Somfy vs Lutron vs Crestron Motorized Drapery Tracks
Same job, three systems. How much drapery each motor pulls on low voltage, how far each track bends, how the two panels meet in the middle, which runners are silent, and yes, a black track.
Three brands, one mechanism, very different numbers
The short answer. Somfy, Lutron and Crestron motorize drapery the same way: an aluminum track, carriers that ride inside it, a belt, and a motor at one end. The differences are in the specifications. On low voltage, Lutron is far stronger: its Sivoia QS drives run on a 35 V Lutron supply and pull up to 175 lb of drapery (the D175), where Somfy's low-voltage motors, the Irismo 45 WireFree and the Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree, are rated 99 and 110 lb, and Crestron's 24 V motor 145 lb. To go heavier on Somfy you move to the 120 V Glydea ULTRA 60e at 132 lb. All three tracks bend around corners and bays: Somfy to an 11.8 in radius, Crestron and Lutron to about 20 in, and only Lutron publishes a continuous curve as tight as 20 in; every bend lowers the weight the motor may pull. Where the two panels meet, Somfy and Crestron offer butt master arms (the leading edges meet edge to edge and the wave runs unbroken) or overlap arms (one edge passes in front of the other, for light control). Somfy alone makes a silent runner set. And the Somfy track comes in black, with black carriers, arms and brackets to match.
We install all three. As a Lutron certified dealer, a certified Somfy Expert and a Crestron certified dealer we have no reason to steer you to one brand. What we do have is the drapery weight, the track length, the shape of the wall and the power available, and those four things pick the system. This page is the specification side of that conversation, in plain English, with every number taken from the manufacturers' own documents.
Who makes what
Each brand sells its drapery track differently, and that shapes everything else on this page.
Somfy: Glydea ULTRA and Irismo
Somfy sells the motor, the track by the foot and every carrier, arm and bracket as a separate part, which makes it the most configurable of the three and the one we build most. The Glydea ULTRA 35e and 60e run on 120 V (a cord and plug, or hardwired) and are rated 77 and 132 lb. The Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree Zigbee and the Irismo 45 WireFree run on a rechargeable battery, 110 and 99 lb. The Irismo 35 Mini DC runs on a 24 V supply, 77 lb.
Control: RTS or Zigbee remotes, dry contact, SDN, and TaHoma for Alexa, Google Home, Control4, Crestron and Savant. Track in white or black. All Somfy drapery motors and 2026 prices.
Lutron: Sivoia QS D105, D145 and D175
Lutron builds each track to order and sizes the drive to the drapery: the D105, D145 and D175 are named for the pounds they pull. All three are low voltage, powered from a 35 V Lutron supply or a QS power panel, with wired QS or wireless control, native to Caséta, RadioRA 3 and HomeWorks and to the same Pico remotes and app as Lutron shades.
Pinch pleat, ripplefold at 80, 100 or 120 percent and S-fold headings; tracks to 18 ft without a splice; pull-to-start on the D105-P; curves from a 20 in radius. The strongest low-voltage drapery drive we install.
Crestron: the CSS-DRAPERY system
One track system driven by the CSM-QMTDC-DRP-3 Digital QMT motor, on 24 V DC from the same supplies as Crestron's roller motors, in a Cresnet (wired) and an infiNET EX (wireless) version. 145 lb on a straight track to 240 in, 290 lb and 480 in in tandem; pinch pleat, Ripplefold and Accordia-fold headings; Touch Motion and a manual override. Track in white or brown.
Commissioned into the home's Crestron processor and keypads with your integrator, the fabric and hems still made in our workroom. Crestron drapery track and motors.
Low voltage is not one thing: Irismo 99 lb, Lutron 175 lb
Every drapery motor is rated for a maximum panel weight on a straight track. The rating decides whether a lined blackout drapery across a 20 ft wall, a double-sided velvet or 16 ft sheers will travel smoothly for years or struggle from day one. The number that surprises most people is how different the low-voltage ratings are.
On Somfy, low voltage means Irismo or a WireFree battery motor
Somfy's low-voltage drapery motors are the Irismo 35 Mini DC on its 24 V supply, rated 77 lb (35 kg), the battery Irismo 45 WireFree at 99 lb (45 kg) and the battery Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree Zigbee at 110 lb (50 kg). They are excellent for sheers and lined drapery in finished homes and condos, where nobody wants to open a wall for power, and the Irismo 45 is where we start for a track in a finished condo. Above those weights, Somfy's answer is 120 V: the Glydea ULTRA 60e at 132 lb (60 kg) and 264 lb paired.
