While smart home devices are all designed differently, they have one key goal in common: to help make your life easier. And with the endless supply of gadgets and gizmos available, it’s pretty safe to say they do a good job at that. The only problem is that with so many smart home devices by so many different manufacturers, you have the potential for a disparity in compatibility. That’s where Matter comes in to change the way smart home devices connect and interact with each other.
What is Matter?
Matter is an open-source, IP-based connectivity protocol built around reliability, security, accessibility, and interoperability. To put it simply, Matter allows devices from different manufacturers to communicate with each other across platforms and ecosystems. To use Matter, you only need a Matter controller and your favorite smart home platform app, such as Google Assistant or Alexa. The Matter controller is your smart home’s main hub that onboards all other smart devices into your network, and as the main hub, the controller requires a constant network connection and power — and it should always remain in your home.
Before you go diving into any and all smart home devices, matter or not, you’ll need to have a Matter controller. With Matter controllers already built into the latest flagship devices, there’s a good chance you have one without even knowing it. However, if you don’t have a Matter controller integrated within one of your devices already, you’ve got some choices that are no longer limited to just one platform.
Matter Controllers
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Google Nest Wifi Pro
Premium Pick
Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro is the perfect starting point for creating a curated network of smart home devices at an affordable price. This entry-level Wi-Fi 6E mesh router runs on three wireless bands: 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz, and it has a large coverage area of up to 2,200 square feet per node. The Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro system is not only Matter certified and enabled, but it is also a Thread border router to connect to all your smart home devices across various platforms. It’s easy to set up, maintain, and everything is managed within your Google Home app.
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Google Nest Hub Max
Editor’s Choice
With the Google Nest Hub Max, you can make video calls, stream music, take notes, monitor the weather, and even check in on your home while away with the built-in Nest Cam. The 30W subwoofer also makes a nice mini speaker. This smart tabletop display is the epicenter of your smart home. With Matter certified and enabled, you can control all your smart home devices with one centralized device. The best part is you won’t have to purchase a new hub to take advantage of everything Matter has to offer.
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Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen)
Best Value
Sitting quite comfortably at a $130 price point, the Apple TV 4K is arguably one of the best media streaming devices on the market and absolutely worth every penny. The powerful A15 Bionic chip keeps everything running smoothly, allowing you to stream your favorite shows at quick speeds. The interface is extremely user-friendly, and if you’re already part of the Apple ecosystem, Apple TV 4K is a must-have for your smart home. With Matter certification, you can also use this device as a Matter controller for the rest of your smart home devices.
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Amazon Echo Show 15
Largest smart display
While it may look like an oversized digital poster or frame, the Echo Show 15 is much more impressive than that. With features like Alexa, Fire TV Integration, Thread, and Matter, this smart display has a lot to offer. Best mounted on the wall for optimal usage, the built-in camera can automatically detect which user is standing before it and load up custom personalized information, schedules, lists, and more. On standby, the Echo Show 15 can display essential information such as weather and top news or simply act as a digital picture frame.
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Google Nest Audio
Affordable speaker
The Google Nest Audio packs an unexpectedly loud punch you don’t get with small speakers. It has no business sounding this good for such a small, slim, portable, and affordable smart speaker. Although this device is portable, it only features a wire-in design suitable for indoor at-home setups, but that doesn’t mean you can’t move it from room to room as you clean. You can also combine it with your Google Assistant to control your smart home using Matter.
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Amazon Echo Studio
Quality sound
Sliding in with a pretty high price tag with quality to match, the Amazon Echo Studio is small but powerful. This smart speaker packs five fitted speakers into its design to produce deep bass, dynamic range, and an immersive 3-dimensional soundscape for an all-around musical experience. The Echo Studio can also adapt to the acoustics of any space using room adaptation technology to fine-tune playback for optimal sound. While the smart assistant Alexa is built into the device, so is the Matter protocol, which means you can use the Echo Studio to control your entire smart home.
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Apple HomePod (2nd generation)
Premium audio
The Apple HomePod is one of the most expensive smart speakers you’ll find on the market, but don’t overlook it just because of the price. This smart speaker boasts high-quality surround sound with Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos for crystal clear sound. Automatic bass correction, room sensing, and real-time tuning all lend to a customized audio experience you won’t find with other smart speakers. You can keep the party going throughout your home using multiroom audio with AirPlay, or you can use the HomePod as a Matter controller for all your smart home devices.
