The Best Smart Home Hubs for Matter and Thread in 2024

For years, building a smart home meant picking a team and sticking with it. Zigbee devices wouldn't talk to Wi-Fi bulbs; your Apple Home setup ignored everything that wasn't HomeKit-certified. Then came Matter and Thread — two standards that promised to tear down those walls. In 2024, they're finally delivering.

Matter is the universal language: a single protocol that lets any certified device talk to any Matter-compatible hub, regardless of brand. Thread is the mesh network underneath — low-power, self-healing, and fast. Together, they make a smart home that just works.1

But you still need a hub — a border router — to bridge Thread devices to your Wi-Fi network and run the Matter controller software. The good news: many of the best hubs are devices you might already own. Here are the ones we recommend.

The Top Picks at a Glance

Best for Apple Home: Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)

The hub that does it all — if you're all-in on Apple.

The second-generation HomePod is more than a fantastic smart speaker. It's a Thread border router and Matter controller rolled into one sleek fabric-wrapped package.1 Set it up, and every Thread-enabled device in your home — from Eve sensors to Nanoleaf bulbs — connects directly to your Apple Home ecosystem without needing extra bridges.

Sound quality is excellent, Siri is more capable than ever, and the built-in temperature and humidity sensor adds a bonus layer of home monitoring. The only catch: this is an Apple-only play. If your household uses Android or prefers Google Assistant, look elsewhere.

Who should buy: Apple users who want a single hub that doubles as a premium speaker.

Best for Google Home: Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen)

The smart display that runs your Google Home ecosystem.

Google's Nest Hub (2nd Gen) is a 7-inch smart display that pulls double duty as a Matter controller and Thread border router.2 It's the easiest way to bring Matter devices into Google Home, and the built-in display gives you visual controls, camera feeds, and at-a-glance info that a speaker alone can't match.

The Nest Hub also includes Soli radar for sleep sensing — a genuinely useful feature that tracks your sleep stages without wearing a watch. For Google-centric households, this is the hub to beat.

Who should buy: Google Home users who want a visual control panel and sleep tracking.

Best for Alexa: Amazon Echo (4th Gen)

The sphere that bridges Matter, Thread, and Zigbee.

Amazon's spherical fourth-gen Echo is a rare triple threat: it supports Matter, Thread, and Zigbee natively.3 That last one matters if you have older Zigbee devices — Philips Hue bulbs, Aqara sensors, or Amazon's own lineup — because the Echo can control them directly without a separate hub.

Alexa remains the most third-party-integration-friendly voice assistant, and the 4th Gen Echo's sound quality is surprisingly good for its size. If your smart home is a mix of old and new, this is the most future-proof choice.

Who should buy: Alexa users with a mix of Zigbee and Matter devices.

Best for Multi-Protocol Bridging: Aqara Hub M3

The bridge that connects your legacy Zigbee devices to Matter.

Not ready to replace all your existing Zigbee sensors? The Aqara Hub M3 is designed for exactly this scenario. It acts as a Thread border router and Matter bridge, translating Zigbee signals from Aqara and other compatible devices into Matter so they appear natively in Apple Home, Google Home, or Alexa.4

It's a niche product — you need to be invested in Aqara's ecosystem for it to make sense — but for those users, it's the cleanest path to Matter compatibility without replacing every sensor.

Who should buy: Aqara ecosystem users looking to bridge into Matter.

Best Discreet Hub: Apple TV 4K (with Ethernet)

The set-top box that quietly runs your smart home.

If you don't want a smart speaker or a dedicated hub box, the Apple TV 4K (with Ethernet) is the stealth option. It includes a Thread border router and Matter controller, and it's always on, always plugged in, and hidden behind your TV.5

The Ethernet version is essential — the Wi-Fi-only model lacks the Thread radio. Once set up, it serves as a rock-solid home hub for Apple Home, and it's the best Apple TV experience you can buy. Two birds, one box.

Who should buy: Apple users who want a hub without a speaker, and already use Apple TV.

Why Matter and Thread Actually Matter

Let's cut through the jargon.

Matter is the application layer — a common language that any certified smart home device can speak. Before Matter, a Philips Hue bulb spoke Zigbee, a Kasa plug spoke Wi-Fi, and a HomePod spoke only HomeKit. Matter unifies them under one standard.1

Thread is the network layer — a low-power, mesh-networking protocol designed for IoT. Unlike Wi-Fi, Thread devices can route traffic for each other, creating a self-healing mesh that doesn't bog down your home network. And unlike classic Zigbee, Thread is IP-based, meaning it talks directly to the internet without a proprietary bridge.1

Together, they solve the two biggest pain points in smart homes: interoperability (Matter) and reliability (Thread).

Buying Guide: How to Choose Your Hub

1. Pick your ecosystem first

Matter is universal, but your voice assistant and app experience are not. If you use Apple devices, get a HomePod or Apple TV. If you live in Google Home, get a Nest Hub. If you're an Alexa household, get an Echo. Mixing ecosystems is possible but adds friction.

2. Check for Thread

Not all Matter hubs include a Thread border router. The devices above all do — and that's what you want for the fastest, most reliable device responses.

3. Consider your legacy devices

If you have a drawer full of Zigbee sensors, the Amazon Echo (4th Gen) or Aqara Hub M3 will save you from replacing everything. If you're building from scratch, any of the Thread-native picks above will serve you well.

4. Don't overthink it

You might already own a compatible hub. Check your Apple TV, Nest Hub, or Echo before buying anything new. Matter and Thread are designed to work with what you have.

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