and SageGlass have been around for a while and seem pretty stable... but who knows, right? If you’re worried about your place being small, honestly, the energy savings aren’t huge unless you’ve got big sun-exposed windows. It’s more about comfort and not messing with cords or repairs every year.
If you’re looking for payback in a few years, it’s probably not happening unless your utility rates are wild. For me it was more about convenience and being done with crappy old blinds forever.
Cleaning blinds was always a pain, so I totally get the appeal of ditching them for smart glass. I made the switch about a year ago—went with View for my south-facing living room. The difference in maintenance is real. Just a quick wipe on the glass every so often, and that’s it. No more wrestling with bent slats or that weird dust that never quite comes off.
I do kind of miss being able to angle the blinds just right, especially in the mornings when the sun’s low. The smart tinting isn’t as precise, but it’s fine for most of the day. Privacy-wise, it’s a bit of a trade-off. When it’s fully tinted, you’re covered, but partial tint doesn’t hide much if you’ve got close neighbors.
The tech risk is always in the back of my mind. I’ve had a smart thermostat go obsolete before—annoying, but not as big a deal as windows would be. I checked into warranty and support before buying, but like you said, who really knows how long these companies will be around.
Energy savings? Not huge for me either, but the comfort and not having to mess with cords or broken hardware is worth it. If you’re expecting fast payback, probably not realistic... but it’s definitely made my place feel more updated.
I hear you on the cleaning—my old faux wood blinds were basically dust magnets, and I swear they multiplied slats every time I tried to clean them. I’ve been tempted by the smart glass route, but I keep circling back to a few things you mentioned, especially the privacy angle and that whole “tech risk” lurking in the background.
We did a big window overhaul about five years ago (pre-smart glass era for me), and honestly, even picking between double-pane and triple-pane gave me analysis paralysis. My wife still jokes about my spreadsheet comparing U-factors. The idea of windows needing firmware updates or potentially getting bricked by some company folding? That’s a new flavor of stress. At least when a blind breaks, you can grab a replacement at Home Depot.
The maintenance part does sound dreamy though. My neighbor went with SageGlass last summer and he’s constantly showing off how he just wipes down his windows while I’m still out there untangling cords or trying to snap bent slats back into place. He did mention something similar about the tint not being as “tunable” as blinds—like if you want just a little shade in one spot, tough luck. Apparently, SageGlass is better at blocking heat than giving you fine control over glare or privacy.
Energy savings is another thing I keep hearing mixed reviews on. We’re in a pretty mild climate (Seattle area), so not sure it’d make much difference for us either. Comfort-wise though...I get it. There’s something nice about ditching all the hardware and cords, especially if you’ve got pets or kids who think blinds are toys.
If the tech side ever feels less risky—or these things come down in price—I might finally take the plunge. For now, I’ll keep wrestling with my blinds and living vicariously through everyone else’s upgrades.
I totally get the spreadsheet thing—my partner still teases me about the time I made a color-coded chart for lightbulbs. With smart glass, it’s like you’re trading one headache (dusty blinds) for another (potential tech gremlins). I keep thinking about what happens if the company goes under... do you just have really expensive regular windows at that point? Also, I’d miss being able to just tilt the blinds a bit when the sun’s in my eyes but I still want to see out. The idea of not having to untangle cords is tempting, though. One of my cats thinks they’re her personal jungle gym. Maybe someday, but for now, I’ll stick with my low-tech dust collectors.
That’s a fair worry—if the company tanks, you’re left hoping the windows just default to “clear” and don’t get stuck in blackout mode forever. And yeah, nothing beats the quick fix of just tilting a blind when the sun’s at that annoying angle. I’ve seen smart glass go a bit glitchy when the Wi-Fi acts up, too. On the plus side, you do lose the cord jungle (my dog used to chew them, so I get the pet drama). But honestly, for most folks, regular windows plus decent shades are way less hassle unless you’re really into the high-tech vibe.