IKEA’s new Matter-compatible smart home line aims to lower the bar to entry

The Swedish furniture, lighting, and home decor retailer IKEA has announced it is revamping its smart home offerings. To that end, the company is launching 21 new smart home products. These products include new entries, as well as updates to existing categories.

According to IKEA, this refresh aims to make the smart home experience broader and better. All of the new products have been built to support the universal smart home standard Matter. Therefore, they should be compatible with a wider range of devices and platforms. To make the experience better, the company says it focused on making devices affordable and easy to use.

“Until now, smart home technology hasn’t been easy enough to use for most people — or affordable enough for many to consider,” says David Granath, IKEA’s range manager. “This launch brings us closer to helping everyone feel ready and confident to get started.”

For this launch, the new products all center around three key segments of the smart home: lights, sensors, and controls. However, the company says this is just the first step, and it plans to expand into new categories down the road. It also claims that this launch is the result of “years of development” and “testing in real homes.”

The company’s new KAJPLATS smart bulb range offers 11 variations across the series. The light bulbs differ in size, shape, lumen levels, and styles. These are split between four different product types.

• E27/E26: Standard globe shape, 60 mm diameter
• P45 E14: Compact profile, 45 mm diameter
• GU10: Directional spotlight
• Clear-glass decorative bulbs: White spectrum only (dimmable)

For smart sensors, there are five types of sensors being offered. These sensors are for motion, air quality, humidity, and water leakage.

• MYGGSPRAY: Motion sensor for indoor and outdoor use that automatically turns on lighting.
• MYGGBETT: Detects when a door or window is opened or closed.
• TIMMERFLOTTE: Temperature and humidity sensor.
• ALPSTUGA: Measures CO2, particles (PM2.5), temperature, and humidity to show the air quality in your home.
• KLIPPBOK: Detects water leaks and alerts you with a sound or through a notification on your phone.

The final set of devices includes remote controls and plugs. We have the GRILLPLATS smart plug and three BILRESA remote controls.

• BILRESA remote control with dual button: Used for switching lights on or off, adjusting brightness, changing color, or triggering a preset scene.
• BILRESA remote control with scroll wheel: A remote that lets you switch lights on or off, dim, change color, or control a group or preset scene with a turn.
• BILRESA Remote Control Kits (2x): One kit comes with three scroll wheels, while the other is a remote control with dual buttons.
• GRILLPLATS smart plug: Turns dumb appliances into smart appliances that you can control remotely.

Although IKEA claims that these products are designed to be affordable, the company has not disclosed the prices or availability. It appears that we’ll have to wait a little longer to discover just how much more affordable these products actually are.