Short answer: Pick a Somfy Glydea ULTRA by drapery weight first and control second. The ULTRA 35 carries up to 77 lb on a track up to 32 ft, and the ULTRA 60 carries up to 132 lb on up to 36 ft. Both ship as RTS, DCT and wired versions. With no outlet at the header, the battery ULTRA 50 WireFree Zigbee carries 110 lb.
Somfy builds the Glydea ULTRA family for belt-driven drapery track, in three sizes and seven US versions. The part number you order comes down to two facts about the window: the weight hanging from the carriers, and the power and control waiting at the header. Settle both and the choice narrows to a single motor.
Weigh the drapery before you pick a size
The number in each Glydea name is the curtain weight in kilograms the motor carries. Weigh a sample panel per running foot, multiply by the track width, and add lining and interlining. Heavy lined velvet across a wide opening passes 77 lb sooner than most buyers expect, and that is the point where the ULTRA 60 takes over.
| Max curtain weight, side or center opening | ULTRA 35: 77 lb (35 kg). ULTRA 60: 132 lb (60 kg). ULTRA 50 WireFree: 110 lb (50 kg) |
| Max track length | ULTRA 35: 32 ft (9.7 m). ULTRA 60 and ULTRA 50 WireFree: 36 ft (10.9 m) |
| Tandem (two motors) | ULTRA 35: 154 lb on 64 ft. ULTRA 60: 264 lb on 72 ft |
| Power | ULTRA 35 and 60: 120V AC, 50/60Hz, 0.8 A, 96 W, standby under 1 W. ULTRA 50: 21.9V Li-ion battery |
| Speed | ULTRA 35 and 60: 2.95 in/s silent mode, 4.95 to 7.86 in/s standard. ULTRA 50: 2.9 in/s discreet, 5.9 in/s default |
| Noise in silent mode | ULTRA 35 and 60: under 38 dBA. ULTRA 50: under 32 dBA |
| Track bends | 11.8 in minimum bending radius, 118 in minimum curving radius, two splices maximum |
Somfy rates tandem systems for draperies that exceed one motor's capacity. A tandem pairs two drapery motors on one opening and runs on DCT control, which adds accessories to the order. For a single panel set under 77 lb, the ULTRA 35 does the job and costs less than the 60.
RTS, DCT or wired: matching the motor to the control
Each mains-powered size comes in three control versions. The RTS and DCT motors carry a 10 ft cable with a molded NEMA plug for an outlet at the header. The wired versions leave the factory with a 5 ft lead and no plug, for an electrician to hard-wire.
| RTS radio, plug-in | Glydea ULTRA 35 RTS (1246116) and Glydea ULTRA 60 RTS (1246118) |
| DCT dry contact, plug-in | Glydea ULTRA 35 DCT (1246115) and Glydea ULTRA 60 DCT (1246117) |
| Wired, no plug | Glydea ULTRA 35 Wired (1003153) and Glydea ULTRA 60 Wired (1003160) |
| Battery, Zigbee | Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree Zigbee (1246594) |
RTS suits a homeowner who wants a handheld remote or a wireless wall switch and nothing more. A Situo 5 RTS Pure remote (1870575) runs the living room drapery and four more channels of shades from one handset.
DCT belongs on jobs tied to a control system or a wall station. The motor takes a 3.3V DC control signal and needs two normally open contacts for open and close, or three for open, stop and close. The Somfy Dry Contact Open, Close, Stop Wall Switch (1800219) gives you all three. Somfy allows runs of 328 ft and 10 motors on Cat5, or 656 ft and 20 motors on 0.75 mm² cable.
The wired version uses red and black for the two directions, white for neutral and green for ground. Group control on wired motors needs a double pole, double throw switch and stops at two motors. Pick it when the header has a junction box and the client wants a switch on the wall with no radio in the loop.
Adding Zigbee or SDN with a plug-in module
Somfy sells two add-on modules that plug into the Glydea ULTRA 35 or 60 motor and draw their power from the motor.
The Somfy Zigbee 3.0 Module for Glydea ULTRA Motors (9000043) turns a DCT motor into a two-way Zigbee motor at 2.450 GHz. Somfy pairs it with the Glydea ULTRA 35 DCT and ULTRA 60 DCT, so order the DCT version of your size when Zigbee is the goal. Installers program it in the TaHoma pro app, and Somfy also documents a standalone setup with Ysia remotes.
