IKEA has officially announced an ambitious expansion of its smart home ecosystem, unveiling twenty‑one new Matter‑over‑Thread devices that dramatically elevate the brand’s interoperability with a broad spectrum of technologies. According to the company, these products are specifically engineered to function seamlessly across multiple platforms and brands, significantly simplifying the process for customers who wish to construct a cohesive, interconnected home environment. The wide‑ranging collection encompasses not only brand‑new innovations but also thoughtful upgrades to existing devices—each introducing enriched functionality and refined performance enhancements.
This new suite of products does not emerge in isolation. It builds upon a long‑anticipated vision that was first outlined by IKEA’s David Granath during an exclusive interview earlier this year, when he teased the forthcoming lineup and reaffirmed IKEA’s dedication to the Matter smart home standard. That standard—originally promised alongside the debut of the Dirigera hub in May 2022—represents a pivotal framework designed to allow smart devices from different manufacturers to communicate without friction. Although support for Matter was delayed far beyond initial expectations, the beta phase finally rolled out in March 2024, marking a critical turning point for IKEA’s smart home ecosystem. Over the following months, the company advanced a software update enabling users to transform the Dirigera hub into a functional bridge, seamlessly linking IKEA’s legacy Zigbee‑based products with newly introduced Matter‑ready devices.
Earlier this year, IKEA took another decisive step forward by updating the Dirigera hub to operate as a full‑fledged Matter controller. This important upgrade allows owners to integrate Matter devices from a variety of other brands directly into IKEA’s Home Smart app, effectively consolidating control within a single, user‑friendly platform. With these updates completed, the company expects the first wave of Matter‑compatible products to begin appearing in select markets as early as this month. For customers in the United States, IKEA has established a staggered rollout: smart remotes and sensors are slated to arrive in stores beginning January 2026, while the new line of smart bulbs will follow in April of the same year. In preparation for these launches, IKEA is already issuing simultaneous updates to both its hub firmware and its companion app, officially activating the Matter controller functionality for all users worldwide.
At the forefront of the new releases stands the Kajplats series—an elegantly streamlined collection of eleven distinct smart bulbs designed for intuitive differentiation and simplified selection. These include standard 60mm E27/E26 globe bulbs, compact 45mm P45 E17/E14/E12 models suited for smaller fixtures, and GU10 directional spotlights. Each variant will be available in either dimmable white‑spectrum or vibrant color‑changing configurations, providing ample adaptability for different lighting moods and contexts. Customers seeking a more decorative aesthetic will appreciate the clear vintage‑style bulbs—available in three sizes up to 95mm—which, while limited to white spectrum lighting, exude a warm, minimalist charm characteristic of Scandinavian design. Crucially, despite IKEA’s strategic move toward the newer Matter‑over‑Thread protocol and away from Zigbee, these bulbs retain backward compatibility. They continue to function with older IKEA wireless remotes and can even be operated independently of the Home Smart app or Dirigera hub, an appealing option for those preferring a simplified setup without digital intermediation.
Complementing the new lighting options are the Bilresa wireless remotes—innovatively redesigned to favor universality over product‑specific pairing. As previously rumored, IKEA is releasing two models: a minimalist dual‑button version and a more sophisticated variant featuring a tactile scroll wheel. Both versions empower users to control lighting brightness with precision, yet their versatility extends beyond illumination management. For instance, with a simple switch between preset groups via a small underside button, the scroll‑wheel model can seamlessly transition from adjusting ambient light temperature to modifying the volume on a connected smart speaker. To accommodate user preferences, IKEA will offer these remotes individually or in coordinated tri‑color packs—red, green, and beige—allowing customers to assign functions by color coding and instantly recognize which remote governs which device group.
The new Grillplats smart plug expands the concept of controllability to virtually any lamp or small electronic appliance. Beyond enabling remote on‑off functionality, it introduces energy‑monitoring capabilities, providing insights into power consumption and enabling more sustainable, cost‑conscious household management. This emphasis on efficiency and awareness aligns perfectly with IKEA’s broader mission of promoting environmentally responsible living through accessible technology.
IKEA is also enhancing the sensory intelligence of its ecosystem with five new sensors collectively intended to enrich automation and environmental awareness within the home. The Myggspray sensor combines indoor and outdoor motion detection capabilities, ideal for automatically triggering lighting upon entry or movement. The Myggbett sensor monitors the opening and closing of doors or windows, instantly activating connected lights or dispatching notifications to alert users of activity. Meanwhile, the compact Klippbok water‑leak sensor—small enough to slide unobtrusively beneath appliances—issues warnings through both smartphone alerts and a self‑contained audible alarm, helping to prevent costly water damage.
Two additional sensors continue the trend toward granularity and precision. The Timmerflotte, shaped like a small puck, measures both temperature and humidity and displays its readings using a crisp pixelated LED interface. This dual sensor can assist households in maintaining consistent thermal comfort, particularly across multi‑story residences where the primary thermostat may not fully reflect conditions in distant rooms. The Alpstuga, which aesthetically resembles a minimalist alarm clock, incorporates an advanced air quality monitor capable of assessing CO₂ concentration and detecting fine airborne particles (PM2.5). It also measures ambient temperature and humidity, serving as an intelligent companion to IKEA’s lineup of air purifiers by broadening the geographic scope of air quality data within the home environment.
Although IKEA has not yet confirmed specific pricing details for the United States market, the company has released indicative price points for the United Kingdom. Within that region, the Kajplats bulbs will retail between £4 and £9 (approximately $5.21 to $11.73). The Bilresa dual‑button remote will be priced at £3, while the scroll‑wheel version will cost £4. Each of the three motion and contact sensors—Klippbok, Myggbett, and Myggspray—will sell for £7 apiece. The Timmerflotte temperature and humidity sensor will retail at £5, and the sophisticated Alpstuga air quality sensor will occupy the premium tier at £25. Collectively, these products underscore IKEA’s determination to make the connected home more interoperable, intuitive, and affordable than ever before, weaving smart functionality into the everyday rhythm of domestic life.
Sourse: https://www.theverge.com/news/814241/ikea-smart-home-matter-thread-lights-sensors-remote-control
