Short answer: Somfy is the French company that built the first tubular motor for roller shutters in 1969 in Cluses, Haute-Savoie. Somfy products are the motors, remotes, sensors and hubs that move shades, draperies, awnings and rolling shutters. Somfy does not sell the fabric or the shade itself. A shade fabricator builds the shade and fits a Somfy motor inside it.
Most people meet Somfy as a name on a remote or a label on a motor tube, long after the shade went up. The brand sits inside the product, out of sight, which is why the question comes up at all. This guide covers who Somfy is, what the company makes, and how the parts fit together. The full range sits in our catalog of genuine Somfy products, searchable by part number.
Somfy began with one motor in the French Alps
Somfy's own history page dates its story to 1969 in Cluses, at the foot of Mont Blanc. That year the company developed the first tubular motor, a motor slim enough to sit inside the roller tube of a shutter. Somfy describes it as the end of the crank handle era.
The milestones since then trace the products sold today:
- 1997: Somfy builds its RTS radio technology into its motors, so one remote can run several shades.
- 2010: the first TaHoma interface links Somfy products to a home network.
- 2022: the TaHoma Switch launches, ten years after TaHoma.
- 2023: a range of WireFree and wired shading motors adds Zigbee 3.0.
Somfy designs its products in Haute-Savoie and operates in almost 60 countries. In the United States the brand trades as Somfy Systems Inc., which Somfy calls a brand of the Somfy Group. US products carry a 5-year Somfy warranty.
Somfy makes the motor, a fabricator makes the shade
Somfy sells motors and controls, and other companies build the window coverings around them. A roller shade maker cuts the fabric, rolls it on an aluminum tube and slides a Somfy motor into that tube. An awning maker does the same with a heavier motor in a wider tube.
That split explains two things buyers notice. Shades sold under many different brand names can carry the same Somfy motor. And a failed motor can often be replaced on its own, since the fabric, tube and brackets stay put. The motor label holds the Somfy part number. Our guide to the 74300 number on a Somfy motor label shows how to read it.
Somfy products sorted by the job they do
The catalog runs to hundreds of part numbers, but they fall into six groups. Each group answers one question about the window.
| Group | What it does | Somfy families | Example part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roller shade motors | Lift interior roller and solar shades | Sonesse 28, 30, 40 and 50, Sonesse ULTRA | Sonesse 40 RTS 404S2 (1240380) |
| Exterior motors | Drive awnings, rolling shutters and screens | Altus, Sunea, Maestria, LT50 and LT60 | Altus RTS 550R2 (1038170) |
| Drapery motors | Open and close curtains on a track | Glydea ULTRA, Irismo | Glydea ULTRA 35 RTS (1246116) |
| Remotes and wall switches | Send commands to the motor | Situo, Telis, Smoove, DecoFlex, Ysia | Situo 5 RTS Pure (1870575) |
| Hubs | Add app, voice and schedule control | TaHoma Switch | TaHoma Switch (1871037) |
| Sensors | Move awnings and shades with the weather | Eolis, Soliris, Ondeis | Eolis 3D WireFree RTS (1816081) |
Roller shades make up the largest group. The Somfy Sonesse 40 RTS 404S2 Motor with Fast Connector (1240380) is a typical one: 4 Nm of torque, 36 rpm, 42 dB, and a 1.46 in (37 mm) minimum tube inside diameter. It runs on 120V AC and carries an RTS receiver inside the head.
Exterior motors work harder. The Somfy Altus RTS 550R2 (1038170) delivers 50 Nm for awnings and rolling shutters and fits the LT50 platform, with a 1.85 in minimum tube inside diameter. Drapery motors drive a belt in a ceiling or wall track instead of turning a tube. The Somfy Glydea ULTRA 35 RTS (1246116) runs at 105 rpm and takes 100 to 240V supply.
Torque and tube size decide which motor in a group fits a given shade. Our guide on how to size a Somfy shade motor walks through both.