On Lutron, every drapery drive is low voltage, up to 175 lb
Lutron's Sivoia QS drapery drives run on a 35 V Class 2 supply and are rated 105 lb (D105), 145 lb (D145) and 175 lb (D175, 79 kg): the D175 pulls about 75 percent more than the Irismo 45 WireFree. Crestron's 24 V motor sits between the two at 145 lb (66 kg), 290 lb in tandem. If the house has low-voltage wiring at the window, or a pocket where a supply can hide, the heavy drapery goes on Lutron or Crestron and never touches 120 V.
The catch with low voltage. The supply has to live somewhere. A Lutron track needs a Lutron power supply or a power panel, and on one finished-room install the transformer ended up in plain view. A Somfy WireFree motor needs no wire, and a charge roughly every nine months on Somfy's reference use (a 20 ft center-open track, 99 lb of drapery, one open and close a day). For a finished home with nothing but an outlet near the window, the lighter Somfy battery motor is often the better answer even though the Lutron drive is stronger.
Published noise levels
Somfy publishes the lowest: under 38 dBA for the Glydea ULTRA 35e and 60e in silent mode (2.95 in per second), 32 dBA for the Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree in discreet mode, under 44 dBA for the Irismo 45. Lutron publishes a ceiling, not a typical level: operation will not exceed 50 dBA at 3 ft. Crestron publishes no figure and describes the motor as nearly imperceptible. In our installs all three are quiet; the carriers make more noise than the motor, which is where Somfy's silent runners come in.
Speed and touch
Somfy's motors run 4.9 to 7.9 in per second with soft start and stop, a favorite "my" position and Touch Motion: pull the fabric and the motor takes over. Lutron publishes a master-carrier speed of 6 in per second and offers pull-to-start on the D105-P. Crestron's motor has Touch Motion and a manual override for power outages, as do Somfy's.
How we size a motor
We weigh the finished panel, fabric, lining and interlining, and read the rating for the actual track: one way or center opening, straight or bent, and its length. A 36 ft center-opening Glydea 60e track is not rated the same as a 10 ft one. The number on the box is the start of the calculation, not the end.
45, 90, 135 degrees, or a half moon
A motorized track does not have to be a straight bar. All three systems bend around corners and follow bays, and the carriers travel through the bend with the drapery on them. The shorthand in the trade is confusing, so here it is in one line: a corner is a 90-degree bend on everyone's form; a bay window's bend is called 135 degrees by some (the inside angle between the walls) and 45 degrees by others (the angle the track turns). Same bend. A half moon is a continuous curve with no straight sections at all.
| Bending the track | Somfy Glydea / Irismo | Lutron Sivoia QS | Crestron CSS-DRAPERY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bends at a corner or a bay | Bent to the measured wall angle: 90-degree corners, 135-degree bays and anything between. Somfy's bent-track form asks for the degrees of every angle and the return from the wall. | Any inside angle of 90 degrees or more: a corner, yes; a bay, yes; sharper than a corner, no. Lutron's own guide lists single-bend, two-bend and four-bend bays. | 45 and 90 degree bends as standard, laid out on site with the CSA-DRAPE-TEMPLATE kit; S-curves by splicing two bends with 10 in of straight track either side. |
| Minimum bend radius | 11.8 in (30 cm) | 20 in (0.5 m) | 19 in (483 mm) |
| Continuous curve, half moon | Minimum curving radius 118 in (300 cm); Somfy requires a template for every curved track and recommends swivel ceiling brackets through the curve. | Curved radius of 20 in or more, which covers most real bays. Pull-to-start (D105-P) is not available on curved tracks. | Minimum arc radius 10 ft (3 m) for a continuous curve; curved tracks to 20 ft as standard. |
| What a bend costs in capacity | Glydea ULTRA 60e: 132 lb straight, 100 lb with one bend, 77 lb with two (to 10 ft). Irismo 45 WireFree: 99 straight, 99 with one bend, 77 with two. Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree: 110, 110, 110 (to 10 ft). A one-way continuous curve on the 60e: 132 lb to 10 ft, 55 lb beyond. | Lutron's D145 submittal, pinch pleat 144 to 180 in: 145 lb straight, 90 lb with one bend, 55 lb with two. Lutron's submittals carry separate capacity tables for one bend and for two. | Crestron's design guide: 110 lb with a single bend and 80 lb with a double bend or a continuous curve, against 145 to 175 lb straight. |
| Who bends it | Somfy, from our template, or our own team on site; Somfy lists the bending as a service charge on the order. | Lutron, from our template; the track arrives built to the shape. | Crestron, from the template we lay out on site with the kit. |
| Splices on long runs | A splice every 16 ft as standard; tracks to 36 ft on one motor (Glydea ULTRA 60e), 72 ft paired. | Up to 18 ft without a splice; D175 tracks to 500 in pinch pleat, 360 in ripplefold. | Spliced beyond 192 in, two splices at most; 240 in on one motor, 480 in tandem. |
Sources: Somfy 2026 Drapery Databook and Glydea ULTRA / Irismo spec sheets; Lutron D105, D145 and D175 specification submittals and Lutron's curved drapery track guidelines; Crestron CSS-DRAPERY specifications, Crestron Shading Solutions design guide and the CSA-DRAPERY-TEMPLATE-KIT guide. Manufacturers revise these figures; we confirm every bent or curved layout with the manufacturer, from a template taken on site, before the order.
