AC Controllers Air Control Matter reviews

Tapo H110 IR Blaster and Hub w/Matter (review)

7th August 2025 The Editor 8 min read

Ever since Matter gave Apple Home users the opportunity to add IR blasters to their setup, I’ve been fortunate enough to test a few. It’s worth noting that IR blasters already had limited compatibility through certain devices used to control air conditioners, such as those from Tado, Sensibo, Aqara and others. However, controlling anything beyond that was previously possible only through third-party apps, not Apple Home.

Tapo’s H110 is certainly not the first device to offer this kind of functionality, but it is the first to also act as a hub for its own sensors, buttons and switches. Nature, a company from Japan, offers the Remo Nano and Remo Lapis – both of which I’ve reviewed (videos HERE, review HERE (Nano only)) – but these are limited to IR devices only, which is actually sufficient for most users. SwitchBot took a slightly different approach by creating a more traditional remote control, while also adding the ability to control SwitchBot devices, along with four buttons that can trigger devices, scenes or automations directly in Apple Home.

What’s interesting about Tapo’s hub functionality is that, unlike Aqara or Hue which use Zigbee, or SwitchBot which relies on Bluetooth, Tapo uses a sub-1GHz radio frequency to connect to its child devices. This helps keep the 2.4GHz band much freer than it might otherwise be. It all sounds promising so far, although there is one fly in the ointment. To find out more, you can also watch our video overview of this product if you prefer, or read on…

PACKAGING | CONTENTS

I purchased the H110 from Amazon Japan, which explains the Japanese packaging, as it wasn’t available elsewhere at the time and isn’t sold in the US. It is now available in Amazon stores across Europe, excluding the UK. As you can see, this is Matter-compatible, but it also works with Alexa, Google, SmartThings, IFTTT and Siri Shortcuts. Apple Home isn’t listed here, Apple Home isn’t listed here, as IR blasters fall under Matter’s purview, not HomeKit.

What differentiates the H110 from the IR blaster function in something like the Aqara M3 is that, while both expose their respective AC controls to Apple Home, only the H110 exposes other IR devices you add to it, like TVs, fans, amplifiers etc.

In the box, aside from the Tapo H110, you get a manual (this one is in Japanese of course), a sticker for wall mounting the unit, although there is another mounting option if you prefer, which I’ll reveal shortly. THere’s a USB-A to USB-C cable and some social media documentation. A USB power supply is not included.

Given that the H110 also serves as a hub for other Tapo devices, I chose to purchase a temperature and humidity sensor. This one was also bought from Japan, as different regions use different frequency ranges for sub-1GHz wireless, and it made sense to get a sensor that would be compatible. I had previously bought a US version of this sensor, but had read it wouldn’t work with the Japanese hub. Fortunately, it does, as there’s some overlap between the frequency ranges used in North America and Japan. If I had purchased a sensor from Europe, however, it wouldn’t have worked with the Japanese H110, as Europe uses a non-overlapping range.

This sensor features an e-ink screen that is very clear and easy to read. It runs on two AAA batteries and can either sit on a shelf or be mounted to a wall using the included double-sided stickers.

THE TAPO H110

The Tapo H110 isn’t especially large, but if you choose to mount it on a wall, it may stick out (visually speaking) due to the prominent black front/top section. Of course, you can simply place it on a shelf instead. The large black front section houses the IR transmitter, so the surface is translucent to allow signals to pass through. The front is minimal, featuring only the Tapo logo, while the rear includes rubber feet to prevent it sliding on horizontal surfaces. If you decide to wall-mount it, you can use the adhesive sticker mentioned earlier, or opt for two screws or nails to slot into the mounting holes on the back. As the device requires a constant power supply, the USB-C port is located on the underside. This means that if you wall-mount it, you’ll have a visible trailing cable.

