Short answer: A Somfy curtain motor runs on a Somfy drapery track, so the order covers more than the motor. You need a Glydea ULTRA or Irismo 45 motor head, track built to the finished width, carriers counted by fullness, a master carrier, an arm kit, and one bracket at each pulley plus one every 24 inches. Control comes last: RTS, Zigbee or DCT.
The six parts a motorized drapery track needs
Somfy builds its curtain systems as a kit of parts around one track profile. The motor head bolts to one end and drives a 10 mm belt. The belt pulls a master carrier, and the master carrier leads the fabric. Carriers hold the drapery heading in the track, and brackets hold the track to the ceiling or wall.
Leave one part off and the drapery will not move. The full list:
- Motor head. Glydea ULTRA 35, Glydea ULTRA 60, Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree Zigbee or Irismo 45 WireFree RTS.
- Track. Built to the finished width, measured pulley end to pulley end.
- Carriers. RippleFold carriers at 80, 100 or 120 percent fullness, or pinch pleat carriers.
- Master carrier and arms. The Somfy Glydea Heavy Duty Master Carrier (1781344) connects the belt to the leading edge, and an arm kit sets the overlap or butt joint.
- Brackets. Ceiling or wall, one at each pulley and one every 24 inches.
- Control. A remote, wall switch, hub or keypad matched to the motor's protocol.
Picking the Somfy curtain motor by weight, track and power
Start with the finished drapery weight and the track length. Then check for a 120V outlet near the header. Somfy publishes a weight ceiling and a maximum track length for each motor in its Drapery Databook.
| Motor | Max drapery weight | Max track length | Power |
| Somfy Glydea ULTRA 35 RTS (1246116) | 77 lb (35 kg) | 32 ft (9.7 m) | 120V AC, 10 ft cable with molded NEMA plug |
| Somfy Glydea ULTRA 60 RTS (1246118) | 132 lb (60 kg) | 36 ft (10.9 m) | 120V AC, 10 ft cable with molded NEMA plug |
| Somfy Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree Zigbee (1246594) | 110 lb (50 kg) | 36 ft (10.9 m) | 21.9V Li-ion pack, USB-C charging |
| Somfy Irismo 45 WireFree RTS (1002353) | 99 lb (45 kg) | 33 ft (10 m) | 25.9V Li-ion pack, 3200 mAh |
The number in each name is the weight rating in kilograms. Weigh a sample yard of the finished fabric with its lining, multiply by the yardage, and leave headroom under the ceiling. Somfy also lists a tandem layout with two motors on one track for up to 264 lb (120 kg).
The Glydea ULTRA 35 and 60 run at 4.95 to 7.86 inches per second and stay under 38 dBA in silent mode. Both carry Touch Motion, so a light pull on the fabric starts the motor, and both allow manual movement during a power outage. Our Glydea vs Irismo comparison goes deeper on the battery and mains trade-off.
Measuring the track and choosing a length
Somfy builds motorized drapery tracks to the specified width, and the finished width runs from pulley end to pulley end. Measure the opening, then add room for the drapery to stack clear of the glass. Stack width depends on fullness and carrier count, and Somfy prints stacking charts in the databook for each style.
Two examples from those charts: a one-way RippleFold 80 percent track up to 4 ft takes 20 carriers and stacks to about 19.5 inches. A one-way RippleFold 100 percent track at 5 ft takes 30 carriers and stacks to about 24.5 inches. Run those numbers before settling the width.
The store carries Glydea track two ways. Fixed sections run from 4 ft to 30 ft, such as the Somfy Glydea Drapery Track 10 ft (1782013), and each listing names the bracket count. For custom widths, Somfy Drapery Track (1780899) sells by the foot with a 16 ft minimum.
Curved and bent tracks follow two limits. A sharp bend needs a radius of at least 11.8 inches (30 cm), and a continuous curve needs at least 118 inches (300 cm). Somfy allows two splices at most, with a bracket on each side of each splice.
Carriers, fullness and the master carrier
Fullness sets how deep the ripple sits and how many carriers the track needs. Somfy's RippleFold spacing works out like this:
| Fullness | Carrier spacing | Carriers per foot |
| RippleFold 80% (1780903) | 2 3/8 in | 5 |
| RippleFold 100% (1780902) | 2 1/8 in | 6 |
| RippleFold 120% (1780901) | 1 7/8 in | 7 |
Pinch pleat drapery runs three carriers per foot. Agree on the fullness with the drapery workroom first, since the fabric yardage and the carrier count both follow from it.
