The "smart" products are increasingly present in our day to day and in our home, those who propose to furnish their houses now, have found in IKEA a good ally when it comes to including connected products such as light bulbs, speakers and now also blinds. Yes, we know that automatic blinds have been on the market for a long time but… has someone made it as easy as IKEA?
Stay with us and discover what the IKEA KADRILJ model consists of and why it is positioned as the most interesting smart blind on the market. A blind that we can control with Google Home and with its own remote control.
We know that the fact that I tell you here or that you see it directly is not the same, that's why we have uploaded the installation video directly to YouTube and we also tell you about how we can control it and what its most interesting features are, so don't miss it, because if you've bought it or are planning to buy it, this will make it much easier for you.
Design: Very minimalist, very IKEA
Quickly, this KADRILJ evokes others from the IKEA range of blinds, a translucent gray textile and plastic and aluminum finishes in natural colors. In fact, it is almost identical to others already present, not only in terms of installation, but also in size and shapes. About the only thing that differs is the fact that, for obvious reasons, the top is slightly thicker. It has a cover in the upper left corner that will allow us to insert and remove the battery for when we have to charge it. I was surprised that they did not give us the ability to charge the battery without charging it.
- Available sizes:
- 140x195 inch
- 120x195 inch
- 100x195 inch
- 60x195 inch
- 80x195 inch
What we do have next to this cover is two small buttons that are practically invisible, and that will get us out of more than one trouble, and that is that they allow us to raise and lower the blind without the need for the remote, can you imagine that lose? Well, while you request a new one, so you can upload and download it without using the application. The fabric is constructed of 83% polyester and 17% nylon, while the rest of the elements are made of plastic and aluminum, the design is minimalist, very typical of IKEA.
The installation procedure
The IKEA mountains either you love them, or you hate them. I am one of those rare people who takes pleasure in doing this kind of thing. To install it, you will only need two anchor points and the hooks that it includes. They are removable hooks with a button system, so easy to put on as to remove. Once we have taken the corresponding measurements, we only have to anchor the hooks with four screws (two for each hook). Of course, remember that the screws are not included in the package, for some reason that I do not know. Y Although the blind is not too heavy, it never hurts to use good screws relatively thick.
Put the hooks We only have to press the translucent button that allows it to enter and that is released only as soon as we place the blind. We have everything practically ready. All we have to do is open the lid and insert the battery, which usually has some charge. With the cover inside we will take the connection device and plug it in, while the RF emitter is connected via USB to this first connector. It has a USB female that can be used to charge the battery of the product, or any other device, this is a point in favor of the network adapter.
How the KADRILJ blind works
We have three ways to control the KADRILJ blind from IKEA quickly and easily:
- Across the TRADFRI bridge with corresponding apps, Google Home
- Through the Remote control included in the package
- Through the two buttons located next to the lid battery in the blind
I already warn you, the most common way in which you are going to use the blind, beyond the automation generated by IKEA Smart Home is the remote control. This has a magnetic support that we can anchor to the wall with your 3M adhesive or with two screws. We can also take this remote control and take it with us wherever we want. It is small, well built and works at good distances, It does not have to be excessively close to the blind, I personally have loved it.
User experience and editor's opinion
We are facing the next step in automation and home automation. I always recommend starting with light bulbs first, in which Philips with its Hue range and IKEA with its TRADFRI range are clearly positioned as leaders. But when you are looking for something more, you have to automate the blinds and curtains. The first advantage is how easy it is to get one, in any IKEA you have it available. We went to the installation, and IKEA seems to have put a lot of effort into this, in less than 15 minutes we can have our smart blind working, and this is appreciated.
Pros
- Minimalist design and easy installation
- It has its own remote and is lightweight
- Does not gain thickness or size compared to the standard
Cons
- For now only compatible with Google Home
- Does not include screws or installation plugs
- It could be more opaque (there is another model that is)
The next step is to have the TRADFRI connection bridge and proceed to include it quickly. When you already have it available, I assure you, you will not know how to live without it. The remote works surprisingly well and becomes a highly relevant ally for when we don't want to "throw away" Google Home. We will be able to buy this KADRILJ from IKEA at prices that will range between 99 euros and 129 euros approximately depending on the size we choose, so the cost is clearly lower than what other brands are offering smart blinds.
- Editor's rating
- 4.5 star rating
- Exceptional
- We tested the intelligent and automatic KADRILJ blind from IKEA.
- Review of: Miguel Hernández
- Posted on:
- Last modification:
- Integrated
- Compatibility
- Installation
- Ease of use
- Autonomy
- Price quality
As a negative point I want to highlight the fact that it is not yet compatible with Apple KomeKit, which is not the case with other smart IKEA products. However, the Swedish firm has promised a future update in which we will be able to use it through Google Home.