IKEA Smart Home Gets Smarter With Matter and 21 New Devices

I recently bought a Samsung TV. Nothing fancy. One of those “low-end but still thinks it’s a genius” models that comes with Smart technology baked in. I expected better picture quality. What I did not expect was my TV forming a close personal relationship with my washer and dryer. Apparently, my laundry now has opinions and my television wants to be part of the conversation.

The whole thing immediately reminded me of those old cartoons where technology promised to make life easier and instead just made everything noisier. Case in point: the 1949 House of Tomorrow animated short by Tex Avery explores a house packed with futuristic gadgets, all buzzing, blinking, and desperately trying to help. That future has officially arrived, and it apparently knows when my socks are done tumbling.

Now IKEA is stepping into this brave, chatty new world of connected appliances with 21 new smart home products. Surprisingly, it all feels… manageable. Everything is built around Matter, the shared standard that finally lets devices from different brands talk to each other without throwing a tantrum.

The new lineup sticks to things people actually want, not gadgets no one asked for. There are updated smart bulbs in every shape and brightness imaginable, plus motion sensors, air quality monitors, humidity sensors, and water leak detectors that exist solely to prevent you from discovering problems the expensive way. IKEA is also adding new remotes and smart plugs, which means you can turn an ordinary lamp or small appliance into a “smart” one without replacing half your house or taking a crash course in engineering.

To keep all these devices from gossiping uncontrollably, you’ll need a hub. IKEA’s DIRIGERA hub handles the new Matter-compatible gear and also plays translator for older IKEA smart products, so they do not feel abandoned or emotionally neglected.

What I appreciate most is IKEA’s claim that these products were tested in real homes over several years. Not labs. Not sci-fi kitchens. Actual houses, with clutter, bad lighting, and people who just want the lights to turn on without drama. The goal here is not flashy tech, but smart home gear that is understandable, affordable, and unlikely to start a family group chat with your appliances.

This launch is basically IKEA hitting the reset button on its smart home ambitions. They are rebuilding the system from the ground up, refreshing familiar products, and making sure everything plays nicely with other brands. The focus is clear: lighting, sensors, and control. In other words, see better, sense problems earlier, and press fewer buttons.

IKEA’s message is refreshingly blunt. Smart homes have been too complicated, too expensive, and too smug for most people. This new range is meant to calm things down and make smart tech feel less like a tech demo and more like something that actually belongs in your living room.

More products are coming, with prices and availability depending on where you live. But for now, this feels like a genuine step toward that old cartoon dream: a smarter home that helps quietly in the background. Preferably without my TV knowing quite so much about my laundry habits.