TL;DR
Get home appliances delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Matter Alpha’s first-month report describes replacing most of one apartment’s older Zigbee devices with Matter equipment for lighting, controls and other smart-home functions. The writer says the setup is running, but some Matter-connected switches lack features available through their Zigbee counterparts, and the report does not establish that every device category works equally well.
Matter Alpha has reported on a month-long effort to replace most of the smart-home equipment in one new apartment with Matter-compatible devices, describing a working setup across lighting and controls while also documenting missing switch features. The account offers a real-world look at the trade-offs of moving away from older Zigbee equipment, but it is one writer’s experience rather than a controlled comparison of Matter products.
The writer began with existing smart-home controllers and mostly unchanged network credentials, powering the controllers back on and clearing out many old device entries. They say several standalone bridges were no longer needed after reducing their use of Zigbee. To connect some proprietary local-network devices, the writer turned to software options including eWeLink Cube and Homey Self-Hosted Server.
For new Matter devices, the writer used Home Assistant as the primary controller, then shared devices needing manual phone control with Apple Home. Home Assistant’s cloud service was used to connect with Google Home and Amazon Alexa. The report describes this as the writer’s chosen arrangement, not a requirement for Matter installations generally.
Lighting and wall controls came first. The writer says they installed about 10 Aqara EU Switch H2 and Dimmer Switch H2 units, using Thread, to operate fans, lights and ceiling fixtures. They also installed ceiling lights, IKEA pendant lights, and bulbs from several manufacturers. The report says the Aqara switches were no better than the writer’s previous Zigbee switches for the current setup, citing missing decoupled-relay operation and limited dimmer configuration through Matter.
Where Matter Switches Fall Short
The account matters to people considering a whole-home switch because it distinguishes device connectivity from feature parity. A product may connect to a Matter controller while exposing fewer controls than it offers through another protocol or the manufacturer’s own system. In this report, the writer’s main frustration was not that the switches failed to connect, but that certain functions were unavailable through Matter.
The move also reflects a practical trade-off: using fewer bridges may reduce physical clutter, while relying on multiple controllers and cloud links can still shape how devices are managed. The report does not measure reliability, response times, cost or energy use, so it cannot show whether this configuration performs better overall than the writer’s earlier setup.
Products Worth Considering
Philips Hue Bridge Pro Smart Lighting Hub
Philips Hue Large Smart Light Tube, Black – White and Color Ambiance LED Color-Changing Light – 1 Pack
LEVOIT Vital 100S-P Smart Air Purifier with Washable Pre-Filter
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Zigbee to Matter at Home
The writer describes moving into a larger apartment as a chance to start again and reduce reliance on older protocols. Their previous installation included Zigbee switches, HomeKit fixtures and some Matter lamps. In the new setup, Matter devices were added gradually, with lighting and switches prioritized because they are used frequently.
The reported installation is not a completely uniform system: the writer retained or used multiple smart-home platforms and software bridges. Matter is intended to support interoperability across compatible products, but the article’s own experience shows that which features appear can depend on the device and the platform used to control it.
Questions Beyond One Apartment
The report does not provide a full device inventory, detailed reliability data or a test of every Matter device category over the month. It also does not say whether later software or firmware updates changed the switch limitations, or whether the missing controls differ across other controllers and platforms. The supplied account focuses on the setup and lighting; it does not establish how climate, sensors or power monitoring performed in daily use.
It remains unclear how broadly the author’s experience applies to other homes, network layouts or product combinations. The report is a personal account, and its observations should not be treated as a universal finding about Matter or all products from the named brands.
Testing More Switch Options
The author says they plan to look for better alternatives to the installed neutral-free wall switches. The account does not give a date for further testing or identify a replacement. Any next assessment would need to establish whether alternative switches expose the desired relay and dimmer controls through the specific Matter platforms the author uses.
For readers weighing a similar setup, the immediate takeaway from this report is to check which functions a device exposes in the intended controller before replacing working equipment. Further findings from the author, including longer-term performance or results from other device categories, have not been provided in the source material.
Key Questions
What did the Matter Alpha writer set up during the first month?
The writer replaced most older Zigbee gear with Matter-compatible devices, focusing first on lighting and wall controls. The report lists switches, ceiling lights, smart bulbs and a mix of controllers and software bridges.
Did the writer stop using every Zigbee device?
No. The report says the writer replaced nearly all older Zigbee equipment and retired some bridges, but it does not say every Zigbee device was removed. Some products described support more than one protocol.
What did the author say was missing from the switches?
The author said the Aqara switches lacked decoupled relay mode for smart-bulb automations and offered very limited dimmer configuration when exposed through Matter.
Does the report prove that Matter switches are less capable than Zigbee switches?
No. It reports one person’s experience with particular devices and platforms. It does not provide a broad product comparison or establish that the same feature limits apply to all Matter switches.
Source: matteralpha.com
