Lutron vs Somfy vs Vertilux vs Dooya: The Four Shade Motors We Install
Clients ask us this every week: what is the difference, and why does one cost four times the other? Here is the answer we give in the showroom, with the makers' own numbers and our own published prices.
Four motors, four price levels, one shade
The short answer. All four systems lift the same shade in the same fabric; what you buy with each is a different amount of system around the motor. Lutron is the top tier: the one we specify for new construction with an automation system, for oversize glass and coupled shades, and for clients who want one brand on every keypad in the house, at about four times the price of our Essential tier. Somfy is the motor most of our projects plan around: a maker of motors since 1969, the broadest range in the industry, known to every integrator, and most of the premium experience at a fraction of the Lutron figure. Vertilux VTi is the motor of the Vertilux shade system we build dual shades on, from a Miami company founded in 1983: two-way battery motors that report their position, with a hub and app of their own, and the newest system in our line-up. Dooya, the world's largest maker of tubular motors by its own count and 70 percent owned by Somfy since 2010, is our Essential tier: a 2 Nm rechargeable motor with a remote, for straightforward rooms, rentals and first motorized shades.
We are a Lutron certified dealer, a certified Somfy Expert and SDN Specialist, we build on the Vertilux system every week and we assemble the Essential tier ourselves, so we have no reason to push one brand. The drapery weight, the glass, the wiring and the control system pick the motor; the budget decides how much system goes around it. The rest of this page is what each brand is, what it costs on our price list and when we recommend it.
"Lutron is the top-tier solution and I like it. Most of the time people find it too expensive, so I suggest Somfy: it has the reputation, and it covers almost every project. Then the client asks me what the difference is. This page is that conversation."David Martineau, founder, Exotic Shades & Draperies
What each one actually is
Every figure below is the maker's own, from its catalogue, spec sheets and press releases, or our published price list. Where a maker publishes no number, we say so.
Top tier
Lutron: Sivoia QS, Triathlon, Serena and Palladiom
Lutron does not sell a motor; it sells a finished shade inside a control architecture. Sivoia QS is the wired line on a 24 V panel (Lutron rates it under 44 dBA). Triathlon runs on replaceable D batteries that Lutron estimates at three to five years, with intelligent hembar alignment. Serena is the same radio sold direct. Palladiom is the exposed shade with hand-finished brackets, under 35 dBA at 3 ft. All of them run on Lutron's Clear Connect radio and the same Pico remotes, app and keypads as Lutron lighting, native in Caséta, RadioRA 3 and HomeWorks, and in Crestron, Control4, Savant, Apple Home, Alexa and Google Home through the Lutron bridge or processor.
- Published price, 72 x 84 in shade: about $3,141, roughly 1.6 times wired Somfy.
- Where we recommend it: new construction with an automation system, large windows that need coupling, oversize glass, and clients who want one brand on every keypad. Lutron motorized shades and Sivoia QS vs Triathlon vs Serena.
The reputation pick
Somfy: Sonesse, WireFree, wired and SDN
Somfy has made motors since 1969 and sells the broadest range in the industry. The Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree RTS is the rechargeable motor most of our projects plan around: 2 Nm, 42 dB, a built-in lithium battery that Somfy's reference blind recharges about once a year. The Sonesse 50 is the wired motor on a 24 V panel or 120 V for larger glass, and the SDN bus puts whole facades on one wired network with feedback from every motor. Control is RTS or Zigbee remotes and the TaHoma app, with Alexa and Google Home through TaHoma and Crestron, Control4 and Savant through TaHoma or SDN.
- Published price, 72 x 84 in shade: about $793 on WireFree, about $1,910 wired with its panel.
- Where we recommend it: finished condos and retrofits, most residential projects, and larger projects where charging is unwelcome (wired). Somfy motorization and Lutron vs Somfy.
The system we build on
Vertilux VTi: RE-LION Celtic motors
Vertilux has supplied the window-covering trade from Miami since 1983: fabrics, components and motorization, with warehouses in Miami, Dallas and Los Angeles. We build our dual roller shades on the Vertilux system with the 5 x 5 in fascia, and VTi is the motor that belongs to it. The RE-LION Celtic battery motors run from 1 to 6 Nm in 25 and 35 mm sizes on 433.92 MHz radio, in one-way and two-way versions. The one we install, the 2 Nm bidirectional, lifts 17 lb, runs at 35 dB with three speeds, reports its position and battery level, and carries a 2,500 mAh lithium battery charged through a USB-C port that Vertilux rates at more than half a year, with a solar panel option. VTi also makes 12 V low-voltage and 110 V wired motors to 20 Nm. Control is VTi remotes (including a timer remote and a wall switch), the HomeMate+ app and the SmartHub Plus or Nexus Bridge for home automation.
- Price: quoted per project.
