IKEA is in the midst of rolling out a new lineup of smart home devices, ditching Zigbee in favor of Matter over Thread. Though the full lineup isn’t available everywhere yet (virtually none of it is available in my local store here in Australia), some users have noticed that some devices aren’t locked to the new Thread protocol.
Bulbs and remotes are Zigbee compatible
Reports have begun to emerge on Reddit about certain Touchlink devices in IKEA’s new smart home lineup being compatible with the old Zigbee protocol. Touchlink is a feature that allows two devices, like a smart bulb and a remote, to pair without the need for a hub in between. If you’ve visited an IKEA any time in the last decade or more, you’ve probably seen this in action.
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IKEA’s smart home shakeup is the beginning of the end for Zigbee but great for Matter
Is Zigbee dying? Maybe.
IKEA also sells smart hubs that expand functionality, allowing users to control devices using smart home apps. So far, two Reddit threads have caught my eye: one in r/tradfri discussing the new Bilresa remote working over Zigbee, and another on r/homeassistant discussing the new Kajplats bulbs (which are set to replace the Tradfri range).
Users have confirmed that each of these devices works with Home Assistant using the built-in Zigbee Home Automation (ZHA) integration, with others reporting success using the Zigbee2MQTT (Z2M) alternative. In order to access these modes, additional power cycles or button presses are necessary.
For example, Kajplats bulbs require that you power cycle them six times to enter Matter pairing mode, but doing so 12 times puts them into Zigbee pairing mode (where they can be added to Home Assistant). The Bilresa remote requires that you press the reset button four times to pair over Touchlink, but pressing the same button eight times will put it into Zigbee pairing mode.
Credit: IKEA
Support for these devices in future versions of ZHA and an updated Z2M has already been proposed. It’s unclear whether or not IKEA’s new range of smart plugs (dubbed Grillplats) will also be supported since nobody has managed to get their hands on one yet. Odds are looking good if this comes down to Touchlink functionality, however.
New sensors appear to be Thread-only
For any Zigbee users who have been holding out on adding a Thread radio to their Home Assistant server, this is great news. Unfortunately, this functionality doesn’t seem to extend to the rest of IKEA’s revised lineup. Sensors that simply pass information back to the hub or server appear to be limited to Matter over Thread only.
This includes the new Myggspray motion sensor, the Myggbett door and window sensor, the Timmerflotte temperature and humidity sensor, the Alpstuga air quality sensor, and the Klippbok water leak sensor.
Credit: IKEA
All of these new arrivals are essentially revised versions of past IKEA products—like the Parasoll door sensors and Vyndstyrka air quality monitor—that ditch Zigbee in favor of Matter over Thread. The only consolation here is that you can still find many of these old Zigbee-compliant devices in local stores, often at greatly discounted rates.
It’s worth adding that there’s no need to ditch your Zigbee network for Thread if everything is working just fine. Zigbee 4.0 with Bluetooth and expanded range was announced in November 2025, and there are still plenty of manufacturers out there, like Sonoff and Aqara, that make quality Zigbee devices. Some of IKEA’s new devices make small improvements, but others were already pretty much perfect—how do you improve on a smart plug or a water leak sensor anyway?
No IKEA hub? No problem
IKEA’s smart home lineup has long been celebrated by Home Assistant users for its broad compatibility via Zigbee, low price point, and solid performance. The only thing that’s really changing is the protocol, though newer products do appear to be a bit cheaper than their predecessors (which is great for anyone looking to get into Thread and the Matter standard).
These devices work with IKEA’s existing Dirigera hub, which also acts as a Matter bridge to bring older Zigbee devices up to speed. For Home Assistant users, Thread and Zigbee devices can easily be added using a radio like the ZBT-2, which offers support for both protocols (though only one at a time).
Dimensions (exterior)
83x83x179mm
Weight
157g
The Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 supports both Zigbee and Thread, although it must be set up for use with either one of the two protocols. It offers 4x the responsiveness of the previous model, and is designed to be easy to open for modding, with accessible pins and pads.
If you want both Zigbee and Thread support, you’ll need two separate radios. At least you can sleep easy knowing that buying a couple of ZBT-2s helps to financially support the Home Assistant project.
I’m keen to get my hands on some of IKEA’s new smart home devices, but the rollout has been slow in my neck of the woods. The move to Thread over Matter isn’t anything to get too excited about, but IKEA’s promise to expand the range over the coming months and years appears to be coming to fruition with the announcement that they’re refreshing the classic Varmblixt with a smart upgrade.