Why the bend matters more than the brand. On a bent track the drapery can stack around the corner onto a solid wall, so the window is all glass when the drapery opens. On a straight track the stack eats into the glass. That is the reason we bend tracks, and it is decided together with the stack and the motor at the free consultation. More on stacking and recessed, bent tracks: why we bend tracks and recessed curtain tracks.
Where the two panels meet: butt master or overlap
Inside every track, the belt is clamped to one carrier per panel: the master carrier. It leads, the other carriers follow. On a center-opening track there are two masters, and the arms fitted to them decide how the leading edges meet in the middle. That one choice changes how the closed drapery looks and how dark the room gets.
Overlap arms: light control first
The standard center-opening hardware on all three brands. The overlap closes the center, which is what a bedroom, a theatre or any blackout drapery needs. The price is cosmetic: the overlap lies flat, so for a few inches the wave stops. Somfy's current hardware is designed, in Somfy's words, to provide greater overlap and an even stack back. The only choice for pinch pleat, where the leading edge is a flat return anyway.
Butt master: the wave first
Two short arms, the leading edges meet, and each panel finishes in a wave, so the rhythm of a ripplefold runs unbroken from one end of the track to the other. Closed, a hairline of light can show at the join. We use it on sheers, on decorative panels that frame a view and on draperies that are rarely closed for darkness. Somfy sells it as the RippleFold Butt Master Arms kit, for ripplefold center-opening tracks only, two per track, noted on the order. Crestron offers butt-style arms for pinch pleat center draw and overlap arms for ripplefold. Lutron builds each track to order with its own master carriers.
One way, tandem and butted tracks
A one-way track has one master and one arm: a butt arm to a wall return or an overlap arm. Two one-way tracks butted end to end make the tandem alternative for very long walls, each with its own motor. Somfy's one-way butt arm and its straight arm for butted tracks are made for exactly that.
Every Somfy master and arm, and what it is for
Somfy sells each arm as a separate part, which is why the choice is widest there. These are the current parts from Somfy's 2026 Drapery Databook, with the 2026 retail price from our Somfy track components page (product only, before tax).
| Part | Somfy # | What it is for | 2026 retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Arm Kit, center opening | 1782321 | One of the two arms on a standard center-opening track, paired with the Overlap Arm Kit; pinch pleat and ripplefold. Also made in black (9026935). | $13.47 |
| Overlap Arm Kit, center and one way | 1782320 | The crossing arm that gives the overlap on a center opening, and the single arm on a one-way overlap track. | $13.47 |
| RippleFold Butt Master Arms, two required | 1780953 | Center-opening ripplefold only: the edges meet and the wave continues across the middle. | $11.32 each |
| One Way Butt Arm Kit | 1782319 | Ripplefold one-way tracks, and the two butted one-way tracks of a tandem alternative. | $9.65 |
| Straight Arm Kit, butted tracks | 1782662 | Two one-way tracks butted end to end, used as a pair. | $12.12 |
| One Way Overlap Universal Arm, large pulley | 1780947 | Overlap arm for tracks on the large pulley and the tandem alternative. Heavy-duty version in black (9026937). | $19.73 |
| Adjustable RippleFold Arm Kit, with the 90-degree motor adaptor plate | 9027045 + 9027179 | Somfy's cleaner-looking ripplefold arm, for one-way tracks with the motor turned 90 degrees. | $10.69 + $8.57 |
| Heavy Duty Master Carrier | 1781344 | The standard master the arms bolt to; Somfy describes it as a patented versatile master carrier that reduces friction. Heavy-duty straight arm in black (9026936). | $24.69 |
| Silent Heavy Duty Master Carrier | 1782922 | The master of the silent set, used with the fixing holder for ripplefold runners (9027657, $2.31). Somfy marks a track ordered with it with an "S" after the track type. | $33.19 |
| Stabilizer Wheel for carrier arms | 1782661 | Somfy's add-on wheel for the master arms. | $4.26 |
The Somfy silent carrier set
The motor is rarely what you hear on a motorized drapery. The carriers are: dozens of them rolling through an aluminum channel every time the drapery moves, and a track with standard carriers has a sound of its own. Somfy makes a second carrier set for the same track, the silent set, and nobody else among the three does.