Now that you’ve had a chance to look at the various Matter controllers, the range of versatility, and the ease of accessibility to the Matter protocol, all that’s left to do is onboard some of your favorite smart home devices. Most devices have already received or will soon receive an update to make them compatible with Matter controllers, including some of the best smart home devices on the market.
Smart Home Devices
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Philips Hue Bridge
Central bridge controller
If you’re already familiar with Philips Hue’s own ecosystem of smart devices, then you know the Philips Hue Bridge is the epicenter of it all. This little bridge allows you to control a plethora of smart lighting options and smart home devices within your home with one central controller. In addition, the Philips Hue Bridge is integrated with Zigbee technology keeping in touch with the CHIP technology that Matter also supports. So, with this bridge, you can control your existing Philips Hue ecosystem and all your Matter-supported devices within the home.
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Philips Hue Go Portable Lamp
Portable lighting
It might look like an ordinary portable lamp at a questionable price, but the Philips Hue Go Portable Lamp is much more than meets the eye. For starters, you don’t need a Hue Bridge to access the full features of this device, including the music sync feature to add visual effects along with your audio. You can also cycle through various lighting settings, colors, and scenes, and you can even rely on this small but powerful lamp to last you up to 18 days of usage, taking advantage of the low-power Cozy Candle setting.
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Nanoleaf Shapes
Creative lighting
Nanoleaf is most well known for its wide variety of bright and colorful light panels designed to breathe life into just about any room, and the Nanoleaf Shapes do exactly that. These futuristic light-up shapes are so fun and allow a lot of room for individuals’ creative freedom and design, and that’s what makes these panels so appealing. Of course, this fun does come at a cost, but your design options are practically endless. The Nanoleaf Shapes are also compatible with other Nanoleaf panels, such as Lines, for an even bigger composition.
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Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Smart Bulb
Affordable lighting
Unlike most Nanoleaf products, the Essentials A19 Smart Bulb is affordable and has an appropriate price tag to match other smart bulbs. In addition, this smart bulb is one of the first lighting options to work with Thread, thus making it Matter compatible to work seamlessly with the rest of your smart home devices. This low-latency light bulb is packed with 16M colors and features adaptive lighting, scheduled scenes, and multiple remote control options, including the app, voice commands, or a central device controller.
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Wemo Stage Scene Controller
Accessible control
It kind of looks like a normal light switch attachment for your wall, but the Wemo Stage Scene Controller is actually a smart home remote control device. Supported with Thread and Bluetooth, this controller can also be used for Matter devices, but it only operates with Apple HomeKit (which shouldn’t be an issue with Matter compatibility). The controller sits perfectly in the wall-mounted faceplate, so you won’t lose it and anyone can access it, making it easier and more user-friendly for multiple housemates.
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Wemo Smart Plug
Built-in thread
This smart plug is one of the first of its kind featuring a built-in Thread, allowing you to connect to your smart home devices quickly, efficiently, and without latency. The Wemo Smart Plug is another product exclusive to Apple HomeKit, but again, because it’s also Thread and Matter compatible, that shouldn’t be an issue. This plug fits in any standard wall outlet, and its small and sleek design allows for unobstructed use of the rest of your plugs. No hub is required, and you can set it up in seconds.
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Eve Energy
Energy efficient
While it may look like a basic, overpriced electrical plug, Eve Energy is actually a two-in-one smart plug and power meter. This plug connects directly to your smart home hub or app and lets you control all lights, appliances, and devices directly over Thread. As Eve Energy is Thread enabled, Matter devices are also compatible, allowing you to control an even larger library of devices. You can also keep an eye on and track the energy consumption of each device and even forecast a projected cost based on rates.
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Eve Motion
Versatile sensor
Most motion sensors are only designed for indoor or outdoor use, not both, but the Eve Motion doesn’t carry the same restrictions. With a wireless rechargeable battery, water resistance ratings, and a massive 120° field of view, this motion sensor can work anywhere you want to put it. Eve Motion also connects over your Thread network instantly and can seamlessly integrate with Matter. The motion detection range reaches up to 9 feet and can trigger specific lighting scenes with movement or auto-adjust brightness with visible changes to daylight.
A customized smart home experience that works
Whether you’ve been in the smart home game for years or just starting to build your smart empire, there’s no better time to be immersed in the world of smart home technology. Matter promises to make our lives even easier with no more barriers between platforms, ecosystems, and devices. Finally, we can all join hands together and appreciate a customized smart home experience that works.
