Motorized Shades Prices – Lutron Qed Shades

Lutron’s patented motorized shades, called Sivoia QED (QED = Quiet Electronic Drive) are an excellent product. They are very well done; from the screen material and support components to the quiet motors and reliable controls. No other company provides a comparable ‘end-to-end’ solution like Lutron. Lutron makes the motors, shades, controls, and even the cord for its products. Most motorized blinds are made by combining motors from one company, brackets from another, and blinds from yet another. The introduction of multiple vendors leaves more room for product variability and specifically can mean that the overall look isn’t quite as “finished” as a Lutron solution. (To be fair, blinds are often mounted in places where much of it cannot be seen, but the concept of the ‘finished’ look extends beyond what Lutron has to offer, as I’ll explain below.) In terms of performance, Lutron motorized shades offer more features than other products. First of all, they are very quiet, hence the ‘Q’ in QED. Other engine manufacturers have since closed the gap on the quiet issue, but not quite.

Lutron QEDs also have intelligence (a microchip) in the motor that allows the control to “know” where the shade is at any given time (this is called feedback). Other engine companies have similar capabilities but only in certain applications. The feedback allows for two things: First, the controller can show in percentage terms exactly where the shade is, even if it is in a different location than the control. This is a bit tricky, I agree, but the second feature is pretty awesome. Meaning, multiple Lutron shades can be aligned almost perfectly (something they call ‘smart rod alignment’).

In rooms with multiple shades in different size tubes, this offers a very ‘finished’ (there’s that word again) look. (To be fair, not everyone cares if the shades are perfectly aligned and non-Lutron systems can get very close, but like the silent feature, not that close) An analogy may (perhaps) be helpful here . Lutron sources and combines the key ingredients and cooks the food for its distributors. It has excellent cooking facilities and chefs who are proven. Their distributors simply serve this delicious food to their customer. Other motorized shade solutions are more like parts of the food and the distributor must prepare (or at least combine) the food and serve it to the customer. Lutron distributors typically pay more for a convenience meal and charge more for this product in absolute terms (not necessarily in percentage terms). It’s fair to say that if price weren’t a determining factor in many, if not most, customers would switch to Lutron kitchens.

Lutron has perfected the sales and presentation of its products for its distributors. To extend my analogy, they help their distributors by preparing and printing menus for them. Your quotes are done with a custom designed software program called the Shade Configuration Tool (SCT) that provides helpful diagrams and details that other non-Lutron solutions miss. Lutron offers samples of foods known to attract diners. Lutron’s marketing pieces are excellent, both visually appealing and informative.

Lutron offers quality sample folders that are complete and professionally assembled. Lutron has improved the motorized shade selection experience and removed much of the potential variance from purchasing motorized shades. Other articles discuss the logic behind Lutron’s unique sales approach and business model. This article addresses only the justification for price differences. Lutron costs more in most cases; this article attempts to explain why. Some of the key differences that result in the product asking for a premium price may not be important enough to a customer based on their needs, wants, and budget.

Finally, it is very important to note that with any product that requires installation, the best product can disappoint if the company that installs it is not competent and professional. Significant depth of installation experience and high standards of customer service are the keys to any successful motorized blinds job.

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