A lifelong storyteller and gadget nerd, Bertel has spent his entire adult career immersed in consumer tech. He covered news for Android Police during the wild smartphone boom years of 2013-2016, helped readers make use of technology at none other than MakeUseOf from 2014-2025, and continues to write passionately about our digital tools and companions over at How-To Geek. Matter gave him the confidence to build a smart home of his own, and he's happy to share that enthusiam as part of the Matter Alpha team. When not writing about tech, you can find him playing board games with family and friends, binge reading graphic novels, or enjoying leisurely meditations out in the woods.
Installing Matter smart switches involves unexpected hurdles: complex 3/4-way wiring, crowded multi-gang boxes, tricky neutral wire bundles, and hidden costs like wall plates.
Smart switch installation is manageable for homeowners: the process is simpler than expected, but identifying line/load wires and ensuring a neutral wire is essential for Matter switches.
TP-Link Tapo smart switches, chosen for Matter compatibility, low cost, and hub-free Wi-Fi control, prove to be the best-reviewed, unbranded option for whole-home smart lighting.
As an open and community-backed project, Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition is impressive, but it isn't without its quirks—or its bugs.
Adding a Matter smart bulb with Home Assistant is a great way to kick off your smart home
The smartest things don't need to wait for your commands.
Matter isn't your smart lock's weakest link.
Matter convinced me to build a smart home, and I'm glad it did.
The future of smart locks is Matter-compatible, thanks to Aliro.
Understanding the importance of a bridge to what matters.
No one wants to regularly replace a light switch.
Let's start with Matter and build from there.
My house still functions when the internet goes down: Does yours?
Make sure you're aware of everything you need before you finish planning your budget.
Sometimes the biggest ideas that Matter come from the smallest companies.
Smart devices that don't depend on the cloud.
I love a smart home, but I value an energy-efficient one even more. Fortunately, we can have both.
Matter is designed to be private and secure, but that depends on how you use it.
Home Assistant is great, once you know what you're doing. Let us help you get started.
Thanks to Matter, these unsupported lights are still a decent purchase.