The best Matter devices to expand your home network

A few days ago I had a problem with my Home Assistant installation.. As a summary, what happened is that the file system of the hard drive was corrupted, surely due to an update of Home Assistant that was not completed as it should, but The thing is, I had the whole system down for a while.

You two. I told it at the podcast. and the entry of the corresponding blogbut I finally took about 1 hour to fix it.… and during that hour the 35 devices that depend on Home Assistant were not accessible. However, from the Home app in HomeKit, I could see the other native HomeKit devices and, of course, the Matter devices as they are able to connect simultaneously to the 2 platforms, both to HomeKit com

or Home Assistant.

The other 35 devices were Zigbee devices or devices that do not support HomeKit and that I publish on the Home Assistant app using as a universal bridge, so when the bridge falls… they do not arrive in any way Even if the devices keep working as usual.

What if the facility had been completely broken?

Ithe NUC where I have installed Home Assistant would have completely broken. I don’t know… that the processor or the RAM or something, any physical failure you can’t fix in 1 hour. I could have bought the original gridges of the zigbee devices I have, basically Aqara and Philips Hue, and rematch the devices with their respective gridges that are compatible with HomeKit.

Or I could have thought of replacing those 35 devices with Thread or Wifi devices but in their Matter version or in their HomeKit compatible versions.

Why are there no Zigbee devices compatible with Matter?

It’s basically because Zigbee devices need a specific antenna, That’s why manufacturers like Aqara or Philips Hue need either to use your bridge or a compatible bridge 3.0, which is the function that Home Assistant does. However, modern devices such as Apple HomePod, Apple TV 4K, the latest Amazon Echo and even Google Nest Hub already have a threatened antenna, so we don’t need any other bridge to link those devices.

And what about the Matter-compatible bridges?

It’s a way that we have a lot of old devices with zigbee connectivity (which are cheaper than the Thread and the Wi-Fi, all to say) can be connected to several platforms simultaneously no matter if it’s HomeKit, Home Assistant, Google, etc. If you have a lot of zigbee devices that work perfectly… because you’re not going to change them all (I’m going to do it, but because I’m an idiot), so the easiest thing is to change the bridge for one that’s compatible with Matter and so that bridge can be linked to any platform and published there all the devices that has links.

And ye shall say, But the Shelly are not Matter.

This is a very hot subject. The people of Allterco, who are the manufacturers of Shelly, dThey said that by the end of 2023 we would have Matter support… but not, We keep waiting.… peeeeero, yes. We flashed. The Shellys with the firmware HAA We have the extra-pairing, a functionality of this firmware that allows to link the Shelly with several devices simultaneously, so we can have it linked to HomeKit and Home Assistant without any prob

motto. That’s right. Remember that the Shelly have no Thread connectivity and are connected by Wi-Fi. Now we’ll discuss it more in detail.

Well then it seems clear, doesn’t it? To prevent the same thing from happening again and by failing a bridge like Aqara, Hue’s or the universal bridge that make both Home Assistant and Home Bridge, the most ‘reliable’ is using Matter devices, so we can have them in Home Assistant and in the Home app simultaneously but with independent connections so that neither of the two platforms depends on the other, so I will recommend some Matter devices to expand our network of domotic devices.

Go ahead that there are many brands of devices that go up to the car of Matter, some cheaper and some more expensive than I put you here… but these are the ones I have experience with, I usually avoid very cheap brands (the typical Chinese bulbs that are compatible but of super rare brands) and also manufacturers that cost a pasture, as could be Legrand that has a whole platform to make your home lights smart but it is very expensive and is separated from the idea ‘domestic’.

Lights

At the Domotic Consulting, I’ve realized that There’s a lot of fan of led strips.. In my case it’s not like that, usually at home we have a soft and always warm light, I’m not even changing the temperature of the light bulbs during the day because I don’t like white light at all except in the kitchen. In any case, there are interesting products compatible with Matter and that allow to expand if necessary (you can connect led strips to each other):

Nanoleaf Matter Essentials that can buy directly in Amazon for €64 a 5 meter strip. This brand I like very much, I have some ‘essential’ bulbs for years and the truth is that they work very well, although mine, despite being Thread, were never updated to Matter. In any case, the led strip is connected by Thread and is compatible Matter without problems.

And then we have the Govee led strip also available in Amazon which is something more expensive but has the characteristic of being very ‘molding’, so people use it to make shapes and drawings on the wall. I don’t know, I’m not a fan of this… but you might be interested in making a heart on the wall that lights up in red when you say «Hey Siri, love me ‘like my friend Luis: D

Why didn’t I put here the strip of Eve or Aqara that you already know are my favorite marks? Just because they’re not Matter! Eve’s is compatible with HomeKit but it’s not Matter… and Aqara’s needs its bridge. It is true that the Aqara bridge is Matter and you can connect it to Home Assistant and HomeKit simultaneously, but it is not the idea because in case of bridge failure you will not be able to access the devices behind it.

