Smart home, built right.
Matter, Thread, Zigbee, and Z-Wave. Matter is not a radio.
Explainers that cross more than one standard live under Explainers and are tagged with each standard they cover.
Home Assistant · Guides & Tutorials
Turn Christmas lights on at sunset and off at bedtime in Home Assistant, with weekend schedules, away handling and a free blueprint you can import.
Platforms · Apple Home
Use Home Assistant with Apple Home in 2026: HomeKit Bridge for Siri, HomeKit Device for accessories, Matter sharing, Thread and the new Home architecture.
Buying guides · Sensors and switches
Five US outdoor smart plugs for Christmas lights compared on Home Assistant route, IP rating, LED load limits and GFCI needs. Research-based, with sources.
Buying guides · Lighting
Govee Christmas Lights 2, Twinkly Strings and Philips Hue Festavia compared on effects, outdoor ratings and what Home Assistant, Alexa, Google and Apple Home can control.
Buying guides · Radios
Which Thread border router to use with Home Assistant: ZBT-2, SMLIGHT, Apple TV, HomePod, Nest and Echo compared on compatibility, Thread 1.4 and price.
Buying guides · Radios
Which Zigbee coordinator to buy for Home Assistant: ZBT-2, SMLIGHT SLZB-06 and MR1, and Sonoff dongles compared on ZHA, Zigbee2MQTT, USB vs PoE and Thread.
Buying guides · Deals
Black Friday 2026 smart home picks by budget: outdoor plugs, Christmas lights, sensors and Thread hubs, with notes on which ones work locally in Home Assistant.
Buying guides · Ecosystems
Smart home gift ideas by budget, filtered by Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home and Matter, with no-subscription picks and notes on which ones grow into Home Assistant.
Standards · Matter
Stuck at 'Checking network connectivity'? Why Matter-over-Thread pairing fails in Home Assistant, IKEA's known issues, and a fix-it checklist in order.