The control systems that link Somfy products
A Somfy motor speaks one control language, set at the factory. Remotes, wall switches and hubs have to speak the same one. Somfy runs four:
- RTS, Somfy's one-way radio at 433.420 MHz. An RTS motor stores up to 12 remotes or sensors, and no control wiring runs to the switch. It covers most residential shades and awnings.
- Zigbee 3.0, a two-way radio at 2.450 GHz. The motor reports its position back, and mains-powered Zigbee motors relay signals for the rest of the network.
- SDN, Somfy's wired RS485 network for commercial buildings, with each motor on its own address.
- Wired 4-wire, the simplest form. A wall switch sends power to the up or down conductor, and the motor carries no radio.
The motor's part name tells you which one you have. "RTS" in the name means RTS remotes pair with it, and "Zigbee" means Ysia remotes or a TaHoma Switch. Our Somfy RTS vs Zigbee comparison covers range and feedback in detail.
Remotes, hubs and sensors finish the system
A motor with a radio still needs something to talk to it. The Somfy Situo 5 RTS Pure Remote (1870575) gives five channels on one CR2032 coin cell, so four shades can move one at a time and a fifth channel can move them together. Wall switches in the Smoove and DecoFlex lines do the same job from a fixed spot by the door.
The Somfy TaHoma Switch (1871037) adds the app. It talks to RTS and Zigbee products from one hub, runs schedules and scenes, and links Somfy shades to voice assistants. Remotes paired before the hub keep working after it goes in.
Sensors let the shades react with no one home. The Somfy Eolis 3D WireFree RTS Wind Sensor (1816081) mounts on an awning's front bar, reads the bar's movement in wind, and signals the RTS motor to retract. Soliris sensors add sun control, and Ondeis sensors respond to rain.
US Somfy products and the names abroad
Somfy sells region-specific versions of many motors. US line-voltage motors run on 120V AC at 60Hz, and their part numbers follow the US catalog. A European listing for a similar-looking motor often carries a 230V rating and a different part number.
Order by the US part number on the label. Two motors with the same family name can differ in voltage, head type and torque. A Somfy part number settles all three at once.
Your first step on a Somfy project
The right first step depends on what you already have on the window.
- A working Somfy shade with a dead remote needs a remote on the same control system as the motor, plus a pairing step.
- A failed motor needs the part number from its label, then a match on torque, tube and head type.
- A new shade starts with the control system, since changing it later means changing the motor.
- An awning that should retract in wind needs an RTS motor and an Eolis sensor paired to it.
Our support line at 859-414-6872 helps match a label to a part number, 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM ET.
Sources: Somfy "About Somfy" and "History and innovation" pages (somfysystems.com, somfy.co.uk); Somfy product pages on somfysystems.com and somfypro.com for references 1240380, 1038170, 1246116, 1870575, 1871037 and 1816081.
Frequently asked questions
What does Somfy make?
Somfy makes motors and controls for window coverings and exterior shading. The range covers tubular motors for roller shades, awnings and rolling shutters, drapery track motors, remotes and wall switches, the TaHoma Switch hub, and wind, sun and rain sensors. Shade fabricators build the shades and awnings and fit Somfy motors inside them.
Where is Somfy from?
Somfy comes from Cluses, in the Haute-Savoie region of France, at the foot of Mont Blanc. The company developed its first tubular motor there in 1969 and still designs its products in Haute-Savoie. It now operates in almost 60 countries, and in the United States it trades as Somfy Systems Inc., a brand of the Somfy Group.
Is Somfy a shade brand or a motor brand?
Somfy is a motor and control brand. It does not cut fabric or sell finished shades. A shade company builds the roller shade, drapery or awning, then motorizes it with a Somfy motor and pairs a Somfy remote. That is why shades from many different makers can share the same Somfy motor and the same remote.
How do I know which Somfy products work together?
Match the control system first. RTS motors pair with RTS remotes such as Situo and Telis, Zigbee motors pair with Ysia remotes, and the TaHoma Switch runs both. Then match the hardware: tube size, crown and drive, and a bracket that suits the motor head. The part number on the motor label settles each of these.
Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.
