Do You Need Matter? Here’s How to Decide for Your Smart Home

The smart home world is changing fast. Every few weeks, it seems like a new device appears with a shiny Matter logo on the box, promising easier setup, better compatibility, and a simpler future. And while that’s exciting, it also raises a natural question: Do you actually need Matter?

If you already have Zigbee sensors, Wi-Fi plugs, or Z-Wave switches working perfectly in your home, you might wonder whether adding Matter is worth it or whether it will complicate things instead of simplifying them.

The truth is: you don’t need Matter to have a great smart home. But Matter can make your home smarter, more flexible, and more prepared for the future, especially when paired with Homey Pro.

Let's walk through what Matter brings to the table, when it makes sense to use it, and why you don’t need to panic if you’re happy with the devices you already have.

Matter Makes Your Smart Home More Open

The biggest benefit of Matter isn’t a new type of radio signal or fancy technology. It’s ease of use, flexibility and interoperability. Before Matter, buying smart home products felt like choosing a team. For instance:

• If you picked Device A, it worked great with Apple Home but not with Google Home.
• If you picked Device B, it needed its own separate app to change settings.
• If you picked Device C, you needed a proprietary hub before it could be used.

Matter fixes this by giving devices a universal language. A Matter-certified smart plug like the Meross Smart Plug Mini works across all major ecosystems — at the same time. If your home runs on Homey, but you want to use Apple Home as a voice assistant as well, no problem. Matter support gives you that freedom.

Do You Need Matter for Everything? Not at All.

Matter is powerful, but it’s still young. Not every device category supports it yet. Cameras, robot vacuums, and home appliances are still catching up. Furthermore, some advanced configuration parameters are not yet available over Matter.

Meanwhile, many Zigbee sensors, Z-Wave switches, and Wi-Fi lights remain incredibly reliable, and sometimes perform better in their native protocols than they would in Matter. So, should you replace everything? Definitely not.

Matter shines most when you use it for devices that benefit from wide compatibility and easy setup. Lights, plugs, and switches are ideal examples and especially Thread-based Matter lights like the Nanoleaf String Lights, which offer faster response times and greater reliability.

Why Homey Pro Makes the Decision Easy

One of the most reassuring things when using Homey Pro as your smart home hub is that it frees you from the pressure of choosing a single smart home path. Instead of committing to Matter, sticking with Zigbee, or wondering whether Z-Wave will still matter in five years, Homey simply supports all of it. With Matter, Thread, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 433 MHz and even Infrared under one roof, your smart home can grow in any direction you want, at your own pace, and without fear of making the “wrong” choice.

This flexibility becomes especially valuable when you look at how different homes evolve. If you’re excited about Matter and ready to explore the latest devices, Homey understands them immediately and blends them into your automation Flows. If you’ve already spent years building a stable network of Zigbee and Z-Wave sensors, they continue to work just as beautifully as before. And if you want both worlds, the reliability of your existing setup combined with the openness of Matter, Homey Pro bridges everything together effortlessly through Flows.

It’s never a question of “Matter or Zigbee.” With Homey, the answer is always “Matter and Zigbee,” working side by side, supporting each other, and creating a smart home that feels cohesive rather than disjointed.

Did you know? You can now share non-Matter gear to third-party ecosystems like Google and Apple Home as Matter devices via the Matter Bridge Homey App!

Who Benefits Most From Matter?

Matter shines brightest in homes where versatility matters. If your household uses a mix of ecosystems, Matter devices are a great choice. For instance, perhaps one person loves Apple’s clean interface while another prefers Google’s voice control. Matter brings all of these worlds together without compromise. 

Furthermore, Matter is also a great fit for anyone who enjoys mixing brands or experimenting with new devices, because the standard’s universal language keeps everything compatible. And if you value local control, fast responses, and simple device onboarding, Matter adds a refreshing sense of ease to everyday automation.

In many ways, Matter acts like a universal charger for the smart home industry. No matter which brand or ecosystem you plug into, everything fits, everything works, and nothing feels unnecessarily complicated.

Who Doesn’t Need to Rush?

That said, not every home needs to prioritize Matter right away, especially if things already run smoothly. If your setup is built mostly around Zigbee or Z-Wave devices and it’s been reliable for years, there’s no pressure to replace anything. Matter is wonderful for compatibility, but it’s not a requirement for a stable or intelligent home. And if you prefer to stick with the brands you already trust, Homey Pro continues to support them fully, without nudging you toward replacing perfectly good devices.

Matter should feel like an invitation, not an obligation. Homey ensures your home stays strong and dependable, whether you adopt Matter today, next year, or not at all.

A Smart Way to Start With Matter

If you’re curious but don’t want to overhaul your entire setup, the best way to try Matter is to begin small. A simple smart plug is perfect — something like the Tapo P110M Smart Plug lets you experience Matter’s setup process, reliability, and cross-platform freedom without any commitment.

Once added to Homey Pro using Matter, try weaving it into your daily rhythm. Connect it to an existing Zigbee or Z-Wave motion sensor through a Flow, or tie it into your morning routine. Within a few days, you’ll have a clear sense of how Matter feels in your home  and whether you want to continue expanding with more devices.

Often, it takes just one device for people to realize the potential. And thanks to Homey Pro, you can explore that potential at your own pace, knowing everything else in your home continues to work just as it always has.

Conclusion

You don’t need Matter to enjoy a great smart home, but Matter can make your smart home more open, more flexible, and easier to grow over time. With Homey Pro bringing every technology together under one roof, you’re free to use Matter where it helps and keep your existing devices where they shine.

If you want a smart home that’s ready for whatever the future brings, starting with a single Matter device is a great way to explore what’s possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need Matter to use Homey Pro?

No. Homey Pro supports many protocols including Zigbee and Z-Wave.

Is Matter better than Zigbee or Z-Wave?

Not necessarily. It’s more about compatibility than performance.

Will my non-Matter devices stop working?

No. They remain fully supported in Homey.

Should I replace my Zigbee sensors with Matter ones?

Only if you want to — Zigbee sensors are still excellent.

Is Matter more reliable?

Not necessarily. Matter-over-Thread devices often respond faster thanks to local control, but so do Zigbee and Z-Wave.

Can my family use different apps to control one Matter device?

Yes. Multi-admin is one of Matter’s biggest advantages.

Are all Matter devices Thread-based?

No. Many use Wi-Fi or Ethernet instead.

What are the best devices to start with?

Lights, smart plugs, and basic switches are great entry points.

Will Matter cover more devices in the future?

Yes. New device categories are added with each update.

If I start using Matter, do I need a new hub?

Not if you use Homey Pro or Homey Pro mini — it already includes full Matter support.