The affordable Aqara Hub M2 supports up to 128 Zigbee devices, and it has an integrated infrared blaster. But in some respects, Aqara locks you into its own ecosystem. The Aqara Hub M2 is an ...

It all starts with trying out a smart TV or smart lights. Soon, you'll find smart speakers, smart plugs, smart switches, and smart locks. Like many, I have a hodgepodge of smart devices in my home.

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Smart home platforms are like the famous xkcd comic. Every new one is designed to become the “one ring,” but it usually becomes just another standard to follow. Homey Pro attempts to bridge that gap ...

I’m a smart home nerd. That’s a given after running a smart home-focused website for nearly a decade and testing pretty much every platform, system and setup available. As such, people often ask me ...

Thread is a mesh networking protocol that connects low-power smart home gadgets, and it’s one of Matter’s underlying ...

Aqara’s smart plug works well, but an old design and high price tag keep us from recommending it to anyone other than Aqara Hub users. Let’s start with the basics. Like most devices on the Aqara ...

Run IKEA Matter devices without Dirigera, using a Matter controller and a Thread border router, and get local control with ...

IKEA smart home gear delivers stable control and $10 sensors, with Matter compatibility so you can grow the system over time.

If you've already got smart home components around the house, you can expand your system's features with these budget Ikea ...