We are big fans of IKEA’s TRADFRI smart bulbs that come with an affordable price tag. But IKEA’s range has fallen behind rivals such as Hue, and things hadn’t changed significantly since the launch of TRADFRI. The situation is about to change, however.
IKEA’s Home Smart app pairs with the brand-new DIRIGERA smart home hub that delivers an improved network across multiple devices. Digital intelligence is at the heart of Ikea’s DIRIGERA project, which means “conducting” in Swedish.
We’re pleased to know the new hub is compatible with all existing IKEA Home Smart purchases, and hope it will continue to support other releases of smart home gadgets. The feature which is yet to be implemented will come in a near-future firmware upgrade.
The good news is, DIRIGERA will be compatible with Matter, a new smart home standard that aims to improve the interoperability of everything in a smart home. Featuring Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and Thread radios for connectivity, DIRIGERA also connects via USB-C and Ethernet Ports.
The idea is for IKEA’s smart home app to launch the ideal “scenes” combining different kinds of devices. The app suggests sound, lighting, blinds, coffee machines and air purification, into scenarios that you can initiate manually or at specific times in a simple and intuitive way. As IKEA PR puts it on their website, “Imagine waking up in a bedroom with clean air, your blinds slowly rise while the lamps gradually brighten the room – all accompanied by your favorite music and the smell of fresh coffee being brewed.”
Reviews say that it works really well with the newly released app, is easy to use, and seems to be completely stable. Migrating existing TRADFRI bulbs appears to be seamless. The brand-new hub retails at $69 / €59/ £51.
IKEA’s brand-new smart home app is now available to download, while DIRIGERA will be available for purchase in IKEA stores across the US and Europe this week.