- Where we recommend it: projects standardised on the Vertilux system end to end, dual shades, and clients who want two-way battery motors with their own app. The newest system in our line-up.
The value tier
Dooya: our Essential tier on the DM28LEU
Dooya, founded in 2002 in Ningbo, China, calls itself the number one tubular motor manufacturer worldwide: 3,000 employees, 95,000 square meters of production and about 12 million motors a year, with a turnover of 342 million US dollars in 2024 (Dooya 2025 catalogue). Somfy bought 70 percent of the company in December 2010 and has run it as an independent company since 2018. Our Essential tier is assembled by us on the Dooya DM28LEU: a 28 mm motor with a built-in lithium battery, 2 Nm at 28 rpm, charged through a USB-C port, with speed regulation and noise reduction, multiple stop positions, jog mode and a solar-charging version, on one-way 433 MHz radio with a remote and an optional hub for the app.
- Published price, 72 x 84 in shade: about $733.
- Where we recommend it: straightforward rooms, rentals, first motorized shades and projects where the budget leads. Essential vs Somfy vs Lutron by cost.
The same shade on each system
The motor system moves the price more than the fabric. These are the figures from our published price list, the same ones our written quotes use, for one 72 by 84 in motorized roller shade with fabric and motor, installed.
The sentence we say most often. If the house is being built around an automation system, buy Lutron once and never think about it again. If the house is finished and the windows are ordinary, Somfy WireFree gives you nearly everything Lutron does for a quarter of the money, and Essential gives you a motorized shade for less than most people expect. We quote the systems side by side and let the numbers argue.
Six things that actually differ
1. One-way or two-way radio
A one-way motor receives a command and trusts itself: Somfy RTS, the one-way VTi motors, the Dooya DM28LEU. A two-way motor reports back where the shade is and, on battery, how much charge is left: Lutron, Somfy Zigbee and SDN, the bidirectional VTi RE-LION. A remote on the wall does not care. A control system running scenes does.
2. Power
Rechargeable lithium (Somfy WireFree, VTi battery, Dooya) means no wiring and a charge every several months to a year; Lutron Triathlon uses replaceable D batteries estimated at three to five years; wired low voltage (Sivoia QS, Sonesse 50, VTi 12 V) never needs charging but needs a panel and a wiring plan before drywall. See battery vs wired shade motors.
3. Strength and size
The battery motors are all in the 2 Nm class (Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree 2 Nm; VTi 2 Nm bidirectional, 17 lb; Dooya DM28LEU 2 Nm) and suit ordinary windows. Large glass goes to wired motors: Sonesse 50, VTi 110 V motors to 20 Nm, Lutron Sivoia QS. Openings wider than 144 in become coupled shades on one motor, and that is where Lutron's coupling hardware earns its price.
4. Noise
Published figures: Lutron Palladiom under 35 dBA at 3 ft, VTi 2 Nm bidirectional 35 dB, Somfy Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree 42 dB, Lutron Sivoia QS under 44 dBA; Dooya publishes a noise-reduction mode but no figure. All four are quiet in a living room; in a bedroom we demonstrate the actual shade.
5. Control and integration
Lutron: Pico, app, keypads, native in Caséta, RadioRA 3, HomeWorks and the major control systems. Somfy: RTS and Zigbee remotes, TaHoma, Alexa and Google, Control4, Crestron and Savant through TaHoma or SDN. VTi: its own remotes and wall switch, HomeMate+ app, SmartHub Plus and the Nexus Bridge for home automation. Dooya: remote and an optional hub. How shade motors communicate.
6. Who stands behind it, and where
Lutron and Somfy are the two systems we are certified on and the two that cover every situation. Vertilux ships from a Miami warehouse through the rep we order our components from. Dooya is the volume manufacturer behind much of the industry, majority-owned by Somfy. Whatever the brand, the shade is fabricated in our Fort Lauderdale workroom and installed and programmed by our own team, and we service what we install.
How we match the motor to the project
New construction, automation system, big glass
Lutron. Prewired at framing, Sivoia QS on the panel, coupled shades across the wide openings, the same keypads as the lighting. If the integrator is on Crestron or Control4, wired Somfy on SDN is the alternative we price next to it.
Finished home or condo, ordinary windows
Somfy WireFree. No electrician, no wall opened, a charge about once a year, TaHoma for scenes and voice. This is most of our work from Miami Beach to Boca Raton.
Dual shades, or a project on one Vertilux system
Vertilux VTi in the Vertilux dual system with the 5 x 5 in fascia, two-way battery motors in each tube, or Somfy and Lutron drives in the same hardware if the house already runs them.
Budget leads, rooms are simple
Essential on the Dooya DM28LEU: a rechargeable motorized shade with a remote for about $733 at 72 x 84 in, the same workroom fabric and the same installer. Rentals, guest rooms, first motorized shades.
