Flat-pack furniture giant Ikea launched 21 smart home products this month, all built to work with Matter.

The launch focuses on lighting, sensors and control, and is said to mark a significant step in making smart home technology easier to use, more affordable and better adapted to real-life needs in the home.

With this launch, Ikea says it is rebuilding its smart home system and product range from the ground up. The launch reflects years of development and testing in real homes, and a growing understanding of how people want smart products to work in their daily life.

The launch includes both new products and updates to existing categories, now built to work with Matter. This means the smart products can connect with a wider range of devices and platforms, making it easier for customers to build a smart home across different brands.

“Until now, smart home technology hasn’t been easy enough to use for most people, or affordable enough for many to consider,” said David Granath, range manager at Sweden-based Ikea. “This launch brings us closer to helping everyone feel ready and confident to get started.”

The updated range focuses on three segments, that provide the building blocks of a smart home that’s flexible, intuitive and easy to expand over time.

• Lighting: The smart bulb range comes in various shapes, sizes, lumen levels and styles, including colour and white spectrum options, and dimmable features.
• Sensors: Motion, air quality, humidity and water leakage sensors designed to support wellbeing and prevent damage.
• Control: Remotes that make it easy to control devices from a distance, and a smart plug that can turn any product into a smart product.

“This launch is about making the smart home experience better and broader,” said Stjepan Begic, product developer at Ikea (www.ikea.com). “We’re upgrading our most-appreciated products while also adding new ones to solve even more everyday challenges. Our focus has been on keeping things simple from setup to daily use, so it’s easy for people to start, use and grow a smart home.”

All Matter-enabled products need a smart home hub to work, such as Ikea’s Dirigera hub, or one from another brand. As a certified Matter controller, Dirigera can also manage and control smart products from other manufacturers and brands. As a Matter Bridge, it ensures that existing Ikea non-Matter smart products will also be compatible with platforms using the Matter standard.

This launch is the first step in a broader update of the Ikea Home smart range. The strategy is to launch products that are easier to use and more affordable than existing ones.

“Our goal is still the same as when we started exploring the smart home in 2012: to make it easy to use, easy to understand and within reach for the many,” said Granath. “We start with understanding life at home, where we continuously watch, listen and learn what makes a difference in everyday life. We believe technology should serve a purpose, not exist for its own sake. With more than 900 million store visits each year, I think we’re in a good place to help more people discover the benefits of a smarter home.”