SwitchBot Curtain 2 Review — 3 Years of Curtains That Open Themselves
Three years ago, I clipped three little robots onto my curtain rods — and I basically haven't touched my curtains since. This is the SwitchBot Curtain 2, rod version, and after three years of daily use, here's my honest take.
My Setup
The setup: two robots work as a pair on our big living room picture window, meeting in the middle, and one more handles the dining room. They clip onto the rods you already have — no new tracks, no tools, no replacing your curtains.
Solar Panels: Never Plugged In, in 3 Years
Mine have the solar panel add-on, so they charge themselves off the window light. Three years in, I have never once had to plug one in to charge. And the solar panels do their job: the batteries sit in the 80s and 90s percent, year-round.
Daily Life: Alexa, an Aqara Sensor, and Home Assistant
Here's why we love them. Most days we just ask Alexa to open or close the curtains. When the hot sun starts blasting through the windows, an Aqara light sensor catches it and Home Assistant closes them automatically — in the summer that keeps the house noticeably cooler. And at night, they close as part of our Alexa bedtime routine. Open in the morning, shade at peak sun, closed at bedtime — all without thinking about it.
Reliability After 3 Years
Three years in, they have been extremely reliable. No falls, no dead units, no drop-offs. You can hear them when they run — but just barely.
The One Flaw: Recalibration Drift
So why not a higher score? One recurring annoyance: every so often they don't quite finish the job — a curtain stops a few inches short of fully open or fully closed, and you have to recalibrate them in the app. It's a two-minute fix, but it shouldn't be needed at all, and it's the one thing that keeps these out of the top tier for me.
Price, and What I'd Buy Today
I paid $129 per robot, with the solar panel, three years ago. Prices have come down since — the newer Curtain 3 rod version lists at $99.99 on switch-bot.com (checked October 2026) and dips under that on sale all the time. And that's exactly what I'd do today: buy them again, but upgrade to the Curtain 3 for the stronger motor.
✅ Pros
- Extremely reliable for 3 years — no falls, no dead units, no drop-offs in daily use.
- Never needs charging — the solar panel add-on keeps the batteries in the 80s and 90s percent year-round; never plugged one in.
- Clips onto your existing rods — no new tracks, no tools, no replacing your curtains.
- Automation that earns its keep — Alexa voice control, a bedtime routine, and an Aqara sensor + Home Assistant closing them against peak sun for real summer cooling.
- Barely audible — you can hear them run, but just barely.
❌ Cons
- Recalibration drift — every so often a curtain stops a few inches short of fully open or closed and needs a two-minute recalibration in the app.
- Superseded model — the Curtain 3 is the current version, with a stronger motor and a $99.99 list price.
The Verdict. Eight out of ten. Reliable, quiet, genuinely useful automation that pays for itself in summer comfort — docked two points for the recalibration drift. If you've got curtain rods and you want your curtains on autopilot without replacing any hardware, this is still one of the easiest smart home upgrades there is.
SwitchBot Curtain 2 FAQ
Do you have to charge the SwitchBot Curtain 2?
Mine have the solar panel add-on, so they charge themselves off the window light. Three years in, I have never once had to plug one in to charge — the batteries sit in the 80s and 90s percent, year-round.
Does the SwitchBot Curtain 2 work with Alexa and Home Assistant?
Yes — that's how mine run every day. Most days we just ask Alexa to open or close the curtains, and they close at night as part of our Alexa bedtime routine. An Aqara light sensor feeding Home Assistant closes them automatically when hot sun hits the window, which keeps the house noticeably cooler in the summer.
Do you need special curtain rods or tracks?
No. The rod version clips onto the rods you already have — no new tracks, no tools, no replacing your curtains. I run three robots: a pair on the big living room picture window that meet in the middle, and one more in the dining room.
What's wrong with the SwitchBot Curtain 2?
One recurring annoyance: every so often they don't quite finish the job — a curtain stops a few inches short of fully open or fully closed, and you have to recalibrate them in the app. It's a two-minute fix, but it shouldn't be needed at all, and it's the one thing that keeps these out of the top tier for me.
Should you buy the Curtain 2 or the Curtain 3?
I paid $129 per robot with the solar panel three years ago. Prices have come down since — the newer Curtain 3 rod version lists at $99.99 on switch-bot.com (checked October 2026) and dips under that on sale all the time. That's exactly what I'd do today: buy them again, but upgrade to the Curtain 3 for the stronger motor.
Are the SwitchBot Curtain robots loud?
You can hear them when they run — but just barely. In three years of daily use it has never been a distraction, including the pair that meet in the middle of the living room picture window.
Note: This review is based on my own three SwitchBot Curtain 2 robots (rod version, with solar panels), bought in 2023 and used daily since. The product photos in the video are SwitchBot's official product imagery; the narration is an AI voice.
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