These Are The Stylish & Functional Outdoor Blinds Your Busy Patio Needs

Patio season is upon us and with it is a need to make the space more comfortable. If you find that you have the outdoor area for entertaining but are rarely using it, it might require a few tweaks to make it more pleasant. One common gripe with patios is that the sun can become too blistering during midday, making it uncomfortable to sit in. Another downside is that it puts you out in the open, allowing your neighbors and passersby to see your activities. However, you can simultaneously put yourself in the shade and add more privacy to your patio by installing motorized blinds.

While they might sound custom and expensive, they're actually easy to install without much home improvement knowledge and can easily be ordered from places like Amazon. The best part is that, due to their motorized capabilities, they make shading your porch or deck easy. You won't have to run from window to window, lifting or lowering the shades. Instead, you can create instant privacy and shade with the press of a button, as this is a common window treatment type that offers plenty of advantages.

The first obvious perk to installing motorized blinds to your windows is that it will give you lots of privacy and shade. These blinds are specially designed to allow you to see out of them, but not in them. There are also different opaque levels you can choose from, depending on how much you want to see outside. This is called the "openness level" and refers to how tightly the blind is woven. For instance, 10% opacity will allow you to see relatively clearly outside, but there are also 1% and 0% options for true privacy or blackout capabilities. However, 5% openness is the most popular since it provides sufficient shade and privacy while still being able to see outside and receive a good amount of light. 

However, shade and privacy aren't the only types of perks. If you buy the motorized version specifically, they usually come with some integrated smart features. Depending on which brand you buy, most come compatible with Alexa, allowing you to open or close the shades via voice command. Many of them are also solar powered, negating the need to use electricity and increase your energy bills. You can even program them to open or close at certain times of the day, which can help you cool the area when you're not using it, protect your furniture from strong UV rays, or make it appear like you're home when you're on vacation.

There are plenty of options when it comes to motorized blinds. One of the most popular picks are the Graywind Motorized Outdoor Shades. They come in nine different color choices — from black to gray to white — and cost $196 on Amazon for one shade that is nearly 8-feet wide and has 3% openness. It has Alexa integration, is solar powered, and you can program up to 15 different positions and timings on the provided remote. There is also the SmartWings Motorized Outdoor Patio Shades, which cost $200 on Amazon. These come with seven different color options, you can choose between 1.5- to 9-feet width options, and it has 5% openness. It's also integrated with Alexa and Google and has a solar panel option. 

If you would prefer something a little more budget-friendly, consider patio blinds that aren't motorized. Instead, these blinds use either hand cranks or magnets to lift or lower the shades. They don't come with any bells and whistles like remotes, solar panels, or convenient and helpful smart home integration, but it can help you achieve privacy and shade. A good example of this is the VICLLAX Outdoor Roller Shade, which costs $96 on Amazon for an 8-foot wide blind. However, you can choose anywhere between 4- to 8-feet wide, depending on what kind of windows you have.