It is three parts. The RippleFold Silent Runners replace the standard ripplefold carriers in the same three spacings: 80 percent fullness at 2 3/8 in between carriers, 100 percent at 2 1/8 in and 120 percent at 1 7/8 in (Somfy parts 9027592, 9027593 and 9027594). The Silent High Performance Rotating Eye Runner (1782921) does the same for pinch pleat. The Silent Heavy Duty Master Carrier (1782922) leads them, with its fixing holder. In 2026 retail the silent runners list at $2.65 to $2.86 each against $2.01 to $2.02 for the standard carriers, and the silent master at $33.19 against $24.69: a small line on a quote for the rooms where it matters.
We specify the silent set in bedrooms, in theatres and media rooms, and on any drapery that moves on a schedule while people are in the room: sheers opening at sunrise over someone still asleep. On a 110 V Glydea ULTRA it pairs with the motor's silent mode (under 38 dBA); on a Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree with discreet mode (32 dBA). One note: Somfy lists the silent runners and the silent pinch pleat runner in white only, so a black track runs on Somfy's standard black carriers.
Yes, we have a black motorized track
Most motorized tracks disappear into a ceiling pocket, and there the color is irrelevant. When the track is exposed under a dark ceiling, next to black window frames or on the black fascia of a roller shade, white hardware is the one thing you see. For those rooms we build the track in black.
Somfy makes its drapery track in white or black, by the foot, and the parts that show in black as well: the ripplefold carriers at 80 and 100 percent, the return snaps, the drive pulley and small pulley, the pulley cover, the one-touch and swivel ceiling brackets, the 4.5 to 6 in wall bracket and the straight and overlap arms. The motors are the same Glydea ULTRA and Irismo motors as the white track, with the same ratings, bends and controls. Lutron's Sivoia QS Wireless Drapery Lite specification lists the track in white, black, silver and bronze. Crestron's drapery system comes in white or brown. And whatever the brand, the drapery itself is still cut and sewn in our Fort Lauderdale workroom on 6-inch snap tape.
How we choose the system for an opening
Four facts decide it, usually in this order.
1. What runs the house
A Lutron home (Caséta, RadioRA 3 or HomeWorks) gets a Lutron track: the strongest low-voltage drive, on the same Pico remotes, app and scenes as the shades. A Crestron home gets the Crestron track, commissioned with the integrator. Everything else, and every Somfy shade system, points to Somfy, which also joins Control4, Crestron and Savant through TaHoma. Lutron vs Somfy in detail.
2. What power can reach the track
Low-voltage wiring or a pocket for a supply: Lutron or Crestron. A 120 V outlet within 10 ft: a Glydea ULTRA with its cord and plug. Nothing at all in a finished condo: Irismo 45 WireFree or Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree on battery, with no electrician and no wall opened. Prewiring at framing opens every option; see how to prewire for motorized window treatments.
3. What the drapery weighs, on that shape of track
Sheers and lined drapery to 99 lb sit comfortably on any of them. Interlined blackout, velvet and very long runs push toward the D175, the Crestron tandem or the Glydea ULTRA 60e, and bends lower every rating, by up to a third or more with two bends. We weigh the panel and read the bent-track chart, not the headline figure.
4. How quiet, how it looks, what it costs
Silent mode and silent runners: Somfy. A black exposed track: Somfy. A hairline-free blackout center: overlap arms on any brand. For straightforward straight or bent runs on a budget there is also our Essential motorized track, and for decorative motorized rods the Forest range. Budget figures for a track with motor, drapery and installation are on the track price calculator and the pricing guide.
