IKEA Expands Smart Home Offerings
IKEA is continuing its push into home technology with new additions to its "Home smart" initiative. Recent launches include the Blomprakt, a combination lamp and speaker, and a dimmable indoor/outdoor SOLVINDEN lamp. The company is focusing on integrating smart features into everyday decor, with tutorials explaining how to connect the new devices to platforms like Amazon Alexa.
- IKEA's "Home smart" initiative first began as a project in 2012, with early products focused on wireless charging furniture. The company established it as a dedicated business unit to accelerate development, calling it the biggest new business established since Children's IKEA. - A key strategy is the collaboration with other tech companies, most notably a partnership with Sonos that began in 2019 to create the SYMFONISK line, which integrates speakers into items like lamps and picture frames. - The company's smart lighting range, originally named TRÅDFRI, was a foundational part of the smart home push, aiming to make the technology more affordable and easier to understand for the average consumer. - In October 2022, IKEA launched the DIRIGERA hub for smart products and a new "IKEA Home smart" app, designed to simplify the process of connecting and controlling various smart devices. - The latest generation of IKEA smart home products is being built to be compatible with Matter, the universal smart home standard backed by major tech companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon. This allows IKEA devices to work with a wider range of smart home ecosystems. - A recent expansion in early 2026 introduced 21 new Matter-compatible devices, including sensors for motion, water leakage, and air quality, as well as smart plugs and updated remote controls. - The company's strategy focuses on affordability to drive mainstream adoption, with new smart bulbs priced as low as $5 and sensors around $9, significantly undercutting many competitors. - Beyond dedicated smart products, IKEA is also integrating smart features into its traditional furniture lines, such as adding smart capabilities to its popular VARMBLIXT lamp.
