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It’s no secret that I’m always on the lookout for reliable, affordable smart home gear, which often means turning to Ikea when I need a new remote or sensor for my home. IKEA price is low This is definitely a major factor, but I also appreciate the wide selection and the option to control everything locally without an internet connection.
So, I took the opportunity to stop by Ikea’s cozy display booth at the Venetian while I was at it Consumer Electronics Show 2026. Since this is the company’s first foray CESI think choosing a private pavilion rather than a flashy booth in the main exhibition hall was a good choice to emphasize the relaxed vibes (and comfortable prices) of its latest technology.
Read more: Best of CES 2026: 22 winners awarded by the CNET Group
While IKEA announced several of these products last November – including smart home sensors, smart lighting and Bluetooth speakers – The home furnishings company also surprised me with updates to its stunning Varmblixt lamp series and $10 Bluetooth speaker, which isn’t half bad. Here’s everything the brand had to offer, with some highlights that caught my eye.
Varmblixt enters the matter equation
You can place the Varmblixt cake-shaped lamp on a shelf or mount it on the wall – I love the sci-fi vibe you get when you stack them.
The most eye-catching elements of Ikea’s CES display are the updated Varmblixt lamps and pendant lamps. Debuts in 2023 Through a collaboration with Rotterdam-based designer Sabine Marcelis, the latest version of Varmblixt is now compatible with the wider Ikea Home Smart app and Matter ecosystem.
While the first iterations of the Varmblixt donut-shaped bulb featured a fixed color palette, the Matter capabilities of the Varmblixt donut-shaped smart bulb support an automatic color cycle of 12 preset colors right out of the box using the included Bilresa remote. You can also expand it to 40 colors and access dimming controls by linking it with Ikea Dirigera Smart Home Center.
During my visit, I didn’t think to try out the remote control with the smart donut bulb to see if it only cycles through a preset color pattern or if you can pause it on a specific color. My Ikea contact confirmed that you can manually cycle through the colors to find your favorite. You do not need a Dirigera hub for this function, just the included remote. (The same goes for the smart pendant light.)
I love the three curved light bars on the Varmblixt Smart Pendant Light, which create a cozy atmosphere that would look great on a kitchen table or a modern chandelier in a high foyer.
The smart Varmblixt pendant lamp also features an attractive design. However, it limits its color palette to shades of white, so you can enjoy calm, soft, warm whites or focus on cool daylight – and everything in between.
IKEA rarely stands still, and it’s already hinting at more Smart lighting Products on the horizon in 2027, including more collaborations with Marcelis. Maybe we’ll see the rest of the Varmblixt series receive Matter compatibility or even some new designs?
A bunch of Matter-enabled gear for under $15
While you can link Ikea remotes and lamps without a hub, most Ikea smart home devices require Dirigera’s $110 smart hub to work — or unlock advanced controls like scheduling and automation.
Ikea announced its Matter-compatible smart home lineup at the end of 2025, but my visit to the brand’s CES was the first time I’d seen many of these products in action. (I’ve been using Scrapbook water leakage sensor, Timber fleet Temperature Humidity Sensor, Myggbett Door and Window Sensor since November 2025.)
The highlight was… With albusto Air quality sensor, which monitors carbon dioxide, particulate matter, temperature and humidity. You can check the air condition at any time on the built-in display or in the Ikea Home Smart app.
I personally like the option of using the Alpstuga as a digital clock — I have quite a few clocks in my house to help combat the inevitable time blindness that comes with ADHD.
I also appreciate that new Mosquito spray The motion sensor is weatherproof with an IP67 rating. This is huge because outdoor motion detectors are still relatively rare compared to indoor units — and much more expensive. The previous Ikea Vallhorn motion sensor had some protection from the elements — a relatively poor IP44 rating — but it’s nice to have a little more protection in inclement weather.
