IKEA’s long-awaited push into low-cost Matter smart home is off to a shaky start, with widespread reports of pairing failures and unreliable connections across major smart home platforms.

The new range, which includes smart bulbs, plugs, buttons and sensors, is IKEA’s first to ditch Zigbee in favour of Matter-over-Thread.

In theory, that should mean simple setup and broad compatibility with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Samsung SmartThings, without needing IKEA’s own Dirigera hub.

But in practice, many users are struggling just to get devices online.

US outlet The Verge reports consistent onboarding problems during testing, managing to successfully pair only two out of six devices – and only after multiple attempts.

One smart bulb took seven tries to connect, while several sensors refused to pair at all, even with IKEA’s own hub. Similar complaints have flooded the r/Tradfri subreddit and product reviews on IKEA’s website.

Some reports are particularly stark. One Reddit user claimed only 31 out of 60 IKEA Bilresa smart buttons successfully connected, a failure rate of nearly 50%. Others say devices initially pair, then drop off the network days or weeks later.

The issues don’t appear to be limited to a single ecosystem. Users report failures across Apple, Google and Amazon platforms, suggesting the problem may lie with IKEA’s implementation of Matter-over-Thread rather than a specific app or controller.

In a statement, IKEA acknowledged the problems.

David Granath, IKEA’s range manager for smart home, said the company is “aware that some customers are experiencing connection issues when setting up their devices in certain home environments” and is investigating.

He added that a dedicated team is working with ecosystem partners and the Connectivity Standards Alliance to identify and resolve the faults.

The timing is awkward for IKEA in Australia. The company has confirmed its new Matter-compatible smart sensors began rolling out locally in January 2026, with smart bulbs due to follow in April.

The rollout highlights ongoing challenges with Thread networks, particularly in homes with multiple border routers from different brands.

While Matter has matured significantly over the past year, large-scale deployments like IKEA’s can still expose real-world issues that lab testing misses.