The Somfy SDN RS485 Module for Glydea ULTRA Motors (1871412) brings the drapery onto a Somfy Digital Network for two-way control in commercial and large residential systems. Somfy lists plug-in, Power Panel and PoE wiring examples for it, and notes that the SDN module does not work with TaHoma. Plan SDN drapery on an SDN control path from the start.
No outlet at the header: the ULTRA 50 WireFree Zigbee
Retrofits often have no receptacle near the track, and opening a finished ceiling for one adds cost and dust. The Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree Zigbee runs on a 21.9V Li-ion pack rated at 2600 mAh and reaches 80 percent charge in under four hours over USB-C. It carries 110 lb on up to 36 ft of track and drops below 32 dBA in discreet mode, the quietest figure in the family.
Zigbee 3.0 is built in, so no module is needed. You get percentage positions, scenes and timed events through the app. The ULTRA 50 uses its own drive pulley and pulley adaptor, and Somfy sells a replacement battery (9029424) for the pack.
Track, belt and hardware the motor needs
All Glydea ULTRA motors drive a belt inside the track, and the motor is one line on a longer parts list. You also need track cut to length, carriers, a master carrier, an arm kit and brackets. Somfy calls for one bracket beside each pulley, one every 24 in, and one on each side of a splice, and it ships a center splice every 16 ft of track.
Check the size on every accessory. Glydea 35, 60 and ULTRA 50 hardware does not interchange, and rotating eye runners, drive pulleys and return hooks each name the motor they fit. Our Somfy curtain motor and drapery track parts list walks the full order, and the Glydea ceiling install guide covers bracket spacing on the ceiling.
Picking your Glydea ULTRA in four checks
- Weigh the drapery. Under 77 lb points to the ULTRA 35, up to 132 lb to the ULTRA 60.
- Measure the track. The ULTRA 35 tops out at 32 ft, the ULTRA 60 and ULTRA 50 at 36 ft. Wider openings move to a tandem.
- Check the power at the header. An outlet suits RTS or DCT, a junction box suits the wired version, and no power at all points to the ULTRA 50 WireFree Zigbee.
- Choose the control path. RTS for remotes, DCT for wall stations and control systems, DCT plus the 9000043 module for Zigbee, any mains version plus the 1871412 module for SDN.
Browse the full range in our Somfy Glydea drapery motors and track collection, or compare the battery options in Glydea vs Irismo drapery motors. Install guides for each motor live in the Somfy spec library.
FAQ
What is the difference between the Glydea ULTRA 35 and 60?
Capacity and track length. The Glydea ULTRA 35 carries up to 77 lb of drapery on a track up to 32 ft. The ULTRA 60 carries up to 132 lb on up to 36 ft. Both draw 0.8 A on 120V AC, run under 38 dBA in silent mode, and come in RTS, DCT and wired versions, so control options match across the two sizes.
Can a Glydea ULTRA motor run on Zigbee?
Yes. The Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree Zigbee has Zigbee 3.0 built in. For the mains-powered sizes, Somfy pairs the Zigbee 3.0 module (9000043) with the Glydea ULTRA 35 DCT or ULTRA 60 DCT motor, and the module draws power from the motor head. Installers set it up in the TaHoma pro app or as a standalone system with Ysia remotes.
Which Glydea motor works without an outlet?
The Glydea ULTRA 50 WireFree Zigbee (1246594). It runs on a 21.9V Li-ion battery pack rated at 2600 mAh, charges over USB-C to 80 percent in under four hours, and carries 110 lb on up to 36 ft of track. The RTS and DCT versions need an outlet, and the wired versions need a junction box.
Do Glydea 35 and Glydea 60 parts interchange?
No. Rotating eye runners, drive pulleys and return hooks are size-specific, and the ULTRA 50 uses its own drive pulley and pulley adaptor. Ordering a Glydea 60 part for a Glydea 35 track is the classic mistake. Read the motor size on each accessory listing and match it to the motor you bought before the order ships.
Sources: Somfy Drapery Databook, Glydea ULTRA and Irismo (June 2026 edition); Somfy e-cat pages for the Zigbee 2-Way Module for Glydea ULTRA Motors (9000043) and the RS485 (SDN, 2-Way) Module for Glydea ULTRA Motors (1871412).
Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.
