Building an "all Matter" house: Are we there yet?

Matter has been eagerly awaiting its sixth version, Matter 1.4.1 or Matter 1.5, nearly two and a half years since the first release. So, here’s the big question: Are we at the point where we can build a smart home entirely with Matter-enabled devices? After touring the Connectivity Standards Alliance’s Matter demo house, you might find the answer for yourself.

What is the demo house?

The demo house is set up in a style similar to an Ikea showroom, featuring six divided spaces or rooms. Located at Tuya’s Shenzhen division, it was planned and constructed by CSA member companies, taking over a year to complete all the devices and automations.

The devices in the demo house represent major device types from various brands available in the local market, including Philips Hue, SmartThings, Apple, Aqara, eWeLink, Zemismart, and Tuya. These devices are either Matter-native or Matter-compatible via a bridge.

According to the CSA, the demo house includes five smart home platforms and 75 devices contributed by member companies.

Automations

Automations are set via Matter platforms and extend to platform-specific features. For example, an Aqara doorbell triggers a camera view on an Apple TV.

Return/leave home scene

Geo-fenced scenes, such as those triggered by platforms like SmartThings and Apple Home, can also be activated by voice command through Siri in the demo house. Upon returning home, the scene lights up the living room, with a group of Hue lights connected via a Hue Bridge that acts as a Matter bridge, along with a main light and ambient lighting controlled by Sonoff Matter switches. Curtains, driven by a Zemismart Thread motor, open to let light fill the room.

When leaving, Siri helps close all lights, curtains, and pauses climate systems, including the air conditioner, humidifier, and fan.

Climate control

In the living room, a Midea room air conditioner and tower fan both operate via Matter-over-Wi-Fi. There’s also a traditional humidifier controlled by a Zemismart Wi-Fi module.

Aqara’s temperature and humidity sensor triggers climate-related automations via the M2 Hub. If the temperature rises above a set threshold, the air conditioner and fan will activate automatically.

Light scenes

Lighting is crucial in any smart home setup. In the Matter demo house, several light scenes are set for different conditions. For example, pressing a button on the SmartThings Station opens the Samsung TV, while curtains close and secondary spotlights and TV backlighting set the ambiance, all controlled via Matter.

Aqara’s Cube remote, connected to Matter via an H2 hub, cycles through the colors of lights in the living room, with six faces corresponding to six colors.

In the bedroom and kids’ room, wall switches – such as the Hue dimmer and a Matter-over-Thread four-key switch – control lights and set specific colors through scenes.

In addition to bridged lights, several Matter lights work with Thread and Wi-Fi from multiple solution providers like Tuya, LonganLink, and Uascent. There are also end devices, such as Zemismart’s light bulbs.

Unique devices include LetianPi’s sensor box and ThirdReality’s night light. The former has built-in presence and environmental sensors, while the latter features a small night light that works with light and motion sensors on Matter platforms.

Security scenes

Security devices include motion sensors, contact sensors, leakage sensors, and CO/smoke detectors. A motion sensor near the front door triggers lights and sends notifications via Tuya when someone passes by. Similarly, a door sensor, installed on a cabinet, alerts the host when it is opened. Both sensors use Matter-over-Thread and are from Stairwell, powered by Tuya Smart’s solutions.

In the kitchen, an Aqara water leak detector sends notifications through Apple Home and triggers a siren on the Aqara Hub. Heiman’s CO and smoke detectors work similarly via Thread without the need for a bridge.

What’s missing?

While the demo house showcases popular devices like lights and switches, some essential device types are still missing.

Notably, doorbells and cameras are absent. In the demo room, Aqara’s HomeKit-compatible doorbell and camera work with other Matter devices via the Aqara app or Apple Home.

Thread-enabled switches and wireless scene buttons are also rare. Most devices in this category use either Zigbee with a bridge or Wi-Fi. In a multi-room house, Wi-Fi coverage can be less ideal than Thread-based devices, which form a mesh network.

Security systems also lack some key devices, such as sirens and alarms, which are not yet supported by Matter.

Energy-related devices, a part of Matter since version 1.3, are also missing from the demo house. Despite this, their adoption remains slow.

Ongoing efforts and the challenges 

As part of the demo’s development, I’ve had the opportunity to witness both the progress and challenges firsthand. One of the most significant issues encountered has been connectivity. While many devices work well with a single Matter platform, problems often arise when attempting to add them to a second platform. In some cases, devices may become unresponsive over time. However, with continuous updates from vendors, these issues have improved considerably.

The Alliance is actively working to expand the demo house with additional Matter platforms and new devices. I’ve spotted pre-release devices from major vendors, including dishwashers and vacuum robots. Additionally, the demohouse working group is adding the first energy-monitoring device Eve Energy, currently in beta firmware to the demo. However, for full house energy management, it will likely take some time before more Matter 1.3 switches and power meters become widely available.

According to statistics from the Alliance, Zigbee devices still account for 36% of the installations in the demo house. A major issue is the lack of Matter-over-Thread alternatives for some critical Zigbee devices, such as water leak detectors and battery-powered scene buttons in various forms.

Another challenge with Thread-based devices is that border routers from platforms like SmartThings, Apple, and Tuya tend to create standalone networks rather than large, cohesive ones. This limits performance and scalability. Although Matter 1.4 and Thread 1.4 have introduced some improvements, it will take time before Thread 1.4 border routers and Matter Home Router & Access Point (HRAP) devices become available on the market. These devices are expected to not only address connectivity issues but also significantly enhance the device setup experience – especially in homes where family members use different ecosystems.