We say, start by asking yourself a few questions. Who? How? When?

 

WHO

Always start by determining who would be operating the blinds.

 

IF YOU HAVE KIDS IN THE CRIB

As a parent, nothing concerns us more than the safety of our child(ren). Other circumstances notwithstanding, we’d typically recommend the manual Ziptrak® SuperSpring.

This would allow you to add on a Child Safety Latch, which will prevent your blinds from being raised above a pre-determined height (and only available with the manual option). Other perks include your children not being able to accidentally activate your blinds with an app, or remote. And it doesn’t hurt that the manual option is cheaper too. Raising kids is expensive!

 

IF YOU HAVE ELDERLY PARENTS

For those with elderly parents (or grandparents, for that matter), we’d suggest opting for Ziptrak® with either Somfy or Dooya motors.

Your parents will appreciate the ease of use, particularly if you have several blinds to operate. In this case, most clients will opt for simple motorisation, which comes with remote control. It’s the easiest, most user-friendly option for everyone in your family!

 

IF YOU WILL BE THE MAIN USER

Those looking for ease of maintenance and eco-friendliness can opt for the manual Ziptrak® SuperSpring blinds. With a combination of a longer warranty, easier maintenance and lower prices for the same, quality cable-less blinds that you’d expect of any Ziptrak® system, the manual option is very attractive. Manoeuvring the manual blinds is simple; Ziptrak® blinds are meant to stop at any height that you leave them, with an easy one-hand operation. No electricity is needed!

Users looking to wow with the smart home concept would be pleased with the motorised blinds. And you’re in for a treat! Ziptrak® is available with both Somfy and Dooya motors, the top brands in the market. Depending on how you’d like to operate your blinds, be it through voice-activation, using a smart home system, via your mobile app, or going hands-free by installing weather sensors, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

 

HOW

Consider how many blinds you’d need, and how often you’ll operate the blinds.

Even if you like the idea of manual blinds, if you have more than three blinds and expect to have to operate the blinds often, motorised blinds may be a better choice.

Conversely, if you only have a couple of blinds and don’t intend to move the blinds often, perhaps you may not need motorised blinds. Moreover, motorised blinds cannot be moved manually without electricity – so in an electrical outage situation, you’d have to be prepared to be unable to move the blinds at all until the issue is resolved.

 

WHERE

WHERE DO YOU STAY?

For those living in areas with windy conditions, the strong winds can be both a boon and a bane. The cool breeze in fine weather can easily turn your balcony into a wet mess when a thunderstorm approaches.

And for those living in these areas, you may want to opt for manual Ziptrak® SuperSpring blinds instead. Reason? When strong winds press against the blind, it creates pressure between the fabric and the track, which can impede the smooth lowering of the blind fabric. When this happens, the motor, which comes with obstacle detection, will stop turning to prevent fabric from accumulating at the top (thus protecting the fabric from damage). You may not be able to operate your blinds, until the wind subsides. Motors will also temporarily stop functioning after a period of continuous usage, to reduce the risk of overheating.

On the other hand, the manual Ziptrak® SuperSpring blinds can be operated in windy conditions, reducing the likelihood of not being able to close your blinds in time to avoid the approaching storm.