IKEA marketed Dirigera as the Matter-ready future of their smart home ecosystem. After six months, I'm disappointed. The promised Matter support is limited, the app is worse than TRADFRI, and the hub adds problems instead of solving them.
Design & Build
A white disc that looks like a smoke detector or flying saucer. It's larger than it needs to be and doesn't blend well with most home decor - ironic for IKEA.
Requires Ethernet and power. The cable management is awkward with two cables running to one device.
Build quality is typical IKEA - functional plastic, nothing special.
Features
Dirigera was supposed to bring Matter support to IKEA smart home devices. In practice, the Matter implementation is severely limited:
- Not all IKEA devices work with Matter through Dirigera
- Many devices are exposed to Matter with limited functionality
- HomeKit integration through Matter is buggy
The IKEA Home Smart app replaced the old TRADFRI app with something worse. Slow loading, confusing navigation, limited automation options.
Thread border router built-in should be useful, but implementation issues undermine it.
Many users (myself included) have better luck connecting IKEA devices directly to Home Assistant via Zigbee, bypassing Dirigera entirely.
Performance
Device control through the app is slow - 2-3 seconds delay is common. The TRADFRI gateway was faster.
Automations sometimes don't trigger. Scheduled events occasionally fail without logging why.
Matter device exposure to HomeKit is unreliable. Devices show "No Response" frequently despite working in the IKEA app.
Firmware updates have been slow to address issues. IKEA's software development pace doesn't match the promise of Matter.
Ease of Use
Migrating from TRADFRI gateway to Dirigera was painful. Devices had to be re-paired, automations recreated, and some features were lost.
The IKEA Home Smart app is frustrating to navigate. Basic tasks require multiple taps through confusing menus.
Matter setup - the whole point of Dirigera - is complicated and unreliable. I spent hours trying to get devices working in HomeKit.
Value
Around $60. But the value is negative if it makes your smart home worse.
Users with existing TRADFRI setups should stick with that gateway. New IKEA smart home users should consider whether IKEA's ecosystem is worth entering at all.
Connecting IKEA Zigbee devices directly to Home Assistant or another Zigbee hub works better than using Dirigera.
Pros
- Thread border router built-in
- Supports IKEA Zigbee devices
- Matter support exists (limited)
- IKEA pricing
Cons
- Matter implementation is poor
- App is slow and confusing
- Worse than the gateway it replaced
- Unreliable HomeKit integration
- Slow firmware updates
- Better alternatives exist
Final Grade
The IKEA Dirigera Hub is a disappointment. The Matter promise - seamless integration with any smart home ecosystem - falls flat with limited device support and buggy implementation. The app is worse than TRADFRI. Automations are unreliable. If you have IKEA smart home devices, you're better off using a proper Zigbee coordinator with Home Assistant. If you're starting fresh, consider whether IKEA's smart home ecosystem is worth the frustration. Dirigera represents everything wrong with rushed Matter implementations.