Comparison Tradfri, ZHA and Dirigera

[sldewit (Stephan de Wit)]

First I will start with a brief introduction of myself and my setup. I’m Stephan de Wit, Lead programmer in Industrial Automation and home automation is one of my hobbies.

In my home almost every light is controlled via Zigbee and most of it is currently connected to the Ikea Tradfri gateway. Most lights also are Ikea brand. Next to this I have a Sonoff Dongle-M for devices that don’t work with the Tradfri gateway. Recently I setup my SkyConnect dongle to work as a Thread border router combined with my Home Assistant instance for some new Thread based devices from Ikea.

In the past year(s) I’ve already tried a couple of times to migrate all my lights from Tradfri to the new Dirigera hub, but every time I was disappointed in the options of the Dirigera.
The biggest problem I still have with Dirigera compared to Trafdri has everything to do with autonomy.
In the Tradfri setup lights and remotes are bound to each other directly without intervention needed from the gateway.
However, when Dirigera is used all devices are bound to Dirigera and it will decide when lights go on/off. Meaning, if Dirigera is offline I’m left in the dark in my own home. Not a dependency I want to have in the lighting system.

To mitigate this problem I tried using ZHA to connect all my lights to my Home Assistant directly. Since ZHA allows for binding of Zigbee nodes to each other directly as well. But this feature is somewhat inconsistent and doesn’t always seem to play nice. In some cases also part of light groups go on and the rest stays off. So this is quite a buggy solution, so I decided not to go forward in this direction.

However, since the beginning of 2026 Ikea started with a completely new lighting product line which uses Matter over Thread in stead of Zigbee. And since they directly rendered the old system obsolete, there is no turning back now. Zigbee based “Tradfri” bulbs are no longer sold in store, or only the “Last Chance” selection.

Based on this development I’m re-considering the Dirigera approach, since this feels like best solution going forward. Also since the Matter over Thread solution doesn’t seem to have any local binding solutions as far as I could see now within Home Assistant.

I’m interested to know if there is anybody else presented with the same challenge and maybe there is another way to solve this or not.

[fleskefjes]

Consider ditching the Dirigera and consolidate every Zigbee device to the Sonoff. That way you get one, bigger mesh network, not two competing with each other. I haven’t tried binding in ZHA but my limited usage of it in Z2M works good.

@sldewit

However, since the beginning of 2026 Ikea started with a completely new lighting product line which uses Matter over Thread in stead of Zigbee. And since they directly rendered the old system obsolete, there is no turning back now. Zigbee based “Tradfri” bulbs are no longer sold in store, or only the “Last Chance” selection.

All the Kajplats bulbs and some of the devices (most, if not all? I haven’t checked every device) are actually Zigbee compatible even though IKEA doesn’t say so. You can pair them to Zigbee and skip Thread if you want to.

[Orange-GT3]

@fleskefjes

I haven’t tried binding in ZHA

I use binding in ZHA, primarily to bind Clipsal Wiser switches to Philips Hue down lights. It works well and since I use a PoE Zigbee coordinator, the light switches still act as intended when HA is offline.

[fleskefjes]

Great! Not sure where the PoE coordinator fits into the picture though? Isn’t the idea with binding that you can do commands between devices even with the coordinator down?

[sldewit (Stephan de Wit)]

Personally I had some issues in the past with Ikea 5 button remotes directly bound to multiple lightbulbs. Problem with the 5 key remote is it basically has 1 button that “toggles” lights on/off. In case a single toggle event was missed by a light they would be all out of sync. And unfortunately that happened in quite some cases. That is why I disconnected it all from ZHA and linked it back to Tradfri since that actually always worked…

[Orange-GT3]

@fleskefjes

Not sure where the PoE coordinator fits into the picture though? Isn’t the idea with binding that you can do commands between devices even with the coordinator down?

Hmmm, I might be wrong, but I thought the coordinator was needed. When HA is down, automations don’t run, obviously!

[fleskefjes]

Automations, sure they will not run since that is done in the software.

