Should I Wait for Matter or Buy Now? (2026)
Every smart home forum has this question on repeat: “Should I wait for Matter or just buy what’s available?” I get it. Nobody wants to buy expensive hardware that becomes obsolete in 6 months. But waiting forever means never building the smart home you actually want. Here’s my honest, category-by-category breakdown for June 2026.
The Short Answer
Buy now for categories where Matter is mature and has excellent options: lights, smart plugs, sensors, locks, and thermostats. Wait (or buy carefully) for categories where Matter isn’t ready yet: cameras, robot vacuums, and video doorbells. That’s the 30-second version. Now let me explain the nuance.
Categories Where You Should Buy Now
Smart Lights and Bulbs
Matter lighting is a solved problem. You’ve got Thread-native bulbs (Nanoleaf Essentials at $19), WiFi/Matter bulbs (Wiz at $12), and bridged systems (Philips Hue via Bridge). The selection is wide, prices are reasonable, and the technology is stable.
There’s no reason to wait. The bulbs available today support multi-admin, work locally, and won’t be “outdated” by future Matter revisions. A Matter 1.1 light bulb does the same thing as a Matter 1.4 light bulb: it turns on, off, dims, and changes color. The spec improvements don’t affect basic lighting.
My pick: Nanoleaf Essentials for Thread-native (no hub needed), Philips Hue if you want the best color quality and app experience (requires Hue Bridge).
Smart Plugs and Outlets
Same story as lights. Eve Energy ($39, Thread), Wiz Smart Plug ($11, WiFi), Meross ($15, WiFi), TP-Link Tapo P125M ($17, WiFi). All Matter certified, all available right now.
Smart plugs are simple devices. On/off, maybe energy monitoring. Matter handles this perfectly. No future spec revision will radically change what a smart plug does.
My pick: Eve Energy if you want Thread/local-only operation. Wiz Smart Plug if you want cheap and cheerful.
Sensors (Motion, Contact, Temperature)
Eve makes excellent Thread/Matter sensors: Motion ($49), Door & Window ($39). Aqara has affordable Zigbee sensors bridged to Matter via their M3 hub. Both work great today.
Sensor functionality in Matter is well-defined. Motion detected, door opened/closed, temperature reading. These are simple data points that don’t change. Buy with confidence.
My pick: Eve for native Thread/Matter with zero hub. Aqara sensors + M3 hub if you want the most affordable option with the widest variety.
Check our best smart sensors guide for detailed recommendations.
Smart Locks
Yale Assure Lock 2, Schlage Encode Plus, Aqara U200, and Level Lock+ all support Matter today. Thread-native locks work locally, integrate with any ecosystem, and receive security updates regularly.
Smart locks are a “buy it once, use it for years” category. The Matter-certified options available in 2026 are genuinely excellent. No upcoming feature in the Matter spec will make today’s locks obsolete.
My pick: Yale Assure Lock 2 for the best combination of build quality, Thread support, and features. See our full best smart locks roundup.
Thermostats
ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium ($249) supports Matter over WiFi. Eve Thermo ($79) works for European radiator valves with Thread/Matter. Nest Thermostat (2024 model) works through Google Home’s Matter controller.
Buy now. A thermostat has a 5 to 10 year lifespan, and Matter support today means it’ll integrate with future ecosystems without issue.
My pick: ecobee Premium for full-featured HVAC control. Eve Thermo for European radiator setups.
Blinds and Shades
Eve MotionBlinds and IKEA’s motorized options (via Dirigera hub) both work with Matter today. The selection isn’t as wide as lights, but it’s good enough if you find a product that fits your window sizes.
My pick: Eve MotionBlinds for native Thread/Matter. IKEA Fyrtur if budget is priority.
Categories Where You Should Wait (or Be Strategic)
Cameras
This is the biggest “wait” category. Matter 1.4 added basic camera support (live view streaming), but no manufacturer has shipped a fully Matter-native camera worth buying. Every good camera in 2026 still requires its proprietary cloud service for recording, person detection, and event history.
