Not Curtains, Not Blinds: Home Depot's Smart Solution For Glass Door Privacy

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Glass doors are wonderful for taking advantage of natural light and a pretty view, but their biggest trade-off is lack of privacy. Meanwhile, the common solutions to shield your home from prying eyes come with all new issues. Even though there are numerous ways to cover up glass doors, they often involve bulky window treatments that get in the way or take away from a clean aesthetic. Plus, curtains and blinds are another layer you'll need to wash or wipe down regularly to maintain a fresh home. But now, one popular home improvement center carries a high-tech option that removes the need for those cumbersome treatments. Sold exclusively at The Home Depot, Feather River Switch Smart Glass Doors offer smart privacy features built right into the door.

Feather River smart doors integrate Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) technology into the glass, letting users switch the window between clear and opaque in an instant. It functions similarly to smart film, an after-market addition offering another brilliant way to add privacy to a glass door. The clear setting provides full, clear visibility, while the opaque setting looks like frosted glass. With the private mode on, outsiders can't see through, but the window still diffuses natural light into the room.

These smart features are powered by Home Depot's smart home platform, Hubspace. Users can control settings through a mobile app on a smartphone, Alexa- or Google Home-enabled voice control devices, or, for the tech-averse, a simple button on the door. More tech-inclined users will find some other familiar features: Similar to many other smart products, it's possible to adjust settings remotely, integrate the door with other smart devices on the Hubspace system, and set schedules to automatically change the glass's visibility at certain times of day.

The Feather River smart door's premium features come in a sturdy and handsome frame. The smart capabilities are powered by a battery hidden into the side of the door, and the doors themselves are made out of durable fiberglass designed for exterior use and are Energy Star qualified. While there are many traditional front doors that have the wow factor, this brand opts for a clean, modern design fit for most contemporary homes. Each door comes with a circuit box, charging stand, batteries, and USB-C cords for charging.

Shoppers can choose from a few glass shapes and sizes, including quarter-lite, half-lite, and full-lite. Pricing ranges from $798 to $998 based on the window coverage, with full-lite doors being the most expensive. Each door is pre-hung, available in a left-hand or right-hand swinging configuration, and designed to fit in the space of a standard exterior door. The surfaces are also paintable, allowing you to choose a paint and primer for your front door to fit your design style. It's possible for confident DIYers to install one of these doors themselves (the battery-operated door doesn't require any wiring), though the brand recommends professional installation.