No one wants to install a smart home device that they'll have to remove in a few years because it's no longer supported. Here's what I seek out to know my home upgrades will stand the test of time.
Is there a Matter badge on the box?
Matter is a way for smart home gadgets to communicate with one another using some of the same technology that powers the web. Its existence saves device makers from having to invent their own method.
Devices that are Matter-certified should be able to be set up, added to any Matter-compatible smart home hub, and expected to work with a certain set of features without reliance on a cloud server. This means they’re designed to possibly outlast the companies that make them.
Does the product come from an established company?
The smart home industry is still relatively new, and there are many start-ups that pop up with a fresh idea, fail to attract enough customers or figure out how to turn a profit, and shut down after just a few years. While there are reasons to want to support the smaller players, products from larger companies have a better chance of retaining support for the amount of time you wish to use the device.
TP-Link is an established multinational company that has been around for decades and is well-known for its internet routers. The company has gone all-in on Matter products, offering everything from smart switches, bulbs, outlets, and plugs to motion sensors and outdoor surge protectors.
TP-Link Tapo Smart Outdoor Plug P400M
The TP-Link Tapo Smart Outdoor Plug P400M, certified by Matter, features two independently controlled outlets and dual antennas for extended Wi-Fi range, designed to withstand extreme weather with an IP65 rating, and supports voice and remote control for outdoor appliances up to 1800W.
Even though the product line has changed names from Kasa to Tapo, the older products remain supported, and they’re less likely to need support since they come from a company with years of experience making consumer hardware at scale. But TP-Link is hardly alone among major smart home brands truly committed to Matter.
If it's a newer company, what's the business model?
Companies need to make money. If they’re offering a cheap product supported by a free internet-connected app, how are they able to afford their own costs? If they’re kept afloat by venture capital, their funders eventually expect to see returns on their investment.
A company supporting its products with a subscription has a clear business plan that’s more likely to keep it in business, and a smaller company doesn’t need many subscriptions to keep it afloat. Here are some of the underdog smart home brands we're keeping an eye on.
Is the project open source?
Open source software is computer programming that isn’t restricted by copyright or digital rights management (DRM). Open source projects don’t need the original developer to stay interested forever because anyone else is free to take up the mantle.
A project like Home Assistant will likely have staying power because the code is free for anyone to develop, use, and distribute. Even if the current organization collapsed, hubs powered by Home Assistant like Home Assistant Green would continue to work, and a new community would likely form to keep your hardware functional at least with your existing smart home tech.
Home Assistant Green
A compact, fanless Home Assistant hub with quad-core processing, 4 GB RAM, 32 GB storage, local data control and Thread USB expandability.
This is in contrast with commercial options like Amazon Alexa and Google Home, which rely on a continuous internet connection and can stop working the moment Amazon or Google lose interest. Open source software can sometimes even extend the life and capabilities of platforms like Apple Homekit.
Matter is the reason that I felt comfortable enough to start building a smart home. Thanks to encryption and other privacy safeguards, plus the standardize set of features and the ability to work entirely over a local area network, I can use my smart devices without establishing a perpetual relationship with a company, and I can trust my devices to continue to work for many years ahead.
