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Recently, IKEA introduced out what appeared like the proper vary of sensible dwelling sensors. I had a sneak peak of the vary at CES, and bought the low-down from an IKEA consultant, who was eager to emphasise how easy, accessible, and inexpensive the brand new additions have been designed to be.
When I bought them dwelling, issues appeared promising. IKEA had emphasised that the vary was designed to ‘work out of the field’, providing primary 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 in a position to pop in some batteries, flick a hidden toggle change from Fahrenheit to Centigrade, and instantly see the temperature and humidity displayed on-screen.
One of my teammates instructed I’d want an IKEA Dirigera dwelling hub, so I scoured the product web page for affirmation. It learn: “This smart product uses the universal standard Matter, making it easy to install, operate and add to DIRIGERA hub and to other well-known systems.”
So far, so unclear. I bought in contact with my contact at IKEA to try to get a firmer reply. Finally, I bought the next response from the Tech crew:
“The issue is likely that you’re missing a Thread Border Router. All new IKEA sensors (including TIMMERFLOTTE and BILRESA) use Matter over Thread, which requires a Thread Border Router to connect. Without one active on the network, setup won’t complete. DIRIGERA includes a Thread Border Router, and other brands’ hubs may also work if they support Matter over Thread. From IKEA, we don’t maintain an official compatibility list of who those are, but recommend using DIRIGERA.”
IKEA has since up to date its product itemizing web page to say, “This product uses Matter over Thread, which means that you need a Thread Border Router to control it through your phone, for example our DIRIGERA hub.”
Disappointing developments
I’m happy that at the least now IKEA has made the necessities clearer on its product pages, however total the state of affairs continues to be disappointing for a few causes. The first 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 the massive attracts of those sensors is that they are low-cost, with a lot of the vary coming in below $10/£10. That budget-friendly price ticket out of the blue turns into rather less inexpensive whenever you consider a Dirigera hub, which prices a not-insignificant $109 / £60. At that value, it’s essential to take into account if you wish to purchase into the ecosystem as a complete — it is not going to be price it if it is simply powering a few low-cost temperature sensors.
The second is that IKEA is not clear on which different sensible dwelling 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 sensible dwelling 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 through 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 dwelling system from one other model, can I take advantage of sensible merchandise from IKEA in that one?
With the DIRIGERA hub, the IKEA Home sensible app can information you in connecting to Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Apple HomePackage.
Particularly ironic is a remark I had from David Granath, Range Manager for Lighting and Home Electronics at IKEA, within the context of including Matter compatibility to the brand new vary. “It removes one of the biggest barriers to getting started with a smart home,” he advised me. “People don’t want to research standards or ecosystems, or worry about which products work with what hub. They want things to connect and just work.”
Have you managed to attach one of many new sensors to an alternate sensible dwelling hub? Drop a notice within the feedback part, and I’ll replace this text with new information as I get it.
Alternatively, in case you do need to purchase into the IKEA sensible dwelling ecosystem, you may discover one of the best costs for the Dirigera sensible hub beneath.
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