And… nothing else. If you were waiting for Matter-compatible light bulbs, we could talk about the Nanoleaf and Linkind that are something cheaper… even Ikea’s! But I just think that unless you need a light bulb to change color at a given time, it’s no longer worth putting smart light bulbs. I recommend you leave the conventional life-long light bulbs (which are much cheaper) and put a relay smart like the Shelly we talked about before or the Sonoff (see next section) behind the interrupted

r to be able to turn on and off the light with the mobile, the voice wizard or the automation you want. You will save a lot of money, you will get the same effect and you will simplify the network, as in case of wifi, connection or all devices, The switch will continue to function as a life-long switch.

Smart switches

Right now. no Mater-compatible smart switches. There are some Thread, like the Eve who has me crazy despite her 100 €per switch, but for the moment it’s not Matter (they say it will be), so I don’t put it on the list. We also have the Tapo (TP-Link) that ‘say’ to be compatible with Matter… but it’s actually a lie, they say it because they require the tp-link switch that is compatible with Matter, so you can connect it to the platforms you want… but we still need the bridge, which is not cool, so we don’t include it either.

In addition, intelligent switches are often more loose than those of life. In my house I have Simon switches that have been in place since it was built smoothly… but yet the Aqara have already given me problems and I have had to replace many of them because they break the inside sticks that make contact, as they are plastic:

Peeero, there is a much cheaper solution that is to put a smart- relay behind the switch. And here we do have some interesting options!

First of all and focusing on the native, we have the Sonoff MINIR4M that leaves at approximately €17 in Amazon. It is a relay that requires neutral cable and that connects via Wi-Fi, although being compatible with Matter you can link it to all the platforms you have. It works very well and the installation is super simple (as long as you have neutral behind the plug, but you have to put it in the log box)

And then we have my favorite choice, the Shelly-relay smart- I really like them. You know I’ve been using this brand for years and not only have I not been given any problems, but I keep finding things for a little while. The point is, a few days ago I told you at the podcast. But yes. We flashed. The Shelly with the firmware of Home Access (HAA for friends), we can link it to several environments as I told you before!

The flashing process is very simple, but I will not comment on it in this post because it is not the purpose of it:)

To buy the Shelly, you can do it in https: / / shellyspain.com and with the SAHUQUILLO code you will have an additional 10%.

Other such as those of Philips Hue or Aqara, ‘they say’ be Matter but they are not, because they need the manufacturer’s original bridge or a universal bridge like Home Assistant.

Presence and movement detectors

Here. We must differentiate between a life-long motion sensor like those in the bar bathrooms and that as soon as you stay still, the light is turned off, or the presence sensors, which know if you’re in the room even if you’re not moving.

I think for our day to day that consists of turning on and off lights, arming the alarm, closing the lock, etc. A motion sensor is more than enough… but it is true that in domestic consultancies sometimes there are things like that my dog may be in the living room but is sleeping, So I don’t want the boiler to go off because there’s someone at home and I need the house to be warm… and a motion sensor wouldn’t detect it. In addition, presence sensors allow ♪ like if I put myself in the corner of the living room where I usually sit and read, the light of

read! That is, they are able to know which area of the room we are in and automate things about it. What I said, a little shit, might go through that area of the living room and don’t go reading. Oh well, they can get to detect falls, which can be important if we have older people at home or something.

You don’t have to say anything. are MUCH more expensive than motion sensors.

In any case, the motion sensor I like most is the new P2 of Aqqara, available in Amazon for 33 €. It’s true that the previous one was exactly the same but with Zigbee technology and it was much cheaper… but well, the current one is Thread and Matter and you don’t need the bridge, so you’re saving it elsewhere.

People of Eve also has a Thread and Matter Movement sensor available in Amazon by 49 euretes. You know that this brand I love… but it does exactly the same thing as the Aqara and on top of the other one is smaller and cheaper, so I keep that of Aqara.

I hear The ONVIS sensor I’ve already told you about on some occasion is Thread but not Matter! I mean, it’s going to connect smoothly to a border router Thread without the need for bridge but we’re not going to be able to link it from 2 different platforms such as Home Assistant and HomeKit or HomeKit and Alexa if we have Echo Dots or whatever.

And as for presence sensor if that’s really what you need, the FP2 model of Aqara costs 82 €in Amazon But what do you want me to say, I don’t like it. Not only do I not see it as necessary, but also presence sensors consume more and need to be plugged into the network… and have to be at half height to detect areas and falls… I don’t know, it’s all too complicated. Right now I have 2 motion sensors, one inside a closet that detects when the door opens to light up and one in the entr.

