What works with Matter? The best devices that work with Matter (so far)

By Becca Caddy
Contributions from
Tammy Rogers
 last updated

The top Matter-compatible smart home devices you can buy now

Matter Standard devices
(Image credit: Future/ iMore)
Jump to:

Your smart home is about to get simpler. That’s the thinking behind Matter, a new smart home standard that’s already launched and promises to make it easier to buy new smart home products, get them set up and use them day to day. 

Matter isn’t a new smart home platform like Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa or Google Home. Instead, it’s a way for these different platforms to communicate. This means you’ll be able to buy a device that will work with your favorite smart home app and all your other smart home products, no matter who made them.

The best devices that work with Matter: our top picks

You can always trust iMore. Our team of Apple experts have years of experience testing all kinds of tech and gadgets, so you can be sure our recommendations and criticisms are accurate and helpful. Find out more about how we test.

If you’re into smart home tech, you know this is a big deal. Especially considering all of the big tech names, like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung, are on board, as well as other companies that make some of the best smart home gadgets, like Philips Hue, iRobot and Yale. The problem is that although Matter officially launched in Spring 2023, a long list of companies are still ironing out the kinks, rolling out updates and introducing Matter into their own smart home ecosystems.

At the time of writing, several major companies have added Matter to their products, and below you’ll find a list of the best devices that work with Matter right now. But we’ve also included the companies and products introducing Matter integration soon, so you can see how this potentially game-changing smart home standard might upgrade your home in the long run. It’s worth mentioning that there are new announcements and additions every day, so you might not have to wait long for your dream smart home.

What works with Matter? Matter controllers

Although Matter connects smart home products, you’ll still need what’s called a Matter controller for them all to work in harmony. This is a little disappointing – we assumed Matter would do away with hubs, controllers and bridges – but easy to understand and set-up. 

Think of a Matter controller as the control room of your smart home. Unlike other hubs and bridges you might have used before, like the Philips Hue hub, your Matter controller isn’t tied to a particular brand and works with any Matter-compatible devices.

HomePod mini

(Image credit: Apple)

Here are several of the best Matter controllers available now:

Here are some of the Matter controllers coming soon:

What works with Matter? Thread border routers

Thread is a networking protocol that Matter uses to make it faster and easier to connect up all of your smart home devices. It can get complex, but we like to think of Thread as a better way beyond WiFi and Bluetooth to connect up your smart home. 

A Thread border router is a way to implement this networking protocol in your smart home. But the good news is, you probably won’t need a new Thread border router, especially if you already have a few smart home gadgets, as many companies have been building Thread technology into their devices for a while now – you might have one without realizing it. Several Matter controllers above also work as Thread border routers too, so expect to see some repetition.

Apple TV

(Image credit: Apple)

Here are several of the best Thread border routers available now:

Here are some of the Thread border routers coming soon:

What works with Matter? WiFi Routers

Now, to complicate matters a little there are other WiFi routers that work with both Matter and Thread. What this essentially means is you won’t need a Matter controller at all if you already have one of these routers. 

Google Nest

(Image credit: Google)

Here are the best Thread and Matter routers available now:

Here are the best Thread and Matter routers coming soon.

What works with Matter? Smart speakers and smart displays

Many of the best smart speakers and smart displays that support Matter will also be Matter controllers. This sounds complicated, but it’s good news. It means many of the products you already own can double up as controllers. Or if you don’t have one already, it’s easy to get started. 

With that in mind, many of the best smart speakers and smart displays you see below will already be covered in our Matter controllers section, but we’ve listed some of the key Matter-compatible ones below anyway.

HomePod mini

(Image credit: Apple)

Here are the best Matter smart speakers and smart displays available now:

Here are the best Matter smart speakers and smart displays coming soon:

What works with Matter? Smart home apps

To add a Matter-compatible device to your smart home you’ll need the device’s smartphone app. These are officially called Matter commissioners. Think of them as the middle man between a Matter device and a Matter controller. Which means you can use them to add and control devices, set up schedules and change settings.