Binding is direct communication between for example a bulb and a switch. Binding | Zigbee2MQTT

[boheme61]

@sldewit

However, since the beginning of 2026 Ikea started with a completely new lighting product line which uses Matter over Thread in stead of Zigbee. And since they directly rendered the old system obsolete, there is no turning back now

Right, i started i think in December, considering what to do with my variety of Trådfri Devices in my “Ikea Network”, and just for a “precaution” i actually bought half a dozen trådfri-devices( Which they didn’t even had on “out-sale” prices, even now in late January Bastards).
Im sure many of the Pluggs/switches and hopefully Drivers/Buttons and motionsensors, will last many years (I hope!)
I Also like the idea of binding some devices directly, and that the Ikea Zigbee-Network always works, never had any problems, beside random desperation’s when pairing ( even through the hub with the features one can make their “limited i know” ), even if HA is down, without ofcause the functionality applied in HA.
Is the Ikea Hub/App too plain-simple and with annoyingly absent of features , Yes !
However i find that it , hopefully, can fill a function in many years ahead. doo to it’s Local-Only-Function, and the fact it’s been working for years without any problems

What i decided and still doing was to Narrow down the “Scope” of it’s Presence/Use to less “important” areas, so im preparing for it’s destiny slowly , I Still have an “Aqara-Network” so has obviously for long time considering ZHA, But i absolutely don’t feel in “hurry” to make any final decision’s

As You seems to have a more “acute” situation, You could “Start Small” , You don’t have to move all Devices to ZHA or Z2M, If you have Your Trådfri in the Ikea-Integration.

Ikea Trådfri seems to default choosing/build for Channel 10-11 , and starting your ZHA or Z2M on another Channel, not in “conflict” with Your WIFI( Slightly overlaps is not a big impact, if any )
If you also strategically, move your Ikea device to a part of your home, with the Controller-Hub, Wired close to that area, You will have “zerro to non” interference with your NEW Zigbee Network, Or you start you NEW network, in a small strategic area of your Home, and build it out over time( Think long term ), Room by Room, Area by Area, like when your vacuuming/cleaning, you don’t toss around randomly, spreading the dust, thou you don’t see it, like you don’t see the zigbee signals

Yes i did, unplugged and moved around alot device during a week or 2, the controller was already in a strategic place near the area of my choice, everything worked as usual. ( beside the dozen i still have “unplugged” on my livingroom table, Hopefully im done around springtime

Take Your time to plan, don’t hurry, you have no reasons, Take the Dirigera-Branch-Devices first and move them to your New Controller in ZHA or Z2M( covering the rest of your Home “Areas” ( I can’t recommend any of these, as i don’t have any experience there)

[sldewit (Stephan de Wit)]

@boheme61

@sldewit

However, since the beginning of 2026 Ikea started with a completely new lighting product line which uses Matter over Thread in stead of Zigbee. And since they directly rendered the old system obsolete, there is no turning back now

Right, i started i think in December, considering what to do with my variety of Trådfri Devices in my “Ikea Network”, and just for a “precaution” i actually bought half a dozen trådfri-devices( Which they didn’t even had on “out-sale” prices, even now in late January Bastards).
Im sure many of the Pluggs/switches and hopefully Drivers/Buttons and motionsensors, will last many years (I hope!)
I Also like the idea of binding some devices directly, and that the Ikea Zigbee-Network always works, never had any problems, beside random desperation’s when pairing ( even through the hub with the features one can make their “limited i know” ), even if HA is down, without ofcause the functionality applied in HA.
Is the Ikea Hub/App too plain-simple and with annoyingly absent of features , Yes !
However i find that it , hopefully, can fill a function in many years ahead. doo to it’s Local-Only-Function, and the fact it’s been working for years without any problems

What i decided and still doing was to Narrow down the “Scope” of it’s Presence/Use to less “important” areas, so im preparing for it’s destiny slowly , I Still have an “Aqara-Network” so has obviously for long time considering ZHA, But i absolutely don’t feel in “hurry” to make any final decision’s

As You seems to have a more “acute” situation, You could “Start Small” , You don’t have to move all Devices to ZHA or Z2M, If you have Your Trådfri in the Ikea-Integration.

Ikea Trådfri seems to default choosing/build for Channel 10-11 , and starting your ZHA or Z2M on another Channel, not in “conflict” with Your WIFI( Slightly overlaps is not a big impact, if any )
If you also strategically, move your Ikea device to a part of your home, with the Controller-Hub, Wired close to that area, You will have “zerro to non” interference with your NEW Zigbee Network, Or you start you NEW network, in a small strategic area of your Home, and build it out over time( Think long term ), Room by Room, Area by Area, like when your vacuuming/cleaning, you don’t toss around randomly, spreading the dust, thou you don’t see it, like you don’t see the zigbee signals

