A Complete List of Thread Border Routers on The Market Today

Thread—the low-power, low latency, wireless smart home networking protocol—plays a critical role in the IoT world and within Matter. With Thread, smart home devices communicate with one another, forming an ultra-reliable mesh network that doesn't require a proprietary hub from a device manufacturer.

However, although Thread doesn't need a "hub" in the traditional sense, you will still need another piece of hardware—a Thread Border Router—to take advantage of its benefits. So, if you are just starting a smart home or making the move to Matter, you'll need to know which devices act as Thread Border Routers.

Here's our complete list of all the Thread Border Routers on the market today.

Before We Begin

For the purpose of this guide, we are going to assume that you are familiar with Thread Border Routers and how they connect smart devices to Matter and the various ecosystems. If you aren't, we suggest taking a look at the following explainers: What is Thread and What is a Thread Border Router?

With that being said, the most important thing to keep in mind with Thread is that it is still early days for the nascent technology. While Thread Border Routers can operate across the various smart home ecosystems, early adopters have run into some frustrating compatibility issues.

We have seen reports of users experiencing problems stemming from having multiple competing Thread networks in their homes, device pairing failures, and general network instability. So with that in mind, we strongly suggest choosing a Thread Border Router that also acts as a Matter Controller for your desired smart home platform.

An all-in-one device—like a HomePod mini smart speaker for Apple Home users—provides a solid foundation for Matter in your home, and gives you the ability to expand with Thread in the future. And you won't need to worry about lock-in either, as you won't need any additional hardware to share your Thread devices to other platforms.

To help avoid any confusion, we've broken down all the available Thread Border Router/Matter Controller options by platform at the top of our list. Of course, there are Border Routers without Matter Controller support too, which we saved for the end.

Amazon Alexa Matter Controllers With Thread Border Router Support

Amazon currently offers the most Matter Controllers with Thread Border Router support out of all the major smart home platforms. Available options include the latest Echo smart speaker and displays, as well as some mesh Wi-Fi routers from the company's eero line.

• Echo (4th Gen)
• Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)
• Echo Hub
• Echo Studio
• Echo Studio (2nd Gen)
• Echo Plus (2nd Gen)
• Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen)
• Eero Beacon
• Eero Pro
• Eero 6
• Eero 6+
• Eero Pro 6
• Eero Pro 6E
• Eero PoE 6
• Eero PoE Gateway
• Eero Max 7

With so many compatible products on the market, you may already have an Amazon Matter Controller/Thread Border Router in your home. If you do, you'll just need to update it to the latest software version and you’ll be ready to add a Matter-over-Thread device to the Alexa app.

Apple Home Matter Controllers With Thread Border Router Support

Apple Home Matter Controllers/Thread Border Router combos are all centered around home entertainment. These include the most recent HomePod and HomePod mini smart speakers and certain Apple TV 4K set-top boxes.

• Apple TV 4K (2nd generation)
• Apple TV 4K Wi-Fi+Ethernet (3rd generation)
• HomePod (2nd generation)
• HomePod mini

Despite having two third-generation Apple TV 4K models that support Matter, only one supports Thread Border Router functionality. So if you are going the Apple TV route, make sure you get the slightly more expensive Ethernet+Wi-Fi version. 

Google Home Matter Controllers With Thread Border Router Support

Google provides Thread Border Router support in Matter Controllers like Nest Hub smart displays and Wi-Fi routers. Unfortunately, older Nest speakers miss out, although they can act as Matter Controllers minus Thread in the Google Home app.

• Nest Hub (2nd generation)
• Nest Hub Max
• Nest Wifi Pro
• Nest Wifi

The Nest WiFi Pro is an excellent choice for a Thread Border Router as its multiple access points provide a wide coverage area for both your internet and your smart home network. 

SmartThings Matter Controllers With Thread Border Router Support

Matter Controller/Thread Border Router combinations for the SmartThings platform are available from Samsung and Aeotec.

• SmartThings Hub (v3)
• SmartThings Station
• Aeotec Smart Home Hub

While it may look like your standard hub, the Samsung SmartThings Station offers unique features like Qi phone charging and customizable smart buttons.

Other Thread Border Routers

In addition to the four major platform holders, smart device vendors like Nanoleaf and Aqara can also include Thread Border Router capabilities in their products. However, they may not support Matter Controller functionality and they may experience compatibility issues with devices from other vendors.

• Nanoleaf Lines
• Nanoleaf Shapes
• Nanoleaf Elements
• Aqara Hub M3
• Tado Bridge X
• Tado Heat Pump Optimizer
• GL iNet GL-S200
• nami mesh sensor
• Harman Kardon Virtuo

Some vendor Border Routers/Matter Controllers will unlock additional features for Thread devices. For example, Aqara’s P2 Door and Window Sensor gains the ability to trigger the built-in alarm when connected to the company’s Hub M3.

Start Your Matter Journey Off Right With a Thread Border Router

With new Matter-over-Thread devices hitting the store shelves every month, you'll need a Border Router to take advantage of all that the latest technologies have to offer. For the smoothest experience, we suggest picking a Thread Border Router that doubles as a Matter Controller for your favorite smart home platform.

For Apple Home users, we recommend the third-generation Apple TV 4K Wi-Fi+Ethernet with its hardwired capabilities and processing power. For fans of Google Home, it's hard to beat the Nest WiFi Pro's all-in-one package that will boost internet speeds and increase Thread range.

If SmartThings is your go-to platform, the Samsung SmartThings Station's Qi charging and programmable buttons make it a solid choice. And if you are all-in with Alexa, the Echo Hub's wall-mountable design makes it the ultimate smart home controller.