Importantly, Matter is also built into the latest Android and iOS operating systems.  

Here are the best Matter smart home apps available now:

  • Amazon Alexa App (Android)
  • Apple Home App
  • Google Home App (Android) 
  • Samsung SmartThings app (Android and iOS)

Here are the best Matter smart home apps coming soon:

  • Amazon Alexa App (iOS)
  • Google Home App (iOS) 

What works with Matter? Smart Lights

Smart lights and smart light bulbs are some of the easiest and most impactful connected devices to add to your smart home setup, so we’re glad a number of our favorite brands are aboard the Matter train already, with more set to join the fold soon. 

Nanoleaf

(Image credit: Nanoleaf)

Here are the best Matter smart lights available now:

Here are the best Matter smart lights coming soon:

What works with Matter? Smart Plugs

The best smart plugs are one of our most-recommended smart home devices because they’re relatively cheap and they’ll even transform your ‘dumb’ devices into smart ones, allowing you to plug them in and then set schedules, turn them on and off and much more.

Eve plug

(Image credit: Eve)

Here are the best Matter smart plugs available now:

Here are the best Matter smart plugs coming soon:

What works with Matter? Smart Home Sensors

There are some categories of smart devices that are thin on the ground when it comes to Matter support and, right now, smart sensors is one of them. Only smart home company Eve is in our available now list and both of these Eve products are currently in beta.

Eve motion sensor

(Image credit: Eve)

Here are the best Matter smart sensors available now:

Here are the best Matter smart sensors coming soon:

What works with Matter? Smart Thermostats

Nest Thermostat

(Image credit: Google)

The only Matter-enabled smart thermostat is the Nest Thermostat from Google, which got support for the standard via an over-the-air update on April 18, 2023. This only applies to the 2020 Nest Thermostat. 

Here are the best Matter smart sensors available now:

  • Google Nest Thermostat

Everything that’s coming soon in 2023

There are several other smart home categories that we expect to become Matter compatible any day now, like smart door locks, smart heating and conditioning systems, smart blinds, smart TVs and smart appliances.

Here are some of the best Matter smart home devices coming soon:

If you notice a distinct lack of your favorite smart home device, don’t worry. Even more smart home categories, including security cameras, robot vacuums and air quality monitors, are expected to become Matter compatible within the year.

What works with Matter?

Will my current smart home devices work with Matter?

If you own one of the smart home devices in any of the lists above, you can expect them to work with Matter immediately or within the next few months. 

However, we do recommend you double-check that the version of the device you own is Matter compatible. For example, the first generation of the Google Nest Hub isn’t going to be Matter compatible, whereas the second generation that followed is. 

How devices become Matter compatible will depend on the maker. For example, some devices will receive over-the-air updates that add Matter compatibility. Others may release new bridges to ensure all existing devices work or even new hardware.

If you don’t see your smart home devices on the list above, that doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t be joining the Matter team shortly. Although you can expect a wait as the smart home space gets Matter-ready. 

Becca Caddy
Becca Caddy
Contributor

Becca Caddy is a contributor to iMore, as well as a freelance journalist and author. She’s been writing about consumer tech and popular science for more than a decade, covering all kinds of topics, including why robots have eyes and whether we’ll experience the overview effect one day. She’s particularly interested in VR/AR, wearables, digital health, space tech and chatting to experts and academics about the future. She’s contributed to TechRadar, T3, Wired, New Scientist, The Guardian, Inverse and many more. Her first book, Screen Time, came out in January 2021 with Bonnier Books. She loves science-fiction, brutalist architecture, and spending too much time floating through space in virtual reality. Last time she checked, she still holds a Guinness World Record alongside iMore Editor in Chief Gerald Lynch for playing the largest game of Tetris ever made, too.

With contributions from