Lutron’s patented motorized shades, called Sivoia QED (QED = Quiet Electronic Drive) are an excellent product. They are very well made; 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 cable 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 is not as “finished” as a Lutron solution. (To be fair, shades are often mounted in places where much of this cannot be seen, but the concept of the ‘finished’ look extends beyond Lutron’s offering, 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. Since then, other engine manufacturers have closed the gap on the silence 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 motor companies have similar capabilities but only in certain applications. Feedback allows for two things: First, the controller can show in percentage terms exactly where the curtain is, even if it’s in a different location than the control. This is a bit misleading, I agree, but the second feature is pretty impressive. That is, various Lutron shades can be almost perfectly aligned (something they call ‘smart rod alignment’).

In rooms with multiple shades in different sized tubes this offers a very ‘finished’ look (there’s that word again). (To be fair, not all people care if the shades are perfectly aligned and non-Lutron systems can get very close, but like the quiet feature, not that much) An analogy can (perhaps) be helpful here . Lutron sources and blends the key ingredients and cooks the food for its distributors. It has excellent kitchen facilities and chefs who are proven. Your distributors simply serve this delicious food to your customer. Other motorized shade solutions are more like parts of the meal and the vendor must prepare (or at least combine) the meal 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 is fair to say that if price were not a determining factor in many, if not most cases, customers would switch to a Lutron kitchen.

Lutron has perfected the sales and presentation of its products for its dealers. To extend my analogy, they help their distributors by preparing and printing the menus for them. Their 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 don’t match. Lutron offers food samples that are known to attract diners. Lutron’s marketing pieces are excellent, both visually appealing and informative.

Lutron offers quality sample binders that are complete and professionally assembled. Lutron improved the motorized shade selection experience and removed much of the potential variance from shopping for motorized shades. Other articles discuss the logic behind Lutron’s unique sales approach and business model. This article deals only with the rationale 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 shade job.