IKEA SMART BLINDS cut to size - how to make them fit your window (more info in description)

___
Spoiler alert: It's just like shortening regular blinds, except you have to modify the casing as well.

All you need is a hacksaw and a steady hand.

Correction regarding the bottom rail (shown at 1:20 in the video): do not measure from the outside of the end cap of the bottom rail. Remove the end cap before measuring. Just like with the top unit.

Any tube with an inner diameter of 2.9 cm will fit on the motor, but you will have to shorten the unit with a hacksaw if you plan on using a shorter tube. Adding a wider tube will require more work, since the unit/casing will be too short. Se solution below

The narrowest possible total width is approximately 27,5 cm (width of the motor insert + end caps).

To make a WIDER version of the blind (than can be purchased from IKEA):
- buy two blinds (one casing/unit will not fit a wider tube)
- screw off the right endpiece of one unit
- screw of the left endpiece of the other
- tear the fabric off both tubes
- buy a new aluminium tube that has an INNER diameter of 3.2 cm
- put the original tubes inside the new tube (to take advantage of the inner ridges for the motor)
- cut the tubes and unit(s) to the desired length
- glue new fabric on the new tube (be precise)
- install a new bottom rail (the motor does not stop rolling up until it detects the resistance of the bottom rail against the casing)
- (consider holding the units together with a flat mounting plate on the back - may not be neccesary)
- use all 4 included mounting brackets to mount the new wider blind.
- hope that this will not wear down the motor or battery
- hope that this will not affect overall performance and noise level

To SHORTEN the LENGTH of the blind:
- set the blind to the desired length using the buttons on the unit
- double press one of the buttons
- that's it. Your new maximum length is set.

To install a LONGER blind:
- I am not sure this is feasible
- I have tested and confirmed that the motor only stops rolling up when it detects the resistance of the bottom rail against the casing. Without the bottom rail, the motor will just keep going. This means that the blind motor will have no issue rolling up a much longer blind and stop when detecting the resistance. Yay! :)
- HOWEVER, when rolling down, the motor counts revolutions, which means that no matter the length of the blind, it will stop rolling down at approximately 195 cm.
- if anyone has a solution, please let me know in the comments.

[DIYtechie]

Correction regarding the bottom rail at 1:20 - do not measure from the outside of the end cap of the bottom rail. Remove the end cap before measuring. Just like with the top unit.

Also please check the video description above for more details about the blinds.

[mydlowecTV]

Thank you. I was able to successfully shorten the blind after watching this video. One thing that was not mentioned is the screw hole for the end cap will be cut off, so you can't put the screw shown at 0:13 back in when you're done. In the video, the blind is wedged between two walls, so it doesn't matter. But in most installations, you will need to drill a new hole through the top of the aluminum housing for the end cap screw.

[TheHoodGuru]

Just used this video for a simpler version of their blinds and it worked to perfection. Thanks.

[souzamoni]

Finally a video that shows how to re-size it AT HOME, because in the other videos they tell you to do with a big saw that people actually don't have AT HOME!!! Thank you so much!!

[mortensorby]

Nice video. I've custom fitted 6 binds now. I did also cut the inner tube down about 4mm on the side towards the motor and then left only 4mm on the other side as well, instead of the full cm that it originally have. This makes it overlap my frame better.

[CrazyByDesign]

Thanks, DIY techie, for this most helpful and instructive run-through. Nice to see that it's basically the same procedure as for non-smart blinds. I'll now be at my local IKEA as soon as these are in stock.

[justinmm]

Thank you, very, very much. Like others, I'd read these couldn't be modified (we still don't have them in the US, but I've been eagerly awaiting them for months). I knew that there'd almost certainly be a way, but to see it's not a major feat of engineering is wonderful. Thanks for the clean, beautiful, simple instructions. Now, off to buy a hacksaw..

[Rocketrecliner]

Thanks for this. Was really expecting to buy some of these until I discovered my windows are 46" wide and the blinds are 48". Now I feel better about cutting into them after seeing your success. Thanks again.

[havocgeneral]

Thanks for the guide, I was excited about these blinds but thought I wouldn’t be able to use them due to IKEA saying they can’t be altered. Just fit the 120cm version in a 110cm window opening, I think cutting the fabric was the worst part, mostly because I only have a crappy pair of scissors.

I also drilled a hole in the top housing to reinstall the screw that locks the end cap in place.

The blind is in a child’s room and these are ideal because there are absolutely no cords which is one of the main risks with traditional roller blinds, Venetian blinds or vertical blinds. Even with the supplied hooks and clips there are still exposed cords.

[tpmj]

Great video, thanks for making it. I’m curious if you’ve had any issues with the cut end fraying over time? Thanks again.

[ericg]

Referring to the idea of making it wider, 3 questions:
- did you try hanging some weight to the fabric to see if the motor can handle wider fabric?
- similar question: do you know if the motors differs between sizes and fabric? If yes, the friction of the motor in theory should be strong enough if I buy the widest fyrtur and use lighter fabric... Right?
- why do you think we will need two units? If I don't need the casing, couldn't I just mount the left and the right end of the unit to the wall? Maybe premounted on a piece of wood to make sure they stay nice and flush? Or am I not seeing something obvious? (I don't own one at the moment, so I can't verify this)

[jelleengelbertink]

How did you cut it at 2:10? Later in the video I don’t see the metal piece on the right anymore. Could you please explain it to me, because I want to do this for myself

[madimoo]

Thank you so much for this simple, short video!! Exactly what I was looking for!! 🙏🏼

[argentas]

Can you tell me how long is the motor part that inserts into the roller? I've got a wide window, with two narrow windows either side, and I'd like to work out whether I can cut these short enough to fit the two narrow windows. Thanks.

[JomikJomikJomik]

Great tutorial! Thank you! But how did you fit it inside the window frame?

[gibboireland]

Amazing video, really grateful you have put this together as seemed like Ikea will never do smaller sizes than 60cm. Thanks so much, think I have the courage to try it!

[zilverstone]

Thanks for your video 👍That actually made me to out and buy one (for starters). I don't have an Ikea bridge and was wondering if you had any luck integrating the blinds into Hue or Google Assistant without the 'native' bridge. Just thinking that the Hue bridge is Zigbee - so it 'should' work (but as of now it doesn't - or I don't know how)

[Tekgnome.]

Wow you do not have the subscribers you deserve.

Well done, quality content and a very well done video.

I'm looking forward to more smart home tech.

I'm also curious if it works with Google assistant?

[lizziesophiaTV]

I’m installing these in my caravan and I want to take weight out by removing heaps of the length of the blind. They’re 195cm high and my windows are only 90cm high. So there’s more than 2x the amount of fabric for what I need.

Will it function fine if I take the bottom rail off, cut to length, then reattach?

[mervynyeo]

Anyone knows if the FRIDANS uses the same aluminium tube with inner grooves? If they do, to make wider blinds, we can buy the shortest (cheapest) FYRTUR, a FRIDANS of your desired width and use their fabric and tube since it's also cheaper.