- The IKEA Skaftsärv is a gradient LED light costing $6.99 / £4 (around AU$8)
- It looks similar to the Philips Hue Play gradient light bar, but cannot reflect the colors of a TV screen.
- The WiZ Gradient Light Bar is an affordable alternative that can sync with a TV
IKEA has just launched a new lamp that looks strikingly similar to a popular Philips Hue lamp, but at a tiny fraction of the price. The IKEA Skaftsärv is available in the UK for just $6.99 / £4 (around AU$8), and each has three lighting zones that can cast a colorful glow on your walls or light up the room.
As our colleagues at T3 note, it looks suspiciously similar to the Philips Hue Play light bar, and if you like the idea of making your home theater system more immersive but have been put off by the price, you might be tempted to grab a pair of Skaftsärvs instead – but there’s something you need to know first.
Although the Skaftsärv can change color in response to music and is dimmable, there is no way to connect it to your TV or PC monitor to expand the screen colors. That’s impressive considering its low cost, but it’s just a decorative lamp, not a smart lamp.
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In contrast, the Philips Hue Play light bar can be used to add ambiance to a room or to create an Amblight-style effect around and behind your TV when connected to a Philips Hue HDMI sync box. Up to three light bars can be connected to the same power supply.
You can control your light bars via the Philips Hue app and, like all Philips Hue devices, they are compatible with all major smart home ecosystems so you can operate them with voice commands, connect them to your other smart devices and use them in automations. Take a look at our Philips Hue Play light bar review to find out more.
Lower cost lighting
If the Philips Hue light isn’t in your budget, but you want something that will offer a similar experience, take a look at the WiZ Gradient light bars, which cost just $59.99 / £54.99, and work very similarly when linked to a WiZ HDMI sync box.
Although they use different technologies, the Philips Hue and WiZ smart lights are made by the same company (Signify), so you can be sure you’re getting good quality. In fact, our reviewer Abigail Shannon gave the WiZ Gradient light bars a near-perfect four and a half stars out of five thanks to their ease of use, versatility, and smooth color gradient. Check out our full WiZ Gradient Light Bars review for more details.
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