Ikea upgrades smart home via more Matter technology: Over 20 new devices planned

Ikea wants to massively expand the smart home area of its furniture range with technology based on the Matter communication protocol. According to a media report, the furniture store is planning a large wave of new smart devices that can be integrated into both the Ikea system and platforms from other providers. Ikea technology will also increasingly serve as a control center for smart home products from other brands.

Ikea has already introduced new Bluetooth speakers to replace discontinued models with Sonos technology.

New Matter devices with Thread and WiFi announced

As manager David Granath explained to The Verge, Ikea will be bringing more than 20 new Matter-enabled devices to the shelves over the course of 2026. These include light bulbs, sockets, sensors, remote controls, wireless buttons, and air quality measuring devices for temperature and humidity, for example.

Unlike previous Ikea components, they will use Thread instead of ZigBee. This means that they can also connect to smart home systems that use the Matter communication protocol without having to go through Ikea's Dirigera gateway. Other product types are set to follow in April and beyond, possibly including devices with Matter-over-Wi-Fi. In principle, these would be even more flexible to connect and would not require an additional exchange in Wi-Fi mode without Matter.

Technology with the new wireless protocols will gradually replace Ikea's existing ZigBee range. However, according to Granath, Ikea does not want to throw the protocol-specific ZigBee Touchlink software function overboard. It enables direct connections between lamps and wireless switches, for example, without an intermediary gateway. Specifically, Ikea's remote controls should be able to switch lamps with Thread as well as ZigBee lamps.

Matter components are pricier to produce due to lengthy testing procedures and costly certificates. Nevertheless, Ikea wants to maintain the comparatively low sales prices, emphasizes Granath.

Ikea offers more (Matter) control over other brands

Just as Ikea's system with Matter technology is opening up to other platforms, it will also offer stronger control functions for components from other brands in the future. A recently released update transforms the Dirigera hub into a Matter controller. This means that non-brand devices can also be controlled in the Ikea app, even devices with Thread. Previously, the hub was just a Matter bridge that passed Ikea's ZigBee devices to Matter platforms such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung, and Home Assistant.

The new software uses Matter 1.4, meaning it offers functions to measure energy consumption. It also makes use of Thread 1.4 and can therefore plug dead spots together with other Thread networks.

So far, however, the new control options are limited to product categories that the furnishing group manufactures itself. This means that vacuum robots and smart locks, for example, are excluded. In addition, the software is in beta status and is therefore not recommended for everyday use in smart homes. According to Ikea manager Granath, a version suitable for mass production is expected before the end of this year.

(mki)