Kincmo No-Drill Smart Blinds w/ Matter over Thread (review)

Since testing my first set of custom smart blinds in 2022, Omnia’s HomeKit over Thread MotionBlinds, I’ve reviewed blinds from several other manufacturers, including SmartWings, SmartWave, and Bringnox, all of which have supported Matter over Thread. Now it’s Kincmo’s turn, after the company approached me to see if I’d be interested in reviewing its products.

Having only recently moved home and just finished reviewing Bringnox’s roller blinds, I was initially hesitant to take on another blind review so soon. After a few months of delays, however, I decided to take a closer look at Kincmo’s no-drill blinds. It’s a feature that immediately stood out to me, as it’s likely to appeal to renters who are restricted in what they can modify, as well as anyone who simply isn’t particularly DIY minded.

As part of the review package, Kincmo offered to supply two sets of blinds. While I only really needed a single blind for the guest bedroom, the kitchen was another room that could benefit from a set, even if they weren’t strictly necessary.

For this review, I’ll be taking a look at both options. However, if you’re someone who can’t, or simply doesn’t want to, start drilling holes in your walls or window frames, the no-drill option is likely to be the one that appeals to you most.

PACKAGING | CONTENTS

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As Kincmo offers custom-made smart blinds, you won’t receive conventional retail packaging. That said, much like the other companies I’ve reviewed, the packaging is extremely robust and clearly designed to withstand international shipping, helping to ensure the blinds arrive without damage.

This is especially important for products like roller blinds, which, despite being well built, are naturally more susceptible to bending because of their long, narrow dimensions. Thankfully, both sets of Kincmo blinds arrived in perfect condition, so I have no complaints on that front.

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The contents of both packages are largely the same, despite the blinds using different mounting methods. This is because both models share the same frame that houses the blind itself. The frame incorporates a channel that allows it to lock securely into the supplied mounting brackets.

Although the no-drill blinds don’t require these brackets, Kincmo still includes them, allowing you to use them if you want the blinds to be secured even more firmly.

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The contents are as follows (aside from the blinds themselves);

• An RF remote control incl. 2 x AAA batteries and mounting bracket
• Mounting brackets for the blinds – the amount depends on the length of the blinds
• A 3 metre long USB-A to USB-C cable for charging the internal battery for the blinds
• Three manual
  • Physical installation
  • Matter installation
  • FAQs
• A fourth manual relating to a replacement motor, that also contains the Matter QR code for the relevant blind
• A small bag containing additional QR codes for the blinds

THE NO-DRILL BLINDS

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The blinds are battery powered, so they’ll need to be recharged periodically. Thankfully, Kincmo includes a generous 3-metre USB charging cable, making the process much more convenient, especially if the blinds are mounted high up.

As these are custom-made blinds, I was able to specify far more than just the width and drop. Kincmo also lets you choose the fabric type and finish, with options ranging from light filtering to blackout, available in various opacity levels up to 100%.

In addition, I was able to choose whether the charging port was positioned on the left or right, select from several different remote controls, specify the style of the bottom bar and whether it had a solid-colour finish or one that matched the blind fabric, and add an optional valance, again available in either a solid colour or a matching fabric finish.

It’s worth noting, however, that with the no-drill blinds, the USB-C charging port is fixed on the right-hand side, while the left-hand side houses the spring-loaded mechanism that keeps the blind securely in place.

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Each blind is secured with a protective wrapper to prevent the fabric from coming loose or unrolling during transit. In reality, this is unlikely to happen unless the motor is activated accidentally, which itself would require the batteries to have been installed in the remote beforehand. As the remote should only be set up once the blinds are installed, this is unlikely to be an issue, but it’s a sensible precaution nonetheless.

If you order more than one set of blinds, it may not be immediately obvious which one is intended for each room. To avoid any confusion, Kincmo allows you to assign a name to each blind during the ordering process. That name is then printed on a sticker and attached to the blind, making it easy to identify which one goes where.

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If you opt for a valance, it’s easy to remove, as it simply hooks onto a bracket at the front of the blind. I chose the version with matching fabric, as you can see.

