These Matter smart shades use one cable for power and data

Matter-enabled smart shades? Nothing new there, and same goes for smart shades that support Power over Ethernet. But Matter shades that do the PoE trick? That’s new in our book. 

SmartWings has just announced its PoE Matter over Ethernet Motorized Shades, which the company is billing as the world’s first Matter-over-Ethernet smart blinds, as HomeKit News reports. 

The new PoE Matter motor is compatible with a variety of shade styles, including roller, zebra, woven wood, outdoor, dual, and Roman shades.  

The blinds are available now and priced according to your custom order. You can install the shades on your own, but SmartWings also offers professional measuring and installation services. 

Smart shades that draw their power over Ethernet cables eliminate the need for nearby AC outlets. Likewise, when compared to battery-powered smart shades, PoE saves you the trouble of swapping in fresh battery modules every few months. 

And while there are plenty of reliable smart shades that boast wireless connectivity via Bluetooth, Thread, or Wi-Fi, Power over Ethernet gives you the benefit of a rock-solid wired connection without the need of separate power cabling. 

Then there’s the matter (sorry for the pun) of the PoE motor’s Matter support, which allows the blinds to connect to your home network via the smart home-unifying Matter protocol. 

Besides Wi-Fi and Thread connectivity, Matter devices can connect over Ethernet, which means SmartWings’ new blinds work with Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and other Matter-ready smart home platforms. 

If you’re using Control4, Creston Home, RTI, ELAN, or another high-end smart platform, the shades can connect to those using SmartWings’ Smart Link or Smart Link Pro hubs. 

Of course, you’ll need a PoE-capable Ethernet switch to use the shades. You’ll also need to deal with the single PoE cable (either CAT5e or CAT6), which connects to the SmartWings motor on the side.

The cable can be hidden in your walls, and cable runs of up to 100 meters are supported. 

We’ll have a full review of SmartWings’ new Matter-over-Ethernet smart shades once we check out some review samples.