Recently, IKEA introduced what seemed to be the perfect line of smart home sensors. I got a sneak peek of the range at CES and got some insight from an IKEA representative, who was keen to emphasize how simple, accessible and affordable the new additions were.
When I got them home, things looked promising. IKEA had stressed that the range was designed to “work out of the box”, offering basic functionality without the need to download the app first, to remove this barrier to entry. This was true for my Timmerflotte temperature sensor: I was able to insert batteries, flip a hidden toggle switch from Fahrenheit to Centigrade, and immediately see the temperature and humidity displayed on the screen.
One of my teammates suggested that I might need an IKEA Dirigera home hub, so I browsed the product page to confirm. It said: “This smart product uses the universal Matter standard, making it easy to install, use and add to the DIRIGERA hub and other well-known systems.”
So far it is unclear. I contacted my contact at IKEA to try to get a firmer answer. Finally, I received the following response from the technical team:
“The problem is probably that you are missing a Thread Border router. All new IKEA sensors (including TIMMERFLOTTE and BILRESA) use Matter over Thread, which requires a Thread Border router to connect. Without an active router on the network, the setup will not be completed. DIRIGERA includes a Thread Border router, and hubs from other brands may also work if they support Matter over Thread. At IKEA, we do not maintain an official compatibility list of which they are, but recommend using DIRIGERA.
IKEA has since updated its product listing page to state: “This product uses Matter over Thread, which means you need a Thread Border router to control it via your phone, for example our DIRIGERA hub. »
Disappointing developments
I’m glad that at least now IKEA has made the requirements clearer on their product pages, but overall the situation remains disappointing for several reasons. The first is that a hub is necessary and IKEA did not feel the need to clearly state this on the product pages.
One of the big appeals of these sensors is that they are cheap, with most of the range being under $10/£10. That affordable price suddenly becomes a little less affordable when you factor in a Dirigera hub, which costs a not-insignificant $109/£60. At this price, you have to ask yourself whether you want to invest in the ecosystem as a whole: it won’t be worth it if it’s just a matter of powering a few cheap temperature sensors.
The second is that IKEA doesn’t know exactly which alternative smart home hubs the sensors will work with, and it’s complicated to figure that out on your own. The brand insists that because these gadgets are now compatible with Matter, they should integrate smoothly into any smart home ecosystem, but the reality seems more complicated.
I received a message from a customer who told me that he had successfully connected his Timmerflotte via another Matter compatible hub, but that it was not easy and that it had taken several attempts. IKEA’s own FAQ on the subject isn’t very helpful either:
I already have a smart home system from another brand, can I use smart products from IKEA in this one?
With the DIRIGERA hub, the IKEA Home smart app can guide you in connecting to Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit.
The comment from David Granath, lighting and home electronics range manager at IKEA, is particularly ironic, in the context of the addition of Matter compatibility to the new range. “This removes one of the biggest barriers to starting a smart home,” he told me. “People don’t want to look for standards or ecosystems, or worry about which products work with which hub. They want things to simply connect and work.”
Have you managed to connect one of the new sensors to another smart home hub? Drop a note in the comments section and I’ll update this article with new information as soon as I receive it.
Alternatively, if you want to join the IKEA smart home ecosystem, below are the best prices for the Dirigera smart hub.
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