Somfy Glydea 35 Curtain Motor
Current model: Glydea ULTRA 35, part no. 1246116 - 77 lbs of drapery, five speeds, and 29.8 dBA in silent mode.
The motor that does the pulling
A motorized drapery system has three parts: the track the curtain rides on, the carriers the fabric hangs from, and the motor that drives a belt to move it all. The Glydea 35 is that third part - a compact geared motor that mounts at one end of a Glydea track and pulls a belt loop back and forth.
The number in the name is a weight rating, not a size or a model year. 35 means 35 kilograms - about 77 pounds of drapery. That covers the large majority of residential panels, including full-height lined drapery on a wide slider. Above that, Somfy makes the Glydea ULTRA 60 for 60 kg.
Where this motor earns its price is the parts that never show on a spec sheet: a planetary gear reduction that keeps it quiet, electronic limit switches that remember exactly where the panel should stop, and soft start and soft stop so the leading edge eases into position instead of arriving with a thud.
The four things owners actually notice
Touch Motion
Give the drapery a small tug by hand and the motor takes over and finishes the travel. No remote hunting, no app - it behaves the way people instinctively expect a curtain to behave.
Manual Override
In a power failure the panel can still be moved by hand, so a hurricane-season outage in South Florida does not leave you with a bedroom you cannot darken.
Five Speeds
The right speed differs by room. A bedroom drape that opens at 6 a.m. should run in silent mode; a living room drape you open when guests arrive can run fast.
One Track Family
Everything mounts to the same Glydea track and accessory family, so a motor can be swapped or upgraded later without replacing the track you already paid to have cut and installed.
Speed versus noise, measured
Every motor brochure says "whisper quiet". Here is the actual trade-off, so the speed is chosen on purpose rather than left wherever the installer found it.
| Speed setting | Travel speed | Sound level | Where we would use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silent mode | 7.5 cm/s | 29.8 dBA | Bedrooms, nurseries, anything on a morning schedule |
| Speed 2 | 12.5 cm/s | 37.3 dBA | Primary suites, home offices, media rooms |
| Speed 3 | 15 cm/s | 39.7 dBA | The usual default for living areas |
| Speed 4 | 17.5 cm/s | 43.4 dBA | Wide sliders where you do not want to wait |
| Speed 5 | 20 cm/s | 45.2 dBA | Commercial, lobbies, very long tracks |
Figures from the Somfy Glydea ULTRA datasheet; we verify against the current US sheet before ordering. For scale: 30 dBA is a quiet library, 40 dBA is a refrigerator hum across a room, 50 dBA is normal conversation. Even at its fastest setting the Glydea 35 stays below conversation level.
Which version do you need?
Same motor, same track, same 35 kg capacity. The only difference is how it receives the command to move - and getting this wrong is the single most common ordering mistake we see.
| Version | How it is controlled | Choose it when | Skip it when | Part no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTS Radio Technology Somfy | Somfy handheld or wall remote at 433.42 MHz; add a TaHoma hub for app, voice and schedules. | Most homes and condos. Simplest to install, no control wiring, works out of the box. | You are integrating with a Crestron or Control4 system that expects wired contacts. | 1246116 |
| DCT Dry Contact | Low-voltage contact closure from a keypad or an automation processor. | Whole-home automation by Control4, Crestron or Savant; commercial control systems. | There is no automation system and no control wiring in the walls. | 1246115 |
| WT Wired / line switched | A conventional line-voltage switch, like a light switch. | Simple wired installs, retrofits onto an existing switched circuit, tandem operation. | You want a remote, voice control or scheduling. | 1003153 |
| Zigbee 3.0 | Joins a Zigbee mesh network. | Smart homes already standardized on Zigbee rather than Somfy radio. | You have no Zigbee hub - RTS is simpler and less expensive. | 1003151 |
Replacing an older Glydea? Part numbers changed with the ULTRA generation. The US RTS motor 1003152 is discontinued and superseded by 1246116. Send us a photo of the label on your existing motor and we will identify the correct replacement rather than guessing from the track.
Full Glydea ULTRA 35 specifications
Performance
| Maximum curtain weight | 35 kg (77 lb) |
| Nominal torque | 0.6 Nm |
| Maximum track length | 10 m (approx. 33 ft) |
| Linear speed | 7.5 / 12.5 / 15 / 17.5 / 20 cm/s |
| Sound level | 29.8 - 45.2 dBA |
| Limit switches | Electronic, adjustable |
| Soft start / soft stop | Yes (RTS and DCT) |
| Touch Motion | Yes (RTS and DCT) |
| Manual override | Yes |
| Openings supported | One-way and center / bi-parting |
| Motor body | 348 mm long x 93 mm wide x 53 mm deep |
Electrical & environmental
| Power supply | 90-240 V, 50/60 Hz AC |
| Consumption in operation | 30 W |
| Standby consumption | 0.27 W |
| Radio frequency (RTS) | 433.42 MHz |
| RTS channels | 12 |
| Open-field radio range | approx. 656 ft |
| Protection rating | IP30 |
| Electrical insulation | Class I |
| Operating temperature | 0 °C to +60 °C |
| Approval | cTUVus |
| Finish | Steel |
| Warranty | 5 years |
Confirm clearance inside drapery pockets and behind valances against the 348 x 93 x 53 mm motor body before ordering - this is the measurement that most often causes a return.
