Are Motorised Curtains Worth It in Malaysia? How They Work
Motorised curtains, also called electric, automatic or smart curtains, run on a motor built into the curtain track. The motor pulls the curtain open or closed when you press a remote, a wall switch, a phone app or a timer. In a Malaysian home they are most worth it for tall or hard-to-reach windows, heavy curtains, rooms that take the afternoon sun, and homes with young children, as there is no pull cord.
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Key takeaways
- A motorised curtain has three parts: the motor, the track with its moving carriers, and the control (remote, switch, app, timer or smart home system).
- Mains-wired motors suit big, heavy curtains: the Silent Gliss SG 5600 track carries up to 65 kg on runs of up to 25 m. Battery motors suit finished homes where adding wiring is hard.
- In high-rise buildings, direct sun through windows can be 75% to 85% of the heat that enters through the building's outer shell, according to the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM). A timer that closes the curtains before the sun arrives cuts part of that heat.
- The US Consumer Product Safety Commission says cordless window coverings are the only option that eliminates the cord strangulation hazard for young children.
- For a small window you can reach easily, a well-made manual curtain does the same job as a motorised one for less.
How do motorised curtains work?
A motorised curtain works like a normal curtain on a track, except a motor at one end of the track does the pulling. When you press a button, the motor drives a belt inside the track, and the belt moves the carriers that hold the curtain's folds. The curtain opens or closes to the point you set, then stops by itself. Nothing hangs down for you to pull.
Promolink's Silent Gliss electric track page describes these tracks as ideal for hard-to-reach, large or heavy curtains, AV and conference rooms or just a touch of luxury
(Silent Gliss electric curtain tracks). Silent Gliss lists a manual override on its flagship SG 5600 track, so a motorised curtain is never stuck if you need to move it by hand (Silent Gliss SG 5600). See the whole Silent Gliss motorised system range for the tracks and motors Promolink fits.
Motorised blinds work on the same idea in a different shape. A motorised roller blind hides the motor inside the tube the fabric rolls around, so the blind rises and falls instead of sliding sideways. Promolink's Silent Gliss motorised roller blinds have programmable intermediate stops and a built-in safety stop if something interrupts the movement (electric roller blind systems).
Mains-powered or battery: which motor suits your window?
Choose a mains-wired motor for large or heavy curtains, and a battery motor for a finished home where running a cable is hard. A mains motor never needs charging and has the power for long, heavy runs, but it needs a power point near the track, so it is easiest to plan before ceiling or plaster work. A battery motor needs no wall chasing, but you recharge it every few months.
| Option | Power | What one model handles | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mains-wired curtain track | Wired power point near the track | Silent Gliss SG 5600: up to 65 kg, up to 25 m wide. SG 5100 (the smaller motor): up to 30 kg, up to 9 m wide. | Living-room glass walls, double-height windows, heavy blackout or acoustic curtains |
| Battery curtain motor | Removable rechargeable battery | Somfy, another motor maker, rates its Irismo WireFree 45 RTS for curtains up to 45 kg, with a battery that typically lasts up to 9 months between charges. | Finished homes where you do not want new wiring |
| Clip-on battery curtain robot | Battery | Aqara Malaysia lists its battery Curtain Driver E1 in one version for curtain rods and one for U- and I-rail tracks. | Renters and existing rods or tracks |
| Mains-wired roller blind | Wired power point near the blind | Silent Gliss SG 4980: up to 4 m wide, 12 m drop, 23 kg. | Very tall or wide glass, offices, hard-to-reach windows |
| Battery roller blind | Battery in the headbox | Silent Gliss SG 4955: up to 2.4 m wide, 3 m drop, 4 kg. | Bedroom and study windows |
Check the weight rating first. A blackout or acoustic curtain with a lining weighs far more than a sheer, so the motor has to be matched to the fabric, not just to the window width. Promolink's curtain pages give the example of curtains more than 10 metres long, the kind of run where a motor stops being a luxury. Not sure which motor your window needs? WhatsApp Promolink a photo with the window's rough width and height.
Specifications above come from Promolink's battery roller blind page, its electric track and roller blind pages, Somfy's Irismo WireFree 45 RTS page and Aqara Malaysia's curtain page.
How do you control motorised curtains: remote, switch, app or timer?
Most motorised curtains can be run five ways: a handheld remote, a wall switch, a phone app, a timer, or a smart home system. Promolink's Silent Gliss tracks can be operated via a switch, remote control, our Move app or via a home control or building management system
(electric track page). For many Malaysian homes a timer is the most useful control, because it closes the curtains before the sun reaches the glass.
