Do they have a little handle you can grab to pull them down and push them up, or is it just the top of the shade? If it has a clip or something, you can just get one of those reachy-grabby things, keep it nearby and use it to raise and lower the blinds. Also, you can always get them with just the cord for the top and have the bottom cordless.

This post was edited by Tibbrix on Tue, Jul 22, 14 at 12:34

We have this kind of blind. The bottom has a little clip pull to attach (I think so that fingers won't be all over the blinds), I could tie a short string to that for bottom down action, though I usually just leave the bottom rail at a height I can reach. I usually just stand on a chair if I want to get the top down. DH is tall enough without. Tibbrix' tool idea is intriguing.

Good idea Tibb....I just called and they want $35 for those wand things...I have two windows so $70 for two little plastic things? Maybe a long knitting needle with a hook? Thanks!

This is why duct tape was invented! Make a reachy-grabby thing!

Or, just go into the kitchen ,grab your potato masher, and use that.

I have a cordless shade and I don't think the grabby tool will work. I don't think there's enough tab to grab and pull it down straight. When pulling down, you want to keep the tab level and pull down gently. When pushing up, you just guide it and don't really need to use the tabs. I also have the corded top down bottom up shades and hate the cords. It's Hunter Douglas, which is a good brand, but we often have the cords jam or the shade stops just short of the sill. I should see if they'll send someone out to adjust them as I've read they have great customer service.

Thanks mayflowers....we had corded TD/BU shades and had the same problems...cords jammed, broke, etc...think I will take my chances with the cordless and make them work somehow.

i have one of those grabbers and i don't think it would work either... better for wider relatively ltwt objects...
i just ordered some top down shades and i decided not to go cordless because it wasn't a free upgrade with the co i went with and they're for a bathroom and i don't anticipate moving them very much. my bro has cordless shades and they're great ... don't know if i would want them tho if i was short or if the window was very tall...

The other thing to consider with cordless shades is if there will be furniture in front of the window. If there is, even taller people can have a difficult time reaching the top of the shade.

Meh. Just get the cordless and make your life easier . My top-down cellular shades have the cords, and still I get up every day and put one foot in front of the other despite that fact!

I know not a blessed thing about the motorized blinds but I would caution anyone going that route to find out about the battery that is used.

I own a battery business and one thing that I see on a regular basis is customers that are finding it impossible to find a battery pack that has been discontinued. Do your homework and ensure that the battery, batteries, or battery pack used in the product is readily available to the consumer.

I considered remote motorized but decided against. Too much money to justify when only 1 window (out of 6) is inaccessible. Plus access to the headrail to change batteries would be big pain.