On top of the doorbell box, but in neither case could I put a presence sensor there, in addition to not providing me with anything extra for what I need.

Plums

To control some lampstands or the bathroom heater, the children’s console and things like that, I have Eve’s plugs that are also Thread and Matter. Still, Eve’s smart plug can be found in Macnáficos for 39 €I think it’s a great price: D

There’s some cheaper and just as interesting for example the Meross that is also Matter (although over the Wifi, is not Thread) costs less than half, 19 €… but I keep the Eve because I’ve never failed any of them and I think it’s something more beautiful.

What we’re looking for are Matter devices that allow us to dispense with the gridges, so if a device is Thread but not Matter we’re not worth it… but if it’s Matter and it’s not Thread because it’s connected by Wifi, then it’s worth it. Eve for example has many Thread devices that are not Matter (at least now), so I have not included them in this summary.

Door and window sensors

Since I’m an idiot, on the front door I have two open door sensors, Eve’s one that works beautifully and that’s Thread and Matter. We can also find it in Macníficos for 49 € and has the Thread and Matter technology… and the new Aqara P2 that costs 32 €in Amazon And it’s also Thread and Matter.

https: / / youtube.com / short / uABmb9iQQQs? si = IkI7EbAT13Ri0rQV [/ embed]

As you can see, they both work as well, so stay with Aqara’s and save yourself some eurets.

Smart buttons

We have the Onvis we can find for 39 €in Amazon with a 15% discount And that’s also Thread and Matter to automate some quick actions. In my case I use them for the lamparitas, as I put a smart bulb on them and so I can turn them on and off from the button without cutting the current and make it turn on for example at night only at 20% and at day at 100%.

Aqara, Shelly, Sonoff and even Phillips Hue also has their own buttons, some more beautiful than others, but they’re all zigbee for now, so we can’t put them on this list.

Smart locks

You know that in the Telegram group We collaborate with a locksmith that adapts the intelligent lock Tedee and makes us a pack with the chocolin and the shield, so you leave your house safe as a castle and one of the best intelligent locks that exist… but it’s not Matter, so this time we’re not going to talk about the Tedee… in fact, on the official page of the Matter alliance is not even the registered company, so it doesn’t look like the locks are going to be updated from day to day.

However, The 4th generation Nuki Pro is now compatible with Thread and Matter, which is very cool! You don’t need the Nuki Bridge anymore so you can open your house from a distance in case someone comes. You no longer need to link it through your own app. You no longer need spells as it was needed before to differentiate between opening the door and unlocking the door. The truth is that all this has improved so much! It is true that the Tedee battery lasts much longer and makes a little less noise, but as for Security there is no difference and the Nuki is compatible with Matter, so I would keep this one.

ps: / / amzn.to / 4bhRq89 «> We have it on offer in Amazon for 229 €, which is a very good price.

Smart vacuum cleaners

You surprise this section, don’t you? There’s actually a cat locked in because when version 1.2 of the Matter standard was published, the people of Switchbot said they took the K10 + model compatible with Matter to the market. Actually the vacuum cleaner is not compatible with Matter… but the little Bridge or Hub of Switchbot does, so if you have the bridge then the vacuum cleaner is compatible with Matter. Of course, and if my grandmother had the balls, she’d be my grandfather. In the end you depend on a bridge that is what we want to avoid, so you stay out of the recommendations.

And then we have the people of Roborock with its top model of range S8 MaxV Ultra (they have flipped a little with the name, I would have put 16 super saiyan Blue turbo valves) that pfound by 1500 euretes in Amazon… and that at some point will be compatible with Matter without the need for bridge as indicated on the model’s website, but it is not yet. It seems that the compatibility will come through an update of the firmware… but I already tell you that it is not yet, so it is not worthy of being on this list… but well, if you have to buy yourself

a top vacuum cleaner right now and you don’t know what to decide, it’s still a good idea to buy this Roborock model knowing it will soon be compatible.

Security cameras

We book the section, but at the moment there is no Matter compatible camera: (

Smoke sensors

There are none either, we reserve the section and we will expand it.

Water leak sensors

There’s zigbee, but Matter’s not there yet.

Anyway chic @ s, the thing is that I told you a while ago I didn’t think it was worth replacing zigbee devices with Matter devices.… I will not say otherwise as manufacturers are taking advantage to raise prices with the excuse that they meet the standard, just see the Aqara sensors that have gone from cost less than 15 euros to cost less than 40, so if a device works well I wouldn’t change it… but What I do recommend is that the devices we buy from now on either to expand the network or to replace some device that stops working, always be Matter.