Somfy vs Lutron vs Crestron motorized drapery tracks
Published figures, one motor, straight track unless noted. Sources are listed under the bends table above.
| Somfy | Lutron Sivoia QS | Crestron CSS-DRAPERY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motors | Glydea ULTRA 35e and 60e (120 V); Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree Zigbee and Irismo 45 WireFree (battery); Irismo 35 Mini DC (24 V) | D105, D105-P pull-to-start, D145, D175 | CSM-QMTDC-DRP-3, Cresnet or infiNET EX |
| Power | 120 V cord and plug or hardwired; rechargeable battery; 24 V supply | Low voltage, 35 V Class 2 supply or QS power panel | 24 V DC from CSA-PWS supplies |
| Maximum drapery weight, one motor | 77 lb (ULTRA 35e, Irismo 35), 99 lb (Irismo 45), 110 lb (ULTRA 50 WireFree), 132 lb (ULTRA 60e) | 105 lb (D105), 145 lb (D145), 175 lb (D175) | 145 lb |
| Two motors on one opening | 198 lb Irismo 45 paired, 264 lb ULTRA 60e paired | Built to order per opening | 290 lb in tandem |
| Maximum track length | 32 ft (ULTRA 35e), 33 ft (Irismo 45), 36 ft (ULTRA 60e), 72 ft paired | D175: 500 in pinch pleat, 360 in ripplefold; 18 ft without a splice | 240 in; 480 in tandem |
| Published noise | Under 38 dBA silent mode (ULTRA 35e/60e); 32 dBA discreet mode (ULTRA 50 WireFree); under 44 dBA (Irismo 45) | Will not exceed 50 dBA at 3 ft | No figure; "nearly imperceptible" |
| Bend radius, minimum | 11.8 in (30 cm) | 20 in (0.5 m) | 19 in (483 mm) |
| Continuous curve, minimum radius | 118 in (300 cm), template required | 20 in (0.5 m) | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Bend angles | Bent to the measured wall angle | Inside angle of 90 degrees or more | 45 and 90 degrees as standard |
| Headings | Pinch pleat, Ripplefold, Accordia | Pinch pleat, ripplefold 80/100/120%, S-fold | Pinch pleat, Ripplefold, Accordia-fold |
| Center meeting | Overlap arms or butt master arms (ripplefold); every arm sold separately | Built to order with Lutron's master carriers | Overlap arms (ripplefold) or butt-style arms (pinch pleat) |
| Silent runners | Yes: RippleFold Silent Runners, silent pinch pleat runner, Silent Heavy Duty Master Carrier (white) | Not offered as a separate set | Not offered as a separate set |
| Track colors | White or black, with black carriers, arms, pulleys and brackets | White, black, silver, bronze (Wireless Drapery Lite specification) | White or brown |
| Hand operation | Touch Motion and manual override | Pull-to-start on the D105-P, straight tracks | Touch Motion and manual override |
| Control | RTS, Zigbee, dry contact, SDN; TaHoma for Alexa, Google, Control4, Crestron, Savant | Pico, Lutron app, Caséta, RadioRA 3, HomeWorks, myRoom | Crestron processor, keypads and app, with the integrator |
The three systems, installed
Every track on this page is one we have hung, bent, pocketed and programmed in South Florida.
The track is a system. Specify it, do not shop it.
Two quotes for a "motorized drapery track" can describe two different machines: one rated for the weight of your drapery on the shape of your wall, one not. Ask which motor, on what voltage, rated for how many pounds on a bent track, with which arms at the center, and whether the runners are the silent ones. If the answer is a brand name and a price, keep asking. We measure the opening, weigh the panel, template the bend and write the motor into the quote, then sew the drapery to that track in our own workroom and install and program it with our own team.
Frequently asked
Which motorized drapery track motor is the strongest?
On one motor and a straight track, the strongest we install is Lutron's Sivoia QS D175 at 175 lb (79 kg), a low-voltage drive. Crestron's CSM-QMTDC-DRP-3 is rated 145 lb, and Somfy's Glydea ULTRA 60e 132 lb on 120 V. With two motors on one opening the published figures are 290 lb for Crestron in tandem, 264 lb for the Glydea ULTRA 60e paired and 198 lb for the Irismo 45 WireFree paired. We weigh the finished panel, fabric, lining and interlining, before choosing the motor.
