The pitch for WireFree is simple and mostly true: no electrician, no wall damage, no wiring, charge it twice a year and forget it. What the pitch leaves out is a hard ceiling. The strongest battery motor in the Somfy WireFree range delivers 3 Nm. The wired range runs to 100 Nm. That is not a small gap, and it is the single fact that decides most of these projects.
The torque ceiling, stated plainly
Every figure below comes from Somfy's published record for that exact part number.
| Motor | Part | Power | Torque | Speed | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonesse 28 WireFree RTS | 1003297 | Battery | 1.1 Nm | 20 rpm | 49 dB |
| Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree RTS | 1003310 | Battery | 2 Nm | 20 rpm | 42 dB |
| Sonesse 40 WireFree RTS | 1240485 | Battery | 3 Nm | 20 rpm | 49 dB |
| Sonesse 30 RTS 24V DC | 1241142 | Wired | 2 Nm | 25 rpm | 47 dB |
| Sonesse 40 RTS 404S2 | 1240380 | Wired | 4 Nm | 36 rpm | 42 dB |
| Sonesse 50 506S2 RTS | 1001809 | Wired | 6 Nm | 32 rpm | 45.1 dB |
| Sonesse 50 510S2 RTS | 1001807 | Wired | 10 Nm | 32 rpm | 47.2 dB |
| Somfy 550R2 LT50 CMO | 1049026 | Wired | 50 Nm | 14 rpm | — |
| Somfy DMI6Hz | 2007156 | Wired | 100 Nm | — | — |
Sources: Somfy's product records for 1003310, 1240485, 1241142, 1240380, 1001809 and 1001807.
Read the two halves of that table against each other. The entire WireFree range fits inside the bottom of the wired range. A battery Sonesse 40 at 3 Nm is weaker than a wired Sonesse 40 at 4 Nm, and both are in a different world from the 50 Nm and 100 Nm motors that drive rolling shutters and large awnings.
Speed is the second gap, and it is wider than it looks
Battery motors in this range run 20 rpm. Their wired equivalents run 25 to 36 rpm. On a 7 ft drop that is the difference between a shade that takes about 12 seconds and one that takes about 20.
The reason is not that Somfy built the battery motors lazily. Speed costs current, and current is the thing a battery is rationing. Every rpm you do not spend is time between recharges. The 20 rpm figure is a deliberate trade, and it is why WireFree motors are quiet for their size but never fast.
The exception is the Roll Up 28 WireFree RTS V2, which is adjustable from 10 to 28 rpm in 2 rpm steps. Run it near the top and the recharge interval shortens accordingly.
Interior only, without exception
Every WireFree motor in the range carries an IP 20 rating. IP 20 means protected against fingers and solid objects over 12mm, and not protected against water at all. That is an interior rating.
So a battery motor is not an option for an awning, a rolling shutter, a zip screen or an exterior solar shade, regardless of torque. Those jobs go to the wired exterior families — Sunea, Orea, Altus, Maestria, LT50 and LT60 — which are built and rated for weather. If someone is quoting a battery motor for an outdoor application, that is the flag to stop and check.
Noise does not split along the battery line
This surprises people. The quietest motor in the table above is a tie at 42 dB between a battery motor and a wired one. The loudest, at 49 dB, is also a battery motor.
Quiet in a Somfy motor comes from the gearbox and the ULTRA build, not from the power source. A wired Sonesse ULTRA 50 506A2 is rated 38 dB, quieter than anything in the WireFree range. If silence is the specification — a bedroom, a boardroom, a hotel suite — wired ULTRA wins, and it is not close.
What WireFree actually buys you
Framed honestly, battery power buys three things, and they are worth real money:
No wiring. No electrician, no fishing cable through a finished wall, no junction box, no patch and paint. On a retrofit this is often the entire cost difference, and it can be the difference between a job that happens and one that does not.
Rentals and protected buildings. Where you cannot open the wall at all — a lease, a historic property, a condo with restrictive rules — WireFree is the only path to motorization.
Speed of install. Charge, mount, pair, set limits. A competent installer does a room in an afternoon with no trade coordination.
What it costs you
A recharge cycle, forever. Somfy publishes long intervals, but they are intervals, not never. Someone has to remember, and on a bank of twelve shades that is a real maintenance task. The 12V WireFree solar pack (9027294) is the standard answer: a low-profile panel against the glass that keeps the pack topped off, which turns a scheduled chore into a background process. On a sunny elevation it effectively removes the problem. On a north-facing window in winter it reduces it rather than removing it.
A consumable. Li-ion packs age. A replacement pack such as the 9021217 is a wear item, not a warranty claim. Budget for it over a ten-year life.
Ceiling and speed. Everything in the first two sections.
How to decide in under a minute
Is the shade outdoors? Wired. No further discussion.
Does the sized load need more than 3 Nm? Wired. Work out the load first with our sizing guide, then check it against the ceiling.
Is this a bedroom or an acoustically sensitive room? Wired ULTRA, at 35 to 38 dB.
Is power genuinely unavailable, and the shade interior and light? WireFree, and add the solar pack at the same time rather than a year later.
New construction with the walls open? Wired, every time. The cost of pulling low-voltage cable before the drywall goes up is close to nothing, and it removes the ceiling, the recharge cycle and the consumable in one decision.
Common questions
What is the highest-torque Somfy WireFree motor?
The Sonesse 40 WireFree RTS (1240485) at 3 Nm. If the load needs more than that, there is no battery option in the range.
Can a WireFree motor be used outside?
No. The WireFree range is rated IP 20, which provides no water protection. Exterior applications need a wired exterior motor.
How often do WireFree batteries need charging?
It depends on shade weight, drop and how many cycles a day it runs. Somfy publishes typical intervals in months, not weeks, but a heavy shade on a twice-daily schedule lands well short of the published figure. Adding the solar pack is the practical fix.
Are battery motors quieter than wired ones?
No. The quietest Somfy motors are the wired ULTRA models at 35 to 38 dB. WireFree motors in this range run 42 to 49 dB.
Can I convert a WireFree motor to wired later?
No. The power source is fixed at manufacture, as is the control protocol. Converting means a different motor.
Every figure above is taken from Somfy's published record for the specific part number, linked in the sources line. Browse the battery range in WireFree & Battery Motors, the wired range in All Somfy Motors, and chargers and packs in Power, Battery & Chargers.
