German Firms Join Home Assistant Certified List

Two German firms just turbocharged smart lighting with Home Assistant. Ubisys joined on April 23, 2026, and BEGA followed on May 5, 2026, adding a wave of certified devices to the Works with Home Assistant program. https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2026/04/23/ubisys-joins-works-with-home-assistant/ https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2026/05/05/bega-joins-works-with-home-assistant/

Ubisys has spent more than 20 years building Zigbee devices designed to retrofit existing spaces. The Düsseldorf‑born company, founded in 2005, emphasizes devices that can slot into homes without ripping out current setups. Its approach centers on Zigbee as the backbone, enabling a mesh network that runs locally and minimizes cloud reliance. Ubisys backs hardware with a five‑year warranty and long term software updates, a mix that keeps devices usable for years and aligns with Home Assistant’s emphasis on open, local control. In hands‑on terms, this is about turning retrofit projects into sustainable upgrades rather than disruptive overhauls. The company is also a noted contributor to the Zigbee ecosystem through active participation in the Connectivity Standards Alliance, which helps ensure its devices stay compatible as the standard evolves. https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2026/04/23/ubisys-joins-works-with-home-assistant/

BEGA, the long‑established German lighting maker, doubles down on the concept with BEGA Smart, a Zigbee‑powered system designed to work offline and without requiring an internet connection. BEGA brings what the company calls the largest single addition of certified devices in the program, a move that underlines a broader push toward open, local smart lighting control that still fits into high‑end architectural aesthetics. BEGA’s leadership frames the move as a way to blend high quality architectural lighting with intelligent control, delivering comfort, safety, and energy efficiency while staying usable when cloud services are unavailable. It’s a reminder that smart home tech can be top‑tier design without always tethering users to online services. https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2026/05/05/bega-joins-works-with-home-assistant/

The pair of announcements signals a deliberate push by Home Assistant to broaden its certified hardware with devices that emphasize offline operation and longevity. Zigbee’s mesh network makes the addition of retrofit devices especially meaningful for existing homes, where buyers want reliable local control without a wholesale device swap. Ubisys’ emphasis on long software support and a multi‑year warranty complements BEGA’s offline lighting focus, expanding the catalog of certified products that can operate without continuous internet access while still integrating into a single, open ecosystem. In practical terms, this means homeowners can improve energy efficiency and lighting quality without sacrificing privacy or resilience during internet outages. For those worried about cloud dependence, these entries illustrate a growing preference among manufacturers to design for durable, local control while still enabling centralized automation through Home Assistant. https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2026/04/23/ubisys-joins-works-with-home-assistant/ https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2026/05/05/bega-joins-works-with-home-assistant/

From a practitioner standpoint, the Ubisys move highlights retrofit as a viable path to modernizing older homes without tearing out wiring or fixtures, a trend that resonates with sustainability goals and cost control. The five‑year warranty and ongoing software updates reduce total cost of ownership, especially for devices that would otherwise be left to age in place. BEGA’s offline lighting strategy answers a frequent consumer pain point: dependence on cloud services for even basic tasks can feel risky as services evolve. The result is a more resilient lighting layer that still plays nicely with Home Assistant, a key consideration for designers and property managers who need predictable performance across both new builds and retrofits. Together, these moves reinforce a broader industry shift toward hybrid models that blend premium design, robust local control, and long‑term support. https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2026/04/23/ubisys-joins-works-with-home-assistant/ https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2026/05/05/bega-joins-works-with-home-assistant/

The net effect for consumers is a broader, more capable open ecosystem for smart lighting that respects design, prioritizes local control, and offers concrete, long‑term value. As the Works with Home Assistant library grows, both Ubisys and BEGA exemplify how manufacturers can deliver premium hardware without tying users to a fragile cloud backdrop. The trend is encouraging, even as buyers weigh if a given device layer is worth installing now or waiting for the next wave of certified lighting products to arrive. https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2026/04/23/ubisys-joins-works-with-home-assistant/ https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2026/05/05/bega-joins-works-with-home-assistant/