Ikea’s cheap new smart home gear is struggling to get connected
TL;DR
Ikea's new affordable Matter-over-Thread smart home devices, including buttons and sensors, are facing widespread connectivity issues, with users and reviewers reporting difficulties in onboarding across platforms.
I've spent the last couple of weeks trying - and mostly failing - to test Ikea's new Matter-over-Thread gear. These highly anticipated smart home devices include programmable buttons, smart bulbs, plugs, and temperature and motion sensors - all of which should work with any smart home platform and start at just $6.
But I've hit several walls trying to connect them to any smart home platform, and I'm not alone. The Tradfri subreddit is filled with Ikea customers sharing similar frustrations, reviews on Ikea's website point to issues, and colleagues at The Verge have also been having problems.
Of the six devices I've tried to connect, I've …