So after a solid month of messing around with the new Aqara Hub M3, I figured it’s time to spill some secrets that aren’t obvious from the specs or flashy promo videos.
First things first—this thing is fast. Like, scary fast. Thread + Matter support actually lives up to the hype. I paired 15+ sensors, a couple of lights, and 2 smart locks and it handles everything without choking. Local automation? Instant. Cloud fallback? Seamless.
One thing I didn’t expect: the M3’s ability to act as an IR blaster is wild. I’ve got my dumb AC and old-school TV responding to Siri now. Can’t believe I almost bought separate IR hubs for those.
Pro tip: if you’ve got legacy Zigbee 1.2 devices, don’t toss them yet. The M3 still supports them just fine. And if you’re mixing ecosystems—I’ve got Govee lights and a couple Sonoff switches talking to M3 via HomeKit and Matter bridges without too much fiddling.
Bonus: if you’re a Home Assistant nerd like me, M3 shows up nicely and plays well via Matter bridge (no hacks needed). It’s clean.
Anyway, Share. If you’ve been on the fence about upgrading from M2 or wondering if it’s worth it—short answer: yes. M3’s got brains and speed where it counts.
Any other hidden tricks you all found? Let’s trade notes.
Thanks for sharing such a detailed and enthusiastic review of your experience with the Aqara Hub M3! Your insights are incredibly valuable, especially the real-world performance notes on Thread + Matter support, IR blaster functionality, and cross-ecosystem compatibility. It’s awesome to hear how seamlessly it integrates with legacy devices and platforms like Home Assistant—definitely a win for tech enthusiasts!