If you buy a camera today, you’re locked into that brand’s ecosystem for cloud features regardless of Matter. The camera itself might gain Matter livestream support via update, but the valuable features (motion zones, facial recognition, package detection, continuous recording) all live in the cloud.
What to do: If you need cameras now (most people do), buy the best camera for your chosen ecosystem. Apple household? Get a HomeKit Secure Video camera. Google? Nest cameras. Alexa? Ring or Blink. When Matter cameras mature (late 2026 or early 2027), you can evaluate switching then.
Robot Vacuums
Zero Matter-compatible robot vacuums exist as of June 2026. iRobot, Roborock, Ecovacs, and Dreame have all announced “future Matter support,” but none have delivered.
What to do: Buy the best robot vacuum for your needs now. Don’t factor Matter into the decision. These devices are semi-disposable anyway (3 to 4 year average lifespan due to brush/battery wear). By the time your current one dies, Matter vacuums will probably exist.
My pick: Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra or Dreame X40 Ultra. Both excellent regardless of protocol support.
Video Doorbells
Same situation as cameras, maybe worse. No Matter doorbells exist. The spec supports it, manufacturers are “working on it,” nothing ships.
What to do: Buy Ring, Nest, Arlo, or eufy based on which ecosystem you use. When Matter doorbells arrive, evaluate then. Your current doorbell will serve you well for 3+ years.
Major Appliances (Washer, Dryer, Oven)
Ignore Matter for appliances entirely. The smart features on appliances are generally useless (do you really need to start your washer from your phone?), and Matter support for appliances is years away from meaningful adoption.
What to do: Buy appliances based on washing/cooking quality. Ignore the “smart” features entirely.
The Bridge Strategy: Best of Both Worlds
Here’s the approach I recommend for people who don’t want to wait but also want future-proofing:
Buy devices on protocols that can be bridged to Matter. This means:
- Zigbee devices paired to an Aqara M3 Hub or SmartThings Station. These hubs expose Zigbee devices to Matter controllers. You get affordable Zigbee sensors today AND Matter compatibility through the hub.
- Z-Wave devices paired to SmartThings or Home Assistant. Same principle: the hub bridges them to Matter.
- Proprietary protocols (Hue Zigbee, IKEA Tradfri) paired to their own hubs, which then bridge to Matter.
The bridge strategy means you never “waste” a purchase. Even if a device never gets native Matter support, a bridge hub gives it a second life in a Matter ecosystem.
For hub options that support this strategy, see our best smart home hub guide.
What About Buying Zigbee Instead of Thread?
Fair question. Zigbee devices are often cheaper than their Thread equivalents (Aqara motion sensor at $19 vs Eve Motion at $49). Is Zigbee still a safe buy?
Yes, if you pair it with the right hub. The Aqara M3 Hub bridges Zigbee devices to Matter. SmartThings does the same. Home Assistant supports everything. A Zigbee sensor bought today will work with Matter ecosystems through bridging.
That said, for new installations starting from scratch, Thread is the cleaner long-term path. No hub dependency, native IP, self-healing mesh. But Zigbee isn’t “wrong.” It’s pragmatic, especially for budget setups.
Our Zigbee vs Z-Wave vs WiFi vs Thread comparison dives deeper into this decision.
The “Buy Now” vs “Wait” Decision Table
| Category | Matter Available Now | Buy Now or Wait | Recommended Device |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Bulbs | Yes (many options) | Buy now | Nanoleaf Essentials (Thread) or Wiz (WiFi) |
| Smart Plugs | Yes (many options) | Buy now | Eve Energy (Thread) or Wiz Plug (WiFi) |
| Motion Sensors | Yes | Buy now | Eve Motion (Thread) or Aqara P2 (Zigbee bridged) |
| Contact Sensors | Yes | Buy now | Eve Door & Window (Thread) |
| Smart Locks | Yes | Buy now | Yale Assure Lock 2 (Thread) |
| Thermostats | Yes | Buy now | ecobee Premium (WiFi) or Eve Thermo (Thread) |
| Blinds/Shades | Yes (limited) | Buy now if size fits | Eve MotionBlinds (Thread) |
| Cameras | No (spec only) | Buy best for your ecosystem now | Depends on ecosystem |
| Robot Vacuums | No | Buy now (ignore Matter) | Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra |
| Video Doorbells | No | Buy best for your ecosystem now | Depends on ecosystem |
| Appliances | No | Buy now (ignore smart features) | Based on core function |
Timing Considerations
A few practical notes on timing:
Matter updates keep shipping. Matter 1.5 is expected in late 2026, with improved camera support and possibly robot vacuum refinements. But “spec available” and “products shipping” are 6 to 12 months apart. Don’t wait for a spec revision unless you’re comfortable waiting another year.