THE TAPO APP

To use the H110, you’ll need the Tapo app, which also requires setting up an account – this is free, of course. As you can see from the first screenshot, I’ve already added a few devices: a couple of Tapo temperature and humidity sensors, three different IR devices (AC, fan, and TV), and the H110 itself. The second screenshot shows that the H110 can also act as a chime, although this function only works with other Tapo devices, such as their video doorbells, cameras, or sensors. The app also supports automations and scenes, although I personally prefer to handle those through Apple Home. The third screenshot displays how connected devices are grouped by category – in this case, sensors and IR remotes.

The H110 has a dedicated settings page where you can adjust various options, including the status of the LED, which is white and normally always on. You can also access firmware updates, as well as ‘Smart Actions’, which typically involve the chime working in conjunction with other Tapo devices. There is a section labelled ‘Connection’, with ‘Light’ as the only available option. This may refer to the category under which IR devices are exposed to Matter platforms. As you’ll see later, all IR devices set up with the H110 appear as lights in Apple Home – which is less than ideal. More on that shortly.

One important reason to use the Tapo app is to expose the H110 to your Matter platform of choice. The device itself doesn’t come with a Matter code, so the app is required to generate one. As I have a couple of Tapo sensors connected, you can also view graphical data for both temperature and humidity readings over time.

As with most devices and apps that support IR functionality, adding an IR device gives you access to a fairly comprehensive user interface. In the examples above, there are full UIs for an AC, a fan and a TV. It’s important to understand that nothing like these interfaces will appear in Apple Home – and likely never will. AC control in Apple Home follows the standard for this category, but as you’ll see later, other IR devices are limited to basic on/off control.

IN APPLE HOME

In Apple Home, I’ve exposed all the previously mentioned devices – two sets of sensors, the AC controller, a fan, and a TV. The tile for the AC, simply labelled ‘AC’, shows only the target temperature the unit will be set to, not the current room temperature, as the H110 doesn’t contain any built-in sensors, which is typical of most dedicated AC controllers. The controls available follow the basics for ACs in Apple Home, allowing you to adjust the target temperature and set the AC to one of three modes – off, cool, or heat.

The Tapo sensors display their respective readings as you’d expect from any sensor, with temperature and humidity shown on separate screens. As you can see, I’ve labelled them ‘US’ or ‘JP’ to indicate which sensors are which.

As previously mentioned, the IR devices added to the H110 are exposed to Apple Home as lights, which is a bit frustrating but doesn’t meaningfully affect how they’re controlled. Typically, IR devices exposed to Apple Home via Matter appear as power outlets, which can then be displayed as one of three categories – a smart plug, a fan, or a light. Either way, you only get basic on/off control. So, while the representation in the Apple Home app may not look quite right, the devices can still be controlled in the same way, albeit in a limited fashion.

As these devices use IR for control, just like any standard IR remote, the H110 must be within both visual and signal range of the devices it is intended to operate. If you want to control multiple air conditioners, for example, you would typically need one H110 per AC unit, unless you have more than one AC in the same room. This is simply the nature of IR blasters – beyond the occasional signal bouncing off walls to reach its target, the H110 generally needs direct line-of-sight to function properly.

That said, if you have a TV, a fan, and an AC in the same room, you are still getting better value than if the TV and fan were connected to smart plugs, especially when factoring in the added benefit of AC control. So, in that sense, you are still making a worthwhile investment.

IN USE

I’ll start by saying that this won’t be used in my own smart home, but only because I already have my ACs covered when it comes to smart control. For the price of around €20 – and sometimes even less – this is an absolute bargain for controlling your AC, especially when compared to the Sensibo Air, which is staggeringly overpriced at €139.00 (on Amazon.es). Added to that, unlike Sensibo and other dedicated AC controllers, the H110 also acts as a hub for its own range of sensors, and can expose other IR devices to Apple Home – not just your AC.

On that last point, it is a pity that Tapo chose to expose IR devices as lights rather than outlets, but assuming you plan to control them using automations or Siri, it’s not the end of the world.

All in all, I don’t have a bad word to say about the Tapo H110, and I hope it will be released in North America as well, so all our readers can take advantage of this highly affordable device.