You might associate IKEA with flat-pack furniture and meatballs, but the Swedish homeware giant is also a big player in the smart home world. After entering the market in the mid-2010s, the company has built on its success and is preparing to overhaul its smart home lineup for a more interconnected future.

IKEA goes all-in on Matter over Thread

IKEA has officially announced 21 new Matter-compatible smart home devices and made official the company’s move away from Zigbee. The new lineup uses Matter, a smart home platform that has seen widespread adoption and is designed to promote interoperability between ecosystems. While Matter is a standard, the wireless protocol that these devices will use (in place of Zigbee) is Thread.

The new product lines includes a new range of smart bulbs called Kajplats, which replaces the Tradfri line, new motion sensors (Myggspray), door and window sensors (Myggbett), an air quality sensor (Alpstuga), a combined temperature and humidity sensor (Timmerflotte), and a new water leak sensor (Klippbok). There are also new smart plugs (Grillplats), and two new smart remotes (Bilresa).

Credit: IKEA

All of these products already existed within IKEA’s lineup; they just used the older Zigbee standard and had different names. IKEA promoted their use via its Dirigera hub, but these devices also work with existing Zigbee coordinators in Home Assistant and through other platforms.

The Dirigera hub will act as a Matter bridge, adding Matter support to older Zigbee devices but also acting as a Thread coordinator (known as a Thread Border Router). Zigbee and Thread share many similarities; both use the 2.4GHz frequency, both are low-power mesh networks, and they both have the same “tiers” of devices: a coordinator at the top, routers in the middle that act as repeaters, and less capable end devices. Thread also has improvements like lower latency and is able to assign IP addresses to devices within the network.

IKEA’s previous product lines put smart home technology front and center in a mainstream setting. They won over casual shoppers who wouldn’t have otherwise been exposed to the technology, since the devices work with and without a hub as paired kits or as part of the company’s wider smart home ecosystem. These devices are also popular among more advanced smart home enthusiasts since they work out of the box with Home Assistant and are among the cheapest reliable smart home products you can buy.

Is this the push that Matter and Thread need?

Up until now, Matter has been a bit of a letdown. While the standard was devised as a means of removing barriers between different smart home systems, some manufacturers have dragged their heels by making certain features unavailable outside of proprietary apps.

Since Matter is “just” the protocol, Thread support is also not guaranteed unless you see both logos on the box. That means many Matter devices rely on existing Wi-Fi networking, causing devices to suffer from network-related problems like congestion, Wi-Fi dead zones, and equipment failures.

Credit: IKEA

IKEA’s decision to go all-in could certainly tip the balance, particularly given the company’s decision to embrace Thread too. While hardware manufacturers like Apple have included Thread support in devices like the iPhone for a number of years, a distinct lack of well-priced smart home gadgets has held the standard back—until now.

Older Zigbee devices will continue to work

The good news for existing IKEA smart home owners is that the company’s Dirigera hub will act as a Matter Bridge, allowing you to integrate older Zigbee devices (like Tradfri lightbulbs) into a Matter-enabled setup. The hub will also act as a Matter controller for the newer Thread devices, while also allowing other non-IKEA devices to join the network.

If you use IKEA devices via Home Assistant, things are a little more complicated. You’ll need a Thread Border Router to add the non-Zigbee devices to your lineup. I’ve got the Home Assistant Connect ZBT-1 running Zigbee firmware for my old Zigbee devices. When the time comes, I’m just going to buy another of these and install Thread firmware on it so I can run both alongside each other.

Credit: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek

Not only will your older IKEA Zigbee devices continue to work, but you might even be able to score some bargains as the company makes the transition. The new lineup is expected to hit shelves in the U.S. in early 2026, but there’s no reason to throw your older devices out.

Your smart plugs, sensors, and remotes will continue to work for years, if not decades to come. The same probably can’t be said for lightbulbs, which have a far shorter lifespan. Of course, there are other Zigbee-compatible lightbulbs you could opt for when the time comes from brands like Tuya and Thirdreality.

Zigbee will be around for a while yet

Since Zigbee had a decade’s head start on Matter, there are way more Zigbee devices on the market than there are Matter over Thread. The problem has been exacerbated by Matter’s slow start and the fact that Zigbee devices are cheap and cheerful. You’ve got a wide selection of Zigbee coordinators to pick from, and even closed systems like Homely and Hubitat are compatible with these devices.

The result is a far greater percentage of smart homes that currently depend on Zigbee compared to Thread. Many “proprietary” smart home systems ended up choosing Zigbee many years ago, and they’ve yet to change. The tireless efforts of the Home Assistant project have made the protocol particularly popular, given how third-party integrations allow you to add and control thousands of devices.

Credit: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek

I recently discovered that Hunter Douglas automated window coverings (sold as brands like Luxaflex, all over the world) rely on Zigbee, which makes them easy to integrate into Home Assistant. I’m in the process of shopping for Clipsal (Schneider Electric) fan controllers, with my two options being Bluetooth LE or Zigbee. Then there are hugely popular smart home brands like Shelly, Aqara, Sonoff, and Sengled.

Making a “clean” transition from Zigbee to Matter over Thread is possible, but far from necessary. You’re better off keeping costs down by shopping within your protocol of choice, only adding additional technologies where necessary.

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IKEA’s decision to move to Matter over Thread is a big deal, and it’s certainly going to help Matter get off the ground. At the same time, Zigbee just lost the support of one of the biggest companies driving smart home adoption.

As someone who is all-in on Zigbee, I’m going to use this as an opportunity to stock up on my favorite IKEA plugs and sensors before they’re gone for good and cross the Matter Bridge when the time comes.

IKEA BADRING

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This water leakage sensor gives you peace of mind. Place it where leakage can occur, so you can act in time and avoid damages. Connect to DIRIGERA hub or use a compatible Zigbee radio with Home Assistant to get notifications on a smartphone when you’re away.