Electric curtains: how motorised tracks work and cost

How a motorised track works

The curtain hangs from gliders on a track, as normal. Inside the track runs a belt, and a slim motor at one end drives it, pulling the lead gliders and the curtain with them. The track can open from the centre, with two curtains parting, or draw one curtain to one side.

Good motors stop when they meet resistance, so a curtain caught on a chair or a child's hand does not keep pulling. The ones we fit are quiet, under 30 to 35dB, which is quieter than a normal conversation, and many will start if you give the curtain a gentle tug by hand.

Battery or mains

A rechargeable battery motor needs no wiring at all, which makes it the easy choice in a finished room. Orvibo quotes up to six months per charge with normal daily use, and recharging is a matter of plugging it in overnight.

A mains motor never needs charging, but it needs power at the end of the track: a socket or a fused spur high up beside the window. That is a job for an electrician and best done before you decorate. If you are already rewiring a room, it is worth doing; if not, choose a battery motor.

Weight, width and the window

The Orvibo curtain motors we fit are rated for 50kg, which is far more than most domestic curtains weigh, even heavy lined blackouts. Our standard track runs up to 5 metres, which covers the widest living room window or a full set of patio doors.

Bay windows and curved tracks are possible, but the track has to be made to the shape of the bay. Send us the measurements and a photograph and we will price it.

Curtains that work on a motor

Most curtains can be rehung on a motorised track. Wave headings are ideal, because they stack neatly and glide evenly. Pinch pleat curtains work well too. Pencil pleats can be used, but they bunch less tidily when open.

Leave room at the side of the window for the curtains to stack back when they are open, so they do not cover the glass, and have the hem clear the floor by a centimetre or so. A curtain that drags on a carpet makes the motor work harder and can stop it short.

Control: remote, app, wall, voice and time

Every motor we fit works from a remote and from a phone app. On an Orvibo system it also joins the wall panel and your voice assistant, Alexa or Google, and runs on a schedule.

Schedules are where electric curtains earn their keep. Open the bedroom curtains slowly at seven to wake to daylight. Close the living room curtains at sunset. And while you are away, open and close them at the usual times, so the house does not look empty.

Add them to a scene and they move with everything else: a single film button that dims the lights and draws the curtains, or a goodnight button by the bed that turns off the lights and closes every curtain in the room.

Where they make the most difference

Bedrooms, first. Blackout curtains that close at bedtime and open in the morning, without getting out of bed, are the most popular use by a distance.

Living rooms with a television opposite a window, where afternoon sun on the screen is a daily nuisance. Tall or awkward windows, such as stairwells, double-height rooms and windows behind a sofa or a bath. And anyone for whom reaching and pulling heavy curtains is difficult, where a motor turns a daily struggle into a button.

What it costs

A remote control electric curtain track, up to 5 metres, is £550 plus VAT. The motor is £245 plus VAT, and installation is £350 plus VAT per track. So a window with a fitted, motorised track comes to £1,145 plus VAT, or about £1,374 including VAT. The curtains themselves and any electrical work are not included.

The same system is an add-on for our bedside smart columns and can be added to any living room quotation, where it joins the scenes on the wall panel. You can also buy the Orvibo curtain motors on their own from our smart devices range.

Common questions

How do electric curtains work?

A small motor at one end of the curtain track drives a belt inside it, which pulls the curtain open or closed. You control it from a remote, a phone app, a wall panel, your voice or a schedule, and many motors also start if you give the curtain a gentle tug.

Can I motorise my existing curtains?

Usually the curtains, yes: they are rehung on gliders on a motorised track. The existing track usually has to be replaced, unless it was made to take a motor, in which case a motor on its own may be enough.

Do electric curtains need wiring?

Not always. Rechargeable battery motors need no electrician; Orvibo quotes up to six months per charge with normal daily use. A mains motor needs a socket or a fused spur at the end of the track, which is electrical work to plan before decorating.

How much do electric curtains cost?

From us, a remote control electric curtain track up to 5 metres is £550 plus VAT, the motor £245 and installation £350 per track: £1,145 plus VAT for one window, curtains and electrical work not included.

How heavy a curtain can a motor pull?

The Orvibo curtain motors we fit are rated for 50kg, which covers heavy, lined blackout curtains across a wide window. Very large or very heavy installations are checked individually.