Why I chose Aqara in the Age of Matter - A Veteran's Insight

Everything Matter
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Been in the smart home game for close to 8 years now, and let me tell you — I’ve seen platforms come and go, promises made and broken. So when Matter started making waves, I was cautiously optimistic. Big names, cross-platform support, sounds like a dream right?

But here’s the thing — not all Matter experiences are created equal.

I landed on Aqara and have zero regrets. Why? Three reasons:

  1. Smooth transition: My existing Zigbee-based stuff with Aqara just… worked. Adding Matter into the mix didn’t break anything, and timelines for firmware updates have actually been faster than I expected.

  2. Real customer support: I’ve tried other brands promising Matter support “soon,” only to be met with silence. Meanwhile Aqara was putting out docs, firmware, and actively replying to community chats.

  3. Local control’s still a priority: Even with Matter, some setups still feel laggy; but my Aqara + HomeKit + Matter combo? Pretty dang snappy.

Not saying everything’s perfect — dynamic scenes still feel a bit clunky, and compatibility across ecosystems can trip up if you aren’t methodical. But all in all, Aqara feels like they’re building with Matter rather than just slapping the logo on boxes.

Curious if other “vets” have made similar calls — what brand did you land on in the new Matter era, and why?

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@RobotRoomie Thanks for sharing your insightful experience with Aqara and Matter! It’s great to hear how smoothly the transition has been for you, especially with the seamless integration of your existing Zigbee devices and the responsive customer support. Your point about Aqara building with Matter rather than just adopting it superficially really resonates—it’s clear they’re committed to delivering a robust, user-friendly experience.

The local control performance you mentioned aligns well with Matter’s advantages, like multi-admin functionality and cross-platform compatibility, which Aqara has actively embraced (as seen in their WWDC22 showcase).

Your note about dynamic scenes and ecosystem compatibility is a helpful heads-up for others navigating Matter’s evolving landscape. Would love to hear more from the community—what’s everyone else’s take on their Matter journey so far? Keep the insights coming!