Lutron vs Somfy vs Vertilux vs Dooya
Published figures. Sources: lutron.com and the Lutron pages of this site; Somfy Systems product pages; Vertilux VTi RE-LION technical sheets (July 2025); Dooya 2025 interior catalogue and Somfy Group press releases (2010, 2018); Exotic Shades price list, September 2026.
| Lutron | Somfy | Vertilux VTi | Dooya (Essential) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who makes it | Lutron Electronics, Pennsylvania | Somfy, France, motors since 1969 | Vertilux, Miami, since 1983 | Ningbo Dooya, China, since 2002; 70% Somfy-owned since 2010 |
| Battery motor we install | Triathlon, replaceable D batteries | Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree RTS, 2 Nm, rechargeable | RE-LION Celtic 2 Nm bidirectional, rechargeable | DM28LEU, 2 Nm at 28 rpm, rechargeable |
| Wired options | Sivoia QS on a 24 V panel; Palladiom | Sonesse 50 on 24 V or 120 V; SDN bus | 12 V low voltage (2 and 6 Nm); 110 V to 20 Nm | Not in our Essential tier |
| Radio | Clear Connect; the shade's position shows in the Lutron app | RTS one-way; Zigbee and SDN two-way | 433.92 MHz; one-way (ASK) or two-way (FSK) with position and battery feedback | 433 MHz, one-way |
| Battery life (maker's figure) | Three to five years (D batteries) | About once a year on Somfy's reference blind | More than half a year (2,500 mAh); solar panel option | Built-in lithium, USB-C; solar version (DM28LEU/S); no published figure |
| Published noise | Palladiom under 35 dBA at 3 ft; Sivoia QS under 44 dBA | 42 dB (Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree) | 35 dB (2 Nm bidirectional) | Noise-reduction mode; no figure |
| Lift (battery motor) | Published per shade size; Sivoia QS from 20 in to 20 ft with coupling | 2 Nm | 2 Nm, 17 lb (7.7 kg) | 2 Nm |
| Control | Pico, Lutron app, keypads; Caséta, RadioRA 3, HomeWorks | RTS and Zigbee remotes; TaHoma app | VTi remotes and wall switch; HomeMate+ app; SmartHub Plus | Remote; optional hub for the app |
| Integration | Crestron, Control4, Savant, Apple Home, Alexa, Google (native or through the bridge) | Alexa and Google through TaHoma; Crestron, Control4, Savant through TaHoma or SDN | Home automation and voice assistants through SmartHub Plus and Nexus Bridge | Through the optional hub |
| Published price, 72 x 84 in shade | About $3,141 | About $793 WireFree; about $1,910 wired | Quoted per project | About $733 |
| Our certification | Lutron certified dealer | Somfy Expert, SDN Specialist | Components and fabrics ordered through our Vertilux rep in Miami | Essential tier assembled by us |
| Best for | Automation homes, oversize and coupled glass, clients who want perfection | Most residential projects, condos, retrofits | Dual shades and projects on one Vertilux system | Straightforward rooms, rentals, first motorized shades |
The same fabric, two systems
Two bedrooms, two owners, two answers. The shades come out of the same workroom; the system around the motor is what differs.
Shop the system, not the brand name
A quote that says "motorized" tells you nothing. Ask which motor, on what power, one-way or two-way, what it costs to add a keypad or a scene later, and who comes when a shade stops. We write the motor into every quote, price the systems side by side from our published list, fabricate the shade in our own workroom and install and program it with our own team. The brand on the motor is a decision we make with you, not for you.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between Lutron and Somfy motorized shades?
Both lift the same shade in the same fabric. Lutron sells a whole-home control architecture: shades, lighting and keypads on one system (Caséta, RadioRA 3 or HomeWorks) with its own radio, Pico remotes, native integration into Crestron, Control4, Savant and Apple Home, and shade lines for every situation, from the Triathlon battery roller to wired Sivoia QS and the exposed Palladiom. Somfy sells motors: the broadest range in the industry, from the rechargeable Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree to wired Sonesse 50 and the SDN bus, controlled by RTS or Zigbee remotes and the TaHoma app, and integrated into other control systems. On our price list the same 72 by 84 in shade is about $793 on Somfy WireFree, $1,910 on wired Somfy and $3,141 on Lutron.
Why is Lutron so much more expensive?
You are paying for the system, not the motor. A Lutron shade arrives as a finished Lutron product with Lutron's hardware, its radio and the control architecture that integrators build whole homes on, and it prices at roughly 1.6 times wired Somfy and about four times our Essential tier for the same shade. On a new build with an automation system, oversize glass and coupled shades, that is what we recommend. On a finished condo with eight ordinary windows it is usually more system than the project needs.
Is Somfy as good as Lutron?
