Ikea is known for assemble-it-yourself furniture and affordable home goods. That same DIY simplicity that’s a cornerstone of the Swedish brand is now being applied to an entirely new product category — the smart home.
Soon, Ikea will be rolling out a new line of connected home products, starting with smart lighting. Its new lighting options include light bulbs as well as LED light panels that can come built right into Ikea cabinets and bookcases.
All of the products will communicate with each other using built-in ZigBee radios — the same standard used by Philips Hue and other popular lighting products. Buyers will need to sync their bulbs with an Ikea ZigBee hub that plugs into a Wi-Fi router. From there, you’ll be able to control the lights from your phone, or setup schedules so that they can turn on and off automatically.
As with all of its furniture and accessories, Ikea aims to make its smart home products as accessible as possible. A standalone 980 lumen E27 Trådfri bulb will run for 199 kr, or around $22.68. Ikea is also offering a variety of bundles, including a motion sensor set (249 kr / $28.39) and a light with remote set (299 kr / $34.09). These will all work with the companion app and gateway controller (sold separately at 249 kr / $28.39). Look for Ikea’s new smart home products in stores on March 31st.
