The Curtain Driver E1 is a solution to retrofit traditional curtains with automation.
The Curtain Driver E1 hooks onto curtain rods and uses a motor to push curtains open or pull them closed and has a 6,400mAh battery that can deliver a year's worth of battery life. The Curtain Driver E1 will be updated to support Matter in the future.
There are two different versions of the device, a rod version for curtain poles and a track version for U-rails and I-rails. It is worth checking your curtains, rod, and track against Aqara's exact compatibility requirements if you have heavy curtains. The curtain rods cannot be telescopic and must be between 0.98-inch (25mm) and 1.26-inch (32mm) in diameter. Two curtain drivers are needed for a pair of curtains.
It's easy to install the curtain driver. Double-pressing the button will allow you to extend the driver's hooks, hook the motor onto the hanger, and remove the hooks. The amount of pressure is applied to the rod by the motor.
There is a rubber strip and curtain clips with the driver. The instruction manual suggests using clips and strip along the top of a curtain to help the motor pull it along uniformly, but I found this cumbersome and unattractive, so I left them off.
You can bind the Curtain Driver E1 units together in the app so they work together.
Scan the HomeKit code on the curtain driver's base if you want to add the curtains to the Home app. The Aqara app can no longer be used because the Home app correctly displays the curtains.
An Aqara home hub is required for the Curtain Driver E1 to work. The Camera Hub G3 is a HomeKit-enabled camera that I used to avoid the need for a dedicated hub.
At its core, it is a Zigbee 3.0 hub with support for up to 128 sub-devices and both 2 GHz and 5 GHz networks, but it also offers a 2K camera, 20 frames per second, and support for two-way conversations.
Thanks to its high-resolution, the camera seems to perform well in the dark. A microphone and speaker can be used for two-way conversations. Privacy mode rotates the camera inside the body, shows two closed eyes on the front, and gives access to a micro-SD card slot for local storage. You can remove the hood if you don't like the camera's look.
The Aqara app allows the camera to detect individual faces, follow people and pets, or be triggered by abnormal sounds. Motor operation is quiet when looking around a room or following someone.
Pan and tilt features are not supported in the Home app, but if you set it up in the Aqara app, it will show up in the Home app. I noticed that the Home app camera views work well despite the camera being a little reluctant to tilt upwards when necessary. Matter won't support cameras in its initial release, so the hub of the G3 will support it later this year.
The curtain driver opened my curtains fairly reliably. The driver is heavy due to its large internal battery, but it is very good in terms of build quality, and this is hidden behind the curtain. It's easy to unhook the driver from the rod and charge it through the internet.
You have to use Aqara's app. Motor noise can be mitigated if you slow it down. It's possible to have curtains open slowly over a period of time to mimic a sunrise. Basic functions like opening and closing can be done with the Home app.
The Curtain Driver E1 can be controlled by pressing buttons or tugging the curtain in a certain direction. This is detected by the motor and the procedure is completed.
I would caution users against using the curtain driver with longer curtains. The drivers work best with curtains that don't reach the floor because the bottom half can be dragged along the floor. If you have curtain rods with a support in the middle, you should be aware that there could be a gap between the curtains.
The Curtain Driver E1 has a built in light sensor. The Aqara app allows curtains to be opened or closed around thresholds of "weak ambient light" or "strong ambient light" even though the sensor is not exposed to HomeKit.
You can use another sensor and set up an automation in the Home app for more precise light automations. There are ways to control curtains with pre-set schedules such as sunset and sunrise.
The Camera Hub G3 makes it possible for the Curtain Driver E1 to be controlled with hand gestures. If Aqara's app is used and located inside the camera's field of view, there are plenty of other automations possibilities available in the Home app.
The Curtain Driver E1 is easy to pair with other accessories. Aqara's Motion Sensor P1 can cause curtains to open in a room for the first time in the morning or when an exact light level reaches outside. A built-in light sensor, a wide 170 field of view, and support for Matter are some of the features of the motion sensor.
If you need two drivers for a pair of curtains, as well as an Aq, then the Curtain Driver E1888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607- is888-607-888-607- is888-607- is888-607- is888-607- is888-607- is888-607- can be888-607- It is one of the best solutions for retrofitting existing curtains with motorization and HomeKit integration, but it falls short of more expensive motorized curtain rails.
I was still impressed with Aqara's Curtain Driver E1 and it seems to be a great option for customers who want to automate existing curtains in HomeKit, especially if they already have just a single curtain or other device in the Aqaraecosystem.
The Camera Hub G3 is a great hub for the Curtain Driver E1 and other smart home cameras. The most feature-rich and versatile HomeKit camera I have ever used is this one.
The Curtain Driver E1 can be found in both Amazon and Aqara in North America and Europe.
MacRumors received a Curtain Driver E1, Camera Hub G3 and Motion Sensor P1 from Aqara. None of the other compensation was given.
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