The master carrier sits at the leading edge of each panel and takes the belt's pull. A one-way track uses one. A center-opening track splits the drapery into two panels, so it takes two arms, one on each leading edge. Somfy offers straight, overlap and butt arm kits, and the Somfy Straight Arm Kit (1782321) covers the common center-opening layout.
Brackets: ceiling or wall, and how many
Somfy recommends one bracket by each pulley and one bracket every 24 inches. A 10 ft track works out to six brackets. Skimp on the count and a long track sags under a heavy lined drapery, which loads the motor and wears the belt.
Ceiling mounts use the Somfy Glydea One Touch Ceiling Bracket (1780907). Wall mounts use an adjustable wall bracket such as the Somfy Adjustable Wall Mount Bracket (1780909), and a double adjustable version reaches farther out from the wall for deep window trim. Somfy makes the ceiling brackets in white and black.
Power and control for the finished track
The Glydea ULTRA 35 and 60 ship with a 10 ft cable and a molded NEMA plug, so an outlet at the header is the cleanest install. On a finished ceiling with no outlet, the two WireFree motors carry their own packs. The Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree charges by USB-C and reaches 80 percent in under four hours. The Irismo 45 WireFree runs on a rechargeable 25.9V Li-ion pack.
Control follows the motor you order, and you cannot change it later:
- RTS. Glydea ULTRA 35 and 60 RTS and the Irismo 45 pair with Somfy RTS remotes, wall switches and the TaHoma Switch hub. Our RTS remote pairing guide covers adding a control.
- Zigbee. The Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree runs on Zigbee 3.0 and joins a Somfy Zigbee system built around the TaHoma Switch. Our Somfy Zigbee guide lists the hub and remotes.
- DCT. Glydea ULTRA 35 DCT (1246115) and 60 DCT (1246117) take dry-contact wiring from a keypad or control system.
- RS485. Somfy offers an SDN RS485 module for Glydea ULTRA on networked commercial jobs.
Both Glydea ULTRA mains motors set their end limits automatically on the end stops, and an installer can fine-tune them afterward. Browse the full range of Somfy drapery motors to match the motor to the control system already in the building.
Store prices for a typical Glydea order
Live prices on shademotorsdirect.com at publication, for a sense of where the money goes on a one-way 10 ft track:
| Part | Price |
| Glydea ULTRA 35 RTS motor (1246116) | $532.93 |
| Glydea ULTRA 60 RTS motor (1246118) | $639.84 |
| Irismo 45 WireFree RTS motor (1002353) | $541.95 |
| Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree Zigbee motor (1246594) | $669.90 |
| Glydea track, 10 ft section (1782013) | $450.00 |
| Heavy Duty Master Carrier (1781344) | $25.18 |
| Straight Arm Kit (1782321) | $14.59 |
| One Touch Ceiling Bracket (1780907), each | $3.11 |
On a one-way 10 ft track with a Glydea ULTRA 35, six brackets, one master carrier and one arm kit, the motor comes to about half of the hardware total before carriers. Carriers add to that by fullness, and a second motor doubles the head cost on a tandem track.
FAQ
Does a Somfy curtain motor work on any curtain rod?
No. Glydea ULTRA and Irismo 45 motors drive a belt inside the Somfy Glydea track profile, and the drapery hangs from carriers that ride in that track. A decorative rod with rings has no belt or carrier channel. Plan on replacing the rod with a Somfy track sized to the opening, with the motor head mounted at one end.
How many brackets does a Somfy drapery track need?
Somfy recommends one bracket at each pulley and one bracket every 24 inches along the track. A 10 ft track takes six brackets by that rule. If the track has a splice, add a bracket on each side of it. Heavy lined drapery on a long run benefits most from a full bracket count.
Can I motorize curtains without an outlet at the window?
Yes. The Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree Zigbee runs on a 21.9V Li-ion pack with USB-C charging and carries up to 110 lb. The Irismo 45 WireFree RTS runs on a 25.9V pack and carries up to 99 lb. Both mount on the same Glydea track as the mains-powered motors.
Glydea ULTRA 35 or ULTRA 60 for my drapery?
Weigh the finished panels. The Glydea ULTRA 35 carries up to 77 lb on tracks to 32 ft, and the ULTRA 60 carries up to 132 lb on tracks to 36 ft. Lined blackout or velvet drapery across a wide opening often lands closer to the ULTRA 60 rating, so size with headroom.
Sources: Somfy Drapery Databook (08/2026) for weight ratings, track lengths, carrier spacing, stacking, bracket spacing, bend radii and power; Somfy's Glydea ULTRA 35 RTS product page. Spec sheets for each motor sit in our Somfy spec library.
Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.