Is the Lutron low-voltage drapery motor stronger than the Somfy Irismo?
Yes, by a wide margin. Lutron's drapery drives all run on a 35 V Lutron supply and are rated 105 lb (D105), 145 lb (D145) and 175 lb (D175). Somfy's low-voltage Irismo 45 WireFree is rated 99 lb (45 kg) and the Irismo 35 Mini DC 77 lb. Somfy's strongest battery motor, the Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree Zigbee, is rated 110 lb. To go heavier on Somfy you move to the 120 V Glydea ULTRA 60e at 132 lb.
What does low voltage mean on a motorized curtain track?
The motor runs on a small DC supply instead of a 120 V line: 24 V for Crestron and the Somfy Irismo Mini DC, 35 V for Lutron, or a rechargeable battery on Somfy's WireFree motors. Low-voltage wire is thin and safe to run through a pocket or a wall, and a battery motor needs no wire at all. The supply still has to live somewhere: a Lutron track needs a Lutron power supply or power panel, a Somfy WireFree motor needs a charge roughly every nine months.
Can a motorized drapery track bend around a corner?
Yes, on all three systems. Somfy publishes a minimum bend radius of 11.8 in (30 cm), Crestron 19 in (483 mm) and Lutron 20 in (0.5 m). The track turns the corner in one piece and the drapery travels around it, so a corner window gets one continuous drapery instead of two that meet at the mullion.
Can a motorized track follow a bay window (a 135-degree bend)?
Yes. A bay bend is a 45-degree turn of the track, which the trade also calls a 135-degree bend after the inside angle of the walls. Somfy bends its track to the measured wall angle; Crestron offers 45 and 90 degree bends; Lutron allows any inside angle of 90 degrees or more, so a bay qualifies. Every bend lowers the weight the motor may pull, so a bay with two bends is specified from the bent-track chart, not the straight one.
Can a motorized drapery track be curved into a half moon?
A half moon is a continuous curve with no straight sections. Lutron publishes curved tracks down to a 20 in (0.5 m) radius, which covers most real bays. Somfy's published minimum curving radius is 118 in (300 cm) and Crestron's 10 ft (3 m), so on those systems a tight half moon is laid out as a series of bends or the room is better served by another design. We template every curve on site and confirm it with the manufacturer before the order.
Does bending the track reduce how much drapery the motor can pull?
Yes, on every system. Somfy's 2026 drapery databook rates the Glydea ULTRA 60e at 132 lb straight, 100 lb with one bend and 77 lb with two bends (to 10 ft), and the Irismo 45 WireFree at 99 lb straight, 99 lb with one bend and 77 lb with two. Lutron's D145 submittal gives 145 lb straight, 90 lb with one bend and 55 lb with two for a pinch pleat track of 144 to 180 in. Crestron's design guide drops its allowance to 110 lb with one bend and 80 lb with two bends or a continuous curve.
What is a butt master on a drapery track?
The master carrier is the lead carrier the belt pulls. On a center-opening track there are two, one per panel, and the arms on them decide how the leading edges meet. With butt master arms the two edges meet edge to edge, each panel finishing in a wave, so the ripplefold rhythm runs unbroken across the middle. When the drapery is closed a hairline of light can show at the join, which is why we use it on sheers and decorative panels rather than blackout. Somfy sells it as the RippleFold Butt Master Arms kit, for ripplefold center-opening tracks only, two per track.
What is an overlap master?
Overlap arms are the standard center-opening hardware: one arm is longer and crosses in front of the other, so when the drapery closes the two leading edges overlap by a few inches and no light passes between them. The overlap lies flat, so the wave pauses in the middle of a ripplefold. It is the right choice for blackout drapery, bedrooms and privacy, and the only choice for pinch pleat.
Butt master or overlap: which is better for blackout drapery?
Overlap. Blackout drapery is only as dark as its weakest edge, and the overlap closes the center. A butt master leaves a hairline of light at the join. We also run blackout panels to a wall return or into a side channel so the sides are closed, not just the middle.
What are Somfy silent runners?
Somfy makes two carrier sets for the same track: the standard ripplefold carriers (80, 100 and 120 percent fullness, white or black) and the RippleFold Silent Runners in the same three spacings, with a Silent High Performance Rotating Eye Runner for pinch pleat and a Silent Heavy Duty Master Carrier to lead them. The runner is the part of a track you hear, dozens of carriers travelling through an aluminum channel, and the silent set is Somfy's quieter version. It is listed in white only, so a black track runs on the standard black carriers.
