Ikea expands its Tradfri line with new smart bulbs and starter kits

By Patrick Hearn July 13, 2019

Ikea is the go-to destination for college students and fresh graduates looking to furnish their apartments on the cheap, but it may soon be the same spot for smart home enthusiasts looking for lower-cost devices. The Swedish company has already made waves with their Tradfri smart lights, smart blinds, and more, but a recent discovery by HomeKit Hero, an Apple Homekit enthusiast site, shows that even more devices may be on the way.

Ikea introduced its first smart home products back in 2017 with the Home Smart line of products. The line has grown both in size and variety, and now Ikea is bringing even more to the market.

According to HomeKit Hero, the first new product is another Tradfri bulb. This one is an E26 LED that puts out 806 lumens. The bulb is designed to resemble old-school filament bulbs. It has three different color modes that range from warm to cold lighting. Best of all, the bulb is just $17 — a great price point for people that want smart bulbs in less-used parts of the home but don’t want to pay the more premium prices of other companies.

After this bulb, Ikea announced a new E12 bulb with a base in the shape of a candelabra. This bulb stands out because that specific size is hard to find; while it resembles a traditional bulb, the new E12 can fit into chandeliers and outputs 650 lumens. It has nine color options to choose from including white. At $20, it’s won’t break the bank — but outfitting a chandelier with a half-dozen or more could get pricey.

Besides introducing new smart bulbs, Ikea also updated their Home Smart starter kits to include two new packages. The first package is priced at $70 and includes the Tradfri Gateway, two white E12 bulbs, one white E26 bulb, and the remote control. The second package is priced at $80 and includes the Tradfri Gateway, two white E26 bulbs, and the remote control.

New smart lights aren’t the only thing Ikea is bringing to the party. The company announced a set of AirPlay 2-compatible smart speakers that are due to release in August, and changes to the Home Smart app suggest even more products are on the way.

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Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…

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