IKEA Just Released An Easy Way To Upgrade Your Smart Home On A Budget

Furniture shopping is as stressful as it is exciting. One bad purchase and you could be stuck with a creaking bed. Having a virtually unlimited budget helps, but for most of us, the challenge is finding the right balance between durability and price. IKEA has long been the go-to furniture store when affordability is a top priority, but did you know you can find highly rated gadgets at IKEA as well? Products like coffee makers, smart plugs, and air purifiers sit in IKEA's expanding catalog.

Late last year, the Swedish giant announced the launch of 21 new smart home devices. Though IKEA has already been selling useful items like smart bulbs for years, they haven't been the most elegant in terms of compatibility. This new lineup of devices brings support for the Matter standard while maintaining the familiar aesthetic and ease of installation you find with IKEA's other products.

We have new entries in the lighting department, in addition to five sensors that cover everything from air quality to motion detection. Being Matter-compatible is huge, since these sensors can now talk to and control other Matter-supported devices in your home. IKEA sells its own smart hub, but you won't need it if you already own a Matter controller, like an Apple HomePod speaker. Pricing, as always, is a big reason you might want to go the IKEA route if you're looking to upgrade your home into a smart one.

IKEA's refreshed catalog covers a few smart home essentials. For lighting, the Kajplats smart bulb series will come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You have standard and compact profile light bulbs, in addition to directional spotlights and clear-glass decorative globes. There are different lumen levels in each style, including dimmable and color-changing options. 

There are also new ways to control your IKEA devices. The Bilresa remote control comes in two styles — one with a dual-button configuration for $5.99 and another with a scroll wheel that costs a little extra. Then there's the upcoming Grillplats smart plug that can convert any old appliance into a smart one. The exciting part of the new catalog, though, is the new range of sensors.

Timmerflotte is a $9.99 temperature and humidity sensor with a digital display and a button to cycle between the readings. Door and window sensors can be extremely handy for security purposes. At $7.99, Myggbett is one of the cheapest Matter-supported solutions. You can also use it in closets and have it control lights when a wardrobe is opened or closed. Likewise, the $7.99 Myggspray motion sensor detects presence and can be used to activate other smart devices.

For the same price, Klippbok is a water leak sensor that can be used for appliances like a dishwasher or a washing machine. Alpstuga, at $29.99, is comparatively expensive but is a self-sufficient air quality sensor with a digital display.