Do you have a black motorized curtain track?
Yes. Somfy makes its drapery track in white and black, and the parts that show in black too: ripplefold carriers, return snaps, pulleys and pulley covers, ceiling and wall brackets, and the master arms. We build it with the same Glydea and Irismo motors as the white track. Lutron's Sivoia QS Wireless Drapery Lite specification lists white, black, silver and bronze track; Crestron's drapery system comes in white or brown.
How quiet are motorized drapery tracks?
Somfy publishes the lowest figures: under 38 dBA for the Glydea ULTRA 35e and 60e in silent mode, 32 dBA for the Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree in discreet mode and under 44 dBA for the Irismo 45 WireFree. Lutron publishes a ceiling rather than a typical level: drapery operation will not exceed 50 dBA measured 3 ft from the drive. Crestron publishes no figure and describes its Digital QMT motor as nearly imperceptible. Carriers add noise of their own, which is what Somfy's silent runners address.
Can I move a motorized drapery by hand if the power is out?
Somfy's Glydea ULTRA and Irismo motors can be moved by hand and have Touch Motion, which starts the motor when you pull the fabric. Crestron's drapery motor has the same two features. Lutron offers pull-to-start on the D105-P drive, on straight tracks only.
Which system do you recommend?
The one the house is built for. A Lutron home with low-voltage wiring at the window gets a Lutron track, the strongest low-voltage drive and native to its keypads and app. A Crestron home gets the Crestron track, commissioned with the integrator. A finished home with no power at the track gets a Somfy WireFree motor. The heaviest drapery with 120 V available gets the Glydea ULTRA 60e. We settle it at the free consultation from the drapery weight, the track length and shape, the power available and the control system.
Discerning homeowners, designers, and developers across South Florida trust Exotic with their most important spaces.
“I’m absolutely blown away and in love with my ripple food curtains !! Everything about them from the install to the fabric and quality . My house feels so much more like a home I couldn’t have asked for anything better . I recommend to everybody !”
“I couldn’t believe how much of a change these new drapes could make! This company upgraded my apartment overlooking the water and it now has a fresh, art deco’ish vibe I can only picture in my head. The space feels modern and elegant without losing its at home feeling. From start to finish top notch work. I highly recommend them if you want your place to look like something out of a magazine.”
“I’m really happy with my new curtains! The team from Exotic Shades came to my place helped me choose the right fabric, and guided me through the whole process. Everything happened exactly as it was supposed to. Great service and beautiful results. Highly recommend A+”
Exotic Shades & Draperies, Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach
Exotic Shades & Draperies is a South Florida window-treatment company that designs, sews and installs its own work: Lutron and Somfy motorized shades, custom draperies sewn in our Fort Lauderdale workroom by five in-house seamstresses, plantation shutters and blinds. Established in South Florida in 2024, backed by more than 20 years of window-treatment manufacturing and installation experience. Lutron certified dealer, Somfy Expert, Crestron and Control4 integration. The same in-house team measures, installs and programs every project; when shading has to integrate with another control system, we bring in our smart-home partner Adom Smart Home.
Fort Lauderdale workroom and showroom
4539 Powerline Rd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 · 954-881-9331
Miami Beach showroom
500 South Pointe Dr #150, Miami Beach, FL 33139 · 954-872-9007
Where we install
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties: Miami Beach, Sunny Isles and Aventura through Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach to Boca Raton, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach, with projects in the Caribbean and New York.
How a project runs
Free in-home measurement, a written quote from the same engine as our published prices, fabrication in our own workroom, installation and programming by our own team, and service on the systems we install.
Somfy, Lutron and Crestron drapery tracks from Miami to Palm Beach
We install Somfy Glydea and Irismo, Lutron Sivoia QS and Crestron drapery tracks, straight, bent or curved, exposed or in a ceiling pocket, with the drapery sewn in our Fort Lauderdale workroom. The same in-house team measures, specifies the motor, installs and programs from Miami Beach to West Palm Beach.
Bring us the difficult opening
Corner glass, a bay, a curved wall, a drapery too heavy for the first motor someone quoted. One free hour with our team routinely saves owners thousands in avoidable mistakes. Book a private, complimentary consultation - we bring fabrics, made-up samples and honest answers.