- Remote and wall switch. The simplest controls. A wall switch can sit beside the light switch, so the curtains open as you walk in.
- Timer. Promolink's product pages put it simply:
Push the button or set the timer
. - Phone app. Silent Gliss tracks run from its Move app.
- Smart home standards. Silent Gliss says its SG 5600 track is now compatible with Matter (Silent Gliss news). Matter is the Connectivity Standards Alliance's shared smart home standard, built so that devices from multiple brands work natively together (CSA).
Are motorised curtains worth it in a Malaysian home?
Motorised curtains are worth it when a window is hard to reach, the curtain is heavy, the room takes strong sun, or young children live in the home. For a small bedroom window you can reach easily, a well-made manual curtain does the same job for less. The case for a motor is strongest in four situations, and it has real downsides too.
Do electric curtains help keep a sun-facing room cool?
Motorised curtains help keep a sun-facing room cool because a timer can close them before the sun hits the glass. Windows bring in most of the heat that reaches a high-rise home through its outer shell: the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) notes that in high-rise buildings, heat from direct sunlight through windows can be 75% to 85% of the heat gained through the building's outer shell, depending on how much of the wall is glass (PAM practice note on solar shading).
In tests at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's FLEXLAB in the United States, a retrofit package of automated interior shades, LED lighting with advanced controls and basic commissioning of the air-conditioning controls cut summer cooling load by 19% to 38% against a typical existing building and a code-compliant one (LBNL FLEXLAB). The study did not separate how much of that came from the shades alone, and these were test rooms at the lab, not Malaysian homes, so treat the figure as a sign of the potential rather than a promise for your electricity bill. Our guide on keeping a hot room cool with curtains and blinds covers which fabrics block the most heat.
Are motorised curtains good for tall or hard-to-reach windows?
Motorised curtains are the easiest way to dress double-height living rooms, glass walls and windows behind a sofa or a bathtub. A motorised track opens the whole run evenly every time, without anyone tugging at the leading edge.
Are automatic curtains safer for homes with young children?
Motorised curtains have no pull cord, which removes one of the real hazards in a family home. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says cordless window coverings are the only option to eliminate the strangulation hazard
(CPSC window covering safety), and that in the US about nine children under 5 die every year from window covering cords (CPSC, 2023).
"Young children can quickly and silently become strangled on pull cords, continuous loop cords, inner cords or any other accessible cords on window coverings. [...] Cordless window blinds, shades, draperies and other window coverings are the safest option."
Alex Hoehn-Saric, then Chairman of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2023
Are motorised curtains worth it for everyday convenience?
Motorised curtains let one button open every curtain in the living room in the morning and close them at night. Promolink customer Nurul Ain Nabila put it this way in a review on Promolink's website: The electric curtain system is easy to use and modern, I like it very much.
What are the downsides of motorised curtains?
The main downsides of motorised curtains are a higher upfront cost, a power point that has to be planned, battery charging, and one more thing to service.
- Higher upfront cost than a manual track, because you pay for the motor and controls as well as the track.
- Planning: a mains motor needs a power point near the top of the window, which is harder to add after renovation.
- Charging: battery motors need recharging every few months.
- Service: a motor and its controls are one more thing to maintain, so ask who services them.
What decides the cost of motorised curtains in Malaysia?
The cost of motorised curtains in Malaysia depends on six things: the track length, the motor's weight rating, mains or battery power, any wiring or power-point work, the fabric and lining, and the controls or smart home hub. In general, the more motor, track and wiring work a window needs, the higher the price. A quote after measuring the window is the only reliable figure.
Promolink offers a free consultation and measurement, so you get a price for your actual window rather than a range. WhatsApp a photo of your window to start.
What should you check before you buy motorised curtains?
Check seven things before you buy: the motor's weight rating, the power supply, manual override, the controls, the noise, the fabric and the after-sales service. Two problems are easy to avoid at the start: a motor too small for the fabric, and a power point that was never planned.
- Match the motor to the curtain's weight and width. Ask for the track's maximum weight and width, then check them against your fabric and lining.
- Decide mains or battery early. A mains track needs a power point near the top of the window. If you are renovating, ask for it before the ceiling or pelmet is closed up.
- Ask about power cuts. Check the track has a manual override, as the Silent Gliss SG 5600 does, or choose a battery motor.
- Choose the controls you will actually use. A remote and a timer cover most homes. If you already have a smart home system, check the motor works with it.
- Ask how quiet it is. Quiet Mark, an independent certification scheme for quiet products, has certified Silent Gliss's SG 5100 and SG 5600 electric tracks (Quiet Mark).
