Imagine a world where your smart home devices actually work together, regardless of brand. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, Ikea just took a giant leap toward making that dream a reality with their groundbreaking new low-cost line of Matter-compatible devices. Get ready to seriously upgrade your smart home without breaking the bank!
Ikea's recent announcement is like a gift to smart home enthusiasts. They're rolling out a whole range of incredibly affordable, colorful devices that use Matter over Thread – meaning they'll play nice with practically any platform you choose. Think of it as the universal translator for your smart gadgets.
We're talking about 21 new products, including smart bulbs starting at an unbelievable £4 (US pricing is still hush-hush, building the suspense!) and remote controls from a mere £3. And Ikea didn't stop there. They've also upgraded their Dirigera hub to fully support Matter, acting as both a controller and a Thread border router. These goodies are slated to hit the US market starting in January, so mark your calendars!
This move isn't just about new gadgets; it's a fundamental shift toward a simpler, more open smart home experience. It's a massive vote of confidence in Matter from a major player, and it's fantastic news for us users. Finally, we can enjoy affordable, Matter-compatible devices that effortlessly integrate with our preferred smart home ecosystems.
David Granath, range manager at Ikea of Sweden, perfectly sums it up: "The baseline for the new products was shifting to a new technology — from Zigbee to Thread. But we also looked to make them more affordable, easier to use, and more interoperable." They're not just upgrading tech; they're making smart home tech more accessible to everyone.
So, how does this impact your smart home?
Essentially, Ikea's new Thread-based products are stepping in to replace their existing Zigbee lineup. This includes everything from smart plugs and sensors (contact, motion, leak, and air quality) to those all-important smart bulbs. The European launch is already underway, with the US getting its turn in January, followed by the lighting range in April. You can find the full list of new products and their features on The Verge website.
But the real stars of the show seem to be the new Bilresa remotes. These are the successors to the Trådfri remotes, but with a major upgrade: they can now control any compatible Ikea device, or even Matter devices and scenes. And one model even boasts a scroll wheel for easy brightness, volume, and shade adjustments! Plus, they come in a range of colors. "We did this to make it feel more like home furnishing," Granath explains. "But it also adds more function, because now you can easily identify which remote to use." No more fumbling in the dark to find the right remote!
The new Kajplats smart bulbs are also getting a boost. They boast better color accuracy and brightness compared to the older Trådfri line. The adjustable-white bulbs now reach up to a dazzling 1,521 lumens, while the color-changing E26 bulbs have a wider color spectrum and shine up to 1,100 lumens. Get ready for some seriously vibrant and customizable lighting.
And then there's the brand-new Timmerflotte temperature and humidity sensor. This little battery-powered device has a neat dot matrix display that shows you the current readings with a simple press of a button. The revamped Alpstuga indoor air quality sensor now includes CO2 monitoring and a more appealing design, complete with a clock. Form and function, all in one!
While we’re waiting with bated breath for US pricing, the UK prices offer a glimpse of the affordability to come. The remote control is expected to start at just £3 (around $4), and the most expensive item, the Alpstuga clock/IAQ monitor, is priced at £25 (around $33). To put that in perspective, a Thread button from Arre costs $25, and Amazon’s IAQ monitor is a hefty $70. This pricing is seriously disruptive.
Here's the part most people miss: These new Ikea devices are designed to work right out of the box, even without the Dirigera hub or a Matter controller. How? They use TouchLink, a Zigbee feature that allows for direct pairing, even though they communicate using Thread. This means you can connect the new smart bulbs to the new remotes without any extra equipment. And the best part? Everything is backward-compatible with Ikea's existing Zigbee products. Your old Trådfri lights and Fyrtur blinds will still work with the new remotes.
Of course, if you want to unlock the full potential of your smart home with automations and schedules, you can pair the new devices with the Dirigera hub and the Ikea Home Smart app, or any other Matter-compatible ecosystem like Apple Home or Google Home.
The Dirigera hub is now rocking Thread 1.4, which enables Thread credential sharing. When enabled, it seamlessly connects to your main Thread network, strengthening your smart home mesh instead of creating a separate one. Ikea is one of the first to adopt Thread 1.4, following Samsung SmartThings.
Previously, Dirigera acted only as a Matter bridge. But now, it's a full-fledged Matter controller. This means it can onboard Matter devices from other ecosystems into the Ikea Home Smart app, as long as they fall into categories where Ikea offers products (sensors, lights, and buttons, but not locks, robot vacuums, or appliances). Imagine pairing Philips Hue's Thread bulbs or Matter-over-Wi-Fi bulbs from other brands to the hub and controlling them all with Ikea's Adaptive Lighting feature. The possibilities are endless!
The hub also supports Matter 1.3, allowing energy and air quality data from devices like the Eve Energy smart plug or Eve Weather air quality monitor to be displayed in the Home Smart app. Ikea’s own smart plugs and IAQ sensors can also share their data with other Matter-compatible platforms.
What does this mean for Ikea?
This is a significant investment in the smart home arena for Ikea. They've been playing in the space for years, but it's never been a core focus. Granath explains that this was due to the complexity and confusion surrounding smart home technology, something they wanted to shield their customers from.
But Matter has changed the game with its promise of interoperability. "That’s the whole point of this journey," Granath states. "Removing the barriers so that in the end, customers don’t have to think about these things but can still enjoy the benefits."
Granath believes that this sets the stage for Ikea to move into a truly smart future. "This first step is laying the foundation to make the smart home successful. It needs to be affordable enough, simple enough, and interoperable," he says. "Matter allows us to get there — over time, at least."
He envisions a future where customers simply expect their home furnishings to be smart and responsive. "They will just expect to talk to my voice assistant and say ‘turn off the lights in the kitchen’ and have it happen," he says. And Ikea is ready to deliver on that promise. "I think we will get to that point rather soon, and we are well-positioned to have home furnishings that have superpowers."
What exactly is Matter, anyway?
Matter is an open-sourced, IP-based connectivity standard for smart home devices, backed by tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung. It operates over Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Thread.
Thread is a low-power, wireless mesh protocol that runs on the same 2.4GHz spectrum as Zigbee. It’s designed for low-power devices like sensors, bulbs, plugs, and shades. Thread devices can communicate directly with each other, the internet, and other networks via a Thread Border Router.
Today, Matter supports most major device types in the home, including lighting, thermostats, locks, robot vacuums, refrigerators, and more.
A smart home gadget with the Matter logo can be easily set up and used with any Matter-compatible ecosystem through a Matter controller and can be managed by multiple ecosystems simultaneously using a feature called multi-admin.
Major smart home players like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, Apple Home, and Ikea are all on board with Matter, along with hundreds of device manufacturers.
Ikea's entry into the Matter ecosystem is a game-changer. It promises to bring affordable, interoperable smart home technology to the masses. But here's where it gets controversial... Will other manufacturers be able to compete with Ikea's aggressively low pricing? Will this force them to innovate even faster, or will it stifle competition? And what about security concerns surrounding Matter – are they being adequately addressed as the standard gains widespread adoption?
What do you think? Is Ikea's move a win for the smart home industry, or are there potential downsides? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