While pricing is largely comparable to the previous crop of Zigbee-based modules, many of the sensors are less expensive than their predecessors, which were already among the best values for smart home equipment:
- Road trip Remote, dual button: $6 (compared to $6 Rodret and $9 Somrig)
- Remote control car ride, scroll wheel: $10
- Myggspray motion sensor: $8 (compared to $9 Vallhorn model)
- Mosquito bite Door and window sensor: $8 (compared to $10 Parasoll)
- Klippbok Water Leakage Sensor: $8 (compared to Badring’s $9)
- Timber fleet Temperature and humidity sensor: $10
- Alpstuga air quality sensor: $30 (compared to $42 Vindstryka)
The above products are available now. IKEA also has a selection of new smart plugs and smart light bulbs on deck to be available in April 2026:
- Smart Plug BBQ: $8
- Tofsmygga External Smart Plug: $15
- Kajplats Smart Light Bulbs: $6 to $14 (includes different color and brightness options for standard E26 sockets, E12 candelabra sockets, and GU10 track lighting)
- Various combo packages with Kajplats lamps and Bilresa remote control: from $10 to $24
I look forward to placing many of the latest IKEA’s Smart home products Through their steps this year. However, I must point out that the simple nature of most smart sensors means that there is rarely much to say other than to point out their affordability and reliability.
Samsung SmartThings now supports Ikea’s latest smart home products
While it’s a given that the two Matter-compatible smart home systems should be interoperable, having a more formal partnership makes the process smoother for everyone.
Another announcement coming out of CES is Ikea’s new partnership with… Samsung Smart Things. One of the strongest fruits of SmartThings support is the ability to add Ikea products directly to the SmartThings hub, which typically extends functionality without requiring workarounds.
For example, I use several discontinued Tradfri remotes from Ikea in my SmartThings system, but they work differently than the Ikea Home Smart app and typically require a dedicated third-party driver to work well. Turning it on isn’t too difficult for a smart home nerd, but I’m all for having a clear setup process that’s much easier for the average person.
According to Samsung’s blog post, this Ikea update is still a work in progress — specifically, remote support for the Bilesa scroll wheel. However, the SmartThings system still has trouble detecting new Matter devices on the Ikea Hub, even though the process works independently for both systems using the Myggspray motion sensor. I suspect these minor compatibility issues will be resolved as the rollout progresses.
The latest Bluetooth speakers from IKEA
The colors on the limited edition Solskydd Teklan speakers are particularly eye-catching, and I love that you can remove the base for wall mounting.
Bluetooth speakers aren’t exactly smart home products, but I wanted to mention Ikea’s new Solskydd, Kulglass, and Kallsup speakers. All three speaker designs feature a collaboration with Ola Wihlborg, including limited edition designs on Solskydd and Kulglass, created by the Swedish color artist. Tekla Evelina Severin (Takla).
The Solskydd speaker comes in three sizes: 8 inches ($80), 11 inches ($100), and 18 inches ($140). It is worth noting that the 8-inch size is portable with a built-in battery, while the two larger sizes require a power cord to operate.
Although the sound quality sounded good while with the speakers, I needed to hear them separately before making any final statements. My favorite element of the Solskydd speakers is the wall-mounting option, which gives them a little more flexibility than other Bluetooth speakers I’ve used. Distinctive designs also seem to work well for individuals who want speakers that don’t distract from the interior design of the room.
Finally, IKEA showed off its new $10 Kallsup portable speaker, a colorful cube the size of an orange — I mean, if oranges were cubes.
I really like the bright green color option, and my test unit produces surprisingly good sound quality for a $10 speaker. For comparison, I tested a cheap $8 speaker Of the five belowwhich performed much worse at maximum volume. However, you shouldn’t expect sound quality, especially regarding the bass, but the semitones and treble sound very good.
Interestingly, you can link multiple Kallsup speakers together. Sarah Ottoson, senior product developer at IKEA, said the team tested this functionality with up to 100 speakers, but hinted at the possibility of adding more than that. I’m skeptical about the practicality of running 100 Kallsup speakers simultaneously, but even having four or five devices connected can be a game-changer for a small indoor party. (It’s not waterproof like the $16 Fabibewhich launches in 2023.)
Although the Solskydd and Kulglass speakers are available now, you’ll have to wait until April to get your hands on the Kallsup speakers.