- Pick the fabric for the room. A double track with a sheer and a dim-out or blackout curtain gives you daylight and privacy by day and full shade in the afternoon. Our guide to heat-blocking curtains and blinds explains which fabric does what.
- Check who installs and services it. Ask about measurement, installation, warranty and after-sales care before you pay.
Where can you get motorised curtains in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor?
Promolink Actions supplies and installs Silent Gliss motorised curtains and blinds, from an office in Petaling Jaya and a showroom in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur. Promolink has made curtains since 1998, describes itself as the sole gateway to Silent Gliss in Malaysia, and sews its curtains with in-house specialists. It offers free consultation, measurement and installation, with warranty and after-sales care.
The office is at PJ MidTown, and the hours are Monday to Friday, 10am to 7pm. Browse the Silent Gliss Wave curtain, the Silent Gliss curtain systems or the project gallery, or contact the team.
Frequently asked questions
Can motorised curtains still be opened during a power cut?
Usually, yes. Many mains tracks have a manual override: Silent Gliss lists one on its SG 5600 track, and Somfy says its Glydea 60e can be operated by hand in a power failure. Battery motors keep working through a power cut because they run on their own battery.
Are motorised curtains noisy?
Good ones are quiet. Silent Gliss's SG 5100 and SG 5600 electric curtain tracks are certified by Quiet Mark, an independent certification scheme for quiet products. Ask to hear a motor run before you choose one.
Can I motorise my existing curtains?
Often, yes. Clip-on battery curtain robots, such as Aqara's Curtain Driver E1, come in versions for curtain rods and for U- and I-rail tracks, so they work with what you have. For heavy or lined curtains, or a cleaner look, a full motorised track such as Silent Gliss replaces the old one; Promolink's free measurement tells you which suits your window.
Do motorised curtains work with smart home systems?
Many do, through a hub or the Matter standard. Silent Gliss says its SG 5600 track is compatible with Matter, the Connectivity Standards Alliance's shared smart home standard built so devices from multiple brands work together. Silent Gliss tracks can also be run from a home control or building management system.
How long does a battery curtain motor last between charges?
It depends on how often the curtain moves. Somfy says the battery of its Irismo WireFree 45 RTS typically lasts up to 9 months between charges. A curtain that opens and closes several times a day will need charging sooner.
Ask which motorised curtain suits your window
WhatsApp Promolink a photo of the window with its rough width and height, and arrange a free consultation and measurement.
WhatsApp usCall 012-292 5582Sources
- Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM), Practice Note: Solar Shading Devices for Windows in Tropical Climates, December 2009. https://www.pam.org.my/images/news/PAMPracticeNote_Solar_Shading_Devices.pdf
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Window Covering Safety Education Center. https://cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Window-Covering
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission, news release on corded window coverings, 2023. https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2023/Nearly-Half-of-Incidents-with-Kids-and-Corded-Window-Coverings-Resulted-in-Death-GoCordless-to-Save-Lives
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory FLEXLAB, Blind to Blinds: Opening Our Eyes to Savings from New Automated Shading Systems (ACEEE Summer Study 2020). https://flexlab.lbl.gov/publications/blind-blinds-opening-our-eyes-savings
- Silent Gliss UK, SG 5600 electric curtain track. https://www.silentgliss.co.uk/engb/products/view/curtain-systems/curtain-track-systems/electric/5600/
- Silent Gliss UK, news: Streamlined design, elevated performance. https://www.silentgliss.co.uk/engb/news/detail/article/streamlined-design-elevated-performance/
- Connectivity Standards Alliance, Matter. https://csa-iot.org/all-solutions/matter/
- Quiet Mark, Silent Gliss Electric Curtain Track Systems. https://quietmark.com/products/silent-gliss-electric-curtain-track-systems
- Somfy UK, Irismo WireFree 45 RTS. https://www.somfy.co.uk/products/1002353/irismo-wirefree-45-rts
- Somfy UK, Glydea 60e. https://www.somfy.co.uk/products/1001265/glydea-60e
- Aqara Malaysia, curtain products. https://aqaramalaysia.com/en/products/curtains/
- Promolink, Silent Gliss electric curtain track systems. https://www.promolink.com.my/products/electric-curtain-track-systems/
- Promolink, electric and battery roller blind systems. https://www.promolink.com.my/products/electric/
- Promolink, battery roller blind systems. https://www.promolink.com.my/products/battery/
- Promolink, customer reviews on the home page. https://www.promolink.com.my/