Move over Philips Hue – IKEA has just announced it’s launching a smart lighting collection in April that will offer the luxury of remote light dimming and scheduling at a tantalisingly affordable price.
The range features energy-efficient white LED lightbulbs, light panels for walls and ceilings, and light doors that can be built into IKEA’s METOD kitchen.
All of the lights can be controlled either using an app on your phone or tablet, or IKEA’s nifty remote control device. There’s also a wireless motion sensor for ultimate hands-free lighting fun.
As well as being able to switch lights on and off, and dim and schedule them remotely, you’ll also get to dabble in some light customisation. Both the smart lightbulbs and the light doors and panels can transition between warm and cool white light at your command.
The real boon is the range comes bearing a typically low IKEA price tag; the most basic smart lighting package containing an LED lightbulb and a dimming remote will set you back just £15. That’s without app control, however – you’ll need to lay down £69 for a smart lighting kit that includes a gateway device for optional app connectivity.
IKEA has also promised an update to the new app this Autumn that will see an ‘Away from Home’ function added, allowing users to monitor and control their brood of budget smart bulbs from anywhere away from home.
Considering a Philips Hue starter kit will set you back in excess of £150, IKEA’s range offers a hell of a lot of smart bulb for your buck. Granted, it doesn’t look like the range will offer smart home integration with other products and services like Alexa or Homekit support – yet. But it’s plug-and-play convenience for the same price as a flatpack coffee table.
Watch out for the smart lighting range arriving in-store and online in the UK in April.
Will you be taking IKEA up on its new smart home offerings? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