Black Friday/Prime Day deals. If you’re buying in summer 2026, most smart home devices will be discounted significantly during October Prime Day and November Black Friday. If your purchase isn’t urgent, waiting 3 to 4 months for deals on devices that already exist is smart. Waiting years for a protocol update is not.
Firmware updates are ongoing. Devices you buy today will likely gain features over time. Matter bridges get updated, device capabilities expand, and interoperability improves. Buying now doesn’t freeze your setup in amber.
For budget-friendly options available right now, our best smart home devices under $50 guide has some great picks.
The Worst-Case Scenario Isn’t That Bad
Let’s say you buy something today and Matter support for that category arrives next year with dramatically better options. What’s the actual downside?
Your device still works. It still does what you bought it for. You might not get cross-platform control, but it functions in its own ecosystem. And with bridge hubs, even “non-Matter” devices often get exposed to Matter controllers anyway.
The smart home doesn’t have a “cliff” where devices stop working. They just get outpaced by newer options. That happens with all technology. Your iPhone 15 still makes calls even though the iPhone 17 exists.
Don’t let perfect future-proofing paralyze present enjoyment. A smart home you build today serves you today. One you’re “waiting to build” serves nobody.
My Overall Strategy for 2026
- Buy Thread/Matter-native for core categories (lights, plugs, sensors, locks).
- Use Zigbee with a bridging hub for budget sensors and niche devices.
- Buy the best-in-class camera/doorbell for your primary ecosystem.
- Ignore Matter for robot vacuums and appliances entirely.
- Run a hub that supports Matter bridging (Aqara M3, SmartThings, or Home Assistant) to future-proof everything else.
If you’re starting completely fresh, our how to start a smart home from scratch guide walks through the full process from zero to a functioning setup.
FAQ
Will my non-Matter devices become useless when Matter takes over?
No. Devices don’t stop working because a new protocol exists. Your Zigbee bulbs still turn on, your WiFi plugs still switch. You just might not get cross-platform control without a bridge. And Matter isn’t “taking over” in the sense that it makes old protocols obsolete. It coexists with them.
Is it worth paying more for Matter-certified versions of devices?
Usually yes, for devices in mature categories. The premium is often small ($5 to $15 more) and you get cross-platform compatibility, multi-admin, and future-proof integration. For cameras and vacuums where Matter doesn’t exist yet, there’s no “Matter version” to pay extra for.
Can manufacturers remove Matter support after I buy?
Technically possible but extremely unlikely. Matter certification is a selling point, and removing it would generate massive backlash. The certification is tied to the firmware, and downgrading firmware is unusual. Your device’s Matter support is effectively permanent once received.
Should I buy duplicates of devices to test Matter vs non-Matter?
No. That’s overcomplicating things. Buy one device, try it. If it works in your setup, great. If Matter adds value for your use case (multi-platform control, local operation), buy Matter-certified. If you only use one ecosystem and the non-Matter version is cheaper, the non-Matter version is fine too.
What if I’m building a new home right now?
Wire for the future (Ethernet to key locations, ensure good WiFi coverage) but buy devices available today. Thread/Matter for lights, plugs, sensors, and locks. Prewire for cameras but buy current-gen cameras knowing you might upgrade in 2 to 3 years when Matter cameras mature. Don’t leave your new home “dumb” waiting for perfect future tech.
Final Thought
The smartest approach in 2026 is pragmatic, not ideological. Buy Matter where it’s great (and it’s great for a lot of categories now). Don’t wait where it’s not ready. Bridge what falls in between. Your smart home should work for you today, not exist as a promise for tomorrow.