Aqara
Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1
- Zigbee
Verified September 2026
The budget king for bead-chain roller blinds found in most UK homes — it clips onto the existing chain via one of four included adapters (3–6mm bead thickness), so nothing about the blind itself changes. Skip the Aqara hub and pair straight to Zigbee2MQTT or ZHA. The built-in battery is non-replaceable but recharges over USB-C, good for roughly two months between top-ups on a daily-use 1.8m blind, or leave it on permanent USB-C power if a socket's nearby. Rated for blinds up to around 3kg — heavier fabric shortens battery life. SwitchBot's roller shade is a full blind replacement, not a retrofit; buy this instead to keep your existing blind.
In Home Assistant
| Control | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Position | Slider (0-100%) | Set an exact open amount — requires manual calibration first |
| Open / Close / Stop | Button | Full open, full close, or halt mid-motion |
| Battery | Sensor (%) | Battery level |
Calibration is mandatory before the cover entity does anything useful: hold up+down together for 3 seconds until the LED activates, then press up 5 times to set the fully-open end and down 5 times for fully-closed — skip it and the cover controls just sit greyed out in both ZHA and Zigbee2MQTT. It also has no obstruction/jam signal relayed through Zigbee2MQTT, so if you want a safety stop, template one from the position not changing for several seconds while the motor reports running.
Specs
- Dimensions
- 42 x 37 x 165mm
- Battery life
- ~2 months per charge (based on operating a 1.8m x 1.8m blind up/down once daily)
- Power source
- Built-in rechargeable lithium battery (non-replaceable) via USB-C, or continuous USB-C power
- Power consumption
- 5W (5V/1A input)
- Chain compatibility
- Beaded/ball chain 3-6mm thickness, 4 adapters included
- Recommended max blind weight
- ~3kg (manufacturer guidance; heavier blinds reduce battery life and reliability)