With the valance removed, you’ll notice a small hole for inserting the supplied Allen key. After you’ve provided the correct window width when ordering, the spring-loaded mechanism has enough travel to allow the blind to be installed easily while still holding it in place. Tightening the mechanism with the Allen key expands it further, securing the blind more firmly within the window recess.

You’ll know it’s tightened correctly when you hear an audible click while turning the Allen key.

Although the fabric visible here appears white or cream-coloured, this is the outward-facing side of the blind. From inside the room, you’ll see the opposite side, so this lighter finish isn’t visible when the blind is closed.

FITTING THE BLINDS

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This is where in my case, I have a very specific use case for the ‘no-drill’ blinds. I already have some old Smartwings blinds set up, and although I can no longer seem to get them to work with Thread (they were a beta product when I got them), I can still use them with the remote.

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The existing SmartWings blinds are installed in the recessed area intended for blinds or curtains. While I could replace them with the new no-drill blinds, they still serve a useful purpose by allowing natural light into the room while maintaining a reasonable degree of privacy, provided the bedroom lights are off.

Once it gets dark and the bedroom lights are switched on, however, the new no-drill blinds come into their own. As they’re fitted with 100% blackout fabric, they provide complete privacy when it’s needed.

Because they don’t require any drilling into the ceiling or window frame, they can simply be installed below and in front of the existing blinds, fitting neatly between the sides of the wall in front of the window recess. This effectively creates a dual-blind arrangement without any permanent modifications.

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Once the blinds are fitted and secured, the only remaining step is to attach the valance, completing the physical installation.

As you can see, the existing light-filtering SmartWings blinds are able to move freely behind the new Kincmo blackout blinds, with the two systems working together without interfering with each other.

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I really can’t stress enough just how easy these were to install. The only additional step I had to take, which most people won’t need to worry about, was checking that the blinds were level. As they’re not mounted flush against the ceiling in my installation, I simply used a small spirit level to make sure it was horizontally aligned. For anyone looking to avoid drilling, the installation process is about as straightforward as it gets.

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The remote I chose was the most basic option, as it’s only intended to control a single set of blinds. As such, it’s refreshingly minimalist, featuring just three buttons: up, down, and stop. The remote is pre-paired with the blinds, so you don’t need to do anything, so once the blinds are set up, the remote just works out of the box.

The supplied wall mount is essentially a small hook that needs to be screwed into the wall. While drilling a single hole for the remote holder wasn’t an issue for me, it does seem like a missed opportunity. Given that these are marketed as no-drill blinds, it would have been nice if Kincmo had included an adhesive mounting option, allowing the remote holder to be attached without drilling at all.

KITCHEN BLINDS

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The kitchen blinds use Kincmo’s standard mounting brackets rather than the no-drill system. This is because one end of the window recess meets another window at a 90-degree angle, making it less suitable for a pressure-mounted blind. In this situation, the conventional bracket system is the more secure option.

These are the same style of brackets used by several of my other smart blinds, so I was already familiar with the installation process. They’re straightforward to fit, and once installed, the blind simply clicks securely into place in a matter of seconds.

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As the kitchen blind measures 191 cm in width, Kincmo recommends using four mounting brackets. This distributes the weight of the blind more evenly across its length, providing additional support.

Fortunately, there were no existing blinds or curtains in the kitchen to remove, and the window already had a recessed area intended for blinds, making the installation even more straightforward.

When we first moved in, I temporarily installed one of my older Omnia MotionBlinds from Sweden (review HERE, video HERE). Although it fitted reasonably well and performed without issue, it hadn’t been made to the correct dimensions for this window, leaving a noticeable gap at one end. As such, I always intended it to be a temporary solution until I could install a blind that was custom made for the space.

Aside from being the wrong size, those older blinds also relied on end-mounted brackets, which made installation a little more awkward. They also lacked any intermediate support, meaning that, as the width of the blind increases, so too does the potential for the roller tube to bow slightly over time.

To be fair to Omnia’s MotionBlinds, the fabric they used was relatively lightweight, and I never actually noticed any sagging or bowing in the centre during the time I had them installed.

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It’s also worth noting that, with custom-made blinds like these, it’s not just the width and drop that are tailored to your specifications. The upper and lower travel limits are also configured at the factory, so there’s no need to set them yourself after installation.