For most residential projects it delivers most of the premium experience at a fraction of the figure, which is why most of our installations are on Somfy. It has been making motors since 1969, every integrator knows it, and it covers every power situation: rechargeable battery, plug-in, wired low voltage and the SDN bus. Where Lutron pulls ahead is the whole-home control design, coupling and oversize glass, and the client who wants one brand on every keypad in the house.
What is Vertilux VTi?
VTi is the motorization brand of Vertilux, the Miami company (since 1983) whose roller-shade components and fabrics we build with, including the dual-shade system with the 5 by 5 in fascia. The VTi RE-LION Celtic battery motors run from 1 to 6 Nm with a built-in lithium battery charged through a USB-C port, on 433.92 MHz radio, in one-way and two-way versions; the two-way motors report their position and battery level. They run from VTi remotes, a wall switch, the HomeMate+ app and the SmartHub Plus, with 12 V low-voltage and 110 V wired versions to 20 Nm for larger shades. It is the newest system in our line-up, quoted per project.
What is a Dooya motor, and is it any good?
Dooya is the largest maker of tubular motors in the world by its own count: founded in 2002 in Ningbo, China, 3,000 employees, about 12 million motors a year and a turnover of 342 million US dollars in 2024, according to its 2025 catalogue. Our Essential tier uses the Dooya DM28LEU, a 28 mm motor with a built-in lithium battery, 2 Nm at 28 rpm, charged through a USB-C port, with speed regulation, multiple stop positions and a remote. It is the sensible choice for straightforward rooms, rentals and first motorized shades.
Is Dooya owned by Somfy?
Largely, yes. Somfy bought 70 percent of Ningbo Dooya in December 2010, when Dooya had 1,500 workers and sales of about 35 million euros; by 2017 Dooya's sales had reached 163 million euros. Since 2018 Somfy has run Dooya as an independent company, with an option on the remaining 30 percent from 2035. Dooya motors are not Somfy motors, but the two companies share an owner.
Which shade motor is the quietest?
By the makers' published figures: Lutron Palladiom under 35 dBA at 3 ft, the Vertilux VTi 2 Nm bidirectional battery motor 35 dB, Somfy Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree 42 dB, Lutron Sivoia QS under 44 dBA. Dooya publishes a noise-reduction mode for the DM28LEU but no figure. In a quiet bedroom the fabric and the tube make as much difference as the motor, which is why we demonstrate the actual shade in the showroom.
Which motors know where the shade is?
Two-way (bidirectional) systems report the shade position back to the app or keypad: Lutron's systems, Somfy Zigbee and SDN, and the bidirectional VTi RE-LION motors. One-way radio sends a command and trusts the motor: Somfy RTS, the one-way VTi motors and the Dooya DM28LEU. One-way is fine for a remote on the wall; two-way matters when a control system runs scenes and needs confirmation.
How long do the batteries last?
Lutron Triathlon and Serena run on replaceable D batteries that Lutron estimates at three to five years. Somfy's Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree is rechargeable: Somfy's reference is once a year (10 months on its reference blind). The VTi 2 Nm bidirectional battery motor carries a 2,500 mAh lithium battery that Vertilux rates at more than half a year, with a solar panel option. The Dooya DM28LEU has a built-in lithium battery charged by USB-C, with a solar-charging version. Wired Sivoia QS, wired Somfy and the VTi low-voltage motors never need charging.
Can I mix brands in one home?
Yes, and we often do: Somfy Glydea drapery tracks under Lutron keypads at Landmark Ranch Estates, Somfy shades on a Crestron processor at Salato. Each brand keeps its own remotes and app unless a control system (Lutron, Crestron, Control4, Savant) or a hub ties them together, so we settle the control plan before any shade is made.
Which motor do you recommend for a condo?
A finished condo has no wiring at the window and a building that frowns on construction, so a rechargeable motor: Somfy WireFree for most projects, Essential (Dooya) where the budget leads, Lutron Triathlon on D batteries when the owner wants Lutron. All three install without an electrician.
Which motor do you recommend for new construction?
Prewire at framing and the choice opens up. A home with a Lutron lighting system gets Lutron Sivoia QS; a Crestron or Control4 home gets wired Somfy on SDN or Lutron, depending on the integrator; large glass with coupled shades leans to Lutron. See how to prewire for motorized window treatments.
Do all four work with Alexa and Google Home?
Lutron through its bridge or processor, Somfy through the TaHoma app, VTi through the HomeMate+ app and SmartHub Plus, and the Dooya Essential tier through its optional hub. Voice control is the easy part; whole-home scenes and keypads are where the systems differ.
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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.
Lutron, Somfy, Vertilux and Essential motorized shades from Miami to Palm Beach
Four motor systems, one workroom and one installation team. We quote them side by side in Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach and install from Miami Beach, Sunny Isles and Aventura through Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach to Boca Raton, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach.
Get the four systems quoted side by side
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