Ikea’s not a tech company, but it sure knows the home. That’s probably why the flat-pack company, founded in 1943, calls its smart home initiative “Home smart,” giving the home priority over the technology. What started as a trickle of smart devices — including tables with integrated Qi chargers and low-priced lights, switches, plugs, and blinds built upon the Zigbee standard — has ballooned into a full-blown business. The Ikea Home smart business unit now sits alongside the company’s more traditional businesses, like Bedroom & Bathroom, Kitchen & Dining, and Ikea Food (aka, meatballs) with investment to match. Ikea’s partnership with Sonos marks the first time the company has ever sold a co-branded product in one of its stores. With 433 stores servicing over 1 billion customers in 2019, let’s just say that Ikea’s impact on the smart home could be significant.
The two FCC filings spotted by Zatz Not Funny! reveal a new two-piece open/close sensor (Ikea’s first) called the Parasoll that tells you the current state of a door or window, and its second IP44-rated (splash-proof) motion sensor called Vallhorn.
They’ll use AAA batteries and were tested with Ikea’s newer Dirigera Matter hub. The filings list IoT maker Leedarson as Ikea’s collaborator.
The three new covers for the Sonos-collab Symfonisk picture frame speaker are inspired by Latin American street art.
The covers snap onto the speaker and add some much-needed color to the current options. I love to see more adventurous decor in the smart home — and don’t forget, you can pair two of these speakers with a Sonos Arc or Beam sound bar for surround sound with some serious style. The new covers go on sale in April.
Easier to use and stable. But let’s check in again after a few months.
Dirigera makes Home Smart easier to use and more robust
Better looks, easier bulbs, still niche
The latest Symfonisk collaboration is another attempt to camouflage tech in the home
Once you figure out the setup, at least
But can it get the software right?
The Swedish furniture giant has conquered living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms — but can it hang on to the future of the home?
If you hate redecorating, make someone else do it for you
