It's time to fix the labeling on bridged Matter devices

A post on the Reddit Matter channel went viral recently; it detailed the confusion caused by advertising wording on “Matter support” or “Work with Matter” that requires a vendor hub. So, what exactly is the issue here, and how can you make a wise purchase for your Matter smart home setup? Here’s a breakdown.

What’s going on?

There have been debates about the advertising of bridgeable devices for quite some time. Home Assistant developer Frenck once grumbled on X about a “Matter-over-Zigbee” tag from a store selling Aqara, which could lead to confusion, because there are only three kinds of Matter devices by connection: Ethernet, Thread, and Wi-Fi.

The tag could be traced back to Aqara’s official website for selected Zigbee devices, with a badge reading "Matter over Zigbee bridge; *Aqara Hub required." Both Matter and Zigbee logos are included in the badge.

For Flic Twist, there is simply a Matter logo there, along with other brand badges on the Flic webpage. Its Amazon listing uses the wording “Works with Matter, Alexa, SmartThings Through Any Flic Hub.”

It has oddly become common to see Matter in advertising for Zigbee and Bluetooth devices. Once you search for Matter plus something on Amazon, they get into the search results, making it tough for users to pick the native Matter devices from the mix. The Reddit post mentions several brands that rely on Matter bridges, including Aqara, SwitchBot, Flic, and Philips Hue.

How to define a Matter device?

The core question here is: what qualifies as a Matter device, and what doesn’t?

A device that can connect directly with a Matter Controller via Wi-Fi, Thread, or Ethernet is a native Matter device. For context, a Matter Controller could be an app (like the Apple Home app and the 3R Installer) or a software component on a hardware hub (like the Homey Pro and the Google Nest Hub) that controls and manages other Matter devices. 

In this case, a vendor hub with a built-in Matter bridge falls into this category.

However, a device that specifically requires a Matter bridge or only operates with Matter via a vendor hub doesn’t count as a true Matter device. Flic Twist, I would say it’s an accessory or companion of Matter, instead of a Matter device.

Another confusing term is Matter Hub. To be clear, there is no such thing called "Matter Hub" in the specs. The advertising term usually refers to a smart home hub with a built-in Matter Controller. So you would see requirements for a Zigbee device to work with Matter, including a vendor hub, and a so-called Matter Hub from the ecosystem you use.

A gray field in marketing 

Strictly speaking, only Matter-certified products can feature the Matter logo and badge on their advertising pages and packaging. If it’s an uncertified Matter piece or still in the testing phase, a beta label is usually required next to Matter feature descriptions. You’ll notice that major vendors, like Ikea, have been following this practice.

However, it’s usually permissible to use wording like “Matter-compatible via a hub” or “Matter-over-Zigbee” without a Matter badge in commercial materials. That’s what sparked the whole debate in the first place.

The CSA Marketing Chair for the Matter Work Group chimed in on the Reddit post, clarifying the rules.

“Device vendors absolutely should not be putting the Matter logo on devices that do not natively support Matter. We've seen and allow some gray areas where they can explain on the box that it is able to support matter through their hub, but they shouldn't be using the logo, which is only for certified devices, on a box that does not contain that device.”

The alliance staff also pointed out an interesting opinion that some heavy users in Zigbee may want to buy new devices with the same connectivity while being keen on whether they work with Matter through a bridge.

This brings up another harsh truth: a Matter bridge isn’t the universal key to all non-Matter devices; they usually have limitations in either device types or models. And you may not even get certain devices with native Matter support, like water leak detectors, and have to get a Zigbee or Bluetooth one with a vendor hub. So, in some way, Matter-over-Zigbee or hub-required could help illustrate capabilities to users. 

Another concerning issue is for dual-protocol devices like Aqara W100 Climate Sensor, with the capability to switch between Matter-over-Thread and Zigbee. As @CyberModStudio, the Matter leak commented in the post, the Chinese version of W100 was shipped with Zigbee firmware, and an Aqara hub was initially believed to be required to make the switch to Matter. We've since learned this is not accurate, and the app can be used to switch protocols.

Aqara told us:

"We have been working closely with CSA for the past years on the best way to communicate this. We regret that some users find it confusing, and upon user feedbacks we're currently working to update the marketing materials (including but not limited to Aqara website and product listings across e-commerce platforms) for our bridged Matter devices. [We] hope it will help avoid the confusion among end consumers."

How to pick native Matter devices?

In short, go for any product sporting a Matter logo on the packaging. This is the baseline the alliance is striving to establish. The badge assures two things: it’s a Matter device and it’s certified by the CSA.

If you’re shopping online, be sure to check for a picture showing the packaging. The Matter logo seen elsewhere won’t be a foolproof guarantee.

While vendors may try tricks in advertising pictures or wording, major companies usually would not put a Matter badge on an uncertified product to avoid legal troubles.

(Image source: CSA, Aqara, Flic)