- Home
- Smart Home
Get ready for more affordable, user-friendly smart home IKEA gadgets
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: IKEA)
- Copy link
- X
- Threads
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletterAt the start of this year, IKEA unveiled an affordable new smart home gadget range comprising various sensors, remote controls, and lightbulbs – all Matter-compatible. At the same time, we saw smart home features added to iconic product lines, such as the Varmblixt donut lamp.
I got a sneak preview of the new range at CES in January, and afterwards I caught up with David Granath, Range Manager for Lighting and Home Electronics at IKEA, to find out more about the brand's longer-term smart home plans.
You may like-
The 5 best gadgets IKEA announced at CES 2026 – including a smart version of my favorite lamp
-
IKEA exec shares the secrets behind the brand's new-and-improved donut lamp
-
IKEA’s upgraded donut lamp is already my favorite smart home device of the year — here are 5 reasons why
The rebooted Matter-compatible smart home range comprises 21 new gadgets, almost all of which are under $10 / £10. There's a remote control range, motion sensors for doors and windows, water leaks, humidity and temperature, air quality, plus a smart plug and various smart bulbs. Some are already available to buy, and others will become available from April.
Those are all standalone smart products, but smart features are also making their way into existing products – although never just for the sake of it.
David calls out the newly-smart VARMBLIXT donut lamp as being a great example of the brand's approach, saying it'll only be used "in the places where it genuinely improves a product".
Don't expect IKEA to be turning its back on its home décor roots, either – it's approaching smart functionality as an extension possibility rather than a new category. "In the long term we don't really see smart products as a segment at all," reveals David.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inboxContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over."We're still a home furnishing company, it's just that adding smart functionality has now become affordable enough so that we can give our products superpowers. Long term we think that we have the opportunity to improve life at home quite a bit."
Simple, affordable, relevant
Some of the new sensors were previously available in older ranges, but an all-important upgrade here is that the new versions are Matter-compatible. Working with the universal Matter standard was essential to IKEA's smart home vision. "It removes one of the biggest barriers to getting started with a smart home," says David.
Matter-compatibility means customers don't have to spend time and effort understanding standards and ecosystems, or making sure X product works with Y hub; the products will connect and just work.
"For us, Matter is an important step in making smart homes simpler and more affordable, and therefore relevant to more people," he adds.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course, you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube and TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.
Ruth HamiltonSocial Links NavigationHomes EditorRuth is TechRadar's Homes Editor specializing in air (vacuum cleaners, fans, air purifiers), and hair (hair dryers, straighteners and stylers). She has been in consumer journalism since 2020, reviewing and writing about everything from outdoor kit to mattresses and wellness gadgets, with stints on Tom's Guide and T3.
View MoreYou must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
Logout Read more
The 5 best gadgets IKEA announced at CES 2026 – including a smart version of my favorite lamp
IKEA’s upgraded donut lamp is already my favorite smart home device of the year — here are 5 reasons why
"It does look like a giant donut": IKEA's latest Varmblixt smart light is a viral sensation, but it's not the only show-stopping product coming in 2026
IKEA just revealed a new donut-shaped smart light – and it'll look sweet on your tables or walls
Color us impressed – IKEA reveals 6 bold new Bluetooth speakers and lamps
This IKEA donut lamp has invaded my dreams, and now I want nothing but to own 12 of them
Latest in Smart Home
IKEA exec shares the secrets behind the brand's new-and-improved donut lamp
The great Belkin Wemo shutdown is happening tomorrow – here's what to do
Aura Aspen vs Pexar Starlight: which photo frame will make your wall shine?
The Philips Hue Flourish table lamp is getting an upgrade to take on IKEA
Of all the new 2026 robot lawn mowers, these are the 3 I'm most excited to try out
The 3 biggest lies robot vacuum brands are telling us, by a professional tester
Latest in News
'A bet for the future of cybersecurity' – Nord Security hits 400 patents as race for solutions against next-gen threats heats up
'Companies that are not set up to quickly adopt AI workers will be at a huge disadvantage': OpenAI Sam Altman warns firms not to fall behind on AI - but notes 'it’s going to take a lot of work and some risk'
More than 40,000 WordPress sites affected by new malware flaw - find out if you're affected
AMD CEO assures us that Steam Machine is on track to ship 'early this year'
A next-gen Xbox could be here in 2027, but Microsoft's in a rough spot
IKEA exec shares the brand's big smart home plans
LATEST ARTICLES- 1The most expensive Pi yet - 'unprecedented rise' in RAM pushes Raspberry Pi prices to their highest level ever, pushing it out of reach of schools and kids
- 2How to turn off the dreaded ‘soap opera’ effect on your TV
- 3Even McDonald's thinks you need to change your passwords - especially if they're burger-related
- 4’What will people do in the year 2050, given the enormous intellectual power computers are likely to have?’: The man Google calls the spiritual father of AI asked big questions in 1991 — 35 years later, we’re still wrestling with the answers
- 5It's Bridgerton! It's Medieval Dynasty! No, it's The Sims 4 Royalty and Legacy, and I think it’s the best of both worlds