Track and accessories that pair with the motor
A Glydea motor is only half the order. These are the parts that come up on nearly every job - we specify and supply the complete assembly rather than a boxed motor.
| Component | Somfy part |
|---|---|
| Glydea Drapery Track | 1780899 · per ft |
| High Performance Belt | 1782084 · per ft |
| Drive Pulley Assembly | 1780945 |
| Heavy Duty Master Carrier | 1781344 |
| RippleFold Carrier 100% | 1780902 · each |
| Swivel Ceiling Bracket | 1780906 · curved runs |
| Adjustable Wall Bracket | 1780909 · 4.5-6 in |
| Top Mount Motor Kit | 1780908 |
| Straight Arm Kit (center) | 1782321 |
| DCT Limit Setting Tool | 9014599 |
What installation actually involves
Measure and cut
Glydea track is sold by the foot and cut to your opening. Curving or bending for a bay is a factory service, so the shape is templated before fabrication.
Mount the brackets
Wall brackets, one-touch ceiling brackets, or swivel brackets for curved runs. Bracket spacing and projection depend on the drapery stack and any obstructions.
Set the belt and carriers
The drive pulley, belt and master carriers are assembled to the track, then RippleFold or pinch-pleat carriers are spaced to the fullness you specified.
Program the limits
Electronic limits are taught to the motor so it stops precisely at the return and at center. DCT versions need the dry contact setting tool for this step.
Pair the control
Remote or wall keypad is paired to the motor, speed is set for the room, and the "my" favorite position is stored.
Hang and balance
Drapery goes on, the leading edges are dressed so they meet cleanly, and the full travel is cycled and checked.
Doing it yourself? The motor is straightforward; the track cut, bracket projection and carrier spacing are where DIY jobs go wrong. We supply parts to installers and homeowners either way, and we will answer sizing questions before you order.
Glydea 35 FAQ
What does the "35" in Glydea 35 mean?
It is the drapery weight the motor is rated to move - 35 kilograms, about 77 pounds. It is not a track length, a size, or a model year. The larger Glydea ULTRA 60 is rated to 60 kg for very heavy or very wide draperies.
Is the Glydea 35 the same thing as the Glydea ULTRA 35?
Effectively yes. ULTRA is the current generation of the motor most people still call the Glydea 35. It fits the same Glydea track and accessory family, but part numbers changed - the US RTS motor 1003152 is discontinued and superseded by 1246116, so ordering from an old spec sheet will get you a dead part number.
How quiet is it, really?
In silent mode it is about 29.8 dBA - quieter than a refrigerator, quiet enough that it will not wake someone sleeping in the room. At its fastest setting it is around 45.2 dBA, still below normal conversation. Speed is adjustable after installation, so a motor that feels too fast in a bedroom can be slowed in a minute with no hardware change.
Which version should I order - RTS, DCT, WT or Zigbee?
If you want a remote in your hand and no control wiring, RTS. If a Control4, Crestron or Savant integrator is running the house, they will want DCT. WT is for a plain wired switch. Zigbee only makes sense if your smart home is already built on Zigbee. When in doubt, RTS is the right answer for a home or condo.
Can it run a curtain around a bay window or a curve?
Yes. Glydea track can be custom curved or bent as a factory service, and Somfy makes a swivel ceiling bracket specifically for curved and bent runs. It has to be templated and ordered curved - you cannot bend a straight track on site and expect the belt to run properly.
What happens in a power outage?
The Glydea ULTRA allows manual operation during a power failure, so the curtain can still be moved by hand. That matters in South Florida - a summer outage does not leave you with a bedroom you cannot darken.
Can I put two motors on one very wide opening?
Yes. For very long runs we split the opening into two tracks operating in tandem from a single remote channel. WT and DCT versions support tandem operation directly, and it usually performs better than pushing one motor to the edge of its rating.
Do you ship parts, or only install locally?
We ship Somfy parts nationwide. Installation is South Florida - Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. Outside that area, order the parts from us and we will help you specify them correctly for your own installer.
Manufacturer documentation
Somfy publishes the full brochure and programming instructions. If you would rather we simply confirmed the right part number for your opening, send us the width and the fabric.
Discerning homeowners, designers, and developers across South Florida trust Exotic with their most important spaces.
"I'm really happy with my new curtains! The team came to my place, helped me choose the right fabric, and guided me through the whole process. Great service and beautiful results. Highly recommend, A+."
"We were referred to Exotic Shades by our contractor. They understood exactly what we had in mind and delivered it. The whole process was simple, and the pricing was very good."
"I needed help adjusting the existing Lutron shades in my new home. Most companies would not touch a system installed by someone else, but Exotic sent a technician the same week."
Control systems these shades answer to
Every motorized system we install runs from a remote, an app or the home's control system. Which one depends on the motor family, so we settle it before the shade is made.
Lutron
Sivoia QS, Triathlon, Serena and Palladiom shades: Pico remotes and the Lutron app, with native integration to Crestron, Control4, Savant, Apple Home, Amazon Alexa and Google Home through Caseta, RadioRA 3 or HomeWorks. Lutron motorized shades.
Somfy
Sonesse, Glydea and WireFree motors on Somfy RTS or Zigbee: Telis and Situo remotes, the TaHoma app for scenes and schedules, Amazon Alexa and Google Home through TaHoma, and Control4, Crestron and Savant through the TaHoma integration. Somfy motorization.
Crestron
Crestron shade motors and drapery tracks commissioned into the home's Crestron processor and keypads with your integrator, with the fabric, hems and hembars still made in our workroom. Crestron shades.
Tell us the width and the fabric
We will confirm the right Glydea version and part number before you spend a dollar - and if the ULTRA 60 is the honest answer, we will say so.
Somfy®, Glydea®, TaHoma® and RTS® are registered trademarks of Somfy SAS. Exotic Shades & Draperies is an authorized Somfy dealer and certified Somfy Expert. Specifications are drawn from Somfy published datasheets and may change without notice - we confirm current specifications before every order.