3rd Reality Matter Nightlight. Working well, but you want to use their app during Fabric commissioning so that you get their firmware updates.
WORST!!!!
Meross Outlets.... Lots of difficulties commissioning to both Homekit and onboarding to Hubitat. Frequent dropoffs even after power cycling. Perhaps they'll fix it with a firmware update. In the mean time, AVOID....
Nanoleaf Matter String Lights. Big Nanoleaf fan. Have lots of shapes/elements running with hubitat. The Matter string lights have largely been a disappointment. Initial commissioning to Homekit and onboarding to Hubitat was quick and easy. The problem? They fall off and roll back to BLE making them not responsive in Hubitat and Homekit. Maybe after an hour or 2 or sometimes 24 they'll reattach to the Matter fabric. Their tech support has been largely uncommunicative and only responding with canned messages. I advise to avoid for now. Nanoleaf is a very high quality product but currently Matter for them is a bust. Hopefully fixed by firmware update. (I currently run 1.22) A temporary solution as suggested by others is to plug them into a smart plug until the issue is resolved if you've already purchased.
I have 2 Meross smart plugs, UK versions.
Yes, it was a nightmare trying to pair these devices even to the app.
I updated the firmware first in the app.
I eventually added it to Google Home and it was easy to add to Hubitat using the code.
Since then, it's been working great with no issues.
Worst - Nanoleaf Essentials LED Strip. I have 2x of them, and they both are so bad in terms of being unresponsive on the Matter fabric that I now just turn them on/off with smart outlets like dumb LED strips (which works perfectly for me as TV bias lighting, so I'm happy enough for now).
I expect Nanoleaf will figure it out/fix the firmware eventually. But for now I wouldn't recommend them.
EDIT: Another side note on the nanoleaf... If you factory reset the device, it doesn't seem to clear out the Matter pairings like it is supposed to.
So if you are testing things/different Thread fabrics, etc you can quickly get it to a point in which it won't add to Matter at all anymore... Admittedly, the average user wouldn't end up here, but thought it was worth mentioning anyway.
Only one experience so far and it hasn’t been the best… Trying to setup an Aqara P2 contact sensor with either an Eero 6Pro or Echo 4th Gen. The latter never detected the device.
The Eero did detect it, but wouldn’t allow the process to complete within the Alexa app. A long time spent with Amazon support ended with their recommendation that I return the Aqara sensor which I did. Will be trying it again with another device as soon as I have one available.
Caveat: I've only had experience w/Tapo Matter/Wi-Fi plugs.
Best (use): Tapo - once installed/setup have been very solid.
Worst (on-boarding): Google Home/Tapo - not sure if this is the fault of Google Home or Tapo (or both), but on-boarding has been a royal pain for me. Have to reboot my phone before adding each one of the four Tapo plugs I have, and the process ends on a hung screen in the Google Home app, looks like it failed yet it is successful. Details of all the "fun" here...
I've done at least 50 Matter pairings at this point on Alexa and Google [I don't have any Apple compatible hubs].
Some on commercial devices, and a large number on my self-made Matter devices during testing.
Alexa is much more consistent on pairing than Google is. Much more. Google does "things" sometimes that aren't really explainable by me. Don't get me wrong - it usually works, but sometimes it just doesn't...
I've got two. One installed in the garage to play music when I'm out there, other still in its box as wife doesn't want any more "things listening to me" in the house. Since we're primarily a Google/Android house I wanted to start off using GH in my testing.
I wonder if it is the Android device that also plays a factor. I've got lots of Nest Hubs and Maxes around the house, but use an iPhone and Apple TVs for Homekit. I've had no issues with Google Home going first or Apple Home.
Yeah, I wondered that, but I have a very standard Galaxy S21 running nothing unusual. Maybe I'll reset and re-join one of the plugs using an iPhone I have, and see if that behaves any differently w/the GH/GH app.
Here's Nanoleaf's advice, in case it helps anyone else:
Instructions for users with one (1) Google Home device:
Step 1: Simultaneously power cycle both the Google Home and the Nanoleaf Essentials devices. They should restart within 2-3 minutes of each other.
Step 2: After the restart, verify that the Nanoleaf Essential devices are reachable. Confirm controllability using Google Home.
Step 3: Remove the Essentials device from Google Home but please ensure the device is controllable before removal, as premature removal will necessitate a device reset.
Step 4: Pair again with the Essentials device using a seamless setup. At this stage, Google Home should have all the necessary information to connect to our Essentials across sessions.
Instructions for users with multiple Google Home devices:
Step 1: Disconnect the power supply from all Google Home devices.
Step 2: Reconnect the power supply to one Google Home device which has the closest proximity to the Nanoleaf Essentials device.
Step 3: Power cycle the Nanoleaf Essentials devices.
Step 4: After the restart, confirm that Nanoleaf Essential devices are reachable and ensure the device is controllable using Google Home.
Step 5: Remove the Essentials device from Google Home paying special attention to the step before, and ensuring the device is controllable before removal. Premature removal will necessitate a device reset.
Step 6: Pair again with the Essentials device using a seamless setup and again, at this stage, Google Home should have all the necessary information to connect to our Essentials across sessions.
Aw, come on. My Nanoleaf Essentials Light Strips work great now that I just operate them with a smart outlet to turn them on/off.
All Nanoleaf bashing aside - I agree. For now it is a no buy (specifically on the Matter versions). I am optimistic they'll get the kinks worked out over time though.