Yes i did, unplugged and moved around alot device during a week or 2, the controller was already in a strategic place near the area of my choice, everything worked as usual. ( beside the dozen i still have “unplugged” on my livingroom table, Hopefully im done around springtime

Take Your time to plan, don’t hurry, you have no reasons, Take the Dirigera-Branch-Devices first and move them to your New Controller in ZHA or Z2M( covering the rest of your Home “Areas” ( I can’t recommend any of these, as i don’t have any experience there)

Thanks for this advice. Luckily I’m not in a real “acute” situation, besides the fact that one of the lights that recently failed. For this light I did still have an old backup light, but they are starting to thin out.
I just want to be prepared in case lights do start to fail and I don’t have any back-ups anymore. .

But I’m still not a 100% sure on how to proceed with new devices from Ikea in the Thread based protocol.
Would be great if I could simply connect them to ZHA as someone indicated that should be possible.

[fleskefjes]

@sldewit

Would be great if I could simply connect them to ZHA as someone indicated that should be possible.

Nothing is stopping you from doing exactly that. They are listed as supported in Zigbee2MQTT and I read people have success pairing them with ZHA too. Zigbee2MQTT

[boheme61]

@sldewit

I just want to be prepared in case lights do start to fail and I don’t have any back-ups anymore.

When they do, Consider in-wall switches, and buy cheap-dumb-bulbs
almost optional brands, for New devices in ZHA/Z2M

[sldewit (Stephan de Wit)]

@fleskefjes

@sldewit

Would be great if I could simply connect them to ZHA as someone indicated that should be possible.

Nothing is stopping you from doing exactly that. They are listed as supported in Zigbee2MQTT and I read people have success pairing them with ZHA too. Zigbee2MQTT

Do you know how to get the new Ikea lights to go in pairing mode for zigbee?

[fleskefjes]

Do the power off / on dance twice as many times as for the Thread reset. I think it’s 12 for Zigbee, 6 for Thread?

[sldewit (Stephan de Wit)]

@fleskefjes

Do the power off / on dance twice as many times as for the Thread reset. I think it’s 12 for Zigbee, 6 for Thread?

Ok, I got the new Kajplats light to pair up with ZHA, only no brand/type indication. So also no update option. But this is probably just because they are new and not yet known in ZHA for the correct types?

Also the remote that came with the set does link up, but only has battery entity, no buttons what so-ever. But probably this is the same issue with unknown device still?

[fleskefjes]

@sldewit

Ok, I got the new Kajplats light to pair up with ZHA, only no brand/type indication. So also no update option. But this is probably just because they are new and not yet known in ZHA for the correct types?

I don’t use ZHA but you are probably correct on this.

@sldewit

Also the remote that came with the set does link up, but only has battery entity, no buttons what so-ever. But probably this is the same issue with unknown device still?

Go to the device page of the button and check the activity while you press the button. These actions are what you use to automate / control stuff.

[sldewit (Stephan de Wit)]

@fleskefjes

Go to the device page of the button and check the activity while you press the button. These actions are what you use to automate / control stuff.

If I go to the device page and click the buttons nothing really shows up. No event, no entity, nothing.

Identify option does make it blink its LED in the middle…

[fleskefjes]

I’m not good at Dutch, but doesn’t this say button pressed?

[sldewit (Stephan de Wit)]

Yes, it does. But it is the identify button from HA to the device itself.

But in the mean time I was able to locally bind the device to one of the new lights. So I’m able now to trigger the light with the remote and see/change status from Home Assistant.
Only thing that does not work, is the fact I don’t see the actions of the buttons at this point. But with my Tradfri setup the same thing applies. So that would not be a dealbreaker for me.

So there is result here in the end

[boheme61]

@sldewit

Also the remote that came with the set does link up, but only has battery entity, no buttons what so-ever. But probably this is the same issue with unknown device still?

I Doubt,I Believe this is “The Backside” of ikeas buttons/dimmers/remotes, i have 2x5-buttons remote, 5 Rodret , and 2 (on/of) swithes, don’t remember the name , All just turn up with Battery-Level ( device_class: battery )

Neither Buttons/Dimmers, register any activity in the Device Page, the only place “activity” is registret is on the devices they on/off, dimmning is not registert at all it seems

[sldewit (Stephan de Wit)]

Hmm, I guess you are partially correct indeed. Another Zigbee based remote also doesn’t show the button status. But when I press the button it does show two events, Turn on and Turn Off:

They are missing with the new remote