Windows have been around for a long long time, and ever since man first started using glass in their walls to see outside, they have looked for ways to cover that glass when they either need privacy or safety. For this reason, blinds have also been around for hundreds of years. Times have changed considerably since the days when blinds first started to become popular, and the technology we use to cover our windows has changed along with it. Especially in the last half a century, the catch phrase for our society has become convenience, and the majority of innovations that we pour effort into are as a direct result of us trying to minimise the amount of effort needed to do every day tasks. We continue to create new, smarter, and more powerful machines to do our work for us.

The window treatment industry is no exception to this rule. A lot of money and effort has been put into the creation of a blind that is smarter and less work than ever before, and the electric blinds that are available to the general public today are indeed very smart. Electric blinds are generally run by a small motor, and can be operated either by remote control, or programmed to operate independent of any human interaction. The remotes work using infra red technology, allowing you to adjust the slats in your blinds, or even lift the entire blind up or down, without having to leave your lounge chair.

The programmable models are created in such a way that you can enter in a range of dates and times and choose what the blind will do at that time. Say for instance, you are going away on holidays for a week with your family. If you feel it is important to let some sunlight into your home while you are away, you could program these blinds to open at a specified time during the day, and close back up again before nightfall. This also acts as a deterrent to would be intruders, as they are much less likely to break into a home if it looks like there’s a chance someone may be home. Even if you are not on holidays, having programmable electric window blinds can keep your house cool during the day while you are at work.

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That’s not the extent of the technology available, though. If you are willing to pay top dollar for your window coverings, you can get blinds that do some pretty amazing things. For example, did you know that there are models of blinds out there that have light sensors built into them, and will automatically swivel their slats based on how much light is coming through? You can even, with some of these blinds, control them over the Internet. Think of it as sending your blinds an email and telling them to open and close.

Now, you may be thinking that this is an incredibly lazy invention, and that it’s a waste of ingenuity to create something that automates such a mundane task. However, give a moments thought to people who have trouble with these types of tasks, and you will start to understand just what a godsend and electric blind can be. For instance, elderly people who have trouble with arthritis can benefit greatly from this technology, as can physically impaired people who are confined to a wheelchair.

As I have already mentioned, this style of window blind comes at a fairly hefty price. The cheapest model available would be electric roller blinds, but these don’t give you the benefit of filtering the light via the use of slats. If you do a bit of shopping around, you will find cheap electric blinds available, but you need to be extra careful that you are buying from a reputable retailer, and also that the blinds come with a decent warranty, just in case anything goes wrong.