Aqara has unveiled a new generation of smart lighting products for the global market at IFA 2026, expanding its Matter lineup from bulbs and light strips into more indoor and outdoor lighting.
The new lineup includes the Floor Lamp T1, LED Downlight T2, LED Strip T2, Outdoor String Lights H1 and Permanent Outdoor Lights H1. All support both Thread and Zigbee, allowing them to work directly with Matter ecosystems over Thread or switch to Zigbee for deeper integration with Aqara Home.
The expansion follows a much broader lighting push in Aqara’s home market. The company has been bringing new full-color downlights, spotlights, light strips and drivers to China, with an emphasis on smoother color mixing and better everyday white lighting rather than treating color purely as an ambient effect.
New lighting technology goes global
The Floor Lamp T1 is one of the clearest examples of that approach. Its side-facing design washes a wall with indirect light, while a five-channel, 16-bit lighting system provides both color effects and a wide 2,000K to 9,000K white range.
The 1.4m lamp reaches 1,000 lumens and divides its lighting into 18 individually controllable zones. That allows animated gradients and effects while still letting the lamp work as conventional room lighting.
Aqara is taking a similar approach with the LED Downlight T2. The RGB CCT version combines 16 million colors with the same 2,000K to 9,000K tunable-white range, while a CCT-only version focuses on everyday illumination with up to 1,200 lumens. Its thin design is intended for ceilings with limited installation depth.
The LED Strip T2 uses 108 LEDs per meter and the same 16-bit, five-channel approach. A three-meter section contains 18 independently controllable zones, allowing smoother gradients and effects than a strip that can only display one color at a time.
The tech fits a direction Aqara has already been pursuing in China, where its recent lighting portfolio has expanded beyond decorative smart lights into downlights, spotlights, drivers and other products intended to form part of the primary lighting system with Matter.
Aqara moves outdoors
Two H1 products extend the same lighting strategy outside the home.
The Outdoor String Lights H1 provide individually controllable lighting zones and a 2,000K to 9,000K color-temperature range. They can participate in Aqara automations, allowing outdoor lighting to respond to schedules, sensors or security events rather than operating as a standalone decorative light.
Permanent Outdoor Lights H1 are designed for fixed installation along areas such as rooflines. Individual LEDs can be controlled independently, while the system can be extended and cut to fit an installation.
Matter and Zigbee dual protocal
Connectivity follows Aqara’s increasingly common dual-protocol strategy. The new lights support both Thread and Zigbee.
In Thread mode, they can operate as native Matter-over-Thread devices with compatible ecosystems. Aqara lists Apple Home, Home Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings and Homey among supported platforms.
Switching to Zigbee instead connects the lights through an Aqara hub and provides access to Aqara-specific features that are not represented by standard Matter lighting controls. Aqara uses the same approach on a growing number of its switches, sensors and other devices.
That distinction matters more with increasingly sophisticated lighting. Matter can expose standard controls such as power, brightness and color, while Aqara Home can handle its own effects, automations and other features beyond the standard.
Aqara is also tying the new lights into Gen-Scene, its AI-assisted scene generator. Users can describe a desired lighting environment in natural language and have Aqara Home generate a scene instead of configuring individual lights and effects manually.
A platform for smart home projects
Aqara is also introducing Aqara Builder, a community platform aimed at smart home enthusiasts, developers, installers and integrators.
Builder is designed around sharing real-world projects, automation ideas and smart space designs rather than controlling devices itself. Aqara is also adding AI assistance to help users develop automation and installation ideas from projects shared through the platform.
The move fits Aqara’s expansion beyond individual consumer devices. Its recent products increasingly span whole-room lighting, sensing, energy management and professional installation, while Matter provides a common way for many of those devices to work outside Aqara Home.
Availability to be confirmed
Aqara is showcasing the Floor Lamp T1, LED Downlight T2, LED Strip T2, Outdoor String Lights H1 and Permanent Outdoor Lights H1 at IFA 2026 in Berlin.
The company has not yet announced pricing or specific release dates for the new global lighting products.
(Source: Aqara; Image: Aqara)