This saves a considerable amount of time and means that, once the blinds are physically installed, they’re ready to use straight away. The only additional setup required is if you plan to integrate them into your Matter system.

For the kitchen, I opted for Kincmo’s 60% blackout fabric. There’s no need for complete darkness in this room, so allowing some natural light to filter through during the day is preferable. At the same time, it provides an added degree of privacy, as our kitchen windows directly face those of neighbouring properties.

MATTER | APPLE HOME

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Like all of my current smart blinds, these use Matter over Thread, and I found the installation process to be straightforward. Although the exact pairing procedure varies slightly between manufacturers, the overall process is simple.

With the Kincmo blinds, you begin by pressing and holding the pairing button, located next to the USB-C charging port, for around two seconds. The blinds will briefly jog up and down once. Press the same button again, and the blinds will jog three times, indicating that they’ve entered pairing mode.

From there, you simply scan the Matter QR code and follow the familiar setup process for adding a Matter device to your preferred smart home platform. The entire process is quick and uncomplicated, thankfully.

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As expected, each blind appears in Apple Home as a single tile, complete with a slider for adjusting its open or closed position.

One control I hadn’t seen before appeared in the device settings: a horizontal slider. I’ve come across this type of control with devices such as air purifiers and AC controllers, but never with smart blinds. In practice, however, it doesn’t appear to do anything. Given that it’s measured in degrees, I suspect it’s intended for products with adjustable slats, such as Venetian or vertical blinds, rather than roller blinds like these.

Aside from that, Apple Home also displays the battery level for each blind, along with whether it’s currently charging. This is an area where I’ve experienced issues with some previous Matter over Thread blinds. Both my SmartWave and Bringnox models would charge correctly, but Apple Home wouldn’t indicate that they were charging. Even after being fully recharged, it could take a day or more before the battery level updated to reflect the correct charge.

Thankfully, that hasn’t been the case with the Kincmo blinds. Charging status is reported correctly, and the battery level updates promptly, so everything has worked as expected from the outset.

As these are Matter over Thread blinds, they’re compatible with all of the major smart home platforms, including Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, and Home Assistant, provided you have both a Matter Controller and a Thread Border Router. Without those two components, you can still operate the blinds using the supplied remote, but you’ll miss out on the smart home features.

The real advantage of Matter is the ability to control the blinds from your phone, smartwatch, or voice assistant, whether you’re at home or on the other side of the world. Better still, once they’re part of your Matter ecosystem, you can use sensors and automations to open or close the blinds based on time of day, sunrise and sunset, occupancy, temperature, or virtually any other condition your smart home supports.

If you want to add the blinds to additional ecosystems, for example if you use both Apple Home and Google Home, the process is straightforward. Simply select ‘Turn On Pairing Mode’ from the bottom of the device’s settings page, and a new Matter pairing code will be generated. This is necessary because the original Matter setup code is single use. Once the blinds have been commissioned into one ecosystem, that original code can’t be used again unless you first factory reset the device. Generating a new pairing code allows you to share the same blinds with additional Matter-compatible ecosystems without resetting or removing them from the platform they’re already connected to.

IN DAY TO DAY USE

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Although I’ve only been using them for a relatively short time, I haven’t found anything to complain about so far. Installation was exceptionally straightforward, particularly with the no-drill model, the supplied remotes respond almost instantly, and both blinds paired with Apple Home on the first attempt without any issues. That’s exactly how you’d expect a Matter over Thread product to behave, of course, but experience has taught me that things don’t always go according to plan. When everything works this well from the outset, it’s worth acknowledging.

There are, of course, retrofit motors available if you want to automate your existing roller blinds. However, if your blinds use a non-standard roller tube, finding a compatible motor can be difficult. Custom-made smart blinds inevitably cost more, but in return you get a product that’s built to your exact dimensions, with your choice of fabric, finish, and accessories, and is ready to use with minimal setup.

As my first experience with Kincmo, it’s been an entirely positive one. Based on everything I’ve seen so far, I have no hesitation in recommending them.

If you do decide to order custom blinds from Kincmo, you can use the following discount codes:

• Use HomeKit10, you can get 10% off orders over US$300
• Use HomeKit15, you can get 15% off orders over US$599
• Use HomeKit20, you can get 20% off orders over US$1,299