Aqara
Aqara Curtain Driver E1 (Rod)
- Zigbee2MQTT / ZHA
- Local control
- Zigbee
Prices verified September 2026
See more blinds & curtains picks on our Amazon storefront →Our verdict
Hangs off a standard curtain rod and drags the fabric along — a proper SwitchBot Curtain rival that runs on Zigbee instead of Bluetooth, which most HA users find more reliable at range once you're a few rooms from the coordinator. Pushes up to 12kg on rods (SwitchBot's Rod version caps at 15kg) and only fits smooth 25-32mm rods with no telescopic sections, so measure before buying. The 6000mAh battery is rated up to a year per charge, beating SwitchBot's roughly 8 months, though heavier curtains and longer tracks drain it faster. No Aqara hub needed on Zigbee2MQTT; a track version (£89.99) covers rail-mounted curtains instead.
What can Home Assistant control on the Aqara Curtain Driver E1 (Rod)?
| Control | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Position | Cover (0-100%) | Read/write current curtain position; also drives target position for movement commands. |
| Motor state | Sensor | Reports live motor activity (stopped/opening/closing/pause); prone to sticking on opening/closing after travel completes, requiring a correction automation. |
| Hooks lock | Lock + sensor | Physically locks the curtain hooks to the rail, separate from motor movement — useful to prevent manual tampering during scheduled automations. |
| Manual action | Event | Fires manual_open/manual_close when the curtain is pulled by hand rather than driven electrically; usable to sync scenes without polling. |
| Battery / illuminance | Sensor (%, lux) | Built-in battery percentage and a light sensor on the driver head, usable for daylight-based automations without a separate lux sensor. |
Zigbee2MQTT exposes motor state (stopped/opening/closing/pause) separately from position, but a known converter bug leaves motor state stuck on opening/closing after the curtain physically finishes travel — the common fix is an automation that watches for position reaching target and force-corrects state after a short grace period. Initial calibration is also a real pain point: open/close limits and travel direction are set via a limits-calibration command, but without the Aqara app you're walking through the physical-button calibration sequence blind, since the app-guided steps aren't replicated in any HA UI. On the plus side, an action attribute reports manual_open/manual_close in real time whenever someone hand-pulls the curtain, reliable enough to drive scene-sync automations without polling position.
Specs
| battery | 6000mAh rechargeable Li-ion, rated up to 1 year per charge, recharged via USB-C |
|---|---|
| dimensions | 140.5 x 96 x 44mm |
| rod compatibility | Round, smooth rods 25-32mm diameter; extendable/telescopic rods not supported |
| max curtain weight | 12kg on rods and U-rails; approx. 8kg on I-rails |
How does the Aqara Curtain Driver E1 (Rod) compare?
| Product | From | Protocol | Local control | Integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aqara Curtain Driver E1 (Rod) (this product) | £89.99 | Zigbee | Yes | Zigbee2MQTT / ZHA |
| Aqara Curtain Driver E1 (Track Version) | £80.99 | Zigbee | Yes | Zigbee2MQTT / ZHA |
| Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1 | £49.99 | Zigbee | Yes | Zigbee2MQTT / ZHA |
| Eve MotionBlinds Upgrade Kit for Roller Blinds | £179.95 | Matter, Thread | Yes | Native |
Frequently asked questions
- Does the Aqara Curtain Driver E1 (Rod) work with Home Assistant locally?
- Yes. The Aqara Curtain Driver E1 (Rod) is controlled locally in Home Assistant through Zigbee2MQTT or ZHA, so it keeps working if your internet connection or the Aqara cloud goes down. Control and state updates stay on your own network.
- Which protocol does the Aqara Curtain Driver E1 (Rod) use, and do I need a hub?
- The Aqara Curtain Driver E1 (Rod) uses Zigbee. To pair it with Home Assistant you need a Zigbee coordinator (for example a SkyConnect/ZBT-1 or Sonoff dongle) attached to your Home Assistant host. Aqara's own hub is not required when you integrate through Zigbee2MQTT or ZHA.
- How much does the Aqara Curtain Driver E1 (Rod) cost in the UK?
- The lowest price we have listed for the Aqara Curtain Driver E1 (Rod) is £89.99 at Aqara UK Shop, with other UK retailers at up to £99.99. Prices were last checked in October 2026 and change often, so confirm on the retailer's page before buying.