Lately, IKEA introduced out what regarded like the proper vary of good residence sensors. I had a sneak peak of the vary at CES, and obtained the low-down from an IKEA consultant, who was eager to emphasise how easy, accessible, and reasonably priced the brand new additions have been designed to be.
Once I obtained them residence, issues regarded promising. IKEA had emphasised that the vary was designed to ‘work out of the field’, providing fundamental performance with out the necessity to obtain the app first, to take away that barrier to entry. That held true for my Timmerflotte temperature sensor — I used to be capable of pop in some batteries, flick a hidden toggle swap from Fahrenheit to Centigrade, and instantly see the temperature and humidity displayed on-screen.
One among my teammates urged I would want an IKEA Dirigera residence hub, so I scoured the product web page for affirmation. It learn: “This good product makes use of the common customary Matter, making it straightforward to put in, function and add to DIRIGERA hub and to different well-known programs.”
To this point, so unclear. I obtained in contact with my contact at IKEA to try to get a firmer reply. Lastly, I obtained the next response from the Tech workforce:
“The difficulty is probably going that you simply’re lacking a Thread Border Router. All new IKEA sensors (together with TIMMERFLOTTE and BILRESA) use Matter over Thread, which requires a Thread Border Router to attach. With out one energetic on the community, setup received’t full. DIRIGERA features a Thread Border Router, and different manufacturers’ hubs may additionally work in the event that they help Matter over Thread. From IKEA, we don’t keep an official compatibility listing of who these are, however advocate utilizing DIRIGERA.”
IKEA has since up to date its product itemizing web page to say, “This product makes use of Matter over Thread, which implies that you want a Thread Border Router to regulate it via your cellphone, for instance our DIRIGERA hub.”
Disappointing developments
I am happy that at the very least now IKEA has made the necessities clearer on its product pages, however general the state of affairs continues to be disappointing for a few causes. The primary is {that a} hub is required in any respect, and that IKEA did not really feel the necessity to make that basically clear on the product pages.
One of many large attracts of those sensors is that they are low cost, with many of the vary coming in beneath $10/£10. That budget-friendly price ticket abruptly turns into rather less reasonably priced once you consider a Dirigera hub, which prices a not-insignificant $109 / £60. At that worth, it is advisable to contemplate if you wish to purchase into the ecosystem as an entire — it is not going to be value it if it is simply powering a few low cost temperature sensors.
The second is that IKEA is not clear on which different good residence hubs the sensors will work with, and figuring it out for your self is difficult. The model is pushing the truth that as a result of these devices at the moment are Matter-compatible, they need to combine easily into any good residence ecosystem, however the actuality appears extra difficult.
I’ve had a message from a buyer who advised me he’d managed to attach his Timmerflotte by way of one other Matter-compatible hub, however that it wasn’t easy and took a number of makes an attempt. IKEA’s personal FAQ on the topic is not wholly useful, both:
I have already got a wise residence system from one other model, can I exploit good merchandise from IKEA in that one?
With the DIRIGERA hub, the IKEA Dwelling good app can information you in connecting to Google Dwelling, Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit.
Significantly ironic is a remark I had from David Granath, Vary Supervisor for Lighting and Dwelling Electronics at IKEA, within the context of including Matter compatibility to the brand new vary. “It removes one of many greatest boundaries to getting began with a wise residence,” he advised me. “Folks don’t wish to analysis requirements or ecosystems, or fear about which merchandise work with what hub. They need issues to attach and simply work.”
Have you ever managed to attach one of many new sensors to another good residence hub? Drop a notice within the feedback part, and I will replace this text with new information as I get it.
Alternatively, should you do wish to purchase into the IKEA good residence ecosystem, you will discover one of the best costs for the Dirigera good hub under.
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