Because of federal regulations, there are more choices in cordless operations for your window coverings. When you buy your blinds or shades, you should be given MANY options about lifting or traversing mechanisms. 

For Blinds- 

• Spring Loaded Systems- These systems have no cords, but have spooling cord collectors inside the headrail that allow you to simply grasp the rail and move it where you need it.
• Motorized Blinds- There are both tilt and lift options for blinds, but, since blinds tend to be heavy, most systems are tilt only.

For Shades-

• Spring Loaded Systems- These systems have no cords, but have spooling cord collectors inside the headrail that allow you to simply grasp the rail and move it where you need it.
• Motorized Blinds- Sizes for shades tend to be almost unlimited, though if you choose a battery operated unit, you can drain your power source quickly.

For Shutters-

• Shutters don’t have cords and standard versions are very child safe. Even so, there are motorization options for tilt only.

Draperies-

• Baton Draw- With many drapery rods it is possible to traverse the draperies by use of a wand or baton mounted to the lead drapery carrier. This is the most common type used in hotels
• Motorized drapery rods- If you want your drapes to traverse by motor, typically you just have to make sure you have a power outlet handy, as these are typically plug in or hard wired only.

In summary, the national market is moving toward more and more cordless options. The manufacturers are improving the mechanisms, but just like the standard cord systems, they are not fool proof. As a rule, the fancier the system, the chances you have of a breakdown. We try and recommend the most durable, and therefore, most valuable systems to our clients.